KBC Group NV Buys 146,013 Shares of Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB

Key Points

• KBC Group NV boosted its stake in Kimberly‑Clark by 93.1%, purchasing 146,013 shares to own 302,895 shares (about 0.09%) valued at roughly $30.56 million at quarter end.
• Kimberly‑Clark beat EPS expectations with $1.86 versus $1.81 while revenue came in at $4.08 billion (slightly below estimates and down 0.6% YoY), and the company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.28 (annualized $5.12) for a ~5.2% yield.
• Wall Street consensus is a Hold rating with an average price target of $114.86; analyst moves recently included several target cuts and mostly neutral ratings (11 Hold, 4 Buy, 1 Sell).

KBC Group NV increased its stake in Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB - Free Report) by 93.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 302,895 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 146,013 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV owned about 0.09% of Kimberly-Clark worth $30,559,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in KMB. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Kimberly-Clark by 74.1% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,494 shares of the company's stock worth $851,000 after purchasing an additional 2,765 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 7.3% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 363,919 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,923,000 after buying an additional 24,698 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina increased its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 44.3% during the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 284,655 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,698,000 after buying an additional 87,455 shares during the period. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 11.0% in the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,291 shares of the company's stock worth $424,000 after buying an additional 326 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 20.5% in the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 10,639 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,372,000 after acquiring an additional 1,811 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.29% of the company's stock.

Kimberly-Clark Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of KMB opened at $97.97 on Friday. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 1-year low of $92.42 and a 1-year high of $144.30. The company has a market capitalization of $32.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.14, a P/E/G ratio of 3.72 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.97, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.54. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $102.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $105.34.

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

Kimberly-Clark Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th were paid a $1.28 dividend. This is a boost from Kimberly-Clark's previous quarterly dividend of $1.26. This represents a $5.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. Kimberly-Clark's payout ratio is currently 84.35%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

KMB has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Friday, March 27th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $105.00 to $99.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $110.00 to $105.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Kimberly-Clark from $110.00 to $100.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Kimberly-Clark from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $114.86.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Kimberly-Clark news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 3,049 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.29, for a total transaction of $317,980.21. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.75% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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