Ascentis Independent Advisors Has $1.16 Million Stock Holdings in Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB

Ascentis Independent Advisors increased its position in Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) by 164.0% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 12,063 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,493 shares during the period. Ascentis Independent Advisors’ holdings in Kimberly-Clark were worth $1,164,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KMB. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kimberly-Clark in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. CrossGen Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Kimberly-Clark in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 96.6% in the fourth quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 285 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. 76.29% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Kimberly-Clark Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:KMB opened at $114.74 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $38.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.01, a PEG ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 0.26. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 12 month low of $92.42 and a 12 month high of $137.46. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $101.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $101.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.38.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $1.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.93 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $4.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.09 billion. Kimberly-Clark had a return on equity of 152.79% and a net margin of 12.80%.Kimberly-Clark’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.93 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kimberly-Clark Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 5th were given a dividend of $1.28 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 5th. This represents a $5.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.5%. Kimberly-Clark’s dividend payout ratio is 80.38%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on KMB shares. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $105.00 to $99.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $110.00 to $109.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on Kimberly-Clark from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Kimberly-Clark from $105.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $115.43.

Insider Activity at Kimberly-Clark

In related news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 4,095 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.00, for a total transaction of $401,310.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Katy Chen sold 1,596 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.34, for a total value of $152,162.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 8,362 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $797,233.08. This represents a 16.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 7,096 shares of company stock valued at $689,687 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.75% of the company’s stock.

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.