Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) Upgraded by Freedom Capital to Strong-Buy Rating

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) was upgraded by analysts at Freedom Capital from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report released on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

KMB has been the topic of several other reports. Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $115.00 to $121.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Bank of America reduced their target price on Kimberly-Clark from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Seaport Research Partners upgraded Kimberly-Clark to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $96.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $117.93.

Kimberly-Clark Price Performance

Kimberly-Clark stock opened at $112.37 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.30 billion, a PE ratio of 19.11, a P/E/G ratio of 5.02 and a beta of 0.26. Kimberly-Clark has a 52 week low of $92.42 and a 52 week high of $137.46. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $106.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is $102.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.45.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $1.80 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.01 by ($0.21). The business had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.22 billion. Kimberly-Clark had a net margin of 11.79% and a return on equity of 143.92%. The business’s revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.92 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Kimberly-Clark will post 7.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Kimberly-Clark by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 40,846,734 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,121,027,000 after acquiring an additional 315,981 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,125,118 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,157,746,000 after purchasing an additional 294,228 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,917,154 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,202,322,000 after purchasing an additional 299,382 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,322,198 shares of the company’s stock valued at $836,216,000 after purchasing an additional 65,619 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 50.4% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,839,572 shares of the company’s stock worth $790,934,000 after purchasing an additional 2,628,206 shares during the period. 76.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Kimberly-Clark

Here are the key news stories impacting Kimberly-Clark this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter adjusted operating profit rose 6.2% year over year, supported by productivity savings, volume-plus-mix gains and gross-margin expansion. Adjusted EPS was $1.80, although results remained below analysts’ expectations. Kimberly-Clark second-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Kimberly-Clark declared a quarterly dividend of $1.28 per share, reinforcing its income appeal with an indicated annualized yield of approximately 4.6%. Kimberly-Clark dividend announcement
• Positive Sentiment: A plant-based fiber initiative could eventually reduce reliance on traditional wood fibers in paper towels, offering potential long-term manufacturing and sustainability benefits. Kimberly-Clark plant-based fiber initiative
• Neutral Sentiment: Management said the pending Kenvue acquisition remains on track to close by year-end, but investors will continue to assess the transaction’s execution risks and effect on leverage. Kimberly-Clark 2026 second-quarter presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue of roughly $4.19 billion increased only 0.6% year over year and missed the $4.22 billion consensus estimate. Reported profit also declined, while adjusted EPS of $1.80 fell short of the $2.01 analyst consensus cited in the company coverage. Kimberly-Clark second-quarter sales report
• Negative Sentiment: Kimberly-Clark lowered its 2026 sales and profit outlook, saying organic sales growth should trail weighted-average category growth by about 100 basis points. False social-media allegations regarding Huggies diaper quality significantly disrupted China sales and remain the main near-term overhang. Reuters report on Kimberly-Clark guidance
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen analyst Robert Moskow maintained a Hold rating despite raising his price target to $104, citing near-term volatility and operational challenges. TD Cowen Kimberly-Clark rating

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.