Will New Leadership and Weak Quarter Reshape Kimberly-Clark’s (KMB) North American Ambitions?

• Kimberly-Clark announced the appointment of John Carmichael as President, North America, effective September 15, 2025, and released its second-quarter results, reflecting a year-over-year decrease in sales and earnings for the period ended June 30.
• Carmichael brings three decades of leadership experience from Nestlé and is expected to play a significant role in shaping Kimberly-Clark’s direction in its key North American market.
• We'll explore how the addition of a seasoned executive leader may affect Kimberly-Clark's outlook and ongoing investment narrative.

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Kimberly-Clark Investment Narrative Recap

Owning Kimberly-Clark means believing in resilient demand for personal care products, driven by strong brands and innovation. The appointment of John Carmichael as President, North America, brings extensive industry expertise, but does not materially alter the company's near-term catalysts or the primary risk, intensifying competition in North America, especially from private label. For investors focused on immediate changes to growth or profitability, the biggest risk remains unchanged: margin pressure from competitors in a challenging consumer market.

Among recent announcements, the company's second quarter results stand out, as both sales and net income declined year-over-year. This short-term softness underscores the importance of successfully reinvigorating North American leadership, since this region now represents an even larger share of the company's future following recent divestitures. Kimberly-Clark’s outlook relies on management’s ability to effectively respond to evolving category competition and shifting consumer preferences.

By contrast, investors should also be aware that increased competition in North America could...

Read the full narrative on Kimberly-Clark (it's free!)

Kimberly-Clark's outlook anticipates $17.8 billion in revenue and $2.4 billion in earnings by 2028. This is based on analysts projecting a 3.3% annual revenue decline over the next three years and no change in earnings compared to the current $2.4 billion level.

Uncover how Kimberly-Clark's forecasts yield a $142.47 fair value, a 6% upside to its current price.

Exploring Other Perspectives

Simply Wall St Community members estimate Kimberly-Clark’s fair value between US$142.47 and US$149.82, based on two diverse analyses. With ongoing category competition challenging margins, consider how these widely differing expectations could reflect on future share performance.

Explore 2 other fair value estimates on Kimberly-Clark - why the stock might be worth just $142.47!

Build Your Own Kimberly-Clark Narrative

Disagree with existing narratives? Create your own in under 3 minutes - extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd.

• A great starting point for your Kimberly-Clark research is our analysis highlighting 4 key rewards and 2 important warning signs that could impact your investment decision.
• Our free Kimberly-Clark research report provides a comprehensive fundamental analysis summarized in a single visual - the Snowflake - making it easy to evaluate Kimberly-Clark's overall financial health at a glance.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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