KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) Upgraded at Royal Bank Of Canada

Posted by Caroline Horne on Feb 25th, 2026

KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR – Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Royal Bank Of Canada to a “moderate buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

KKR has been the topic of several other reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded KKR & Co. Inc. from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 25th. TD Cowen lowered shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $146.00 to $131.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $159.00 to $136.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 6th. HSBC raised shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $144.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer cut their price objective on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $190.00 to $187.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $152.40.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on KKR

KKR & Co. Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:KKR opened at $95.69 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $119.38 and its 200 day simple moving average is $126.43. The company has a current ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 0.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. KKR & Co. Inc. has a twelve month low of $86.15 and a twelve month high of $153.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $85.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.90, a PEG ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.99.

KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The asset manager reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.14 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.23 billion. KKR & Co. Inc. had a net margin of 11.97% and a return on equity of 5.77%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 76.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.32 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that KKR & Co. Inc. will post 5.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at KKR & Co. Inc.

In related news, Director Matt Cohler bought 43,872 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $102.90 per share, for a total transaction of $4,514,428.80. Following the purchase, the director owned 45,477 shares in the company, valued at $4,679,583.30. This trade represents a 2,733.46% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Scott C. Nuttall purchased 125,000 shares of KKR & Co. Inc. stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $102.66 per share, for a total transaction of $12,832,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 15,503,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,591,614,769.68. The trade was a 0.81% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have bought 343,872 shares of company stock valued at $35,367,179. 39.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of KKR & Co. Inc.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KKR. ESL Trust Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Asset Dedication LLC acquired a new stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GGM Financials LLC bought a new position in KKR & Co. Inc. during the third quarter worth $27,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. bought a new position in KKR & Co. Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in KKR & Co. Inc. in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.26% of the company’s stock.

Key KKR & Co. Inc. News

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

Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital initiated coverage with an “Outperform” rating and a $137 price target (≈43% upside vs. the current price), which is lifting sentiment and likely driving buying interest from investors. RBC Capital initiates coverage of KKR (KKR) with outperform recommendation
Positive Sentiment: KKR agreed to buy a majority stake in XCL Education for $1.3 billion, signaling continued deal activity and expansion into education—a revenue-growth and diversification play that investors typically view favorably for long-term earnings potential. KKR to buy majority stake in XCL Education Holdings in $1.3 billion deal
Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity: traders bought ~8,120 call options (≈20% above typical call volume), indicating short-term bullish positioning by speculators or institutional players that can amplify upside intraday.
Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes KKR expanding across education, healthcare and infrastructure — strategic moves that support growth but coinciding commentary that shares are under pressure makes the news mixed in the near term. KKR Expands Across Education Healthcare And Infrastructure As Shares Face Pressure
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst attention on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (KREF) is shifting; changes in analyst calls for KREF could affect investor perception of KKR’s real-estate-related businesses but are not a direct change to KKR’s core results. How The Story On KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (KREF) Is Shifting With New Analyst Calls
Negative Sentiment: UBS trimmed its price target to $125, signaling some analyst caution; while the new target remains above the current price, the cut could temper further upward momentum if other firms follow. UBS Group Cuts KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) Price Target to $125.00

About KKR & Co. Inc.

(Get Free Report)

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.