Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in Kimberly-Clark Co. (NYSE:KMB)

Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. decreased its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark Co. (NYSE:KMB) by 44.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 932 shares of the company’s stock after selling 735 shares during the quarter. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Kimberly-Clark were worth $113,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 204.0% in the fourth quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 20,575 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,500,000 after purchasing an additional 13,806 shares during the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 11.2% in the third quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 2,082 shares of the company’s stock worth $252,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares during the last quarter. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA purchased a new stake in Kimberly-Clark in the fourth quarter worth approximately $4,253,000. Rockline Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kimberly-Clark in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,661,000. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 28.3% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,671,948 shares of the company’s stock worth $202,740,000 after purchasing an additional 368,505 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.29% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Mark T. Smucker purchased 827 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 29th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $120.98 per share, with a total value of $100,050.46. Following the purchase, the director now owns 827 shares in the company, valued at $100,050.46. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, insider Tristram Wilkinson sold 3,720 shares of Kimberly-Clark stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.00, for a total transaction of $450,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 17,229 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,084,709. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Mark T. Smucker acquired 827 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 29th. The shares were bought at an average price of $120.98 per share, with a total value of $100,050.46. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 827 shares in the company, valued at $100,050.46. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.62% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $125.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research report on Friday, March 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $135.00 price target on the stock. Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $145.00 to $152.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kimberly-Clark from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. Finally, HSBC increased their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $134.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $131.85.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE KMB opened at $126.83 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.94, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.82. The company has a market cap of $42.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.39, a P/E/G ratio of 3.74 and a beta of 0.40. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $124.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $122.33. Kimberly-Clark Co. has a 52-week low of $116.32 and a 52-week high of $147.87.

Kimberly-Clark (NYSE:KMB) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 24th. The company reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by ($0.02). Kimberly-Clark had a return on equity of 260.47% and a net margin of 8.63%. The business had revenue of $5 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.54 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Kimberly-Clark Co. will post 6.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kimberly-Clark Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, March 8th were paid a dividend of $1.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. This is a boost from Kimberly-Clark’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.18. This represents a $4.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.85%. Kimberly-Clark’s payout ratio is currently 93.85%.

Kimberly-Clark Profile

Kimberly-Clark Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets personal care and consumer tissue products in the United States. It operates through three segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, and K-C Professional. The company's Personal Care segment offers disposable diapers, training and youth pants, swimpants, baby wipes, feminine and incontinence care products, reusable underwear, and other related products under the Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, DryNites, Sweety, Kotex, U by Kotex, Intimus, Thinx, Poise, Depend, Plenitud, Softex, and other brand names.