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

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

KMB has been the subject of a number of other reports. Citigroup cut their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Barclays set a $102.00 target price on Kimberly-Clark in a research note on Friday, January 16th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $112.00 to $105.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Argus upgraded shares of Kimberly-Clark from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “in-line” rating and set a $120.00 target price (down from $150.00) on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Kimberly-Clark currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $119.00.

Kimberly-Clark Price Performance

NASDAQ KMB opened at $104.73 on Tuesday. 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 market cap of $34.76 billion, a PE ratio of 17.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.24. Kimberly-Clark has a 52 week low of $96.26 and a 52 week high of $150.45. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $103.26 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $111.61.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) last posted its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $4.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.11 billion. Kimberly-Clark had a net margin of 11.73% and a return on equity of 170.48%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.50 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Kimberly-Clark will post 7.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 3,049 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.29, for a total value of $317,980.21. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.64% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kimberly-Clark

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KMB. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Kimberly-Clark by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 40,846,734 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,121,027,000 after buying an additional 315,981 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 21,125,118 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,157,746,000 after acquiring an additional 294,228 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,917,154 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,202,322,000 after purchasing an additional 299,382 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,322,198 shares of the company’s stock valued at $836,216,000 after purchasing an additional 65,619 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its position 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 during the period. 76.29% of the stock is currently 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.