Kimberly-Clark seen as top dividend stock for a potential market crash

9 articles · Updated · The Motley Fool · May 5

The consumer staples group yields 5.2%, trades at 15 times earnings and has raised payouts for 54 straight years, while its shares are down more than 30% from last June's high.
Its brands include Kleenex, Huggies and Scott, and a planned $48.7 billion Kenvue deal would add Tylenol, Neutrogena and Listerine despite investor worries about share dilution.
The case rests on resilient demand for household essentials as Shiller P/E levels near records, though the dividend consumed $1.67 billion of $1.84 billion in trailing 12-month free cash flow.

Can Kimberly-Clark's 'Dividend King' status survive the massive debt from its $48.7 billion Kenvue mega-merger?

As it acquires Tylenol and Listerine, is KMB becoming a riskier bet despite its 'safe stock' reputation?