Dividend Kings List: Top 15

10. Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB)

Dividend Yield as of December 3: 3.51%

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) is an American consumer goods company that offers a wide range of related products to its consumers. Since the pandemic, many large consumer goods companies have increased their prices to counteract rising costs, which are now starting to stabilize from their peak levels. This has led to increased competition from more affordable brands as consumers focus on getting better value for their money. Kimberly-Clark Corporation peaked in August 2020, trading at approximately $158 per share. Since then, the stock has been unable to reach this price again and has actually fallen by nearly 13% during this period. However, in the past 12 months, the stock has surged by over 11%.

In the third quarter of 2024, Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) reported revenue of $4.95 billion, which fell by 4% from the same period last year. Under the Powering Care strategy, the company is fast-tracking its innovation pipeline and cutting costs to provide higher-quality consumer solutions across all price ranges. It is also streamlining its operational structure to become more agile and responsive in the market. The company is on track to achieve strong growth in operating profit, margins, and EPS in 2024 while continuing to invest in sustaining business momentum into 2025.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB)’s cash generation remained strong this year. In the first nine months of 2024, the company reported an operating cash flow of $2.4 billion, up from $2.3 billion in the prior-year period. During this period, it returned $2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. It is one of the best dividend kings on our list as the company has been rewarding shareholders with growing dividends for the past 52 years. Currently, it pays a quarterly dividend of $1.22 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.51%, as of December 3.

The number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owning stakes in Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) grew to 45 in Q3 2024, from 43 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a consolidated value of over $1 billion.