Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Reduce” by Analysts

Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) has been given a consensus rating of “Reduce” by the twenty-two research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eighteen have assigned a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $26.6316.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on KHC. Barclays reduced their price target on Kraft Heinz from $26.00 to $24.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Kraft Heinz from $30.00 to $28.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Kraft Heinz from $30.00 to $27.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Kraft Heinz from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 19th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Kraft Heinz from $27.00 to $25.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Miguel Patricio sold 125,000 shares of Kraft Heinz stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.82, for a total transaction of $3,102,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 686,817 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,046,797.94. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kraft Heinz

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Kraft Heinz in the second quarter worth $276,159,000. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in Kraft Heinz by 75.1% in the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 13,694,483 shares of the company’s stock worth $351,263,000 after acquiring an additional 5,873,967 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Kraft Heinz by 14.7% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 26,446,203 shares of the company’s stock valued at $681,663,000 after acquiring an additional 3,392,470 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in shares of Kraft Heinz by 22.1% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 10,480,889 shares of the company’s stock valued at $318,933,000 after acquiring an additional 1,895,722 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Kraft Heinz by 1,645.9% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,880,281 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,549,000 after purchasing an additional 1,772,581 shares during the period. 78.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kraft Heinz Stock Performance

NASDAQ KHC opened at $23.42 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $27.72 billion, a P/E ratio of -6.28 and a beta of 0.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company’s 50 day moving average is $24.48 and its 200-day moving average is $25.90. Kraft Heinz has a 12-month low of $22.91 and a 12-month high of $33.35.

Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 8th. The company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter. Kraft Heinz had a negative net margin of 17.35% and a positive return on equity of 7.26%. The company had revenue of $6.39 billion during the quarter. Kraft Heinz has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.500-2.57 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Kraft Heinz will post 2.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Kraft Heinz Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 28th were issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.8%. Kraft Heinz’s dividend payout ratio is presently -42.90%.

About Kraft Heinz

The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC) is a global food and beverage company formed in 2015 through the merger of Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz Company. The combination created one of the largest packaged-food companies in the world, built around well-known consumer brands. The merger was supported by major investors and established a multi-national platform for branded food products.

Kraft Heinz develops, manufactures, markets and distributes a broad portfolio of branded packaged foods and condiments.