Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB Stock Bought by Viking Fund Management LLC

Key Points

• Viking Fund Management increased its Kimberly-Clark stake by 16.3% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 186,000 shares valued at approximately $18.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.29% of the company.
• Analysts remain generally cautious, with Kimberly-Clark receiving an average “Hold” rating and a $116.50 price target; recent firms lowered targets, including TD Cowen to $97.
• Kimberly-Clark reported quarterly revenue of $4.19 billion and EPS of $1.80, both below expectations, while its $1.28 quarterly dividend equates to a 5.2% yield and an elevated 87.07% payout ratio.

Viking Fund Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB - Free Report) by 16.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 186,000 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 26,000 shares during the period. Kimberly-Clark comprises about 1.5% of Viking Fund Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Viking Fund Management LLC owned 0.06% of Kimberly-Clark worth $18,122,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in Kimberly-Clark during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $223,668,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in Kimberly-Clark by 3.5% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 595,464 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,364,000 after purchasing an additional 20,300 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in Kimberly-Clark by 3.3% in the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,881,641 shares of the company's stock valued at $755,398,000 after purchasing an additional 219,742 shares during the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in Kimberly-Clark in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,869,000. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 612.5% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 205,588 shares of the company's stock valued at $19,833,000 after purchasing an additional 176,733 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.29% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KMB has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Bank of America cut their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $122.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 25th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 5th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Kimberly-Clark from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $104.00 to $97.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Seaport Research Partners upgraded shares of Kimberly-Clark to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $116.50.

Kimberly-Clark News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kimberly-Clark this week:

• Positive Sentiment: EU approval removes a major regulatory hurdle. The European Commission conditionally approved Kimberly-Clark’s roughly $40 billion acquisition of Kenvue after the companies addressed competition concerns in tampon markets in the Czech Republic, Estonia and Slovakia. This reduces uncertainty around closing, although the required remedies could limit some deal benefits. Kimberly-Clark, Kenvue Win Conditional EU Approval for $40 Billion Tie-Up
• Positive Sentiment: Financing and integration preparations are advancing. Kimberly-Clark secured the required consents for amendments to Kenvue’s debt terms and reported early participation in exchange offers involving up to $7 billion of new Kimberly-Clark notes. The progress supports execution of the transaction and helps clarify the financing process. Kimberly-Clark Announces Successful Consent Solicitations for Kenvue Notes and Amendment to Terms of Exchange Offers
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America issued a Buy rating. The recommendation provides a positive counterpoint to recent concerns about growth and leverage. Kimberly Clark Gets a Buy from Bank of America Securities
• Neutral Sentiment: Operating performance is proving resilient despite slower consumer-category growth. Productivity initiatives, product innovation and market-share gains are helping Kimberly-Clark maintain volume and mix, but the broader slowdown limits near-term growth potential. How Kimberly-Clark Navigates Slower Growth Across Consumer Categories
• Negative Sentiment: Debt and dividend risks are weighing on the investment case. Analysts and investors are concerned that the acquisition could substantially increase leverage, while free cash flow may provide only thin coverage for Kimberly-Clark’s long-standing dividend. TD Cowen cut its price target to $97 and maintained a Hold rating. Kimberly-Clark’s Dividend Streak Faces Pressure

Kimberly-Clark Stock Performance

Shares of KMB stock opened at $99.41 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $102.95 and a 200 day moving average of $102.55. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 52 week low of $92.42 and a 52 week high of $123.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.91, a PEG ratio of 5.02 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.45.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $1.80 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.01 by ($0.21). The company had revenue of $4.19 billion during 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 business's revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.92 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Kimberly-Clark Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 4th were given a $1.28 dividend. This represents a $5.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 4th. Kimberly-Clark's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 87.07%.

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark Corporation NASDAQ: KMB is a global personal care and consumer products company that develops and markets essential products for consumers and professional customers. Its portfolio includes products in the baby and childcare, adult care, feminine care, facial and bathroom tissue, and household categories.

The company's well-known brands include Huggies diapers and wipes, Kleenex tissues, Kotex feminine care products, Cottonelle and Scott bathroom tissue, and Depend and Poise adult care products.

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