Kimberly-Clark Announces Second Quarter and First Half 2026 Results, Updates 2026 Outlook
KIMBERLY CLARK CORP (KMB) filed an SEC Form 8-K — Results of Operations and Financial Condition. Exhibit 99.1 Kimberly-Clark Announces Second Quarter and First Half 2026 Results, Updates 2026 Outlook Makes significant strides in strategic transformation while sustaining strong business momentum DALLAS, August 4, 2026 - Kimberly-Clark Corporation (Nasda q: KMB ) today reporte
How this was made
The 30-second read
Why it matters
Traders can reprice near-term earnings risk from the China diaper disruption while also factoring in margin and productivity improvements that lifted adjusted gross margin and adjusted operating profit.
Market read
Adjusted profitability metrics improved year over year, but a discrete China demand disruption introduces near-term estimate uncertainty.
What to watch
The release notes multiple offsetting items (tariff refunds, productivity savings, currency, business exits, transformation charges, and tax-rate normalization), so headline EPS may overstate or understate underlying demand trends.
Kimberly-Clark Announces Second Quarter and First Half 2026 Results, Updates 2026 Outlook
Second-quarter adjusted operating profit and adjusted EPS increased, supported by tariff refunds, productivity savings and favorable currency, but sales growth was limited and China diaper sales were materially affected by false social-media allegations. The release states that the disruption is expected to affect sales and profits in the near term.
Key metrics
shortened, hover for the filing’s print| Metric | Value | q/q | y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net salesGAAP | $4.2B | – | up 0.6 percent |
| Organic sales growthother | broadly in line with the prior year | – | – |
| Gross marginGAAP | 38.3 percent | – | – |
| Adjusted gross marginnon-GAAP | 38.8 percent | – | up 190 basis points |
| Operating profitGAAP | $633M | – | – |
| Adjusted operating profitnon-GAAP | $757M | – | an increase of 6.2 percent |
| Net interest expenseGAAP | $49M | – | – |
| Effective tax rateGAAP | 37.9 percent | – | – |
| Adjusted effective tax ratenon-GAAP | 21.1 percent | – | – |
| Net income of equity companiesGAAP | $55M | – | – |
| Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxesGAAP | −$60M | – | – |
| Adjusted income from discontinued operationsnon-GAAP | $107M | – | an increase of 8.1 percent |
| Diluted EPS from continuing operationsGAAP | $1.22 | – | – |
| Adjusted EPS from continuing operationsnon-GAAP | $1.80 | – | up 10.4 percent versus the prior year |
| Diluted EPS attributable to Kimberly-ClarkGAAP | $1.04 | – | – |
| Adjusted EPS attributable to Kimberly-Clarknon-GAAP | $2.12 | – | up 10.4 percent |
| First-half net salesGAAP | $8.4B | – | increased 1.6 percent |
| First-half organic sales growthother | 1.2 percent | – | – |
| First-half gross marginGAAP | 37.6 percent | – | – |
| First-half adjusted gross marginnon-GAAP | 38.3 percent | – | up 60 basis points |
| Year-to-date operating profitGAAP | $1.4B | – | – |
| Year-to-date adjusted operating profitnon-GAAP | $1.5B | – | an increase of 4.9 percent |
| Year-to-date effective tax rateGAAP | 30.3 percent | – | – |
| Year-to-date adjusted effective tax ratenon-GAAP | 23.6 percent | – | – |
| Year-to-date net income of equity companiesGAAP | $108M | – | – |
| Year-to-date income from discontinued operations, net of income taxesGAAP | $41M | – | – |
| Year-to-date adjusted income from discontinued operationsnon-GAAP | $232M | – | an increase of 14.9 percent |
| Year-to-date diluted EPS from continuing operationsGAAP | $2.91 | – | – |
| Year-to-date adjusted EPS from continuing operationsnon-GAAP | $3.40 | – | an increase of 4.6 percent |
| Year-to-date diluted EPS attributable to Kimberly-ClarkGAAP | $3.03 | – | – |
| Year-to-date adjusted EPS attributable to Kimberly-Clarknon-GAAP | $4.09 | – | up 6.2 percent |
What drove it
- Favorable currency impacts of 1.1 percent partially offset the exit of the company's private label diaper business in the US.
- One-time tariff refunds and strong productivity savings supported adjusted gross margin and adjusted operating profit.
- Second-quarter adjusted operating profit benefited from favorable currency impacts.
- First-half organic sales growth was driven by a 1.3 percent increase in volume from broad growth within each segment.
- Net income of equity companies benefited primarily from favorable currency impacts and pricing net of cost inflation.
Concerns
- The China social media disruption had an approximately 50 basis point negative impact on organic sales growth in the second quarter.
- The company expects the impact from false claims across social media to further affect sales and profits in the near term.
- Business exits and the China social media disruption created an approximate 210 basis point headwind to second-quarter adjusted operating profit.
- Planned investments to drive new product trial, improve price:value tiers and support the supply chain partially offset gross-margin benefits.
- Year-to-date adjusted operating profit faced a 290 basis point headwind from business exits and increased brand investments.
- The second-quarter effective tax rate was 37.9 percent, compared to 22.6 percent in the prior year.
What to watch
- The duration and financial effect of the China diaper-sales disruption.
- The degree to which productivity savings and tariff refunds continue to offset investment and business-exit headwinds.
- Progress on the pending Kenvue acquisition, which the company states remains on track to close by the end of this year.
- Execution of the strategic joint venture with Suzano: Arbex and construction of the alternative natural fibers pilot plant.
Analysis
Second-quarter net sales were $4.2 billion, up 0.6 percent. Favorable currency impacts of 1.1 percent were partly offset by the exit of the company's private label diaper business in the US. Organic sales growth was broadly in line with the prior year, but the China social media disruption reduced organic sales growth by approximately 50 basis points. The company said false allegations concerning certain China diaper brands significantly affected second-quarter diaper sales and are expected to affect sales and profits in the near term.
Margins improved despite investment requirements. Gross margin was 38.3 percent, compared with 35.0 percent in the prior year, while adjusted gross margin was 38.8 percent, up 190 basis points. One-time tariff refunds and strong productivity savings supported the adjusted result, while new-product trial, price:value-tier and supply-chain investments were offsets. Operating profit was $633 million versus $592 million, and adjusted operating profit was $757 million versus $713 million, an increase of 6.2 percent.
Earnings growth on an adjusted basis exceeded the reported continuing-operations EPS outcome. Diluted EPS from continuing operations was $1.22, compared with $1.33 in the prior year, while adjusted EPS from continuing operations was $1.80, up 10.4 percent. Higher adjusted operating profit, lower net interest expense and higher income from equity companies supported adjusted EPS. Reported results included 2024 Transformation Initiative charges, Kenvue acquisition costs, a Brazil business tax-credit benefit and effects related to the IFP Transaction.
First-half results show stronger sales growth than the quarter, with net sales of $8.4 billion increasing 1.6 percent and organic sales growth of 1.2 percent. The company attributed organic growth to a 1.3 percent increase in volume from broad growth within each segment. Year-to-date adjusted operating profit was $1.5 billion, compared with $1.4 billion, but business exits and increased brand investments produced a 290 basis point headwind. The adjusted effective tax rate was 23.6 percent, compared with 20.8 percent in the prior year, and the release states that the first half of 2025 benefited from the resolution of certain tax matters.
Strategically, the company reported the launch of Suzano: Arbex, plans for an alternative natural fibers pilot plant, and that the pending Kenvue acquisition remains on track to close by the end of this year. The central operating issue is whether innovation, productivity and currency benefits can sustain growth while the China disruption, business exits and planned investment requirements continue to pressure sales and profits.
Management, verbatim
Our achievements in the first half of the year show that Kimberly-Clark’s durable operating model is enabling us to accelerate our transformation while sustaining the momentum of our brands and businesses.
Mike Hsu, Chairman and CEO
We successfully launched our strategic joint venture with Suzano: Arbex. We entered the next phase of development of our next-generation, sustainable materials innovation platform by announcing the construction of an alternative natural fibers pilot plant in the Southwest of the United States. Our pending acquisition of Kenvue remains on track to close by the end of this year.
Mike Hsu, Chairman and CEO
Not in the filing
stated, not guessed- Period-end date.
- 2026 outlook figures, despite the release headline stating that outlook was updated; the provided filing text does not include the outlook section.
- Previous-release outlook, so a comparison of actual results with prior guidance is unavailable.
- Segment revenue figures and complete segment results. The supplied filing text is truncated during the Business Segment Results table.
- GAAP net income from continuing operations.
- Operating cash flow.
- Free cash flow.
- Cash balance.
- Debt balance.
- Share repurchases.
- Dividends.
- Capital-return amounts.
- CFO commentary.
AlphAI analysis generated from the company’s SEC earnings filing (Form 8-K Item 2.02, or Form 6-K for a foreign private issuer). Every figure was cross-checked against the filing text; consensus estimates, price targets and share-price reactions are not shown because they are not in the filing. AI-generated research, not investment advice.
Background
This is an SEC 8-K with Exhibit 99.1 covering Kimberly-Clark’s Q2 2026 results and an update to 2026 outlook, excluding International Family Care and Professional as discontinued operations.
Ticker impact
Kimberly-Clark reported Q2 2026 results with adjusted EPS $1.80 and flagged a China diaper social-media disruption impacting near-term sales and profits.
Likely two-sided reaction: support from adjusted profitability and productivity savings, offset by China disruption and higher effective tax rate.
The filing provides concrete Q2 financials (net sales, gross margin, adjusted EPS) plus a discrete, company-specific negative factor (China false-allegation disruption) and an outlook update reference, which together can move both earnings expectations and risk premium.
Market effects
Highlights ongoing margin support from productivity/tariff refunds while showing how social-media-driven product allegations can create localized demand shocks in consumer staples.
China diaper sales are explicitly cited as disrupted in Q2 with expected near-term impact, increasing regional demand uncertainty.
Includes progress on strategic transformation and the Kenvue acquisition track, which can affect broader health and wellness supply-chain expectations.
Counterpoint
The China allegations were refuted by independent testing, so the incremental impact may fade faster than the market fears, making the adjusted EPS strength more durable.
Key entities
- issuerKimberly-Clark Corporation
Reported Q2 2026 results, updated 2026 outlook, and disclosed a China diaper sales disruption tied to false social-media allegations.
- acquisition_targetKenvue
Kimberly-Clark said its pending acquisition remains on track to close by end of 2026.
- joint_venture_partnerSuzano
Company launched a strategic joint venture with Suzano: Arbex.
