Is The Kraft Heinz Co (KHC) Set to Underperform? Analyzing the Factors Limiting Growth

Exploring The Kraft Heinz Co's Financial and Growth Challenges

Long-established in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, The Kraft Heinz Co (KHC, Financial) has enjoyed a stellar reputation. It has recently witnessed a daily gain of 0.34%, juxtaposed with a three-month change of 16.53%. However, fresh insights from the GF Score hint at potential headwinds. Notably, its diminished rankings in financial strength, growth, and valuation suggest that the company might not live up to its historical performance. Join us as we dive deep into these pivotal metrics to unravel the evolving narrative of The Kraft Heinz Co.

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What Is the GF Score?

The GF Score is a stock performance ranking system developed by GuruFocus using five aspects of valuation, which has been found to be closely correlated to the long-term performances of stocks by backtesting from 2006 to 2021. The stocks with a higher GF Score generally generate higher returns than those with a lower GF Score. Therefore, when picking stocks, investors should invest in companies with high GF Scores. The GF Score ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 as the highest rank.

Based on the above method, GuruFocus assigned The Kraft Heinz Co a GF Score of 66 out of 100, which signals poor future outperformance potential.

Understanding The Kraft Heinz Co Business

With a market cap of $46.92 billion and sales of $27.16 billion, The Kraft Heinz Co operates as a major player in the food and beverage industry. The company boasts an operating margin of 19.3%, reflecting its efficiency in managing expenses relative to revenue. Formed from the merger of Kraft and Heinz in July 2015, The Kraft Heinz Co stands as the third-largest food and beverage manufacturer in North America, trailing only PepsiCo and Nestle, and ranks fifth globally. Its brand portfolio extends beyond its namesake to include Oscar Mayer, Velveeta, and Philadelphia. While retail sales constitute approximately 85% of its total sales, The Kraft Heinz Co is also expanding its presence in the foodservice sector. Internationally, the company's distribution network spans Europe and emerging markets, accounting for 20%-25% of its consolidated sales, with products available in over 190 countries and territories.

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Financial Strength Breakdown

The financial strength of The Kraft Heinz Co is a mixed bag. The company's financial strength rank stands at a moderate 5/10. However, its Altman Z-Score of just 1.17 falls below the distress threshold of 1.81, indicating potential financial distress in the near future. Furthermore, The Kraft Heinz Co's low cash-to-debt ratio of 0.05 suggests that the company may face challenges in managing its debt obligations. These indicators raise concerns about the company's ability to sustain its financial health over the long term.

Growth Prospects

The growth outlook for The Kraft Heinz Co appears to be limited. This is reflected in the company's low Growth rank of 2/10. Additionally, the company's predictability rank is just one star out of five, which adds to the uncertainty faced by investors regarding the consistency of revenue and earnings. The combination of these factors suggests that The Kraft Heinz Co may struggle to achieve significant growth in the foreseeable future, potentially impacting its ability to deliver value to shareholders.

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Next Steps

Considering The Kraft Heinz Co's financial strength, profitability, and growth metrics, the GF Score highlights the firm's position for potential underperformance. Investors should weigh these factors carefully when evaluating the company's future prospects. For those seeking to identify more robust investment opportunities, GuruFocus Premium members can utilize the GF Score Screen to find companies with strong GF Scores that may offer better potential for outperformance.

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

Disclosures

I/We may personally own shares in some of the companies mentioned above. However, those positions are not material to either the company or to my/our portfolios.