Kimberly-Clark Boosts Dividend By 4.5%

Kimberly-Clark Corp. said Thursday it would boost its quarterly dividend by 4.5% to 92 cents a share from 88 cents a share. The consumer products company's new dividend will be payable on April 4 to shareholders of record on March 4. At current share prices, the new annual dividend would imply an annual dividend yield of 2.93%, compared with the aggregate S&P 500 dividend yield of 2.43%, according to FactSet. "Kimberly-Clark remains committed to deliver strong returns to our investors and to allocate capital in shareholder-friendly ways," said Chief Executive Thomas Falk. "We continue to provide a top-tier dividend payout among our peer consumer packaged goods companies." The stock, which slumped 3.2% in afternoon trade, has gained 4.4% over the past three months, while the S&P 500 has lost 12%.