First Trust Advisors LP Reduces Stock Position in Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB

Key Points

• First Trust Advisors LP cut its Kimberly-Clark stake by 4.7% in the first quarter, selling 25,068 shares and retaining 504,936 shares valued at approximately $48.7 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 76.29% of KMB.
• Kimberly-Clark exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.97 in EPS and $4.16 billion in revenue, with revenue up 2.7% year over year. Analysts expect $7.47 in full-year EPS.
• The company maintains an annualized dividend of $5.12 per share, yielding about 4.7%. Analysts have an average “Hold” rating and a consensus price target of $117.93.

First Trust Advisors LP decreased its position in Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB - Free Report) by 4.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 504,936 shares of the company's stock after selling 25,068 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.15% of Kimberly-Clark worth $48,711,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of KMB. Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS purchased a new position in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the first quarter valued at approximately $357,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kimberly-Clark in the 1st quarter worth approximately $80,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 47.3% in the 1st quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 12,064 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,176,000 after acquiring an additional 3,873 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 68.1% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 5,028 shares of the company's stock valued at $485,000 after acquiring an additional 2,037 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV lifted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 459.9% during the 1st quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,695,768 shares of the company's stock worth $163,591,000 after purchasing an additional 1,392,873 shares during the period. 76.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kimberly-Clark Price Performance

Shares of KMB stock opened at $109.70 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $104.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $102.02. The company has a market capitalization of $36.41 billion, a PE ratio of 17.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 0.26. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a twelve month low of $92.42 and a twelve month high of $137.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.38.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $1.97 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.93 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $4.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.09 billion. Kimberly-Clark had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 152.79%. The firm's revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.93 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kimberly-Clark Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th were paid a $1.28 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 5th. This represents a $5.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.7%. Kimberly-Clark's payout ratio is 80.38%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KMB has been the subject of several analyst reports. Piper Sandler upped their target price on Kimberly-Clark from $115.00 to $121.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $106.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $110.00 to $109.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $101.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $117.93.

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 value of $401,310.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Katy Chen sold 1,596 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.34, for a total value of $152,162.64. Following the sale, the insider owned 8,362 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $797,233.08. This trade represents 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. Insiders sold 7,096 shares of company stock valued at $689,687 in the last three months. 0.75% of the stock is currently owned by company 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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