SFE Investment Counsel Takes $5.28 Million Position in Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB

SFE Investment Counsel bought a new position in shares of Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 48,065 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,276,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KMB. Ally Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,009,000. Westpac Banking Corp increased its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 25.0% in the fourth quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 54,135 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,462,000 after buying 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 valued at $6,234,000 after acquiring an additional 14,115 shares during the period. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,047,000. Finally, Vaughan David Investments LLC IL grew its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 6.4% in the 4th quarter. Vaughan David Investments LLC IL now owns 299,642 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,231,000 after acquiring an additional 17,955 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KMB has been the subject of several research reports. Freedom Capital raised Kimberly-Clark from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $96.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Seaport Research Partners upgraded shares of Kimberly-Clark to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $101.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $117.93.

Kimberly-Clark Trading Down 0.3%

Kimberly-Clark stock opened at $110.39 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $36.71 billion, a PE ratio of 18.77, a P/E/G ratio of 5.25 and a beta of 0.26. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $108.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $103.13. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 52 week low of $92.42 and a 52 week high of $136.17. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.45.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $1.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.21). Kimberly-Clark had a net margin of 11.79% and a return on equity of 143.92%. The firm had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.22 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.92 earnings per share. Kimberly-Clark’s revenue for the quarter was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Kimberly-Clark Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 2nd. Investors 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.6%. Kimberly-Clark’s dividend payout ratio is presently 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.