Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC)

Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) was the target of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Stock traders purchased 72,473 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 158% compared to the typical daily volume of 28,131 call options.

Kraft Heinz Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of NASDAQ KHC traded up $0.37 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $22.77. The stock had a trading volume of 8,244,146 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,089,134. Kraft Heinz has a 52-week low of $21.99 and a 52-week high of $33.35. The firm has a market cap of $26.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.09 and a beta of 0.09. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $24.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $25.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The company reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $6.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.27 billion. Kraft Heinz had a positive return on equity of 7.26% and a negative net margin of 17.35%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.75 EPS. Kraft Heinz has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.500-2.57 EPS. Analysts expect that Kraft Heinz will post 2.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kraft Heinz Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 28th were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.0%. Kraft Heinz’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -42.90%.

Insider Activity at Kraft Heinz

In other news, insider Miguel Patricio sold 125,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 686,817 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,046,797.94. This represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Kraft Heinz

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KHC. Shell Asset Management Co. lifted its position in Kraft Heinz by 89.7% during the second quarter. Shell Asset Management Co. now owns 90,450 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,335,000 after buying an additional 42,758 shares in the last quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR raised its holdings in shares of Kraft Heinz by 192.4% during the 3rd quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR now owns 81,260 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,116,000 after acquiring an additional 53,467 shares during the period. Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. Can grew its holdings in shares of Kraft Heinz by 45.4% in the second quarter. Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. Can now owns 4,884,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $126,056,000 after purchasing an additional 1,525,000 shares during the period. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. increased its position in Kraft Heinz by 39.8% during the second quarter. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. now owns 37,050 shares of the company’s stock worth $957,000 after purchasing an additional 10,551 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in Kraft Heinz during the third quarter worth about $4,678,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.17% of the company’s stock.

More Kraft Heinz News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kraft Heinz this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several investor pieces argue the recent sell‑off creates a valuation opportunity for long‑term, value‑oriented buyers given KHC’s cash flows and dividend profile. Is There Now An Opportunity In Kraft Heinz (KHC) After Prolonged Share Price Weakness
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan trimmed its price target (from $25 to $24) but kept a neutral rating, signaling analysts see limited near‑term upside absent clearer operational improvement. JPMorgan adjusts price target on Kraft Heinz to $24 from $25; maintains neutral rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary highlights near‑term growth worries (consumer shifts, private‑label competition) that are weighing on sentiment even as some investors point to value metrics. Market’s Near-Term Growth Worries Overshadow Value Potential of Kraft Heinz Co. (KHC)
• Negative Sentiment: The primary catalyst for today’s weakness: Berkshire Hathaway filed to potentially sell its entire ~27.5% stake (about 325M shares). Investors fear the magnitude and timing of any resale could depress KHC’s stock for an extended period. Berkshire may shed 27.5% Kraft Heinz stake, filing shows
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage across major outlets (WSJ, CNBC, AP) frames the move as a strategic exit by Berkshire’s new CEO, increasing investor concern that the holding will be unwound rather than sold in a block — amplifying the likelihood of prolonged selling pressure. Why Berkshire Put Its Kraft Stake on the Block
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades have followed the filing — Exane BNP Paribas moved to a “strong sell/underperform” stance and other firms lowered targets — adding fresh sell signals for traders. Analyst downgrade / Zacks summary

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Mizuho lowered their price objective on Kraft Heinz from $29.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Kraft Heinz from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 1st. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Kraft Heinz from $28.00 to $27.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Kraft Heinz from $25.00 to $24.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Kraft Heinz from $27.00 to $25.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kraft Heinz currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $26.16.

Kraft Heinz Company Profile

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.