Kimberly-Clark Stock: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?

Core Insights - Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB) has a market capitalization of $34.2 billion and is a leader in personal care and tissue products, with brands like Huggies, Kotex, Kleenex, Scott, and Depend [1] Stock Performance - KMB shares have underperformed the broader market, decreasing 22.7% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 Index gained 14.1% [2] - Year-to-date, KMB shares are down 21.4%, compared to a 16.4% rise in the S&P 500 [2] - The company's stock has also lagged behind the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund, which saw a 3.9% dip over the same period [3] Recent Financial Performance - On October 30, KMB reported Q3 2025 net sales of $4.15 billion and adjusted EPS of $1.82, exceeding expectations [4] - Overall volumes grew by 2.4%, and organic sales in North America rose by 2.7%, indicating resilient demand for household staples despite pricing pressures [4] - Investor sentiment improved due to confidence in KMB's cost-control and product-mix strategies, which helped mitigate tariff-related margin declines [4] Earnings Outlook - For the fiscal year ending December 2025, analysts expect KMB's adjusted EPS to decline by 15.5% year-over-year to $6.17 [5] - KMB has a positive earnings surprise history, having beaten or met consensus estimates in the last four quarters [5] - Among 18 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a "Hold," with three "Strong Buy," one "Moderate Buy," 13 "Holds," and one "Strong Sell" [5] Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - Morgan Stanley recently cut its price target on KMB to $125 while maintaining an "Equal Weight" rating [6] - The mean price target of $126.75 suggests a 23% premium to KMB's current price levels [6] - The highest price target of $162 indicates a potential upside of 57.2% [6]