Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) Cut to Hold at Zacks Research

Zacks Research cut shares of Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts have also commented on KMB. Morgan Stanley decreased 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 report on Tuesday, November 4th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $110.00 price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Citigroup cut their price objective on Kimberly-Clark from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Kimberly-Clark from $112.00 to $105.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $110.00 target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $119.00.

Kimberly-Clark Trading Up 0.2%

KMB opened at $104.91 on Tuesday. Kimberly-Clark has a one year low of $96.26 and a one 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 business has a 50 day simple moving average of $103.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $111.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.28, a PEG ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.24.

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

Kimberly-Clark Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Kimberly-Clark

In related news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 3,049 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.64% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kimberly-Clark

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KMB. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Kimberly-Clark in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Kimberly-Clark in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 177.6% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 211 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Winnow Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 76.29% of the stock is 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.