KKR & Co. Inc. $KKR Position Boosted by Banque Cantonale Vaudoise

Key Points

• Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its KKR stake by 323.4% in the fourth quarter, ending with 15,000 shares valued at about $1.91 million.
• KKR reported quarterly earnings of $1.24 EPS on $5.74 billion in revenue, while analysts currently expect the company to earn $5.46 per share for the full year.
• The company boosted its quarterly dividend to $0.195 per share and authorized a $500 million share repurchase plan, signaling confidence in the stock’s value.

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise grew its holdings in KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR - Free Report) by 323.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,000 shares of the asset manager's stock after purchasing an additional 11,457 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise's holdings in KKR & Co. Inc. were worth $1,912,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. ESL Trust Services LLC purchased a new position in KKR & Co. Inc. during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new position in KKR & Co. Inc. during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GGM Financials LLC purchased a new position in KKR & Co. Inc. during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in KKR & Co. Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new position in KKR & Co. Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 76.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

KKR & Co. Inc. Price Performance

Shares of KKR & Co. Inc. stock opened at $94.76 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $95.55 and a 200-day simple moving average of $110.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 0.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. KKR & Co. Inc. has a 1-year low of $82.67 and a 1-year high of $153.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $85.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.23, a PEG ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 1.85.

KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The asset manager reported $1.24 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $5.74 billion during the quarter. KKR & Co. Inc. had a return on equity of 5.42% and a net margin of 13.94%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that KKR & Co. Inc. will post 5.46 earnings per share for the current year.

KKR & Co. Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, May 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes 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.

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 issued a $0.195 dividend. This is a boost from KKR & Co. Inc.'s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $0.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. KKR & Co. Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 26.53%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Timothy R. Barakett purchased 50,000 shares of KKR & Co. Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $94.47 per share, with a total value of $4,723,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 285,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,923,950. This trade represents a 21.28% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 23.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on KKR shares. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $127.00 to $122.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $187.00 to $140.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. 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. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $177.00 to $153.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $132.00 to $128.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. One investment 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 issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, KKR & Co. Inc. has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $134.53.

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.

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