Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) Stock Gets Price Target Boost from BNP Paribas Exane

Key Points

• BNP Paribas Exane raised Kimberly-Clark’s price target from $101 to $110 while maintaining a neutral rating, implying approximately 5.1% upside from the stock’s reported $104.65 price.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Kimberly-Clark has an average “Hold” rating and a consensus price target of $116.50, with 11 analysts recommending Hold compared with five Buy or Strong Buy ratings and one Sell rating.
• The company’s latest quarterly results fell short of expectations, with EPS of $1.80 versus a $2.01 consensus and revenue of $4.19 billion versus $4.22 billion expected. Institutional investors own approximately 76.29% of the stock.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) had its price target increased by research analysts at BNP Paribas Exane from $101.00 to $110.00 in a research report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane's price objective indicates a potential upside of 5.11% from the company's current price.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Freedom Capital upgraded Kimberly-Clark from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings raised Kimberly-Clark from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $122.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $115.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Kimberly-Clark has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $116.50.

Kimberly-Clark Price Performance

KMB stock traded up $0.58 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $104.65. 2,090,113 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,824,296. Kimberly-Clark has a 1-year low of $92.42 and a 1-year high of $123.09. The company has a market cap of $34.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.80, a PEG ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.45. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $102.86 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $102.59.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $1.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.21). The company had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.22 billion. Kimberly-Clark had a return on equity of 143.92% and a net margin of 11.79%. Kimberly-Clark's revenue for the quarter was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.92 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Kimberly-Clark will post 7.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Kimberly-Clark

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. AdvisorNet Financial Inc raised its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 18.3% in the 1st quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 665 shares of the company's stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Mystic Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Mystic Asset Management Inc. now owns 20,354 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,983,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. lifted its stake in Kimberly-Clark by 0.6% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 20,216 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,950,000 after buying an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Annex Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Kimberly-Clark by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Annex Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,533 shares of the company's stock worth $637,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 17.6% during the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 847 shares of the company's stock worth $82,000 after buying an additional 127 shares during the period. 76.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Kimberly-Clark News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Kimberly-Clark this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kimberly-Clark reported preliminary third-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $1.70, above the FactSet consensus estimate of $1.58. The earnings beat helped drive the stock higher despite weaker sales. Kimberly-Clark preliminary adjusted EPS report
• Positive Sentiment: Management maintained its full-year 2026 financial outlook, providing reassurance that the quarter’s weakness is not currently expected to derail annual targets. The company expects organic sales growth to be approximately 100 basis points below weighted-average category growth. Kimberly-Clark preliminary third-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that China cleared claims involving formamide in Kimberly-Clark products may reduce a regulatory and reputational overhang tied to the company’s Huggies diapers and could help stabilize its China business. Reuters report on Kimberly-Clark results and China claims
• Neutral Sentiment: Kimberly-Clark remains viewed as an income-oriented consumer staples company, but commentary highlights that its long dividend-raise streak is under pressure as profits shrink. Free cash flow still covers the dividend, although slower growth could limit future increases. Kimberly-Clark dividend growth report
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter sales are expected to decline, reflecting continued pressure from the China social-media backlash and softer operating performance. The earnings beat therefore appears driven more by profitability than by business growth. Wall Street Journal report on Kimberly-Clark sales outlook
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen cut its price target for KMB, signaling that analysts continue to see valuation or fundamental risks despite the preliminary earnings beat. TD Cowen Kimberly-Clark price target report

Kimberly-Clark Company Profile

Kimberly-Clark Corporation NASDAQ: KMB is a global personal care and consumer products company that develops and markets essential products for consumers and professional customers. Its portfolio includes products in the baby and childcare, adult care, feminine care, facial and bathroom tissue, and household categories.

The company's well-known brands include Huggies diapers and wipes, Kleenex tissues, Kotex feminine care products, Cottonelle and Scott bathroom tissue, and Depend and Poise adult care products.

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