Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.04 EPS

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $1.97 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.93 by $0.04, Zacks reports. The company had revenue of $4.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.09 billion. Kimberly-Clark had a return on equity of 152.79% and a net margin of 12.80%.The firm’s revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.93 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Kimberly-Clark’s conference call:

• Kimberly‑Clark reported continued underlying momentum with 3% volume plus mix growth, share gains in baby care, women’s health and active aging, and innovation-driven product launches driving trial and penetration.
• Management warned of potential incremental input-cost exposure of roughly $150–$170 million in the back half if oil remains near $100/barrel, plus an expected ~$50 million Q2 operating-profit impact and a ~$20 million Q2 sales hit from the California distribution‑center fire, items not fully built into guidance.
• Leadership says it can mitigate cost pressure via an integrated margin-management approach (PNOC — pricing net of commodity), programmatic hedging/supplier contracts and a rich productivity pipeline after delivering consecutive 6% gross productivity years and committing to another full‑year target.
• The planned Kenvue combination and integration planning (40+ teams) are progressing, with expected synergies across COGS, SG&A and revenue channels and a blended leadership team intended to scale a new health‑and‑wellness leader.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Performance

Shares of KMB stock traded down $0.37 on Thursday, hitting $96.67. The company had a trading volume of 3,358,387 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,434,117. Kimberly-Clark has a twelve month low of $92.42 and a twelve month high of $144.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.38. The firm has a market cap of $32.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.37 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $98.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $102.36.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research cut Kimberly-Clark from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Citigroup dropped their target price on Kimberly-Clark from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Friday, March 27th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $105.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $114.93.

Insider Activity

In other Kimberly-Clark news, insider Katy Chen sold 1,596 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.34, for a total value of $152,162.64. Following the sale, the insider owned 8,362 shares in the company, valued at approximately $797,233.08. This represents a 16.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, VP Andrew Scribner sold 4,095 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.00, for a total transaction of $401,310.00. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 7,096 shares of company stock worth $689,687. 0.75% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of KMB. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Kimberly-Clark by 74.1% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,494 shares of the company’s stock worth $851,000 after acquiring an additional 2,765 shares during the period. Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark in the fourth quarter valued at about $155,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 1,757.1% during the fourth quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,560 shares of the company’s stock worth $157,000 after purchasing an additional 1,476 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management raised its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 58.6% during the 4th quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 953 shares of the company’s stock worth $96,000 after purchasing an additional 352 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gilpin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the 4th quarter worth about $75,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.