Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB Shares Sold by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Handelsbanken Fonder AB cut its holdings in Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) by 3.6% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 179,906 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,718 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Kimberly-Clark were worth $22,370,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in KMB. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Kimberly-Clark during the third quarter worth $25,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 177.6% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 211 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Winnow Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Kimberly-Clark in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 105.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 247 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.29% of the company’s stock.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Performance

NASDAQ:KMB opened at $111.44 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $102.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $112.18. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 1-year low of $96.26 and a 1-year high of $150.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.97, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.36, a PEG ratio of 4.01 and a beta of 0.26.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.81 by $0.05. Kimberly-Clark had a net margin of 11.73% and a return on equity of 170.48%. The business had revenue of $4.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.11 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.50 EPS. The business’s revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.5 EPS for the current year.

Kimberly-Clark Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $1.28 dividend. This is a boost 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.6%. Kimberly-Clark’s dividend payout ratio is currently 83.03%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KMB has been the topic of several research reports. Argus upgraded Kimberly-Clark from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Citigroup decreased their price target 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. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $144.00 to $125.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $110.00 target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $119.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kimberly-Clark

In other news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 3,049 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.29, for a total transaction of $317,980.21. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.64% 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.