327,444 Shares in Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB Bought by Pinebridge Investments LLC

Key Points

• Pinebridge Investments LLC bought a new stake in Kimberly-Clark during the fourth quarter, purchasing 327,444 shares valued at about $33.0 million. The filing said the fund owned 0.10% of the company after the purchase.
• Kimberly-Clark reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.97 versus the $1.93 estimate and revenue of $4.16 billion, up 2.7% year over year. Analysts still expect the company to earn 7.48 EPS for the full year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.28 per share, implying an annualized payout of $5.12 and a 5.2% yield. The stock also rose 4.8% and has attracted continued interest from institutional investors, which now own 76.29% of shares.

Pinebridge Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 327,444 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $33,036,000. Pinebridge Investments LLC owned 0.10% of Kimberly-Clark as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KMB. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $521,184,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 50.4% during the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,839,572 shares of the company's stock valued at $790,934,000 after acquiring an additional 2,628,206 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 5.0% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 20,830,890 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,615,382,000 after acquiring an additional 997,397 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 331.6% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,107,640 shares of the company's stock valued at $137,724,000 after acquiring an additional 851,024 shares in the last quarter. Finally, M&T Bank Corp increased its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 506.1% during the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 758,154 shares of the company's stock valued at $76,490,000 after acquiring an additional 633,061 shares in the last quarter. 76.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Up 4.8%

KMB stock opened at $99.04 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.38, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.77. The company has a market capitalization of $32.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.55, a PEG ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.28. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $92.42 and a fifty-two week high of $137.46. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $97.47 and a 200-day moving average of $101.06.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $1.97 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.93 by $0.04. Kimberly-Clark had a return on equity of 152.79% and a net margin of 12.80%.The business had revenue of $4.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.93 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Kimberly-Clark Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th will be given a dividend of $1.28 per share. This represents a $5.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 5th. Kimberly-Clark's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 80.38%.

Key Stories Impacting Kimberly-Clark

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer highlighted Kimberly-Clark as an attractive staple stock, saying he likes it partly because of its pending merger with Kenvue, which may have helped boost investor interest in the name. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also focusing on Kimberly-Clark’s recent conference presentation and its upcoming dividend schedule, which can attract income-oriented buyers and support the stock during periods of market volatility. Article
• Positive Sentiment: The broader move into consumer staples also appears to be helping, as investors rotate toward more defensive sectors amid sharp weakness in the overall market. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Kimberly-Clark’s recent conference appearance and prior earnings update reinforced steady fundamentals, but there was no single new operating headline driving the move. Article

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on KMB shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Barclays lowered their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $105.00 to $99.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $133.00 to $114.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Bank of America lowered their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $105.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $114.93.

Insider Transactions at Kimberly-Clark

In related news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 4,095 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.00, for a total value of $401,310.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Katy Chen sold 1,596 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.34, for a total value of $152,162.64. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 8,362 shares of the company's stock, valued at $797,233.08. The trade was a 16.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,096 shares of company stock valued at $689,687. Corporate insiders own 0.75% of the company's stock.

Kimberly-Clark Company Profile

Kimberly-Clark Corporation is a U.S.-based multinational manufacturer of personal care and consumer tissue products. The company develops, produces and markets a range of consumer brands and professional products, including facial and bathroom tissues, disposable diapers and training pants, feminine care, incontinence products and workplace hygiene solutions. Known for consumer-facing names such as Kleenex, Huggies, Kotex, Cottonelle and Scott, as well as professional offerings under Kimberly-Clark Professional and KleenGuard, the company supplies goods to retail, healthcare and institutional customers.

Founded in 1872 in Neenah, Wisconsin, Kimberly-Clark has expanded from its 19th-century paper-making roots into a global household and workplace products company.

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