KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) Rating Increased to Moderate Buy at Royal Bank Of Canada

Posted by Jessica Moore on Feb 25th, 2026

Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR – Free Report) to a moderate buy rating in a research note published on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 25th. UBS Group dropped their price target on KKR & Co. Inc. from $168.00 to $125.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings raised KKR & Co. Inc. from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays lowered their price objective on KKR & Co. Inc. from $159.00 to $136.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, HSBC raised KKR & Co. Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $144.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $152.40.

Check Out Our Latest Report on KKR & Co. Inc.

KKR & Co. Inc. Stock Up 3.8%

KKR stock opened at $95.69 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.09 and a quick ratio of 0.09. KKR & Co. Inc. has a 1-year low of $86.15 and a 1-year high of $153.87. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $119.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $126.43. The firm has a market cap of $85.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.90, a PEG ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.99.

KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The asset manager reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by ($0.02). KKR & Co. Inc. had a return on equity of 5.77% and a net margin of 11.97%.The business had revenue of $5.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.23 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.32 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 76.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that KKR & Co. Inc. will post 5.19 EPS for the current year.

KKR & Co. Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a $0.185 dividend. This represents a $0.74 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. KKR & Co. Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.62%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other KKR & Co. Inc. news, Director Matt Cohler purchased 43,872 shares of KKR & Co. Inc. stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was bought at an average price of $102.90 per share, for a total transaction of $4,514,428.80. Following the transaction, the director owned 45,477 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,679,583.30. The trade was a 2,733.46% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Timothy R. Barakett purchased 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $104.93 per share, with a total value of $5,246,500.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 235,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,658,550. This represents a 27.03% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders bought 343,872 shares of company stock worth $35,367,179 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 39.34% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On KKR & Co. Inc.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Kera Capital Partners Inc. raised its position in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. Kera Capital Partners Inc. now owns 2,736 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $349,000 after buying an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Compound Planning Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 68.8% in the fourth quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 17,604 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $2,244,000 after acquiring an additional 7,172 shares in the last quarter. ATX Financial Planning LLC bought a new position in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $806,000. Finally, First Growth Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $301,000. Institutional investors own 76.26% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about KKR & Co. Inc.

Here are the key news stories impacting KKR & Co. Inc. this week:

Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital initiated coverage with an “Outperform” rating and a $137 price target (≈43% upside vs. the current price), which is lifting sentiment and likely driving buying interest from investors. RBC Capital initiates coverage of KKR (KKR) with outperform recommendation
Positive Sentiment: KKR agreed to buy a majority stake in XCL Education for $1.3 billion, signaling continued deal activity and expansion into education—a revenue-growth and diversification play that investors typically view favorably for long-term earnings potential. KKR to buy majority stake in XCL Education Holdings in $1.3 billion deal
Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity: traders bought ~8,120 call options (≈20% above typical call volume), indicating short-term bullish positioning by speculators or institutional players that can amplify upside intraday.
Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes KKR expanding across education, healthcare and infrastructure — strategic moves that support growth but coinciding commentary that shares are under pressure makes the news mixed in the near term. KKR Expands Across Education Healthcare And Infrastructure As Shares Face Pressure
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst attention on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (KREF) is shifting; changes in analyst calls for KREF could affect investor perception of KKR’s real-estate-related businesses but are not a direct change to KKR’s core results. How The Story On KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (KREF) Is Shifting With New Analyst Calls
Negative Sentiment: UBS trimmed its price target to $125, signaling some analyst caution; while the new target remains above the current price, the cut could temper further upward momentum if other firms follow. UBS Group Cuts KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) Price Target to $125.00

KKR & Co. Inc. Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

KKR & Co Inc is a global investment firm headquartered in New York City that specializes in private markets and alternative asset management. Founded in 1976 by Jerome Kohlberg Jr., Henry Kravis and George R. Roberts, the firm built its reputation in leveraged buyouts and has since expanded into a multi-strategy asset manager. KKR operates across private equity, credit, real assets (including real estate and infrastructure), growth equity and hedge fund strategies, offering a range of investment products and strategies for institutional and private investors.

KKR manages capital through traditional closed-end funds as well as customized vehicles such as separate accounts, co-investments, and listed investment vehicles.