Salem Investment Counselors Inc. Trims Stock Position in Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB

Salem Investment Counselors Inc. cut its holdings in Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) by 47.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 35,568 shares of the company’s stock after selling 32,441 shares during the quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc.’s holdings in Kimberly-Clark were worth $3,662,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of KMB. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Kimberly-Clark during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 177.6% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 211 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its position in Kimberly-Clark by 105.8% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 247 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Finally, West Oak Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 69.7% in the third quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 280 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. 76.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Kimberly-Clark

In related news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 3,049 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.29, for a total transaction of $317,980.21. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.64% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently issued reports on KMB shares. Zacks Research downgraded Kimberly-Clark from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Barclays set a $102.00 target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Friday, January 16th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $107.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $116.42.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Performance

Kimberly-Clark stock opened at $99.45 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $103.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $108.72. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 52 week low of $96.26 and a 52 week high of $147.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.38, a PEG ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.97.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.81 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $4.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.11 billion. Kimberly-Clark had a return on equity of 170.48% and a net margin of 11.73%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.50 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Kimberly-Clark Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be given a $1.28 dividend. This is a boost from Kimberly-Clark’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.26. This represents a $5.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. Kimberly-Clark’s dividend payout ratio is 84.35%.

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.