Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) Given Sell Rating at Citigroup

Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC)‘s stock had its “sell” rating reiterated by stock analysts at Citigroup in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $27.00 price objective on the stock, down from their previous price objective of $28.00. Citigroup’s target price suggests a potential downside of 12.37% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of Kraft Heinz from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Kraft Heinz in a report on Monday, March 24th. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $29.00 target price on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Kraft Heinz from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 13th. StockNews.com upgraded Kraft Heinz from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Kraft Heinz from $32.00 to $31.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and twelve have assigned a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $30.67.

Kraft Heinz Stock Performance

Shares of KHC stock opened at $30.81 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $30.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $31.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.77 billion, a PE ratio of 13.63, a P/E/G ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 0.44. 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 has a 52 week low of $27.25 and a 52 week high of $38.96.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kraft Heinz

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in Kraft Heinz by 493.4% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 12,354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $376,000 after acquiring an additional 10,272 shares during the period. Kera Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kraft Heinz in the first quarter valued at approximately $299,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Kraft Heinz by 39.6% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 176,864 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,431,000 after purchasing an additional 50,211 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Kraft Heinz by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 1,636,487 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,257,000 after purchasing an additional 12,320 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in Kraft Heinz by 109.0% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 155,614 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,779,000 after buying an additional 81,159 shares during the last quarter. 78.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Kraft Heinz

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.