Q1 EPS Estimates for Kraft Heinz Cut by Zacks Research

Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Kraft Heinz in a research note issued on Tuesday, February 24th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $0.52 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.62. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Kraft Heinz’s current full-year earnings is $2.68 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Kraft Heinz’s Q3 2026 earnings at $0.49 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.54 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.50 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.53 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.50 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.56 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.14 EPS.

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

Several other analysts also recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Kraft Heinz in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of Kraft Heinz from $27.00 to $26.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $23.00 target price on shares of Kraft Heinz in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $23.00 price target on shares of Kraft Heinz in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on Kraft Heinz from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $24.89.

Kraft Heinz Price Performance

KHC stock opened at $24.61 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company has a market capitalization of $29.13 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.98 and a beta of 0.08. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $23.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.11. Kraft Heinz has a twelve month low of $21.99 and a twelve month high of $33.35.

Kraft Heinz Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th 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, March 6th. Kraft Heinz’s dividend payout ratio is currently -32.39%.

Insider Transactions at Kraft Heinz

In other Kraft Heinz news, insider Miguel Patricio sold 125,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.82, for a total value of $3,102,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 686,817 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,046,797.94. This trade represents a 15.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Kraft Heinz

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR grew its stake in Kraft Heinz by 192.4% during the 3rd quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR now owns 81,260 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,116,000 after buying an additional 53,467 shares during the last quarter. Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. Can boosted its holdings in shares of Kraft Heinz by 45.4% during the second quarter. Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. Can now owns 4,884,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $126,056,000 after acquiring an additional 1,525,000 shares during the period. First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Kraft Heinz during the third quarter valued at $4,678,000. Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of Kraft Heinz during the third quarter worth about $12,923,000. Finally, Peak Retirement Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kraft Heinz in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,655,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.17% of the company’s stock.

Kraft Heinz News Roundup

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

• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research issued broad, steep cuts to KHC’s near‑term and multi‑year EPS forecasts and carries a “Strong Sell” rating — examples include Q2 2026 cut from $0.68 to $0.51, FY2026 from $2.54 to $2.06 and FY2027 from $2.61 to $2.10, plus multiple quarterly downgrades. The revisions materially lower earnings visibility and are the main negative driver for the stock today. MarketBeat – KHC
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho trimmed its price target to $25 from $27 after Kraft Heinz’s CAGNY presentations but kept a Neutral rating — this signals modest downward adjustment to valuation assumptions rather than a change to conviction on the name. Mizuho Revises Kraft Heinz (KHC) Valuation after CAGNY Presentations
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/attractiveness analyses are mixed — some outlets question whether recent weakness creates a buying opportunity or a value trap, highlighting the stock’s recent underperformance vs longer‑term decline; useful context for value investors. Is Kraft Heinz (KHC) Now Attractive After Recent Share Price Weakness?
• Positive Sentiment: Brand/product activity: Capri Sun (a Kraft Heinz brand) is relaunching limited‑edition flavors (Moon/Blood Moon Punch), indicating continued marketing efforts to keep brands relevant — positive for top‑line engagement though likely a small near‑term earnings driver. Capri Sun Brings Back Fan-Favorite Moon Punch
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry commentary warns Kraft Heinz faces structural challenges common to legacy CPGs (changing consumer preferences, pricing pressure), underscoring that operational execution and portfolio strategy will determine medium‑term outcomes. Kraft Heinz and the structural reckoning facing legacy CPG

About Kraft Heinz

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.