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The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC)

Consumer Defensive BalancedS&P 500

Kraft Heinz is a global food giant that puts familiar staples like ketchup, baked beans, and macaroni cheese on kitchen tables around the world.

$24.60

Is The Kraft Heinz Company a good stock for a UK beginner?

The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Owns iconic, globally recognised household brands. Worth weighing: Negative net margins indicate recent profitability challenges.

No rating · no target price · nothing for sale here
Price-28.0%
= past earnings-report date
Priced in USD. As a UK investor your £ return also moves with the pound-to-dollar exchange rate, even inside an ISA - a stronger pound can trim your £ gains and a weaker pound can add to them, whatever the share price itself does.
52-week range-10% past year
$24.60
Low $21.04High $28.10
Where today's price sits versus its past year - context, not a signal.

Is this normal for this company?

Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.

Price to earnings
9.6now
8.89.8

Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.

Net profit margin
-87.2%now
-123.2%13.2%

Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.

How these ranges are built

Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.

What does The Kraft Heinz Company do?

The company makes its money by selling packaged food and drinks through supermarkets and shops. Because these items are everyday essentials, the business tends to be quite steady regardless of what the wider economy is doing. What really matters here is whether they can keep their brands popular while absorbing the rising cost of ingredients and packaging.

On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and income, and weakest on growth.

Quick checks
What's strong
  • Value screens high
What to watch
  • Quality screens low
  • Growth screens low

Does The Kraft Heinz Company pay a dividend?

Yes - The Kraft Heinz Company currently pays a dividend of about 6.4% a year, which is £64 a year for every £1,000 invested (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it. An ISA doesn't shelter the US tax on this one →

What do the numbers say about The Kraft Heinz Company's dividend?

There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.

Dividend yield6.4%£64 a year for every £1,000 invested. The yearly dividend as a percentage of today's price. A very high figure often means the price has fallen because the market expects a cut, so a big yield is a question to look into, not a prize.
Payout ratio73%about 73 in every 100 pounds of profit. The share of profit paid out as dividends. A lower figure leaves headroom; near or above 100% means most or all of the profit is going out as dividends.
Dividend cover1.4×Profit divided by the dividend (the payout ratio the other way up). As a rough convention many income investors like around 2× or more; below 1× means the company paid out more than it earned that year.

Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.

Most recent ex-dividend date: 5 Jun 2026. To receive a dividend you must already own the shares before the ex-dividend date; become a holder on or after it and the previous owner keeps that payment. Why the price usually falls that morning →

Does The Kraft Heinz Company have more cash or more debt?

It holds about $2.68B in cash against about $19.00B of debt - so it has net debt of about $16.32B. Debt is not automatically a problem - it funds growth - but it has to be serviced and repaid, which matters more when profits wobble.

From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.

What do The Kraft Heinz Company's numbers mean?

Forward P/E
11.78
This shows how much you are paying for each pound of expected profit; a lower number compared to the wider market often suggests the company is priced more modestly.
Around the middle of the 59 Consumer Defensive shares we cover
P/S
1.17
This compares the company's total market value to its annual sales, helping you see how much investors are paying for every pound of revenue generated.
Around the middle of the 54 Consumer Defensive shares we cover
Dividend yield
6.4%
This is the annual cash payout to shareholders as a percentage of the share price, which can be an attractive feature for those looking for regular income.
Higher than most of the 59 Consumer Defensive shares we cover
Beta
0.1
This measures how much the share price jumps around compared to the rest of the market; a low number suggests it is generally much calmer than the average stock.

How has it performed?

Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
If you had put $1,000 into The Kraft Heinz Company
$720-28%

Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.

How much has The Kraft Heinz Company actually fallen?

−41%

Over the last 2 years of daily prices, The Kraft Heinz Company fell as much as −41% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.

Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.

How has it done year by year?

2022+18%
2023-5%
2024-13%
2025-16%
2026 so far+5%

Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.

A closer look at the numbers

Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Market cap: The company's total value on the stock market - share price times the number of shares. Big = 'large-cap', small = 'small-cap'.
$29.23B
Avg volume: How many shares change hands on a typical day. Higher means it's easy to buy or exit without moving the price.
14.32M
Day range: The lowest and highest price the shares traded at during the latest day.
$24.15 – $24.77
52-week range: The lowest and highest the shares have traded over the past year - a sense of how wide the swings have been.
$21.04 – $28.10
Dividend yield: The yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn from dividends alone.
6.4%
Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down.
0.08

Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?

One share costs$24.60
Number of shares1.19 billion
So the whole company is worth$29.23bn
A £5 share is not cheaper than a £500 one - it means the company cut itself into more slices. Whether the total looks high or low is what the figures below are for; we don't give a verdict.

Who owns The Kraft Heinz Company?

Big institutions 65%Company insiders 28%Public & smaller investors 7%

About 65% of The Kraft Heinz Company, or about 65 in every 100 shares, is held by big institutions such as pension and index funds, and company insiders hold about 28%. The rest, roughly 7%, is held by the public and smaller investors.

What this does and doesn't tell you

This is a recent snapshot of the share register, and it moves. We don't read anything into who owns what - a high institutional share is common for any large listed company and is not a signal about it.

How bumpy is it?Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down. 0.08
Calm
Wild
Steadier than most

Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.

Why has it been moving?▼ -7% past week · ▼ -10% past year

Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.

How much money does The Kraft Heinz Company make?

Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.

RevenueNet income
$0$1.59B$3.18B$4.77B$6.35BQ2 25Q3 25Q4 25Q1 26Q2 26
Gross margin
33.5%
Net margin
-13.6%
Return on equity
-8.8%

When does The Kraft Heinz Company report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?

The Kraft Heinz Company is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-28 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.

‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.

The Kraft Heinz Company: reported versus expected earnings per share, recent quarters
ReportedExpected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number.Actual EPSvs expected
2026-05-06$0.50$0.58Beat +15%
2026-02-11$0.61$0.67Beat +9%
2025-10-29$0.58$0.61Beat +6%
2025-07-30$0.64$0.69Beat +8%
2025-04-29$0.60$0.62Beat +3%
2025-02-12$0.78$0.84Beat +8%

Across the last 6 quarters here, The Kraft Heinz Company came in ahead of what analysts expected 6 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.

See who else reports over the next two weeks →

Where these figures come from

Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.

What are the scenarios for The Kraft Heinz Company?

An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.

◀ lowerhigher ▶todayBull▲ UpsideBase• In-lineBear▼ Downside
Bull
+5% to +8%Successful price increases boost profit margins.
Base
-2% to +2%Steady sales of core pantry staples continue.
Bear
-5% to -10%Higher costs for raw materials squeeze the bottom line.

What are the pros, cons and common questions?

The case each way, and the questions people ask
The bull case

Significant debt reduction improves the company's financial health.

The bear case

Long-term decline in demand for processed food products.

What are the pros and cons of The Kraft Heinz Company?

3bull points
6bear points

A balance check, not a score or verdict.

The bull case3
  • Owns iconic, globally recognised household brands
  • Provides a steady, defensive: A business whose demand holds up whatever the economy does - food, utilities, medicines. Steadier, though often slower-growing. income through dividends
  • Low price volatility makes it a calmer holding than many tech stocks
The catch3
  • Negative net margins indicate recent profitability challenges
  • Very slow revenue growth: How fast the company's sales grew versus a year ago. suggests a struggle to expand
  • High reliance on traditional processed foods in a health-conscious market
Key risks3
  • Rising costs of ingredients and logistics could hurt profits
  • Shoppers may choose cheaper store-brand alternatives during tight times
  • Significant debt levels limit the company's flexibility
What would flip the thesis

The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.

  • A sustained return to strong, positive net profit margins
  • A major shift in consumer preference toward healthier, fresh food options

Common questions about The Kraft Heinz Company

Does The Kraft Heinz Company pay a dividend?

Yes - The Kraft Heinz Company currently pays a dividend of about 6.4% a year. Dividends are a share of profit paid to holders; the yield moves with the price and payouts can be cut.

When does The Kraft Heinz Company report earnings next?

The Kraft Heinz Company is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-10-28. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.

More in Consumer Defensive

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Confidence: medium · data: USD · flags: pe, earnings_growth · Charts by TradingView Lightweight Charts™
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Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →

This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.

Prices as of 11 Sep 2026; other figures as of 11 Aug 2026. Prices may be delayed and numbers can go stale - always double-check before acting.