Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) Receives Consensus Rating of “Reduce” from Brokerages

Shares of Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) have been given an average rating of “Reduce” by the twenty-one research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have assigned a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $26.5789.

A number of equities analysts recently commented on KHC shares. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Kraft Heinz from $27.00 to $25.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. HSBC decreased their price objective on Kraft Heinz from $29.00 to $27.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Kraft Heinz from $28.00 to $27.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their target price on shares of Kraft Heinz from $29.00 to $26.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on shares of Kraft Heinz from $30.00 to $28.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 3rd.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kraft Heinz

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KHC. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Kraft Heinz by 172.4% in the second quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 1,245 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 788 shares during the period. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. boosted its stake in Kraft Heinz by 164.7% in the 2nd quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 1,297 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 807 shares during the period. Anfield Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Kraft Heinz by 256.7% in the 3rd quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 1,270 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 914 shares during the period. Investment Management Corp VA ADV grew its holdings in Kraft Heinz by 141.7% during the 1st quarter. Investment Management Corp VA ADV now owns 1,141 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 669 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sentry Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kraft Heinz during the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. 78.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Kraft Heinz Stock Performance

KHC opened at $25.29 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $25.30 and its 200 day moving average is $26.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company has a market cap of $29.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.78, a PEG ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.16. Kraft Heinz has a 12-month low of $23.70 and a 12-month high of $33.35.

Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 8th. The company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $6.39 billion during the quarter. Kraft Heinz had a negative net margin of 17.35% and a positive return on equity of 7.26%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Kraft Heinz will post 2.68 EPS for the current year.

Kraft Heinz Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 26th. Investors of record on Friday, November 28th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 28th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.3%. Kraft Heinz’s dividend payout ratio is currently -42.90%.

Kraft Heinz Company Profile

The Kraft Heinz Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets food and beverage products in North America and internationally. Its products include condiments and sauces, cheese and dairy products, meals, meats, refreshment beverages, coffee, and other grocery products under the Kraft, Oscar Mayer, Heinz, Philadelphia, Lunchables, Velveeta, Ore-Ida, Maxwell House, Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Heinz, ABC, Master, Quero, Kraft, Golden Circle, Wattie's, Pudliszki, and Plasmon brands.