4.EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE

Net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. per basic common share equal net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. less income allocated to participating securities divided by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. per diluted common share equal net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. less income allocated to participating securities divided by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding, after giving effect to dilutive stock options. The following table provides a reconciliation of net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. and shares used in calculating net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. per basic common share to those used in calculating net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. per diluted common share:


	First Quarter Ended					First Quarter Ended
	May 25, 2019					May 26, 2018
				Per					Per
	Earnings		Shares	Share		Earnings		Shares	Share
	(Numerator)		(Denominator)	Amount		(Numerator)		(Denominator)	Amount
Net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. per basic common share	$	764	798	$	0.96	$	2,005	839	$	2.39
Dilutive effect of stock options			7					7

Net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. per diluted common share	$	764	805	$	0.95	$	2,005	846	$	2.37

The Company had combined undistributed and distributed earnings to participating securities totaling $8 in the first quarter of 2019 and $21 in the first quarter of 2018.

The Company had options outstanding for approximately 16 million shares during the first quarter of 2019 and 17 million shares in the first quarter of 2018 that were excluded from the computations of net earnings per diluted common share because their inclusion would have had an anti-dilutive effect on net earnings per share.