$KVUE

The article is a market news roundup covering multiple stocks and macro items. It cites Toyota’s U.S. Camry recall of 508,354 cars, Kenvue’s 2.14% drop to $18.79, Target’s options implying about a 7% post-earnings move, and Nvidia’s up to $105 billion OpenAI support. It also notes Brent rising on Hormuz tensions and several company-specific share moves.

Kimberly-Clark Corp. said it will promote Suzana Blades to general counsel and add her to the leadership team effective Sept. 1, ahead of the completion of its deal to buy Kenvue Inc., according to the company. Blades is currently vice president and deputy general counsel for litigation, government relations, legal operations and natural solutions.

Children’s Health Defense filed a Citizen Petition with the FDA asking for a ban on over-the-counter Infants’ Tylenol and boxed autism-risk warnings for acetaminophen products for children under 6, including during labor and delivery, citing “31 lines of evidence,” according to The Defender. Kenvue submitted a 42-page FDA response saying evidence does not support an autism link. FDA review is expected within 150 to 180 days.

Investing.com reports Kenvue Inc (KVUE) options activity rose to 12,661 contracts by midday, with over 95% in bullish calls. Most volume targeted the $19.50 strike expiring tomorrow, while 3-month implied volatility jumped to 56.13%. The article cites a Kimberly-Clark acquisition deal ($40–48.7B) and notes KVUE Q2 EPS of $0.31.

Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ: KMB) appointed Suzana Blades as senior VP and general counsel, effective Sept. 1, 2026. She will report to Jeff Melucci and join the post-Kenvue transaction leadership team as Kimberly-Clark prepares to acquire Kenvue (NYSE: KVUE) and reshape its health and wellness portfolio, according to the company.

Kenvue reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of 31 cents, slightly below Wall Street’s 32-cent estimate, and sales up 3% to $3.96 billion, just under $3.97 billion. Inflation, tariffs, and currency-related costs pressured margins, with adjusted gross margin at 60.2% vs 60.9% a year earlier. Kenvue expects $250 million in 2026 pre-tax restructuring charges and says Kimberly-Clark’s $40 billion buyout should close in Q4 2026.

Kenvue (KVUE) missed Q2 adjusted EPS ($0.31 vs $0.32 consensus) and revenue ($3.955B), withheld guidance, and skipped its conference call ahead of a pending $48.7B cash-and-stock buyout by Kimberly-Clark (KMB). The deal is in Q4 and will include Kenvue’s revived Tylenol autism litigation. KVUE closed at $19.18.

Kenvue reported Q2 2026 results with sales of US$3,955 million and net income of US$456 million, plus higher EPS versus a year earlier. For H1 2026, sales rose to US$7,864 million and net income to US$930 million. The board approved a 1.2% dividend increase to US$0.21 per share. The article discusses implications for Kenvue’s outlook and valuation.

Kimberly-Clark said it will consolidate 6,000 applications and more than 15 ERP systems as it nears completion of its Kenvue acquisition. On an earnings call, COO Russell Torres cited a three-year plan targeting $1.9 million in savings and identified over $600 million of savings, with system integration and supply chain and commercial integration as key drivers.

Wall Street ended Thursday lower, with the Dow down 464 points (0.9%) to 53,885, the S&P 500 down 14 points (0.2%) to 7,710, and the Nasdaq down 15 points (0.1%) to 26,348. Oil rebounded and Treasury yields rose. Earnings movers included AppLovin (revenue $1.924B, below consensus) and Datadog, while SpaceX shares rose as a lockup expired.