Janus Henderson Group PLC Acquires 32,891 Shares of Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB

Key Points

• Janus Henderson more than doubled its Kimberly-Clark position in the first quarter, adding 32,891 shares to hold 63,161 shares worth approximately $6.1 million. Institutional investors own 76.29% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: upgrades from Freedom Capital and Seaport Research Partners contrasted with multiple “Hold” ratings. Kimberly-Clark has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $117.93.
• Kimberly-Clark’s latest quarterly results fell short of expectations, with EPS of $1.80 versus $2.01 forecast and revenue of $4.19 billion versus $4.22 billion expected. The company maintained its quarterly dividend at $1.28 per share, representing a 4.7% annualized yield.

Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its holdings in Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB - Free Report) by 108.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 63,161 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 32,891 shares during the quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC's holdings in Kimberly-Clark were worth $6,094,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in KMB. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new position in Kimberly-Clark in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. CrossGen Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in Kimberly-Clark by 96.6% in the fourth quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 285 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. 76.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on KMB. Freedom Capital raised Kimberly-Clark from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group raised their target price on Kimberly-Clark from $115.00 to $116.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Seaport Research Partners upgraded Kimberly-Clark to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America reduced their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Kimberly-Clark from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $117.93.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Performance

Shares of Kimberly-Clark stock opened at $108.66 on Friday. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 1 year low of $92.42 and a 1 year high of $137.46. The firm's 50-day moving average is $106.60 and its 200 day moving average is $102.79. The stock has a market cap of $36.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.48, a PEG ratio of 4.87 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.45, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.55.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $1.80 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.21). The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.22 billion. Kimberly-Clark had a net margin of 11.79% and a return on equity of 143.92%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.92 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kimberly-Clark Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, September 4th will be given a dividend of $1.28 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $5.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.7%. Kimberly-Clark's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 87.07%.

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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