The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) will release earnings for its fourth quarter before the opening bell on Thursday, March 5.

Analysts expect the company to report quarterly earnings of $1.20 per share. That’s up from $1.14 per share in the year-ago period. Consensus estimates show Kroger's quarterly revenue at about $35.03 billion (it reported $34.31 billion last year), according to Benzinga Pro.

Ahead of quarterly earnings, Wells Fargo analyst Edward Kelly, on Feb. 25, downgraded Kroger from Overweight to Equal-Weight and lowered the price target from $70 to $68.

With the recent buzz around Kroger, some investors may be eyeing potential gains from the company's dividends too. As of now, Kroger has an annual dividend yield of 2.04%, which is a quarterly dividend amount of 35 cents per share ($1.40 a year).  

So, how can investors exploit ...