Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB) Earnings Call Transcripts
Kimberly-Clark Corporation's Latest Earnings Call - Q2 FY2026
In the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, Kimberly-Clark Corporation reported revenue of $5.1 billion, which was below expectations due to a 100 basis point decline in organic sales, primarily impacted by challenges in the China diaper market and inventory destocking in North America. Adjusted EPS came in at $1.45, exceeding estimates by $0.12, largely driven by a $45 million tariff refund and strong productivity gains. Management has adjusted its full-year outlook, citing ongoing pressures but expressing confidence in the company's fundamentals and innovation pipeline as they navigate external challenges.
Reported metrics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $5.1B (miss) |
| Adjusted EPS | $1.45 (beat) |
| Organic Sales Growth | -1.4% (miss) |
| Tariff Refund | $45M (positive) |
| Operating Profit Growth | 6.4% (positive) |
| China Market Headwind | 200 bps (negative) |
Guidance from management
Management has adjusted its full-year outlook, anticipating continued pressures from the China market and inflation, but remains confident in achieving neutral pricing net of cost inflation and sustaining growth through innovation.
What management said
Yes, I'll make a comment, but maybe I'll have Nelson give you that because I think he's a little prepared for that line of thinking. But also, I would agree with you, it's a choppy environment, so I'll come back to that.
Sure, Chris. So a few things. I mean in terms of the refund that we received in the quarter in North America, the U.S., it was $45 million. And that represents roughly about half of what we paid in North America as a whole. And keep in mind, that's not just the U.S. because there were some retaliatory tariffs that we paid earlier last year in Canada as well. So overall, this is reflected in our second quarter results...
What analysts pressed on
Analysts expressed concerns regarding the ongoing challenges in the China market and the impact of retailer destocking in North America. There were questions about the visibility of recovery and the potential for further promotional activity if competitors do not follow pricing increases.
Main topics on the call
- Impact of China Market Issues — Management highlighted that the China diaper market has been a significant headwind, stating, "we are not seeing any sequential deterioration in our sellout in China, but it also hasn't inflected positively yet." They ex...
- Strong EPS Performance — Despite challenges, Kimberly-Clark reported an adjusted EPS of $1.45, which was a beat of $0.12 compared to expectations. This was attributed to effective cost management and a tariff refund, with management stating, "st...
- Innovation Pipeline and Future Growth — Management expressed confidence in their innovation pipeline, stating, "we feel great about our innovation that we're launching," and emphasized the potential of their new alternative natural fiber program to reshape the...
- North America Performance and Outlook — North American shipments lagged consumption due to retailer destocking and operational disruptions, with management noting, "shipments in North America consumer categories... lagged consumption by about 170 basis points....
Read the full Kimberly-Clark Corporation transcript (Q2 FY2026) → Summary generated from the call transcript; every figure above is stated by management on the record.
About Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB) is a publicly listed company in the Household Products industry, within the Consumer Staples sector. It trades on NasdaqGS and is based in US. EarningsCalls.dev maintains a free, full-text archive of its earnings call transcripts — 58 calls on record spanning January 23, 2020 to August 4, 2026. Every transcript is split into speaker-by-speaker segments with headline metrics, free to read or available through our REST API.
Earnings Call History
EarningsCalls.dev has 58 Kimberly-Clark Corporation earnings call transcripts on record, spanning January 23, 2020 to August 4, 2026. Based on this history, Kimberly-Clark Corporation reports quarterly. The most recent call on file is dated August 4, 2026. The full list is below — each row opens the complete, free-to-read transcript.
- Ticker
- KMB
- Exchange
- NasdaqGS
- Country
- US
- Sector
- Consumer Staples
- Industry
- Household Products
- Calls on record
- 58
- First call
- January 23, 2020
- Most recent
- August 4, 2026
- Reporting cadence
- quarterly