The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) Stake Lowered by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board trimmed its position in shares of The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) by 11.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,991,529 shares of the company’s stock after selling 245,443 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s holdings in Kraft Heinz were worth $61,160,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sawyer & Company Inc bought a new stake in Kraft Heinz in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Generali Investments Management Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kraft Heinz in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. bought a new stake in shares of Kraft Heinz during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Kraft Heinz during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Kraft Heinz in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.17% of the company’s stock.

Kraft Heinz Stock Up 2.3 %

Shares of KHC opened at $29.46 on Friday. The Kraft Heinz Company has a 12 month low of $27.25 and a 12 month high of $38.96. The stock has a market cap of $35.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.04, a P/E/G ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $29.98 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $31.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $0.84 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.06. Kraft Heinz had a return on equity of 7.58% and a net margin of 10.62%. Equities analysts predict that The Kraft Heinz Company will post 2.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kraft Heinz Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 7th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 7th. Kraft Heinz’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 70.80%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on KHC shares. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Kraft Heinz from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Mizuho lowered shares of Kraft Heinz from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $38.00 to $31.00 in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Kraft Heinz in a research report on Monday, March 24th. They set an “underweight” rating and a $29.00 target price for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Kraft Heinz from $32.00 to $28.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Kraft Heinz from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and twelve have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $30.67.

Kraft Heinz Company Profile

The Kraft Heinz Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets food and beverage products in North America and internationally. Its products include condiments and sauces, cheese and dairy products, meals, meats, refreshment beverages, coffee, and other grocery products under the Kraft, Oscar Mayer, Heinz, Philadelphia, Lunchables, Velveeta, Ore-Ida, Maxwell House, Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Heinz, ABC, Master, Quero, Kraft, Golden Circle, Wattie's, Pudliszki, and Plasmon brands.