Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) saw a large increase in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 32,283,444 shares, an increase of 20.8% from the December 31st total of 26,732,386 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 6,286,406 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.1 days. Currently, 9.8% of the company’s stock are sold short. Currently, 9.8% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 6,286,406 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.1 days.

Kimberly-Clark Trading Up 1.3%

Kimberly-Clark stock traded up $1.27 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $100.77. The stock had a trading volume of 5,876,649 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,626,437. Kimberly-Clark has a 52-week low of $96.26 and a 52-week high of $150.45. The firm has a market cap of $33.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a fifty day moving average of $101.61 and a 200 day moving average of $114.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.97.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $1.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $4.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.11 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.50 earnings per share. Kimberly-Clark’s revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Kimberly-Clark 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $1.28 dividend. This is a positive change from Kimberly-Clark’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.26. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $5.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.1%. Kimberly-Clark’s dividend payout ratio is 83.03%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on KMB. BNP Paribas Exane restated a “neutral” rating and set a $110.00 price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Barclays set a $102.00 price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Friday, January 16th. Argus raised shares of Kimberly-Clark from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price target for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $144.00 to $125.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $118.58.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kimberly-Clark

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KMB. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 74.1% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $851,000 after acquiring an additional 2,765 shares during the period. Clarius Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 46.8% during the second quarter. Clarius Group LLC now owns 4,797 shares of the company’s stock valued at $618,000 after acquiring an additional 1,529 shares during the last quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC raised its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 13.2% in the 2nd quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 4,534 shares of the company’s stock valued at $584,000 after acquiring an additional 529 shares during the last quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the 2nd quarter valued at about $480,000. Finally, Grimes & Company Inc. boosted its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 4.4% in the second quarter. Grimes & Company Inc. now owns 148,406 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,133,000 after acquiring an additional 6,233 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.29% of the company’s stock.

Kimberly-Clark Company 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.