BNP Paribas Exane Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) Stock Price

Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) had its target price reduced by equities research analysts at BNP Paribas Exane from $22.00 to $20.00 in a report released on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has an “underperform” rating on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane’s target price would indicate a potential downside of 19.35% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on KHC. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Kraft Heinz in a research report on Thursday. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Kraft Heinz from $29.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on Kraft Heinz from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Kraft Heinz in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Kraft Heinz from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $25.16.

Kraft Heinz Stock Performance

NASDAQ:KHC opened at $24.80 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. Kraft Heinz has a fifty-two week low of $21.99 and a fifty-two week high of $33.35. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $24.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $25.34. The stock has a market cap of $29.36 billion, a PE ratio of -5.02 and a beta of 0.08.

Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $6.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.38 billion. Kraft Heinz had a negative net margin of 23.44% and a positive return on equity of 7.07%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.84 EPS. Kraft Heinz has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.980-2.100 EPS. Analysts expect that Kraft Heinz will post 2.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Kraft Heinz

In related news, insider Miguel Patricio sold 125,000 shares of Kraft Heinz stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.82, for a total transaction of $3,102,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 686,817 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,046,797.94. The trade was a 15.40% 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 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Jessup Wealth Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Kraft Heinz in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Key Capital Management INC purchased a new stake in shares of Kraft Heinz during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Kraft Heinz by 70.2% during the fourth quarter. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,239 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 511 shares during the period. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in Kraft Heinz by 172.4% in the 2nd quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 1,245 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 788 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cape Investment Advisory Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Kraft Heinz by 164.7% in the second quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 1,297 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 807 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.17% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Kraft Heinz

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company announced a meaningful quarterly dividend (annualized yield ~6.6%; ex‑dividend March 6). Stable, high yield supports income-focused investors and can cushion downside for the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call buying: traders purchased ~58,273 KHC calls (≈99% above average), indicating short‑term bullish/speculative positioning that can amplify upside volume and volatility.
• Neutral Sentiment: Kraft Heinz is increasing investments: management forecast ~ $950M capital spending for 2026 and has committed ~$600M to revive growth — this signals a shift to reinvest in brands but raises near‑term execution questions. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are split: Sanford Bernstein raised its PT to $27 while Deutsche Bank trimmed its PT to $23; other shops issued varying revisions (Piper Sandler, Barclays, Evercore, BNP). The mixed guidance reflects uncertainty and explains volatile price reactions. Read More. • Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Some sell-side research is bearish: Seeking Alpha published a negative note calling the “catalyst” gone after a weak quarter, impairment charges and brand declines — a narrative that can pressure investor confidence. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Major downgrades: JPMorgan downgraded KHC to underweight with a $22 PT, signaling limited near‑term upside after the breakup pause — a clear negative for sentiment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Additional downside pressure from price‑target cuts at Evercore and BNP Paribas (to $22 and $20 respectively) and continued concerns over slowing sales, a large impairment and margin pressure following Q4 results. Read More. • Read More.

Kraft Heinz Company Profile

The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC) is a global food and beverage company formed in 2015 through the merger of Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz Company. The combination created one of the largest packaged-food companies in the world, built around well-known consumer brands. The merger was supported by major investors and established a multi-national platform for branded food products.

Kraft Heinz develops, manufactures, markets and distributes a broad portfolio of branded packaged foods and condiments.