Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Takes $1.87 Million Position in KKR & Co. Inc. $KKR

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 20,407 shares of the asset manager’s stock, valued at approximately $1,873,000.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KKR. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new position in KKR & Co. Inc. during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. SouthState Bank Corp raised its position in KKR & Co. Inc. by 185.0% during the 4th quarter. SouthState Bank Corp now owns 228 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in KKR & Co. Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. 76.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KKR has been the topic of several research reports. Oppenheimer raised their price target on KKR & Co. Inc. from $139.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Barclays increased their target price on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $124.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $153.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $108.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, KKR & Co. Inc. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $130.00.

KKR & Co. Inc. Trading Down 0.5%

NYSE KKR opened at $108.74 on Friday. KKR & Co. Inc. has a 52 week low of $82.67 and a 52 week high of $152.10. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $101.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $97.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 0.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market cap of $97.61 billion, a PE ratio of 34.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.78.

KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The asset manager reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.20. KKR & Co. Inc. had a return on equity of 5.88% and a net margin of 14.41%.The firm had revenue of $5.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.55 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.18 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that KKR & Co. Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KKR & Co. Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were paid a dividend of $0.195 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 10th. This represents a $0.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. KKR & Co. Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 24.84%.

KKR & Co. Inc. declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, May 5th that permits the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the asset manager to purchase up to 0.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Key Headlines Impacting KKR & Co. Inc.

Here are the key news stories impacting KKR & Co. Inc. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong analyst price-target increase: Oppenheimer raised its KKR price target from $139 to $166 and reiterated an “outperform” rating, implying substantial upside from recent levels. Benzinga analyst rating report
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion in private aviation infrastructure: Apollo-managed funds acquired a significant interest in Atlantic Aviation, while KKR-managed funds remain a substantial shareholder. The partnership could support Atlantic Aviation’s growth and preserve KKR’s exposure to a potentially attractive infrastructure platform. Apollo Funds and KKR Announce Strategic Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: New infrastructure investment: KKR and Apollo are partnering with Enbridge on approximately C$2.7 billion of expansions to the Westcoast natural-gas pipeline system in British Columbia, expanding KKR’s exposure to energy infrastructure and long-term contracted assets. Enbridge, KKR form joint venture
• Positive Sentiment: AI data-center exposure: KKR is investing in SK Telecom’s newly launched SK Horizon, an AI data-center infrastructure company. The deal gives KKR participation in the expanding demand for data-center capacity and digital infrastructure. SK Horizon investment announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Antitrust case resolution: KKR agreed to a stipulation and order with the U.S. Department of Justice, potentially removing some uncertainty, although the settlement also highlights ongoing regulatory and legal risks. KKR reaches settlement in DOJ antitrust case
• Neutral Sentiment: Fixed-income appeal: An analysis described KKR’s “baby bonds” as offering potential capital appreciation, but this is an investment view on the company’s debt securities rather than a direct earnings catalyst for common stock. KKR baby bonds analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Reported fraud investigation: A law firm is seeking KKR investors to participate in a fraud investigation, creating potential litigation, reputational, and financial risks. The notice does not establish wrongdoing, but it may weigh on sentiment. KKR investor fraud investigation notice

KKR & Co. Inc. Company Profile

KKR & Co Inc is a global investment firm headquartered in New York City that specializes in private markets and alternative asset management. Founded in 1976 by Jerome Kohlberg Jr., Henry Kravis and George R. Roberts, the firm built its reputation in leveraged buyouts and has since expanded into a multi-strategy asset manager. KKR operates across private equity, credit, real assets (including real estate and infrastructure), growth equity and hedge fund strategies, offering a range of investment products and strategies for institutional and private investors.

KKR manages capital through traditional closed-end funds as well as customized vehicles such as separate accounts, co-investments, and listed investment vehicles.