Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Cuts Stock Position in Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group trimmed its stake in Kimberly‑Clark by 3.4%, selling 28,999 shares and ending the quarter with 812,649 shares worth about $81.99 million (0.24% ownership).
• Several analysts have lowered price targets on KMB recently, leaving a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $114.86.
• Kimberly‑Clark raised its quarterly dividend to $1.28 (annualized $5.12), implying a ~5.3% yield while the payout ratio sits at about 84.35%.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lessened its holdings in Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB - Free Report) by 3.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 812,649 shares of the company's stock after selling 28,999 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned 0.24% of Kimberly-Clark worth $81,988,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in KMB. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Kimberly-Clark during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in Kimberly-Clark by 177.6% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 211 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Kimberly-Clark in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in Kimberly-Clark by 96.6% in the fourth quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 285 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Investors Research Corp bought a new position in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 76.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kimberly-Clark

In related news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 3,049 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.75% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on KMB shares. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $105.00 to $99.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Kimberly-Clark from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group decreased their target price on Kimberly-Clark from $110.00 to $105.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Zacks Research lowered Kimberly-Clark from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $112.00 to $105.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $114.86.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Performance

NASDAQ KMB opened at $97.16 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $32.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 0.28. 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's 50 day moving average is $102.50 and its 200-day moving average is $105.46. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 12-month low of $92.42 and a 12-month high of $144.30.

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

Kimberly-Clark Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th were issued a $1.28 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 dividend yield of 5.3%. Kimberly-Clark's dividend payout ratio is 84.35%.

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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