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Kimberly Clark Corp.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 27 January 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 9 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net sales down, organic up: Net sales were $4.1 billion, down 0.6 percent, as organic growth of 2.1 percent was offset by a 2.5 percent decline mainly from the private label diaper exit. Source
  • Adjusted operating profit up 13.1 percent: Adjusted operating profit was $629 million, up 13.1 percent from $556 million, with productivity gains and lower marketing, research and general spending as drivers. Source
  • North America sales down 3.0 percent: North America net sales were $2.6 billion, down 3.0 percent, with a 3.7 percent impact from the private label diaper exit. Source
  • Adjusted gross margin flat at 37.0 percent: Adjusted gross margin was 37.0 percent, in line with prior year, as productivity and volume offset unfavorable pricing net of cost inflation. Source
  • Operating cash flow down, capex up: Cash from operations was $2.8 billion versus $3.2 billion, while capital spending rose to $1.1 billion from $721 million. Source
  • IFP sale expected mid-2026: The IFP transaction is expected to close in mid-2026, and its proceeds will be held to fund part of the Kenvue acquisition. Source

“We delivered pioneering innovation across the value spectrum, breakthrough creative storytelling that strengthened brand love, and superior execution that fueled our second consecutive year of broad-based, share gain-led volume-plus-mix growth.”

Kimberly-Clark Chairman and CEO Mike Hsu

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Organic sales growth Source2026In line to ahead of weighted average growth of categories and countries (latest year about 2 percent)New
Reported net sales Source2026Negative 50 basis points from US private label diaper exit; no meaningful currency impactNew
Adjusted operating profit Source2026Mid-to-high single-digit growth, constant currencyNew
Adjusted EPS from continuing operations Source2026Double-digit growth, constant currencyNew
Income from equity companies Source2026 versus 2025Approximately 30 percent increaseNew
Net interest expense Source2026FlatNew
Adjusted effective tax rate Source2026Approximately 23 percentNew
Adjusted EPS attributable to Kimberly-Clark Source2026Flat, constant currencyNew
Currency translation effect on EPS Source2026Favorable, about 130 basis pointsNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: The release gives 2026 guidance for organic growth, net sales, operating profit, EPS and currency; the prior release gave 2025 guidance instead. Source
  • New: The release reports a pending Kenvue acquisition, which the prior release did not include, and says integration planning is under way. Source

Quarter and full-year results

  • Net sales down, organic up: Net sales were $4.1 billion, down 0.6 percent, as organic growth of 2.1 percent was offset by a 2.5 percent decline mainly from the private label diaper exit. Source
  • Full-year sales down on exits: Full-year net sales were $16.4 billion, down 2.1 percent, mainly from a 2.9 percent impact of the PPE divestiture and the private label diaper exit. Source
  • Adjusted operating profit up 13.1 percent: Adjusted operating profit was $629 million, up 13.1 percent from $556 million, with productivity gains and lower marketing, research and general spending as drivers. Source
  • Full-year reported EPS lower: Full-year reported diluted EPS was $6.07 versus $7.55, including $1.46 of charges for items management says do not reflect underlying operations. Source
  • Full-year adjusted EPS up 3.2 percent: Adjusted EPS was $7.53 versus $7.30, up 3.2 percent, driven by lower weighted average shares and higher income from discontinued operations. Source

Segments and regions

  • North America sales down 3.0 percent: North America net sales were $2.6 billion, down 3.0 percent, with a 3.7 percent impact from the private label diaper exit. Source
  • North America volume up 2.5 percent: North America organic growth came from broad-based volume growth, partly offset by declines in price and mix. Source
  • North America profit flat for year: North America full-year operating profit of $2.6 billion was in line with the prior year despite a 330 basis point divestiture and exit headwind. Source
  • IPC sales up 4.2 percent: International Personal Care net sales were $1.4 billion, with organic growth of 4.5 percent led by volume growth of 3.3 percent. Source
  • IPC profit up 20.6 percent: IPC quarterly operating profit was $199 million, helped by volume and mix gains and productivity, partly offset by negative pricing net of cost inflation. Source

“maintained a relentless focus on cost discipline as we successfully pivot our portfolio to higher growth, higher margin personal care categories”

Kimberly-Clark Chairman and CEO Mike Hsu

Brands and share gains

  • North America share gains in personal care: North America Personal Care category value share rose 20 basis points for the year, and volume share rose 90 basis points. Source
  • Baby and child care share gains: Volume-led growth in International Personal Care drove weighted share gains, mainly in baby and child care. Source

Gross margin and marketing costs

  • Adjusted gross margin flat at 37.0 percent: Adjusted gross margin was 37.0 percent, in line with prior year, as productivity and volume offset unfavorable pricing net of cost inflation. Source
  • Reported gross margin hit by charges: Reported gross margin was 35.9 percent, including $44 million of 2024 Transformation Initiative charges, about 110 basis points. Source
  • Marketing spend lower for year: Full-year adjusted operating profit was $2.7 billion, in line with prior year, as lower marketing, research and general expenses offset gross profit headwinds. Source

“We are making strong progress on our integration planning efforts and look forward to delivering on this unique opportunity to create generational value for Kimberly-Clark shareholders.”

Kimberly-Clark Chairman and CEO Mike Hsu

Tax, equity and discontinued operations

  • Adjusted tax rate lower year-on-year: Quarterly adjusted effective tax rate was 23.1 percent versus 26.8 percent, mainly from a lower valuation allowance and resolved tax matters. Source
  • Equity company income rose in quarter: Income from equity companies rose to $59 million from $44 million, driven by favorable currency effects. Source
  • Full-year equity income declined: Full-year income from equity companies fell to $196 million from $216 million, mainly from unfavorable currency impacts. Source
  • Adjusted discontinued income up 37.9 percent: Adjusted income from discontinued operations rose to $142 million, helped by about $30 million lower depreciation tied to reporting requirements. Source

Cash, debt and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow down, capex up: Cash from operations was $2.8 billion versus $3.2 billion, while capital spending rose to $1.1 billion from $721 million. Source
  • Returned $1.8 billion to shareholders: Dividends and share repurchases together returned $1.8 billion to shareholders in 2025. Source
  • Buybacks of 1.1 million shares: Repurchases in 2025 totaled 1.1 million shares for $141 million, compared with $1.0 billion of repurchases in 2024 per the cash flow statement. Source
  • Total debt slightly lower: Total debt was $7.2 billion at December 31, 2025, against $7.4 billion at the end of 2024. Source

Kenvue and IFP transactions

  • Kenvue costs excluded from adjusted results: Acquisition-related costs for the pending Kenvue deal were $32 million in the quarter and are excluded from adjusted operating profit. Source
  • IFP sale expected mid-2026: The IFP transaction is expected to close in mid-2026, and its proceeds will be held to fund part of the Kenvue acquisition. Source

Coming up, as management said on 27 January 2026

  • IFP transaction close in mid-2026: Management expects the IFP transaction to close in mid-2026, which reduces income from discontinued operations in 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Volume-plus-mix growth, fourth quarter Source3.0 percent
Volume growth, full year 2025 Source2.5 percent

Risks management discussed

  • External: Full-year gross profit gains were more than offset by unfavorable pricing net of cost inflation and incremental tariff-related costs. Source
  • Regulatory: The full-year effective tax rate rose to 29.2 percent on a valuation allowance for US foreign tax credits tied to One Big Beautiful Bill Act provisions. Source
  • Financial: Discontinued operations carried $27 million of pre-tax IFP separation costs in the quarter. Source
  • Operational: North America results absorbed tariff impacts and supply chain related investments, which offset parts of productivity and marketing savings. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The release says the 2026 organic growth expectation is consistent with the company's long-term growth algorithm. Source
  • Not stated: The prior release anticipated the Suzano joint venture close in mid-year 2026, and the current release keeps mid-2026 timing.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.