Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ: KHC) is a global food and beverage company that produces some of the world’s most recognizable brands, from Heinz ketchup to Kraft cheese and Oscar Mayer meats. Shares recently traded near $28, giving the company a market value of about $33 billion.
Despite its wide portfolio of staples, Kraft Heinz has struggled with shifting consumer tastes and rising costs. The stock has dropped about 21% over the past year, leaving investors weighing slower growth against a dividend yield of 5.8%.
Interestingly, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, which still owns more than a quarter of the company. Additionally, Kraft Heinz is largely held by passive index funds alongside a mix of active manager positions.
Checking ownership and insider trades gives a sense of how confident big investors are feeling about the company’s future.
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Kraft Heinz is anchored by Berkshire Hathaway’s large stake, with passive giants like Vanguard and BlackRock making up most of the remaining base. A handful of active managers have adjusted their exposure, showing both optimism and caution.
- Berkshire Hathaway: 325.6M shares (27.5%), ~$9.1B. Unchanged.
- Vanguard Group: 102M (8.6%), ~$2.9B. Added ~451K (+0.4%).
- BlackRock Institutional Trust: 51.3M (4.3%), ~$1.4B. Added ~2.7M (+5.6%).
- State Street Global Advisors: 46.4M (3.9%), ~$1.3B. Added ~463K (+1.0%).
- Geode Capital: 26.4M (2.2%), ~$740M. Added ~3.4M (+14.7%).
One highlight from last quarter is O’Shaughnessy Asset Management, led by James O’Shaughnessy, which lifted its KHC stake by more than 235% to 692K shares worth about $18M. That sharp increase looks like a strong expression of confidence at current prices.
Another notable move came from Sequoia Financial Advisors, which boosted its holding by 122% to roughly 56K shares valued at $1.4M. While small in size, the jump signals renewed interest from a boutique manager.
Meanwhile, DE Shaw, run by David Shaw, raised its position by 121% to about 1.15M shares worth nearly $30M. For a large quantitative hedge fund, that kind of expansion suggests KHC is looking more attractive in systematic strategies.
The shareholder base is heavily tied to Berkshire and passive ownership, with hedge funds selectively adding. This points to stability, but not widespread conviction.
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Kraft Heinz’s Recent Insider Trades
Insider activity at Kraft Heinz has been mixed in recent months, with both stock awards to directors and notable selling by certain executives.
In May, nearly every board member reported acquisitions at around $28.49 per share. Elio Leoni Sceti and Humberto Alfonso each picked up 10,000 shares, while John Cahill, John Pope, Diane Gherson, James Park, Timothy Kenesey, Lori Dickerson Fouché, Debby Soo, and Alicia Knapp each acquired about 6,500 shares. These trades were likely tied to annual director stock awards rather than open market buying.
On the other side, there has been meaningful selling. Taken together, the picture looks less like aggressive insider accumulation and more like routine stock grants being balanced by selective selling. While these moves don’t necessarily signal a lack of confidence, the absence of significant discretionary purchases suggests leadership is not treating current levels as an obvious buying opportunity.
Here are some recent insider sales:
- Elio Leoni Sceti (Director): Sold 25K shares in July at ~$28 and another 25K in June at ~$26.
- Miguel Patricio (Director): Net sale of ~72K shares in March.
- Vince Garlati (Officer): Sold ~4.3K shares in March at ~$32.
Insider activity looks more like trimming than building, which may hint at caution from leadership.
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What the Ownership & Insider Trade Data Tell Us
Kraft Heinz’s ownership is anchored by Buffett and the big index funds, which ensures stability in the shareholder base. Active managers are split, with some firms adding and others trimming. Hedge funds like O’Shaughnessy, Sequoia, and DE Shaw stepped in more aggressively, showing selective optimism.
On the insider side, most of the recent transactions lean toward selling. These moves don’t always reflect negative views, but the lack of meaningful buying may suggest leaders are not rushing to increase exposure at current prices.
For investors, Kraft Heinz looks more like a dependable dividend payer than a growth story. The stability of Berkshire and passive holders keeps it steady, while the 5.8% yield provides income appeal. But without stronger growth momentum, broader conviction remains limited.
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