5.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:


	Third Quarter Ended					Third Quarter Ended
	November 10, 2018					November 4, 2017
				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	$	313	797	$	0.39	$	393	887	$	0.44
Dilutive effect of stock options			10					6

Net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. per diluted common share	$	313	807	$	0.39	$	393	893	$	0.44


	Three Quarters Ended					Three Quarters Ended
	November 10, 2018					November 4, 2017
				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	$	2,820	814	$	3.46	$	1,044	901	$	1.16
Dilutive effect of stock options			8					9

Net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. per diluted common share	$	2,820	822	$	3.43	$	1,044	910	$	1.15

The Company had combined undistributed and distributed earnings to participating securities totaling $4 in each of the third quarters of 2018 and 2017. For the first three quarters of 2018 and 2017, the Company had combined undistributed and distributed earnings to participating securities of $31 and $9, respectively.

The Company had options outstanding for approximately 11 million and 26 million shares during the third quarter of 2018 and 2017, respectively, 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. The Company had options outstanding for approximately 11 million shares during the first three quarters of 2018 and 15 million shares in the first three quarters of 2017 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.