Kraft Heinz Company $KHC Shares Purchased by Baird Financial Group Inc.

Key Points

• Institutional buying increased: Baird Financial Group raised its Kraft Heinz position by 36.4% to 208,726 shares, while other major investors also built stakes. Institutional investors and hedge funds now own 78.17% of the company.
• Mixed operating performance: Kraft Heinz exceeded quarterly EPS and revenue expectations, but revenue declined 1.4% year over year and net margin remained negative. The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $2.03–$2.09.
• High dividend but cautious outlook: Kraft Heinz declared a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, equivalent to a 6.5% annualized yield. Analysts remain cautious, with an average “Reduce” rating and a $23.33 target price, as management works to revive brands through increased investment.

Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC - Free Report) by 36.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 208,726 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 55,746 shares during the quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Kraft Heinz were worth $4,930,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Kraft Heinz during the second quarter worth about $1,803,911,000. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its position in Kraft Heinz by 3,034.1% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 16,477,002 shares of the company's stock worth $39,957,000 after buying an additional 15,951,271 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Kraft Heinz during the fourth quarter worth approximately $332,382,000. Nykredit A S acquired a new position in Kraft Heinz during the second quarter worth $181,408,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in shares of Kraft Heinz in the second quarter valued at about $179,876,000. 78.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kraft Heinz Stock Up 1.9%

Kraft Heinz stock opened at $24.73 on Wednesday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $25.44 and its 200-day simple moving average is $23.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Kraft Heinz Company has a twelve month low of $21.03 and a twelve month high of $28.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.32 billion, a P/E ratio of -8.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.09.

Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.53 by $0.03. Kraft Heinz had a positive return on equity of 7.10% and a negative net margin of 13.64%.The business had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.18 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.69 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Kraft Heinz has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.030-2.090 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Kraft Heinz Company will post 2.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kraft Heinz Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. Kraft Heinz's payout ratio is -55.94%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Diana Frost sold 18,502 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.05, for a total transaction of $426,471.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 102,667 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,366,474.35. This represents a 15.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their target price on shares of Kraft Heinz from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Evercore set a $24.00 target price on Kraft Heinz in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Kraft Heinz from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. UBS Group increased their price target on Kraft Heinz from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Kraft Heinz from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $23.33.

Kraft Heinz News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Philadelphia product expansion: Kraft Heinz is introducing three new Philadelphia cream cheese flavors, including a Mike’s Hot Honey whipped cream cheese sold exclusively at Walmart nationwide. The launches are intended to attract shoppers and make the brand more relevant. Kraft Heinz unveils new Philadelphia cream cheese flavors to win back shoppers
• Positive Sentiment: Major brand investment: Kraft Heinz plans to increase spending on Philadelphia by 63% this year as part of a broader $700 million reinvestment in its portfolio. If successful, the strategy could support sales growth and improve brand momentum. Kraft Heinz bets on more flavors for Philadelphia cream cheese as it looks to revive brands
• Positive Sentiment: Oscar Mayer turnaround: Management identified a resealability problem in Oscar Mayer packaging as the primary cause of recent sales losses and is working to correct it. Fixing the issue could reduce an operational drag on results. Kraft Heinz looks to fix Oscar Mayer after sales losses
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary describes KHC’s valuation as reasonable following the Oscar Mayer fix effort, but the investment case remains dependent on whether brand reinvestment translates into sustainable revenue growth. Kraft Heinz stock looks reasonable following Oscar Mayer fix effort
• Negative Sentiment: The company’s earlier breakup plan has been halted, leaving investors focused on whether the $700 million turnaround can reverse years of disappointing sales. The uncertainty helps explain continued caution toward KHC. Kraft Heinz moves to the NYSE: What happened to the breakup?

Kraft Heinz Profile

The Kraft Heinz Company NASDAQ: KHC is a global food and beverage company that develops, manufactures and markets branded products for consumers, retailers, foodservice operators and other customers. Its portfolio includes condiments and sauces, cheese and dairy products, meals, meats, beverages, snacks and other packaged foods.

The company's well-known brands include Kraft, Heinz, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Velveeta, Lunchables, Capri Sun, Jell-O, Maxwell House and Classico, among others.

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