Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus is “Hold”: Of 17 covering firms, 11 rate Kimberly-Clark a hold, while the average 12-month price target is $117.93 versus the reported share price of $108.57.
• Quarterly results fell short of expectations: Kimberly-Clark reported adjusted EPS of $1.80, below the $2.01 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $4.19 billion and rose 0.6% year over year.
• Investors receive a substantial dividend: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.28 per share, equivalent to $5.12 annually and a yield of approximately 4.7%.

Shares of Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Hold" from the seventeen research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $117.9286.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $96.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $115.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Kimberly-Clark from $115.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded Kimberly-Clark from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th.

Institutional Trading of Kimberly-Clark

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ally Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,009,000. Westpac Banking Corp raised its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 25.0% in the 4th quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 54,135 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,462,000 after purchasing an additional 10,811 shares in the last quarter. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas lifted its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 29.6% during the 4th quarter. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas now owns 61,795 shares of the company's stock worth $6,234,000 after purchasing an additional 14,115 shares during the last quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the 4th quarter worth $1,047,000. Finally, Vaughan David Investments LLC IL grew its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 6.4% during the fourth quarter. Vaughan David Investments LLC IL now owns 299,642 shares of the company's stock worth $30,231,000 after purchasing an additional 17,955 shares in the last quarter. 76.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Up 0.5%

NASDAQ KMB opened at $108.57 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $107.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $102.97. Kimberly-Clark has a one year low of $92.42 and a one year high of $136.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.45, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.91. The company has a market cap of $36.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.46, a P/E/G ratio of 5.14 and a beta of 0.26.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $1.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.01 by ($0.21). Kimberly-Clark had a return on equity of 143.92% and a net margin of 11.79%.The business had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.22 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.92 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Kimberly-Clark will post 7.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kimberly-Clark Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 4th will be paid a dividend of $1.28 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. This represents a $5.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.7%. Kimberly-Clark's payout ratio is 87.07%.

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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