Greenwood Gearhart Inc. Takes $14.15 Million Position in KKR & Co. Inc. $KKR

Key Points

• Greenwood Gearhart Inc. disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in KKR, buying 110,971 shares valued at about $14.15 million. Other institutional investors also adjusted holdings, and institutions now own 76.26% of KKR’s shares.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but generally constructive: HSBC upgraded KKR to buy, while some firms turned more cautious. Overall, the stock carries a Moderate Buy consensus with a target price of $134.67.
• KKR recently raised its dividend and authorized a $500 million share buyback, signaling confidence in the business. However, the company also faces headwinds, including a lawsuit tied to a data breach and investor concern after management gave a softer outlook for annualized net income.

Greenwood Gearhart Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 110,971 shares of the asset manager's stock, valued at approximately $14,147,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of KKR. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 109.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 4,661 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $689,000 after purchasing an additional 2,437 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $218,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 13.1% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,050 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $273,000 after purchasing an additional 237 shares in the last quarter. United Bank bought a new position in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. during the 2nd quarter valued at $769,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new position in KKR & Co. Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at $4,826,000. Institutional investors own 76.26% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on KKR. HSBC raised shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $144.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, January 25th. Zacks Research lowered shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their target price on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $135.00 to $117.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $134.67.

Key Stories Impacting KKR & Co. Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS said KKR could see strong upside, and TD Cowen lifted its price target to $106, reinforcing a constructive analyst view on the stock. UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for KKR & Co. Inc. NYSE: KKR Stock
• Positive Sentiment: KKR closed its Arctos acquisition, expanding into sports franchise investing and GP solutions, which broadens its private-markets platform and could support longer-term growth. KKR Adds Sports Franchise Exposure Through Arctos Buyout
• Positive Sentiment: KKR-backed InCred filed IPO papers in India targeting a large valuation, which may highlight value creation within KKR’s portfolio. KKR-Backed InCred Files ₹3,000 Crore IPO Papers, Targets ₹15,000 Crore Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: KKR portfolio company CoolIT was sold for $4.75 billion, and employee payouts are reportedly substantial, another sign that KKR can monetize investments well. This KKR Portfolio Company Just Sold for $4.75 Billion—and Its Employees Are Getting an 8x Salary Bonus
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed elevated put buying, suggesting some traders are hedging or betting on near-term downside, but it does not confirm a fundamental change. KKR, Instructure Sued After Canvas EdTech Tool Data Breach (1)
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC turned more cautious on KKR’s stock price, adding to the mixed analyst backdrop, though it is offset by the bullish views elsewhere. Royal Bank Of Canada Issues Pessimistic Forecast for KKR & Co. Inc. NYSE: KKR Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: KKR and Instructure were sued over a data breach tied to the Canvas edtech tool, creating potential legal and reputational risk for KKR. KKR, Instructure Sued After Canvas EdTech Tool Data Breach (1)
• Negative Sentiment: KKR’s Q1 results beat estimates, but shares fell after management reduced visibility on reaching $7 per share in annualized net income, which spooked investors about near-term earnings momentum. KKR Shares Slip as Weak ANI Outlook Overshadows Q1 Earnings Beat

Insider Activity at KKR & Co. Inc.

In related news, CEO Scott C. Nuttall purchased 125,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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. This trade represents a 0.81% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Matt Cohler purchased 43,872 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was bought at an average price of $102.90 per share, for a total transaction of $4,514,428.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 45,477 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,679,583.30. The trade was a 2,733.46% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 393,872 shares of company stock valued at $40,090,679. Company insiders own 23.20% of the company's stock.

KKR & Co. Inc. Stock Up 2.1%

KKR & Co. Inc. stock opened at $102.48 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $91.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.86, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.07 and a quick ratio of 0.07. KKR & Co. Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $82.67 and a fifty-two week high of $153.87. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $94.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $111.73.

KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The asset manager reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $5.74 billion for the quarter. KKR & Co. Inc. had a net margin of 13.94% and a return on equity of 5.50%. As a group, analysts forecast that KKR & Co. Inc. will post 5.39 earnings per share for the current year.

KKR & Co. Inc. Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.195 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $0.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. This is a positive change from KKR & Co. Inc.'s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. KKR & Co. Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.17%.

KKR & Co. Inc. announced that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, May 5th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the asset manager to buy up to 0.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

KKR & Co. Inc. 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.