Core Viewpoint - Kenvue Inc. is being acquired by Kimberly-Clark Corp. for $48.7 billion, marking a swift end to its time as a stand-alone public company after being spun out from Johnson & Johnson in 2023 [3][2]. Company Overview - Kenvue's brand portfolio includes well-known names such as Neutrogena, Aveeno, OGX, and Tylenol [2]. - The company initiated a strategic review to unlock shareholder value and assess its portfolio following the departure of its CEO [2]. Acquisition Details - The acquisition by Kimberly-Clark is expected to close in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals [3]. - Kimberly-Clark's CEO expressed excitement about creating a global health and wellness leader through this merger, emphasizing Kenvue's unique position at the intersection of consumer packaged goods (CPG) and healthcare [4]. Market Reaction - Following the announcement, Kenvue's shares rose by 14%, while Kimberly-Clark's shares fell by 13.9% [4]. Strategic Implications - Analysts suggest that Kimberly-Clark is betting on the resolution of the Tylenol controversy and aims to manage a more diverse portfolio of brands, including ten billion-dollar brands [5]. - The Tylenol controversy involves legal scrutiny regarding claims that acetaminophen may lead to autism when taken during pregnancy, which has raised concerns about Kenvue's marketing practices [6]. Company Response - Kenvue has expressed concern over misinformation regarding acetaminophen safety and has conducted thorough reviews of the acquisition, consulting with experts to ensure it represents a generational value creation opportunity [7].

This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. For CPG marketers, accurately measuring the return on investment (ROI) of promotions remains a struggle, especially for the in-store purchases that still make up about 80% of sales, despite the growth of e-commerce. Ibotta today (Nov. 3) has launched a new tool that seeks to solve this problem, per details shared with Marketing Dive. LiveLift is an in-flight ca ...

Core Insights - Women We Admire has announced The Top 50 Women Leaders of New Jersey for 2025, highlighting the state's significant influence despite its small size, particularly in fields like pharmaceuticals, logistics, and finance [1] - The honorees exemplify a blend of technical expertise, commercial ambition, and community leadership, reflecting New Jersey's diverse economic landscape [1] Individual Achievements - Rume Joy Azikiwe-Oyeyemi, Chief Human Resources Officer at City Year, is recognized for her commitment to creating positive organizational changes and enhancing workplace culture [2] - Ayesha Simons, Senior Director at Colgate-Palmolive, leads initiatives for diverse-owned businesses and manages global projects crucial for the company's growth strategies [3] - Heather McBride Leef, Managing Director at Deloitte, has over 25 years of experience in driving strategic initiatives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion [4] Celebration of Leadership - The announcement serves as a celebration of the accomplishments of influential women leaders in New Jersey, aiming to inspire others [5] - A comprehensive list of honorees includes leaders from various sectors, showcasing a wide range of expertise and contributions [6]

Core Insights - Jim Cramer highlights upcoming earnings reports from key companies including Palantir, McDonald's, Robinhood, and Warner Bros Discovery, expressing an optimistic outlook for November despite concerns over consumer-oriented companies due to a government shutdown [1][2] Company Earnings Outlook - Palantir is expected to perform well, with Cramer praising its management and maintaining a long-term positive view, despite potential profit-taking after the quarter [3] - Clorox is described as a conundrum, with its stock down over 30% year-to-date, which is unusual for consumer packaged goods during economic uncertainty [3] - Pfizer's earnings are anticipated to be pivotal, with Cramer questioning whether it will break out of its recent dull performance [4] - Shopify and Uber are viewed as reliable winners, with optimism surrounding their upcoming results [4] - McDonald's is seen as a barometer for consumer health, while Robinhood is expected to report strong earnings due to its success in attracting investors [5] - Warner Bros Discovery's earnings will be closely watched for signs of potential takeover preparations [5] Investor Sentiment - Berkshire Hathaway's earnings report is expected to prompt profit-taking as CEO Warren Buffet transitions from his long-held position [2] - Cramer expresses a positive sentiment towards AMD as a strong competitor to Nvidia and praises Axon for its innovative products [4] - Bank of America is expected to provide a positive narrative about the economy during its investor day [5] - Cramer suggests buying Constellation Energy while advising against investing in Wendy's [5]

Group 1 - Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is highlighted as a top investment opportunity, particularly due to its strong performance in a challenging market environment [1] - The company reported a robust quarter, with CFO Andre Schulten providing insights into its resilient performance during the earnings call [1] - Procter & Gamble is recognized as a leading consumer packaged goods company, producing a wide range of branded products including personal care, health care, grooming, home care, and baby and family products [2] Group 2 - There is a comparison made between Procter & Gamble and certain AI stocks, suggesting that while PG is a solid investment, some AI stocks may offer greater upside potential and less downside risk [3]

Core Insights - Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (CHD) has a market cap of $21.1 billion and is recognized for its strong brand portfolio, including ARM & HAMMER, Trojan, and OxiClean, emphasizing innovation and quality [1] - The company is expected to report an adjusted EPS of $0.73 for fiscal Q3 2025, reflecting a 7.6% decrease from $0.79 in the same quarter last year, although it has a history of exceeding Wall Street estimates [2] - For fiscal 2025, analysts forecast an adjusted EPS of $3.46, slightly up from $3.44 in fiscal 2024, with a projected growth of 7.5% year-over-year to $3.72 in fiscal 2026 [3] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, Church & Dwight shares have declined by 16.3%, underperforming the S&P 500 Index's gain of 16.9% and the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund's decline of 3.2% [4] - The stock saw a marginal recovery on August 1 after reporting stronger-than-expected Q2 2025 results, with an adjusted EPS of $0.94 and revenues of $1.51 billion, driven by international sales and e-commerce, which constituted 23% of consumer sales [5] Analyst Ratings - The consensus rating for CHD stock is "Moderate Buy," with 22 analysts covering the stock: nine recommend "Strong Buy," one "Moderate Buy," eight "Hold," and four "Strong Sell." The average price target is $98.44, indicating a potential upside of 14.6% from current levels [6]

Core Insights - Procter & Gamble Company (PG) reported strong first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with sales and earnings per share (EPS) exceeding estimates and showing year-over-year improvement [1][2] - The company's core EPS increased by 3% to $1.99, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.90 [1][7] - Net sales reached $22.4 billion, reflecting a 3% year-over-year growth and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $22.2 billion [2][7] Sales Performance - Organic sales rose by 2% year over year, driven by a 1% increase from pricing and a favorable product mix, while organic volume had a neutral impact [2][4] - Sales growth was led by a 6% increase in the Beauty segment, 5% in Grooming, 2% in Health Care, and 1% each in Baby, Feminine & Family Care and Fabric & Home Care [4][7] Margin Analysis - The core gross margin declined by 50 basis points to 51.5%, while the reported gross margin fell by 70 basis points [7][8] - Core selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) as a percentage of sales decreased by 40 basis points to 24.9% [9] - The core operating margin remained flat at 26.7%, with a currency-neutral increase of 40 basis points to 27.1% [10] Financial Position - Procter & Gamble ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $11.2 billion and long-term debt of $24.3 billion [12] - The company generated an operating cash flow of $5.4 billion and an adjusted free cash flow of $4.9 billion, achieving a productivity rate of 102% [12][13] Shareholder Returns - In the first quarter, Procter & Gamble returned $3.8 billion to shareholders, including $2.55 billion in dividends and $1.25 billion in share buybacks [13] Fiscal 2026 Guidance - The company anticipates all-in sales growth of 1-5% for fiscal 2026, with organic sales expected to be flat to up 4% [14][15] - Core EPS is projected to grow by 3-9% compared to fiscal 2025, with a core EPS range of $6.83-$7.09 [15] - Procter & Gamble expects capital expenditure to be 4-5% of net sales and plans to pay out $10 billion in dividends and repurchase $5 billion in shares during fiscal 2026 [17]

Core Insights - Unilever reported a 4% underlying sales growth in the third quarter of 2025, with volume growth accelerating to 1.7% excluding Ice Cream, despite challenging market conditions [3] - The growth was broad-based across all business groups, each achieving underlying sales growth above 3% [3] - The performance aligns with Unilever's full-year outlook, showcasing strong innovation, improved execution, and a strategic shift towards premium segments and fast-growing channels [4] Business Performance - Major growth engines, specifically Beauty & Wellbeing and Personal Care, delivered particularly strong performances [4] - The company continues to focus on its power brands, which are integral to its growth strategy [4] Leadership Update - Srini Phatak has been confirmed as the Chief Financial Officer, bringing extensive experience and expertise to the company [2]

Core Insights - Unilever has not experienced a significant impact on consumer sentiment from the government shutdown in the U.S. market [1] Company Summary - The CEO of Unilever stated that the company remains unaffected by the current government shutdown in terms of consumer sentiment [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Unilever reported underlying sales growth of 3.9% in Q3 2025, with underlying price growth at 2.4% and volume contributing 1.5% [5][18] - Turnover for Q3 was €14.7 billion, down 3.5% year-on-year, primarily due to a negative currency impact of 6.1% [17][18] - The company expects an adverse currency impact on full-year turnover of around 6% and a 30 basis points impact on the underlying operating margin [18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Beauty and Wellbeing and Personal Care were major growth engines, with underlying sales growth of 5.1% and 4.1% respectively [20][11] - Power brands, which represent over 75% of turnover, grew by 4.4% in Q3, with volumes up 1.7% [5][6] - Home Care underlying sales grew 3.1%, driven by strong performances from CIF and Domestos [12][14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America saw underlying sales growth of 5.5%, driven by strong performance in Personal Care and Wellbeing [6][19] - Emerging markets grew by 4.1%, led by a return to growth in Indonesia and China, despite challenges in India and Latin America [3][8] - Latin America experienced a decline in underlying sales by 2.5%, with a 7.3% decline in volume [8][9] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on premium segments and fast-growing channels, with a significant shift towards digital commerce [2][20] - Unilever is preparing for the demerger of its ice cream business, expected to be completed in 2025 [3][16] - The strategic priority is to strengthen the portfolio with more beauty, wellbeing, and personal care products [20][21] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to outperform markets despite some softness in certain regions, particularly Latin America [19][21] - The outlook for the remainder of the year remains unchanged, with expectations for underlying sales growth within the 3% to 5% range [19][21] - Management highlighted the importance of premium innovations and digital commerce in driving future growth [20][21] Other Important Information - The company has seen significant improvements in its operational execution and brand performance, particularly in developed markets [2][6] - The acquisition of Dr. Squatch has expanded Unilever's presence in the premium male grooming segment [12][18] Q&A Session Summary Question: Clarification on volume growth into 2026 - Management confirmed a 2% volume growth expectation into 2026, highlighting strong performance in North America and challenges in Latin America [24][26] Question: Growth of wellbeing and prestige brands in North America - Management noted double-digit growth in Liquid I.V. and Nutrafol, with improvements in prestige beauty brands like Hourglass and K18 [27][28] Question: Actions taken in Latin America regarding pricing - Management acknowledged that pricing strategies in Brazil were too aggressive, leading to corrective actions and expected improvements in competitiveness [30][31] Question: Pricing outlook in light of commodity costs - Management indicated that while commodity costs are relatively benign, there are inflationary pressures in certain categories, and pricing adjustments will be made sensibly [33][36] Question: Performance in Mexico - Management reported soft market conditions in Mexico due to external factors but emphasized strong competitiveness in their portfolio [64][66] Question: Performance in Indonesia and China - Management expressed satisfaction with the growth in Indonesia and noted improvements in China due to strategic changes in the business model [70][72]