Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) Stock Has Consensus Target Price of $117.36 According to Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts maintain a cautious outlook: Kimberly-Clark has a consensus “Hold” rating from 17 brokerages, with an average 12-month price target of $117.36 versus a recent price of $97.43.
• Recent financial results fell short of expectations: The company reported quarterly EPS of $1.80, below the $2.01 consensus estimate, while revenue of $4.19 billion was slightly below forecasts.
• Income remains a key attraction: Kimberly-Clark announced a quarterly dividend of $1.28, equivalent to $5.12 annually and a 5.3% yield, though its payout ratio is high at 87.07%.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of "Hold" from the seventeen brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $117.36.

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on KMB shares. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Kimberly-Clark from $122.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 25th. 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 Kimberly-Clark from $110.00 to $105.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Freedom Capital upgraded Kimberly-Clark from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $101.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kimberly-Clark

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Greenwich Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Kimberly-Clark by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Greenwich Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,718 shares of the company's stock worth $737,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its stake in Kimberly-Clark by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 12,906 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,417,000 after purchasing an additional 433 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 8.3% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 902,852 shares of the company's stock valued at $99,106,000 after purchasing an additional 69,060 shares in the last quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA lifted its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 37.6% in the second quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA now owns 11,988 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,316,000 after purchasing an additional 3,275 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark in the second quarter worth $1,371,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.29% of the company's stock.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Down 1.6%

KMB stock opened at $97.43 on Thursday. Kimberly-Clark has a 12 month low of $92.42 and a 12 month high of $125.32. The firm has a market cap of $32.40 billion, a PE ratio of 16.57, a P/E/G ratio of 5.06 and a beta of 0.25. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $105.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $102.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.45, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.69.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $1.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.01 by ($0.21). The business had revenue of $4.19 billion during 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%.The company's quarterly revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.92 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Kimberly-Clark will post 7.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kimberly-Clark Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be issued a $1.28 dividend. This represents a $5.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. Kimberly-Clark's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 87.07%.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.