Prudential PLC Buys 49,874 Shares of Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB

Key Points

• Prudential PLC nearly doubled its stake in Kimberly-Clark in the fourth quarter, buying 49,874 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 99,984 shares worth about $10.1 million.
• Kimberly-Clark reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.97 versus $1.93 expected and revenue of $4.16 billion, up 2.7% year over year.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.28 per share, implying an annualized payout of $5.12 and a dividend yield of about 5.2% at the time of the report.

Prudential PLC raised its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB - Free Report) by 99.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 99,984 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 49,874 shares during the quarter. Prudential PLC's holdings in Kimberly-Clark were worth $10,087,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Kimberly-Clark during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Kimberly-Clark during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Kimberly-Clark during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in Kimberly-Clark by 96.6% during the fourth quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 285 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in Kimberly-Clark during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 76.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Up 4.8%

Shares of NASDAQ KMB opened at $99.04 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.38. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 52 week low of $92.42 and a 52 week high of $137.46. The firm's fifty day moving average is $97.47 and its 200 day moving average is $101.06. The company has a market cap of $32.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.55, a PEG ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.28.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $1.97 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.93 by $0.04. Kimberly-Clark had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 152.79%. The company had revenue of $4.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.93 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Kimberly-Clark Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th will be paid 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 is Friday, June 5th. Kimberly-Clark's payout ratio is presently 80.38%.

Trending Headlines about Kimberly-Clark

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer highlighted Kimberly-Clark as an attractive staple stock, saying he likes it partly because of its pending merger with Kenvue, which may have helped boost investor interest in the name. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also focusing on Kimberly-Clark’s recent conference presentation and its upcoming dividend schedule, which can attract income-oriented buyers and support the stock during periods of market volatility. Article
• Positive Sentiment: The broader move into consumer staples also appears to be helping, as investors rotate toward more defensive sectors amid sharp weakness in the overall market. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Kimberly-Clark’s recent conference appearance and prior earnings update reinforced steady fundamentals, but there was no single new operating headline driving the move. Article

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $133.00 to $114.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Friday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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 report on Wednesday, April 8th. Barclays lowered their price objective 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, April 14th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Kimberly-Clark from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $114.93.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kimberly-Clark

In other Kimberly-Clark news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 4,095 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.00, for a total transaction of $401,310.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Katy Chen sold 1,596 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.34, for a total transaction of $152,162.64. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,362 shares in the company, valued at approximately $797,233.08. The trade was a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 7,096 shares of company stock worth $689,687. 0.75% of the stock is owned by 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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