Kennedy-Wilson (NYSE:KW) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Kennedy-Wilson was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating, indicating improved analyst sentiment towards the company's stock.
• The CEO, William J. Mcmorrow, recently acquired 200,000 shares at an average price of $6.36 each, increasing his ownership stake and reflecting confidence in the company’s future.
• Kennedy-Wilson reported a quarterly earnings EPS of $0.17, exceeding expectations, though its revenue fell short of analyst estimates at $135.70 million.

Kennedy-Wilson (NYSE:KW - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Kennedy-Wilson Trading Up 3.0%

Shares of KW traded up $0.24 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $7.96. 152,221 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 885,421. The firm has a market cap of $1.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.90, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.10. Kennedy-Wilson has a 12-month low of $5.98 and a 12-month high of $11.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.73. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $7.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $7.60.

Kennedy-Wilson (NYSE:KW - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.07 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $135.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $229.98 million. Kennedy-Wilson had a negative net margin of 9.11% and a positive return on equity of 12.90%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Kennedy-Wilson will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO William J. Mcmorrow bought 200,000 shares of Kennedy-Wilson stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $6.36 per share, for a total transaction of $1,272,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 8,049,517 shares of the company's stock, valued at $51,194,928.12. This trade represents a 2.55% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 22.73% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kennedy-Wilson

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KW. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kennedy-Wilson by 822.3% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 3,643 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 3,248 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Kennedy-Wilson by 35.2% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,329 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 1,388 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Kennedy-Wilson during the first quarter valued at about $92,000. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kennedy-Wilson during the fourth quarter valued at about $114,000. Finally, Versor Investments LP acquired a new position in shares of Kennedy-Wilson during the first quarter valued at about $115,000. 87.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Kennedy-Wilson

Kennedy-Wilson Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a real estate investment company. The company owns, operates, and invests in real estate both on its own and through its investment management platform. It focuses on multifamily and office properties located in the Western United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Italy, and Japan.