Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB Shares Sold by Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Key Points

• Teacher Retirement System of Texas cut its stake in Kimberly‑Clark by 75.1% in Q4, selling 236,880 shares and leaving 78,659 shares valued at about $7.94 million.
• Kimberly‑Clark raised its quarterly dividend to $1.28 (annualized $5.12), implying a ~5.2% yield and a payout ratio of 84.35%.
• The company reported Q4 EPS of $1.86 (beating the $1.81 estimate) with revenue of $4.08B (slightly below estimates), while analysts maintain a consensus "Hold" rating and a $114.86 price target amid several recent target cuts.

Teacher Retirement System of Texas decreased its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB - Free Report) by 75.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 78,659 shares of the company's stock after selling 236,880 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas' holdings in Kimberly-Clark were worth $7,936,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in KMB. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 74.1% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,494 shares of the company's stock worth $851,000 after buying an additional 2,765 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its stake 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 worth $46,923,000 after buying an additional 24,698 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its stake 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 worth $36,698,000 after buying an additional 87,455 shares during the period. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 11.0% during 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 during the period. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 20.5% during the second quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 10,639 shares of the company's stock worth $1,372,000 after buying an additional 1,811 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.29% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Kimberly-Clark

In other Kimberly-Clark news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 3,049 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.75% of the company's stock.

Kimberly-Clark Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:KMB opened at $97.85 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.97. The company has a market cap of $32.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.12, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.28. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 52 week low of $92.42 and a 52 week high of $144.30. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $101.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $104.18.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $1.86 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.81 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $4.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.11 billion. Kimberly-Clark had a net margin of 11.73% and a return on equity of 170.48%. The firm's revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.50 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Kimberly-Clark Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th were given a $1.28 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 6th. This is an increase 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%. Kimberly-Clark's payout ratio is 84.35%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KMB has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $105.00 to $99.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $110.00 to $105.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $110.00 to $100.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $112.00 to $105.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kimberly-Clark presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $114.86.

Kimberly-Clark 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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