Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The second quarter was one of the strongest in recent history, with solid organic sales growth driven by the strongest volume quarter in the last five years [4] - The company gained weighted share and made significant share gains in several key categories in its largest markets [5] - Organic sales growth was primarily driven by innovation, with 85% of organic sales attributed to new product introductions [17] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America exhibited durable growth, with branded consumption up 4.5% in the second quarter [33] - The Professional Business performed better than expected, contributing positively to overall performance [22] - The company experienced a 100 basis point increase in shipments in North America consumer, driven by retailer inventory shifts and innovation [25] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - In international markets, frequency declines were noted, particularly in informal economies like Latin America, but demand remained stable in larger developed markets [16] - The weighted average category growth in North America and international personal care was around 2% [30] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on delivering exceptional brand propositions across the value spectrum, meeting consumers' needs effectively [5] - A joint venture with Suzano is expected to unlock the full potential of international Family Care and Professional, allowing the company to focus on higher growth, higher margin businesses [7] - The company aims to enhance its capability to provide better care for a better world and create value for shareholders [8] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that purchasing power is under pressure for consumers, but demand for essential products remains resilient [13] - The company expects continued strong performance in the second half of the year, driven by a robust pipeline of innovations [18] - Management emphasized the importance of maintaining pricing net of commodity costs while focusing on volume and mix growth [40] Other Important Information - The company is targeting a gross productivity range of 5% to 6%, with 5.8% achieved in the second quarter [51] - Adjusted earnings per share are expected to benefit from favorable currency impacts and paused depreciation on discontinued operations [54] Q&A Session Summary Question: What drove the strong quarter and outlook for the second half? - Management highlighted that the strong performance was driven by great value propositions across all tiers and significant innovation, with 85% of organic sales growth attributed to new products [17][18] Question: Can you elaborate on North America's strong performance? - North America saw a 4.5% increase in consumption, with strong innovation and marketing execution driving the results [33][32] Question: What is the pricing outlook given the competitive environment? - Management stated that they are focused on maintaining pricing net of commodity costs and are not using pricing as a growth driver due to fixed consumption dynamics [40][42] Question: How does the joint venture with Suzano impact long-term growth? - The joint venture is expected to improve the company's ability to deliver consistent top-tier growth and enhance margins over time [69][72]

Financial Performance - Organic sales growth for Q2 2025 was 3.9% [43], driven by strong volume growth in North America and International Personal Care [16] - Adjusted operating profit growth for Q2 2025 decreased by 2.2% [43] - Adjusted EPS growth attributable to Kimberly-Clark for Q2 2025 decreased by 2.0% [43] - Adjusted free cash flow year-to-date is $829 million [43] - The company is targeting 5-6% gross productivity savings in 2025 [34] Business Strategy and Initiatives - The company announced a $2 billion investment in North America to support growth and unlock efficiencies [10, 16] - A joint venture with Suzano was announced to create a preeminent international tissue and professional products company [12, 16, 38] - The company streamlined product platforms from 30 to 11 to drive simplicity and improve quality [36, 37] Segment Performance - North America experienced organic growth of 4.5% in Q2 2025 [45], driven by 5% volume growth [47] - International Personal Care saw organic growth of 6.0% in Q2 2025 [48], with focus markets growing volume by 8% [50] 2025 Outlook - The company anticipates low-to-mid single-digit organic sales growth ahead of market growth in constant currency [51] - Adjusted free cash flow for 2025 is expected to be approximately $2 billion, including $1.0-$1.2 billion in capital expenditures [51]

Kimberly-Clark raised its full-year guidance after reporting the strongest volume growth in five years https://t.co/Re0DVi6BpU ...

Exhibit 99.1 Kimberly-Clark Announces Second Quarter 2025 Results, Raises 2025 Outlook Strong results driven by innovation-led volume growth, excellent commercial execution, and effective cost management in dynamic operating environment Full year outlook reflects solid performance in second year of Powering Care transformation DALLAS, August 1, 2025 - Kimberly-Clark Corporation (Nasdaq: KMB) today reported second quarter 2025 results driven by resilient consumer demand, the introduction of pioneering innova ...

Core Insights - Kimberly-Clark Corporation reported strong second quarter results driven by innovation-led volume growth, effective cost management, and resilient consumer demand [1][2][4] - The company is executing its "Powering Care" transformation strategy, which has led to one of the strongest quarters in recent history [2][3] Financial Performance - Net sales for Q2 2025 were $4.2 billion, a decrease of 1.6% from the previous year, impacted by divestitures and foreign currency translation [4][10] - Organic sales increased by 3.9%, primarily due to a 5.0% volume-led growth, partially offset by a 1.2% investment in pricing [4][10] - Gross margin was reported at 35.0%, with an adjusted gross margin of 36.9%, down 180 basis points year-over-year due to pricing pressures and cost inflation [5][10] - Operating profit for Q2 was $592 million, up from $539 million in the prior year, with adjusted operating profit at $713 million, a decline of 2.2% [6][10] Year-to-Date Results - For the first half of 2025, sales totaled $8.2 billion, down 4.0% compared to the same period last year, with organic sales growth of 1.2% [11][12] - Year-to-date gross margin was 36.1%, with an adjusted gross margin of 37.7%, reflecting a decline of 120 basis points year-over-year [12] - Year-to-date operating profit was $1.2 billion, including $196 million in transformation initiative costs, with adjusted operating profit at $1.4 billion, down 4.7% from 2024 [13] Business Segment Performance - North America net sales decreased by 1.9% to $2.7 billion, while organic sales grew by 4.3% driven by strong volume growth [19][20] - International Personal Care (IPC) net sales increased by 0.4% to $1.4 billion, with organic sales growth of 3.3% [21][22] Cash Flow and Balance Sheet - Year-to-date cash provided by operations was $1.1 billion, down from $1.5 billion last year, with capital spending at $401 million [23] - The company returned $944 million to shareholders through dividends and stock repurchases, with total debt at $7.2 billion as of June 30, 2025 [23] 2025 Outlook - The company adjusted its full-year outlook, expecting organic sales growth to outpace the average growth in its categories, which are currently at approximately 2% [24][25] - Adjusted operating profit is anticipated to grow at a low-to-mid single-digit rate on a constant-currency basis, with a negative impact from divestitures and currency translation [26][27] - Adjusted earnings per share are expected to grow at a low-to-mid single-digit rate, factoring in various impacts including higher net interest expense and a higher effective tax rate [27]

Group 1 - In the first half of 2025, the Nasdaq exchange welcomed 142 IPOs, raising a total of $19.2 billion, marking the highest number of listings and fundraising since 2021 [1] - Among the new listings, 83 were operating companies, while 59 were SPACs (Special Purpose Acquisition Companies) [1] - Additionally, 11 companies transferred from the NYSE to Nasdaq during the same period, with a total valuation of $271 billion, including notable firms like Shopify and Kimberly-Clark [1] Group 2 - The months of April and May saw the highest activity for new listings, with a total of 60 new stocks launched [3] - China accounted for the largest number of foreign companies listed, representing 32% of the total [3] - The Nasdaq's "IPO Pulse Index" has been rising, indicating improved market returns and valuations, which are expected to correlate with continued IPO activity in the second half of the year [3]

Group 1 - Kimberly-Clark will release its second quarter 2025 results on August 1, 2025, at approximately 6:30 a.m. EDT [1] - A live Q&A session with analysts will follow the earnings release, starting at 8:00 a.m. EDT [1] - The earnings release and supplemental materials will be accessible through Kimberly-Clark's Investor Relations website, along with a replay of the webcast [2] Group 2 - Kimberly-Clark operates in over 175 countries and territories, providing essential products under trusted brands [3] - The company's portfolio includes well-known brands such as Huggies, Kleenex, and Scott, which hold No. 1 or No. 2 market share positions in approximately 70 countries [3] - Kimberly-Clark has been recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies® for seven consecutive years and was listed among Fortune's Most Innovative Companies in America in 2024 [3]

Core Viewpoint - Investors in the Consumer Products - Staples sector should consider Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (GO) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB) for potential value investment opportunities [1] Group 1: Company Rankings and Performance - Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook, while Kimberly-Clark has a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) [3] - The Zacks Rank system emphasizes companies with positive earnings estimate revisions, suggesting that GO is likely experiencing a more favorable earnings outlook compared to KMB [3] Group 2: Valuation Metrics - GO has a forward P/E ratio of 17.91, while KMB has a forward P/E of 18.58, indicating that GO may be more attractively priced relative to its earnings [5] - The PEG ratio for GO is 3.35, compared to KMB's PEG ratio of 4.47, suggesting that GO's valuation is more favorable when considering expected earnings growth [5] - GO's P/B ratio is 1.1, significantly lower than KMB's P/B of 35.69, further supporting GO's position as a better value option [6] - Based on these valuation metrics, GO has a Value grade of A, while KMB has a Value grade of C, reinforcing the conclusion that GO is the superior value investment at this time [6]

Core Viewpoint - Investing in high-yielding stocks can be attractive for income investors, but it is essential to consider the stability and growth potential of the companies behind these dividends [1][2]. Group 1: Verizon Communications - Verizon offers a dividend yield of 6.3%, significantly higher than the S&P 500 average of 1.2% [4]. - The company reported sales of $134.8 billion in 2024, showing minimal growth from $133.6 billion in 2021 [4]. - Verizon has a profit margin exceeding 13% and trades at 10 times its trailing earnings, making it a solid income investment [5]. - The company has increased its dividend for 18 consecutive years, with a sustainable payout ratio of 64% [5][6]. Group 2: Duke Energy - Duke Energy provides a dividend yield of 3.5% and operates in essential utility services, offering stability [7]. - The company generated $30.9 billion in revenue and $4.7 billion in earnings over the past 12 months, resulting in a profit margin of 15% [8]. - Duke has paid dividends for 99 straight years, with a 31% increase in its quarterly per-share dividend over the past decade [9]. - The payout ratio of 69% indicates potential for future dividend increases, making it a strong long-term investment [9]. Group 3: Kimberly-Clark - Kimberly-Clark, known for brands like Huggies and Kleenex, has maintained sales around $20 billion for the past three years with profit margins typically around 10% [10][11]. - The company has raised its dividend for 53 consecutive years, earning the title of Dividend King, indicating a commitment to growing its payouts [12]. - With a dividend yield of 3.9% and a payout ratio of approximately 67%, Kimberly-Clark is positioned as a low-volatility stock suitable for long-term investment [12][13].

Group 1 - Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (GO) has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook, while Kimberly-Clark (KMB) has a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) [3] - The Zacks Rank system favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revisions, which is a key consideration for value investors [2][3] - Value investors analyze various traditional metrics to assess whether a company is undervalued, including P/E ratio, P/S ratio, earnings yield, and cash flow per share [4] Group 2 - GO has a forward P/E ratio of 17.47, while KMB has a forward P/E of 18.20, suggesting GO may be more attractively priced [5] - The PEG ratio for GO is 3.53, compared to KMB's PEG ratio of 4.37, indicating GO has a better earnings growth outlook relative to its valuation [5] - GO's P/B ratio is 1.07, significantly lower than KMB's P/B of 34.95, further supporting GO as the superior value option [6]