Andrew Scribner Sells 3,049 Shares of Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) Stock

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) VP Andrew Scribner sold 3,049 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.29, for a total value of $317,980.21. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:KMB traded up $1.05 during trading on Thursday, hitting $104.26. 7,456,724 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,997,204. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.97. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $101.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $114.74. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 52-week low of $96.26 and a 52-week high of $150.45. The company has a market cap of $34.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.18, a P/E/G ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.26.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 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 in the prior year, the firm posted $1.50 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.5 EPS for the current year.

Kimberly-Clark Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $1.28 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This is an increase from Kimberly-Clark’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.26. This represents a $5.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.9%. Kimberly-Clark’s dividend payout ratio is 83.03%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on KMB shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $162.00 price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $107.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Argus upgraded Kimberly-Clark from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Evercore ISI reissued an “in-line” rating and set a $120.00 target price (down previously from $150.00) on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $127.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned 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 stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $118.58.

Institutional Trading of Kimberly-Clark

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KMB. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 186.9% in the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 43,492 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,408,000 after acquiring an additional 28,335 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,439,692 shares of the company’s stock valued at $301,448,000 after purchasing an additional 58,978 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Kimberly-Clark by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 591,145 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,234,000 after purchasing an additional 19,298 shares during the period. Synergy Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC now owns 38,260 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,932,000 after buying an additional 19,130 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hudson Bay Capital Management LP raised its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 5,751.6% during the 2nd quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP now owns 94,211 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,146,000 after buying an additional 92,601 shares in the last quarter. 76.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.