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

Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Reduce” from the twenty-one brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $24.8889.

Several brokerages have weighed in on KHC. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Kraft Heinz from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and cut their target price for the company from $24.00 to $22.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Kraft Heinz in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Kraft Heinz from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Kraft Heinz from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Kraft Heinz in a research report on Thursday, February 12th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kraft Heinz

In other 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 value of $3,102,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 686,817 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,046,797.94. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Kraft Heinz

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of KHC. Jessup Wealth Management Inc acquired a new position in Kraft Heinz during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Key Capital Management INC acquired a new position in Kraft Heinz during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. DV Equities LLC bought a new position in Kraft Heinz in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in Kraft Heinz by 70.2% in the fourth quarter. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,239 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 511 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Kraft Heinz by 172.4% during the second quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 1,245 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 788 shares during the last quarter. 78.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kraft Heinz Price Performance

Shares of Kraft Heinz stock opened at $24.61 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.98 and a beta of 0.08. Kraft Heinz has a twelve month low of $21.99 and a twelve month high of $33.35. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $23.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $25.11.

Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $6.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.38 billion. Kraft Heinz had a negative net margin of 23.44% and a positive return on equity of 7.07%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.84 earnings per share. Kraft Heinz has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.980-2.100 EPS. Analysts forecast that Kraft Heinz will post 2.68 EPS for the current year.

Kraft Heinz Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Kraft Heinz’s payout ratio is currently -32.39%.

Key Headlines Impacting Kraft Heinz

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

• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research issued broad, steep cuts to KHC’s near‑term and multi‑year EPS forecasts and carries a “Strong Sell” rating — examples include Q2 2026 cut from $0.68 to $0.51, FY2026 from $2.54 to $2.06 and FY2027 from $2.61 to $2.10, plus multiple quarterly downgrades. The revisions materially lower earnings visibility and are the main negative driver for the stock today. MarketBeat – KHC
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho trimmed its price target to $25 from $27 after Kraft Heinz’s CAGNY presentations but kept a Neutral rating — this signals modest downward adjustment to valuation assumptions rather than a change to conviction on the name. Mizuho Revises Kraft Heinz (KHC) Valuation after CAGNY Presentations
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/attractiveness analyses are mixed — some outlets question whether recent weakness creates a buying opportunity or a value trap, highlighting the stock’s recent underperformance vs longer‑term decline; useful context for value investors. Is Kraft Heinz (KHC) Now Attractive After Recent Share Price Weakness?
• Positive Sentiment: Brand/product activity: Capri Sun (a Kraft Heinz brand) is relaunching limited‑edition flavors (Moon/Blood Moon Punch), indicating continued marketing efforts to keep brands relevant — positive for top‑line engagement though likely a small near‑term earnings driver. Capri Sun Brings Back Fan-Favorite Moon Punch
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry commentary warns Kraft Heinz faces structural challenges common to legacy CPGs (changing consumer preferences, pricing pressure), underscoring that operational execution and portfolio strategy will determine medium‑term outcomes. Kraft Heinz and the structural reckoning facing legacy CPG

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.