Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Grows Holdings in Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) by 28.7% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 519,663 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 115,933 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in Kimberly-Clark were worth $50,132,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of KMB. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Kimberly-Clark in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. CrossGen Wealth LLC bought a new position in Kimberly-Clark in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Kimberly-Clark in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in Kimberly-Clark by 96.6% in the 4th quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 285 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. 76.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kimberly-Clark Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of Kimberly-Clark stock opened at $109.91 on Tuesday. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a twelve month low of $92.42 and a twelve month high of $137.46. 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 business has a 50-day moving average price of $99.58 and a 200-day moving average price of $100.84. The firm has a market cap of $36.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.25, a PEG ratio of 4.90 and a beta of 0.28.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) last posted its 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. Kimberly-Clark had a return on equity of 152.79% and a net margin of 12.80%.The company had revenue of $4.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.93 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kimberly-Clark Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th will be issued a dividend of $1.28 per share. This represents a $5.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 5th. Kimberly-Clark’s dividend payout ratio is 80.38%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on KMB. Zacks Research downgraded Kimberly-Clark from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. UBS Group lifted their target price on Kimberly-Clark from $105.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Barclays lowered their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $105.00 to $99.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $110.00 to $100.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $115.43.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Katy Chen sold 1,596 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.34, for a total value of $152,162.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,362 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $797,233.08. This trade represents a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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 business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.00, for a total transaction of $401,310.00. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 7,096 shares of company stock valued at $689,687 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.75% 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.