Levin Capital Strategies L.P. Has $33.27 Million Stock Position in Kimberly-Clark Corporation $KMB

Levin Capital Strategies L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NASDAQ:KMB) by 502.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 344,908 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 287,660 shares during the period. Kimberly-Clark makes up approximately 2.5% of Levin Capital Strategies L.P.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Levin Capital Strategies L.P. owned 0.10% of Kimberly-Clark worth $33,273,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of KMB. Ally Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Kimberly-Clark during the 4th quarter valued at $1,009,000. Westpac Banking Corp lifted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 10,811 shares during the period. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas lifted its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 29.6% in the fourth quarter. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas now owns 61,795 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,234,000 after buying an additional 14,115 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in Kimberly-Clark by 50.4% during the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,839,572 shares of the company’s stock valued at $790,934,000 after buying an additional 2,628,206 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in Kimberly-Clark during the fourth quarter worth about $1,047,000. 76.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Kimberly-Clark Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of KMB opened at $108.88 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $103.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $101.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.09, a P/E/G ratio of 4.81 and a beta of 0.26. Kimberly-Clark Corporation has a 1-year low of $92.42 and a 1-year high of $137.46.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $1.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.93 by $0.04. Kimberly-Clark had a net margin of 12.80% and a return on equity of 152.79%. The company had revenue of $4.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.93 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Kimberly-Clark Corporation will post 7.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Kimberly-Clark Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $5.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 5th. Kimberly-Clark’s payout ratio is presently 80.38%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $101.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $106.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Bank of America cut their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $117.93.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kimberly-Clark

In other news, VP Andrew Scribner sold 4,095 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.00, for a total value of $401,310.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Katy Chen sold 1,596 shares of Kimberly-Clark stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the insider owned 8,362 shares in the company, valued at $797,233.08. This represents a 16.03% decrease in their position. 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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 7,096 shares of company stock worth $689,687. Company insiders own 0.75% of the company’s stock.

Kimberly-Clark 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.