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

Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on KMB. Seaport Research Partners upgraded Kimberly-Clark to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $101.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Weiss Ratings upgraded Kimberly-Clark from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Kimberly-Clark from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price objective 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. One investment 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 given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $117.93.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Performance

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. Kimberly-Clark has a 52-week low of $92.42 and a 52-week high of $137.46. The firm has a market cap of $37.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.02 and a beta of 0.26. The business’s fifty day moving average is $106.43 and its 200-day moving average is $102.73.

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

Kimberly-Clark Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, September 4th will be issued a dividend of $1.28 per share. This represents a $5.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 4th. Kimberly-Clark’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 87.07%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kimberly-Clark

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ally Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,009,000. Westpac Banking Corp boosted its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 25.0% in the fourth quarter. Westpac Banking Corp now owns 54,135 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,462,000 after acquiring an additional 10,811 shares in the last quarter. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas increased its position in Kimberly-Clark by 29.6% during the 4th quarter. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas now owns 61,795 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,234,000 after purchasing an additional 14,115 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 50.4% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,839,572 shares of the company’s stock worth $790,934,000 after purchasing an additional 2,628,206 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark in the 4th quarter worth about $1,047,000. 76.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.