Comparing Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) & Post (NYSE:POST)

Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) and Post (NYSE:POST) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, dividends, valuation, earnings, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Profitability

This table compares Kraft Heinz and Post’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Kraft Heinz	-20.83%	7.40%	4.01%
Post	4.62%	10.80%	3.30%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Kraft Heinz and Post”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Kraft Heinz	$25.85 billion	1.19	$2.74 billion	($4.49)	-5.80
Post	$7.92 billion	0.74	$366.90 million	$5.88	18.25

Kraft Heinz has higher revenue and earnings than Post. Kraft Heinz is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Post, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings for Kraft Heinz and Post, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Kraft Heinz	3	16	0	1	1.95
Post	0	3	4	0	2.57

Kraft Heinz presently has a consensus price target of $29.76, suggesting a potential upside of 14.22%. Post has a consensus price target of $130.80, suggesting a potential upside of 21.89%. Given Post’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Post is more favorable than Kraft Heinz.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

78.2% of Kraft Heinz shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 94.9% of Post shares are held by institutional investors. 0.4% of Kraft Heinz shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 11.4% of Post shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Risk and Volatility

Kraft Heinz has a beta of 0.16, meaning that its share price is 84% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Post has a beta of 0.49, meaning that its share price is 51% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Post beats Kraft Heinz on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Kraft Heinz

The Kraft Heinz Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets food and beverage products in North America and internationally. Its products include condiments and sauces, cheese and dairy products, meals, meats, refreshment beverages, coffee, and other grocery products under the Kraft, Oscar Mayer, Heinz, Philadelphia, Lunchables, Velveeta, Ore-Ida, Maxwell House, Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Heinz, ABC, Master, Quero, Kraft, Golden Circle, Wattie's, Pudliszki, and Plasmon brands. It sells its products through its own sales organizations, as well as through independent brokers, agents, and distributors to chain, wholesale, cooperative, and independent grocery accounts; convenience, value, and club stores; pharmacies and drug stores; mass merchants; foodservice distributors; institutions, including hotels, restaurants, bakeries, hospitals, health care facilities, and government agencies; and online through various e-commerce platforms and retailers. The company was formerly known as H.J. Heinz Holding Corporation and changed its name to The Kraft Heinz Company in July 2015. The Kraft Heinz Company was founded in 1869 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

About Post

Post Holdings, Inc. operates as a consumer packaged goods holding company in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Foodservice, and Refrigerated Retail. The Post Consumer Brands segment manufactures, markets, and sells branded and private label ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals under Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, and Malt-O-Meal brand names; hot cereal; peanut butter under the Peter Pan brand; and branded and private label dog and cat food products under Rachael Ray Nutrish, Nature's Recipe, 9Lives, Kibbles 'n Bits and Gravy Train brand names. The Weetabix segment primarily manufactures, markets, and distributes branded and private label RTE cereal under Weetabix and Alpen brands; hot cereals and other cereal-based food products; breakfast drinks; protein-based shakes under the UFIT brand, and nutritional snacks, such as muesli. The Foodservice segment produces and distributes egg products primarily under Papetti's and Abbotsford Farms brands, as well as potato products in the foodservice and food ingredient channels. The segment also manufactures certain meat products. The Refrigerated Retail segment produces and distributes side dish, potato, sausage products under Bob Evans, Bob Evans Farms, and Simply Potatoes brands; eggs and egg products under Bob Evans Egg Whites and Egg Beaters brands; and cheese, and other dairy and refrigerated products under Crystal Farms brand. It serves grocery stores, mass merchandise customers, supercenters, club stores, natural/specialty stores, dollar stores, discounters, wholesalers, convenience stores, pet supply retailers, drug store customers, foodservice distributors, and national restaurant chains, as well as sells its products in the military, ecommerce, and foodservice channels. The company was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.