KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) Price Target Raised to $126.00

KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) had its price target upped by UBS Group from $113.00 to $126.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the asset manager’s stock.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on KKR. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $132.00 to $128.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on KKR & Co. Inc. from $125.00 to $106.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Zacks Research cut KKR & Co. Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on KKR & Co. Inc. from $102.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on KKR & Co. Inc. from $127.00 to $122.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, KKR & Co. Inc. currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $134.67.

KKR & Co. Inc. Trading Up 2.1%

NYSE KKR opened at $102.48 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $91.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.85. KKR & Co. Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $82.67 and a fifty-two week high of $153.87. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $94.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $111.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.07 and a current ratio of 0.07.

KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The asset manager reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. KKR & Co. Inc. had a net margin of 13.94% and a return on equity of 5.50%. The company had revenue of $5.74 billion for the quarter. On average, analysts forecast that KKR & Co. Inc. will post 5.39 earnings per share for the current year.

KKR & Co. Inc. Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.195 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $0.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. This is an increase from KKR & Co. Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. KKR & Co. Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.17%.

KKR & Co. Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, May 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the asset manager to buy up to 0.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at KKR & Co. Inc.

In other news, CEO Scott C. Nuttall purchased 125,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $102.66 per share, with a total value of $12,832,500.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 15,503,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,591,614,769.68. This represents a 0.81% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Joseph Y. Bae purchased 125,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $102.19 per share, for a total transaction of $12,773,750.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 509,257 shares in the company, valued at approximately $52,040,972.83. The trade was a 32.53% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have acquired a total of 393,872 shares of company stock valued at $40,090,679 in the last quarter. 23.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS bought a new stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. during the 1st quarter valued at about $96,000. Andra AP fonden lifted its stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 201.7% in the 1st quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 57,630 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $5,331,000 after purchasing an additional 38,530 shares during the period. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 34.6% in the first quarter. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,781 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $535,000 after buying an additional 1,487 shares during the last quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. in the first quarter worth approximately $225,000. Finally, Hollencrest Capital Management grew its position in KKR & Co. Inc. by 444.2% during the first quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 1,034 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $96,000 after buying an additional 844 shares during the period. 76.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting KKR & Co. Inc.

Here are the key news stories impacting KKR & Co. Inc. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS said KKR could see strong upside, and TD Cowen lifted its price target to $106, reinforcing a constructive analyst view on the stock. UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: KKR closed its Arctos acquisition, expanding into sports franchise investing and GP solutions, which broadens its private-markets platform and could support longer-term growth. KKR Adds Sports Franchise Exposure Through Arctos Buyout
• Positive Sentiment: KKR-backed InCred filed IPO papers in India targeting a large valuation, which may highlight value creation within KKR’s portfolio. KKR-Backed InCred Files ₹3,000 Crore IPO Papers, Targets ₹15,000 Crore Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: KKR portfolio company CoolIT was sold for $4.75 billion, and employee payouts are reportedly substantial, another sign that KKR can monetize investments well. This KKR Portfolio Company Just Sold for $4.75 Billion—and Its Employees Are Getting an 8x Salary Bonus
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed elevated put buying, suggesting some traders are hedging or betting on near-term downside, but it does not confirm a fundamental change. KKR, Instructure Sued After Canvas EdTech Tool Data Breach (1)
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC turned more cautious on KKR’s stock price, adding to the mixed analyst backdrop, though it is offset by the bullish views elsewhere. Royal Bank Of Canada Issues Pessimistic Forecast for KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) Stock Price
• Negative Sentiment: KKR and Instructure were sued over a data breach tied to the Canvas edtech tool, creating potential legal and reputational risk for KKR. KKR, Instructure Sued After Canvas EdTech Tool Data Breach (1)
• Negative Sentiment: KKR’s Q1 results beat estimates, but shares fell after management reduced visibility on reaching $7 per share in annualized net income, which spooked investors about near-term earnings momentum. KKR Shares Slip as Weak ANI Outlook Overshadows Q1 Earnings Beat

KKR & Co. Inc. Company Profile

KKR & Co Inc is a global investment firm headquartered in New York City that specializes in private markets and alternative asset management. Founded in 1976 by Jerome Kohlberg Jr., Henry Kravis and George R. Roberts, the firm built its reputation in leveraged buyouts and has since expanded into a multi-strategy asset manager. KKR operates across private equity, credit, real assets (including real estate and infrastructure), growth equity and hedge fund strategies, offering a range of investment products and strategies for institutional and private investors.

KKR manages capital through traditional closed-end funds as well as customized vehicles such as separate accounts, co-investments, and listed investment vehicles.