Melqart Asset Management UK Ltd Takes $43.27 Million Position in Kenvue Inc. $KVUE

Melqart Asset Management UK Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Kenvue Inc. (NYSE:KVUE) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 2,508,632 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $43,274,000. Kenvue accounts for 4.3% of Melqart Asset Management UK Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Melqart Asset Management UK Ltd owned 0.13% of Kenvue as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Kenvue by 67.5% in the fourth quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,533 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 618 shares during the last quarter. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kenvue during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Kenvue by 82.4% during the fourth quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 2,273 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 1,027 shares during the last quarter. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new position in Kenvue in the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new position in Kenvue in the 4th quarter valued at about $76,000. 97.64% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kenvue Trading Up 1.0%

NYSE KVUE opened at $18.44 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.54. Kenvue Inc. has a 52-week low of $14.02 and a 52-week high of $22.87. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $17.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $17.56.

Kenvue (NYSE:KVUE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.27 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $3.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.84 billion. Kenvue had a return on equity of 20.81% and a net margin of 10.61%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.24 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Kenvue Inc. will post 1.16 EPS for the current year.

Kenvue Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 13th were paid a $0.2075 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 13th. This represents a $0.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.5%. Kenvue’s payout ratio is 97.65%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Kenvue news, General Counsel Matthew Orlando sold 38,491 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.66, for a total transaction of $679,751.06. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.59% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Argus raised Kenvue to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Zacks Research raised Kenvue from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. UBS Group cut their price target on Kenvue from $19.00 to $18.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Barclays decreased their price target on Kenvue from $19.00 to $18.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Kenvue from $20.00 to $19.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kenvue has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $19.33.

About Kenvue

Kenvue is a consumer health company that was established as a standalone, publicly traded business after separating from Johnson & Johnson. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol KVUE, Kenvue focuses on the development, manufacture, marketing and distribution of consumer health and personal care products across a range of categories including skin and beauty care, baby care, oral care, wound care and over‑the‑counter medicines.

The company owns and markets a portfolio of widely recognized consumer brands, including names familiar to global shoppers across retail and pharmacy channels.