Is Kraft Heinz a Good Stock to Add to Your Dividend Portfolio?

NASDAQ: KHC | Kraft Heinz Co. News, Ratings, and Charts

KHC – Popular ketchup and condiments maker Kraft Heinz Company (KHC) is well known to dividend investors because of its impressive dividend-paying history. However, given the company’s stretched valuation and unfavorable analyst estimates, would it be a winning stock to add to one’s dividend portfolio now? Read on to learn our view.

Chicago-based Kraft Heinz Company (KHC - Get Rating) manufactures and markets food and beverage products. Its products include condiments and sauces, cheese and dairy products, meals, meats, refreshment beverages, coffee, and other grocery products. The company also offers dressings, healthy snacks, and other categories, spices, and other seasonings. KHC’s four-year average dividend yield is 5%, and its current dividend translates to a 3.6% yield. It declared a $0.40 per share quarterly dividend to be paid on June 24, 2022. The stock has gained 22.7% in price year-to-date and 20.3% over the past three months to close the last trading session at $44.08.

On May 10, 2022, KHC announced that it would develop a paper-based, renewable, and recyclable bottle with Pulpex by using 100% sustainably sourced wood pulp. The partnership aligns well with KHC’s sustainable packaging ambitions, and it fits well with making all packaging globally recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025. It will also help it achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

KHC CEO Miguel Patricio said, “We still have work to do, more opportunity ahead, and we remain confident in our ability to deliver our plan for the year and our long-term growth strategy.” However, the company’s free cash flow during the first quarter declined 53.3% year-over-year to $272 million. The decline in its free cash flow may hamper the company’s growth prospects.

Here is what could influence KHC’s performance in the upcoming months:

Mixed Financials

KHC’s net sales declined 5.5% year-over-year to $6.04 billion for the first quarter, ended March 26, 2022. The company’s net income increased 37.5% year-over-year to $781 million. Also, its adjusted EBITDA declined 15.1% year-over-year to $1.34 billion. In addition, its adjusted EPS came in at $0.60, representing a 16.7% decrease year-over-year.

Stretched Valuation

In terms of forward EV/S, KHC’s 2.87x is 59.7% higher than the 1.80x industry average. And its 12.41x forward EV/EBITDA is 1.6% higher than the 12.20x industry average. And the stock’s 2.11x forward P/S is 76.7% higher than the 1.19x industry average.

Unfavorable Analyst Estimates

Analysts expect KHC’s EPS for the quarter ending June 30, 2022, to decrease 12.8% year-over-year to $0.68. Its revenue for fiscal 2022 is expected to decline 1.6% year-over-year to $25.62 billion. And its EPS is expected to decrease 1.5% per annum over the next five years.

Mixed Profitability

KHC’s trailing-12-month gross profit margin and net profit margin of 33.05% and 4.77%, respectively, are lower than the 34.63% and 5.32% industry average. And its 1.31% trailing-12-month ROA is 72.4% lower than the 4.74% industry average. Furthermore, the stock’s trailing-12-month 0.27% asset turnover ratio is lower than the 0.87% industry average. In addition, its trailing-12-month EBIT margin and EBITDA margin of 20.35% and 23.89%, respectively, are 138.1% and 96.7% higher than the 8.55% and 12.14% industry averages.

POWR Ratings Reflect Uncertainty

KHC has an overall C rating, which equates to a Neutral in our POWR Ratings system. The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 distinct factors, with each factor weighted to an optimal degree.

Our proprietary rating system also evaluates each stock based on eight distinct categories. KHC has a C grade for Value, which is in sync with its 2.87x forward EV/S, which is 59.7% higher than the 1.80x industry average.

KHC has a C grade for Growth, consistent with analyst expectations that its EPS for fiscal 2022 will decrease 1.6% year-over-year to $25.62 billion.

KHC is ranked #42 among  87 stocks in the Food Makers industry. Click here to access KHC’s ratings for Momentum, Stability, Sentiment, and Quality.

Bottom Line

KHC’s dividend history makes it an attractive stock for investors looking to generate a steady income stream amid current market volatility. However, analysts expect its revenues to decline in fiscal 2022. Furthermore, it is currently trading at a higher valuation than its peers. So, we think it could be wise to wait for a better entry point in the stock.

How Does the Kraft Heinz Company (KHC) Stack Up Against Its Peers?

While KHC has an overall POWR Rating of C, one might want to consider investing in the following Food Makers stocks with an A (Strong Buy) and B (Buy) rating: Grupo Bimbo, S.A.B. de C.V. (GRBMF - Get Rating), Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (AJINY - Get Rating), and Marfrig Global Foods S.A. (MRRTY - Get Rating).

Want More Great Investing Ideas?

3 Stocks to DOUBLE This Year

Top 10 Stocks for 2022

Bear Market Scare? Read Before Your Next Trade

7 SEVERELY Undervalued Stocks


KHC shares were trading at $43.08 per share on Tuesday morning, down $1.00 (-2.27%). Year-to-date, KHC has gained 21.27%, versus a -14.40% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.


About the Author: Dipanjan Banchur


Since he was in grade school, Dipanjan was interested in the stock market. This led to him obtaining a master’s degree in Finance and Accounting. Currently, as an investment analyst and financial journalist, Dipanjan has a strong interest in reading and analyzing emerging trends in financial markets. More...


More Resources for the Stocks in this Article

TickerPOWR RatingIndustry RankRank in Industry
KHCGet RatingGet RatingGet Rating
GRBMFGet RatingGet RatingGet Rating
AJINYGet RatingGet RatingGet Rating
MRRTYGet RatingGet RatingGet Rating

Most Popular Stories on StockNews.com


Stock Market Update: It’s Complicated!

The S&P 500 (SPY) may have bounced 17% from recent lows, but the outlook for stocks from here is...in a word...COMPLICATED. Read on to get Steve Reitmeister full market outlook and trading plan for this complicated market environment.

Becoming More Bullish on Stocks, But...

Stocks are on a roll with the S&P 500 (SPY) up more than 10% from the recent lows. Before you start getting too giddy, you should read this updated market outlook and trading plan Steve Reitmeister.

Stock Market Held Hostage

Uncertainty is the term most often applied to this stock market. Uncertainty over tariffs. Uncertainty of whether the S&P 500 (SPY) will fall into bear territory. Uncertainty over what happens next. Steve Reitmeister dives into the uncertainty to make sense of the market in this week’s commentary...

Stock Market Standing on the 50 Yard Line

Steve Reitmeister contemplates where the stock market stands now and what happens next in trying to stay on the right side of the market action. One path points to bear and one to new highs for the S&P 500 (SPY). Which will it be?

Bear or Bull Market?

The S&P 500 is on the brink of bear market territory...but that outcome is not a given at this time. Steve Reitmeister shares insights gleaned from his 45 years of investing to shine a light on current conditions along with his top picks...

Read More Stories

More Kraft Heinz Co. (KHC) News View All

Event/Date Symbol News Detail Start Price End Price Change POWR Rating
Loading, please wait...
View All KHC News