Easterly Investment Partners LLC Buys Shares of 59,822 Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB

Key Points

• Easterly Investment Partners opened a new position in Kimberly-Clark, buying 59,822 shares valued at about $6.0 million in the fourth quarter.
• Kimberly-Clark reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings, with EPS of $1.97 versus $1.93 expected, and revenue of $4.16 billion, up 2.7% year over year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.28 per share, equal to an annualized yield of about 5.2%; analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold.

Easterly Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 59,822 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,035,000.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Kimberly-Clark in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Kimberly-Clark in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 96.6% in the 4th quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 285 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Kimberly-Clark in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. 76.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Performance

NASDAQ:KMB opened at $97.60 on Monday. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 1-year low of $92.42 and a 1-year high of $144.30. The business's 50-day moving average price is $97.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $101.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.32, a PEG ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 0.28.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $1.97 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $4.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.09 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.93 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Kimberly-Clark Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on KMB shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $110.00 to $109.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Kimberly-Clark from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Zacks Research cut Kimberly-Clark from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, UBS Group upped 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 investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Kimberly-Clark presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $114.93.

Insider Transactions at Kimberly-Clark

In related news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 4,095 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.00, for a total transaction of $401,310.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Katy Chen sold 1,596 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.34, for a total value of $152,162.64. Following the transaction, the insider owned 8,362 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $797,233.08. The trade was a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,096 shares of company stock valued at $689,687. 0.75% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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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