Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR)

Posted by Defense World Staff on Feb 25th, 2026

KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR – Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Traders bought 8,120 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 20% compared to the typical volume of 6,762 call options.

KKR & Co. Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of KKR stock opened at $95.69 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 0.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. KKR & Co. Inc. has a 12-month low of $86.15 and a 12-month high of $153.87. The business’s 50 day moving average is $119.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $126.43. The company has a market capitalization of $85.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.90, a P/E/G ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.99.

KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The asset manager reported $1.12 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.23 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 76.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that KKR & Co. Inc. will post 5.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KKR & Co. Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.185 per share. This represents a $0.74 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. KKR & Co. Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.62%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on KKR & Co. Inc. in a research report on Tuesday. They set an “outperform” rating and a $137.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised KKR & Co. Inc. from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. 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 report on Wednesday, January 28th. Barclays reduced their price target on KKR & Co. Inc. from $159.00 to $136.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on KKR & Co. Inc. from $190.00 to $187.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $152.40.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on KKR & Co. Inc.

Insider Activity at KKR & Co. Inc.

In other news, CEO Scott C. Nuttall purchased 125,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was bought at an average price of $102.66 per share, with a total value of $12,832,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 15,503,748 shares in the company, valued at $1,591,614,769.68. The trade was a 0.81% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Joseph Y. Bae purchased 125,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $102.19 per share, for a total transaction of $12,773,750.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 509,257 shares in the company, valued at approximately $52,040,972.83. The trade was a 32.53% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders bought 343,872 shares of company stock valued at $35,367,179 over the last three months. 39.34% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of KKR & Co. Inc.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in KKR & Co. Inc. in the 4th quarter worth about $1,715,929,000. Strive Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. in the third quarter valued at approximately $535,907,000. Viking Global Investors LP purchased a new position in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. in the third quarter valued at approximately $352,038,000. Farallon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. in the fourth quarter worth approximately $257,216,000. Finally, Close Asset Management Ltd boosted its stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 4,155.1% in the third quarter. Close Asset Management Ltd now owns 1,515,299 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $196,845,000 after acquiring an additional 1,479,688 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.26% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting 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

About KKR & Co. Inc.

(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.