Kimberly-Clark dividend growth keeps slowing with a 1.7% hike in 2023

On January 25, 2023, Dividend Aristocrat Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB) announced a 1.7% dividend hike to $1.18 quarterly per share. This marks 51 consecutive years of dividend growth for the tissues and diapers maker but also is the smallest increase in more than a decade.

Kimberly-Clark's board of directors approved to increase the dividend by 1.7 percent to $1.18 per share, up from $1.16 per share in 2022. The first dividend will be payable on April 4, 2023 to stockholders of record on March 10, 2023. 

KIMBERLY-CLARK ANNUAL DIVIDEND GROWTH

• 2023: +1.7%
• 2022: +1.8%
• 2021: +6.5%
• 2020: +3.9%
• 2019: +3.0%
• 2018: +3.1%
• 2017: +5.4%
• 2016: +4.5%

The new annual dividend rate of $4.72 per share yields 3.6% to KMB shareholders at a stock price of $131. The next ex-dividend date is March 9, 2023. For Kimberly-Clark this is the smallest increase in probably decades, but it also brings the track records to 51 straight years of dividend growth. The time Kimberly Clark announced a double digit dividend hike was in 2010 (+10%).

Other US Dividend Aristocrats announcing their annual increase this January include Air Products (8%), Chevron (+6.3%) and Cincinnati Financial (+8.7%).

Kimberly-Clark is engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of a range of products made from natural or synthetic fibers using technologies in fibers, nonwovens, and absorbency. Kimberly-Clark brands include Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend. Kimberly-Clark is a Dividend Aristocrat with more than 25 consecutive years of dividend growth.