Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) Upgraded by Freedom Capital to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) was upgraded by research analysts at Freedom Capital from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on KMB. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $101.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Kimberly-Clark from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Seaport Research Partners raised shares of Kimberly-Clark to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America decreased their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $115.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $117.93.

Kimberly-Clark Price Performance

NASDAQ KMB opened at $112.37 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.45, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.91. The company has a market cap of $37.30 billion, a PE ratio of 19.11, a P/E/G ratio of 5.02 and a beta of 0.26. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $106.43 and its 200-day moving average price is $102.73. Kimberly-Clark has a 52-week low of $92.42 and a 52-week high of $137.46.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $1.80 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by ($0.21). The business had revenue of $4.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.22 billion. Kimberly-Clark had a return on equity of 143.92% and a net margin of 11.79%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.92 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Kimberly-Clark will post 7.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 26,997.7% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,368,407 shares of the company’s stock valued at $743,399,000 after purchasing an additional 7,341,215 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Kimberly-Clark during the fourth quarter worth about $521,184,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 50.4% in the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,839,572 shares of the company’s stock valued at $790,934,000 after buying an additional 2,628,206 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 29.1% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,661,899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $642,673,000 after buying an additional 1,503,018 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV lifted its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 459.9% during the 1st quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,695,768 shares of the company’s stock valued at $163,591,000 after acquiring an additional 1,392,873 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.29% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Kimberly-Clark

Here are the key news stories impacting Kimberly-Clark this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter adjusted operating profit rose 6.2% year over year, supported by productivity savings, volume-plus-mix gains and gross-margin expansion. Adjusted EPS was $1.80, although results remained below analysts’ expectations. Kimberly-Clark second-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Kimberly-Clark declared a quarterly dividend of $1.28 per share, reinforcing its income appeal with an indicated annualized yield of approximately 4.6%. Kimberly-Clark dividend announcement
• Positive Sentiment: A plant-based fiber initiative could eventually reduce reliance on traditional wood fibers in paper towels, offering potential long-term manufacturing and sustainability benefits. Kimberly-Clark plant-based fiber initiative
• Neutral Sentiment: Management said the pending Kenvue acquisition remains on track to close by year-end, but investors will continue to assess the transaction’s execution risks and effect on leverage. Kimberly-Clark 2026 second-quarter presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue of roughly $4.19 billion increased only 0.6% year over year and missed the $4.22 billion consensus estimate. Reported profit also declined, while adjusted EPS of $1.80 fell short of the $2.01 analyst consensus cited in the company coverage. Kimberly-Clark second-quarter sales report
• Negative Sentiment: Kimberly-Clark lowered its 2026 sales and profit outlook, saying organic sales growth should trail weighted-average category growth by about 100 basis points. False social-media allegations regarding Huggies diaper quality significantly disrupted China sales and remain the main near-term overhang. Reuters report on Kimberly-Clark guidance
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen analyst Robert Moskow maintained a Hold rating despite raising his price target to $104, citing near-term volatility and operational challenges. TD Cowen Kimberly-Clark rating

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.