Barclays PLC Buys 365,586 Shares of Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB

Key Points

• Barclays PLC increased its stake in Kimberly‑Clark by 39.4%, buying 365,586 shares to hold 1,293,919 shares (about 0.39% of the company) worth roughly $160.9 million at quarter-end.
• Kimberly‑Clark raised its quarterly dividend to $1.28 ($5.12 annual), implying a 4.9% yield with an ex‑dividend date of March 6 and a payout ratio of about 83%.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $1.86 versus $1.81 expected (a beat) while revenue was $4.08B versus $4.11B expected (down 0.6% YoY); analysts’ consensus rates the stock a "Hold" with an average price target near $119.00.

Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB - Free Report) by 39.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,293,919 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 365,586 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned about 0.39% of Kimberly-Clark worth $160,886,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 177.6% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 211 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Winnow Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Kimberly-Clark in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kimberly-Clark in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in Kimberly-Clark by 105.8% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 247 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Kimberly-Clark news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 3,049 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.29, for a total value of $317,980.21. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.64% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Kimberly-Clark Trading Down 0.3%

KMB stock opened at $104.58 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.97, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.54. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 1-year low of $96.26 and a 1-year high of $150.45. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $103.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $111.22. The company has a market capitalization of $34.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.23, a PEG ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.24.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.81 by $0.05. Kimberly-Clark had a net margin of 11.73% and a return on equity of 170.48%. The firm had revenue of $4.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.11 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.50 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kimberly-Clark Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $1.28 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $5.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.9%. This is an increase from Kimberly-Clark's previous quarterly dividend of $1.26. Kimberly-Clark's payout ratio is presently 83.03%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KMB has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research report on Monday, December 29th. BNP Paribas Exane restated a "neutral" rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $110.00 target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Argus upgraded Kimberly-Clark from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $120.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $119.00.

About Kimberly-Clark

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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