Company Description: Kimberly Clark Corp. is a global consumer products company producing tissue, personal care and health care brands include Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex, Depend, Kleenex, and Scott.
Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
1. Avg. High Yield Price
2. 20-Year DCF Price
3. Avg. P/E Price
4. Graham Number
KMB is trading at a premium to all four valuations above. Since KMB's tangible book value is not meaningful, a Graham number can not be calculated. When also considering the NPV MMA Differential, the stock is trading at a slight premium to its calculated fair value of $131.53. KMB did not earn any Stars in this section.
Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
1. Free Cash Flow Payout
2. Debt To Total Capital
3. Key Metrics
4. Dividend Growth Rate
5. Years of Div. Growth
6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15%
KMB earned one Star in this section for 3.) above. KMB earned a Star for having an acceptable score in at least two of the four Key Metrics measured. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1935 and has increased its dividend payments for 49 consecutive years.
Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
1. NPV MMA Diff.
2. Years to > MMA
KMB earned a Star in this section for its NPV MMA Diff. of $613. This amount is in excess of the $500 target I look for in a stock that has increased dividends as long as KMB has. The stock's current yield of 3.33% exceeds the 2.74% estimated 20-year average MMA rate.
Peers: The company's peer group includes: The company's peer group includes: Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) with a 2.4% yield, Colgate-Palmolive Co. (CL) with a 2.3% yield, and Clorox Corporation (CLX) with a 2.8% yield.
Conclusion: KMB did not earn any Stars in the Fair Value section, earned one Star in the Dividend Analytical Data section and earned one Star in the Dividend Income vs. MMA section for a total of two Stars. This quantitatively ranks KMB as a 2-Star Weak stock.
Using my D4L-PreScreen.xls model, I determined the share price would need to increase to $147.09 before KMB's NPV MMA Differential increased to the $500 minimum that I look for in a stock with 49 years of consecutive dividend increases. At that price the stock would yield 3.1%.
Resetting the D4L-PreScreen.xls model and solving for the dividend growth rate needed to generate the target $500 NPV MMA Differential, the calculated rate is 3.3%. This dividend growth rate is lower than the 4.0% used in this analysis, thus providing a margin of safety. KMB has a risk rating of 1.25 which classifies it as a Low risk stock.
KMB has an array of solid brands and an excellent relationship with its retailers. The company's Free Cash Flow Payout at 125% (up from 52%) is above my acceptable level of 60%, and its Debt to Total Capital at 92% (down from 94%) is well above the 45% maximum I look for. KMB is trading at a slight premium to my calculated fair value of $131.53, and given its dividend fundamentals, I will wait for a more opportune time before adding to my position.
Disclaimer: Material presented here is for informational purposes only. The above quantitative stock analysis, including the Star rating, is mechanically calculated and is based on historical information. The analysis assumes the stock will perform in the future as it has in the past. This is generally never true. Before buying or selling any stock you should do your own research and reach your own conclusion. See my Disclaimer for more information.
Full Disclosure: At the time of this writing, I was long in KMB (1.5% of my Dividend Growth Portfolio).
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