Russell Investments Group Ltd. Has $44.23 Million Stock Position in Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB

Key Points

• Russell Investments trimmed its stake in Kimberly‑Clark by 6.7% in Q3 to 356,084 shares, a position worth about $44.23 million (roughly 0.11% of the company).
• Kimberly‑Clark raised its quarterly dividend to $1.28 (annualized $5.12), implying a yield of about 5.1% and a payout ratio of 84.35% (ex‑dividend date March 6).
• The company beat EPS estimates in the most recent quarter ($1.86 vs. $1.81) while revenue fell 0.6% to $4.08 billion; analysts' consensus rating is a Hold with an average price target of $119.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. reduced its stake in Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB - Free Report) by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 356,084 shares of the company's stock after selling 25,694 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.11% of Kimberly-Clark worth $44,225,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in KMB. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Kimberly-Clark by 14.8% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 40,435,476 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,212,942,000 after buying an additional 5,200,011 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Kimberly-Clark during the second quarter worth about $556,114,000. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 350.2% during the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 1,583,193 shares of the company's stock worth $204,105,000 after buying an additional 1,231,501 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 32,568.4% during the 2nd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 978,419 shares of the company's stock worth $126,138,000 after buying an additional 975,424 shares during the period. Finally, Sarasin & Partners LLP increased its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 88.9% in the 3rd quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 2,048,544 shares of the company's stock valued at $251,274,000 after acquiring an additional 963,978 shares during the last quarter. 76.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on KMB shares. Argus upgraded shares of Kimberly-Clark from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $120.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $107.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $110.00 price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Monday, December 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $119.00.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Down 1.6%

KMB stock opened at $100.04 on Thursday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $33.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.48, a P/E/G ratio of 3.62 and a beta of 0.24. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $96.26 and a fifty-two week high of $147.12. The business has a 50-day moving average of $103.43 and a 200-day moving average of $110.56.

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

Kimberly-Clark Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $1.28 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This is a positive change from Kimberly-Clark's previous quarterly dividend of $1.26. This represents a $5.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.1%. Kimberly-Clark's dividend payout ratio is currently 84.35%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 3,049 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.29, for a total value of $317,980.21. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.64% of the company's stock.

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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