Kenvue (KVUE) Stock Today: Dividend Payout, Insider Buying and Kimberly-Clark Deal in Focus

Kenvue Inc. (NYSE: KVUE) — the Johnson & Johnson consumer-health spin‑off behind Tylenol, Listerine and Neutrogena — is back in the spotlight on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, as the stock trades higher on dividend payday, fresh insider and hedge‑fund buying disclosures, and ongoing scrutiny of its $48.7 billion sale to Kimberly‑Clark. ^[1]

By early afternoon, KVUE was changing hands around $17.46, up roughly 1.6% over the past 24 hours, leaving the shares still down more than 28% over the past year and about 17% below the proposed takeover value. ^[2]

Below is a full rundown of all Kenvue‑related news hitting today (November 26, 2025), plus the context investors are watching around the Kimberly‑Clark deal, Tylenol lawsuits and Kenvue’s latest earnings.

Kenvue stock price today (November 26, 2025)

Last price: about $17.46 per share
24‑hour move: up ~1.6% ^[3]
Market cap: roughly $32.6 billion ^[4]
Trading range: KVUE has traded as low as $14.02 (its all‑time low on October 30, 2025) and as high as $27.80 since listing in 2023. ^[5]

That puts Kenvue well below its IPO‑era price and far under the $21.01 per‑share value implied by Kimberly‑Clark’s cash‑and‑stock bid, which offers $3.50 in cash plus 0.14625 shares of Kimberly‑Clark (KMB) per KVUE share, based on KMB’s October 31 close. ^[6]

At today’s price, the market is effectively pricing in:

A double‑digit discount to the deal value (roughly 17% below the headline $21.01), and
Ongoing risks around regulatory approval, Tylenol‑related litigation, and the time value of money while investors wait for a closing currently expected in the second half of 2026. ^[7]

All of today’s key Kenvue headlines (November 26, 2025)

1. Dividend payday lands in shareholder accounts

Today is payout day for Kenvue’s latest quarterly dividend:

Dividend per share:$0.2075
Record date: November 12, 2025
Payment date:November 26, 2025 (today) ^[8]

At a share price near $17.46, that works out to an annualized yield of roughly 4.8%, in line with TradingView’s trailing twelve‑month yield of about 4.8–4.9%. ^[9]

This payout is especially notable because:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had sued to block Kenvue’s $398 million dividend, arguing the company should preserve cash for Tylenol‑related litigation. ^[10]
On November 14, a Texas judge refused to block the November 26 dividend, clearing the way for today’s payment while the broader litigation continues. ^[11]

In other words, today’s dividend is going out on schedule despite political and legal pressure, reinforcing the company’s message that it remains confident in its cash generation and legal position.

Health note: The ongoing lawsuits center on unproven claims that Tylenol use in pregnancy causes autism. Reuters notes that Kenvue, Johnson & Johnson and many doctors dispute this link, and the claim is still scientifically contested. ^[12]
This article focuses on stock‑market implications and is not medical advice; anyone with questions about pain relief in pregnancy should speak to a qualified healthcare professional.

2. New insider & hedge‑fund buying disclosures

Two fresh ownership disclosures are giving KVUE watchers more to chew on today:

U.S. Representative Lisa C. McClain (R‑Michigan) disclosed a purchase of between $1,001 and $15,000 of Kenvue shares in her Charles Schwab 401(k) account, a trade executed on October 30 but reported publicly in late November. ^[13]
A separate MarketBeat report shows quant firm XTX Topco Ltd opened a new position of 375,948 shares in Kenvue in Q2, worth about $7.9 million and representing roughly 0.3% of its investment portfolio. ^[14]

Those filings also highlight that:

Around 97–98% of Kenvue’s shares are held by institutions, and
Wall Street’s consensus rating is “Hold”, with an average price target around $20.23 per share — implying moderate upside from current levels, but far less than the takeover premium embedded in the Kimberly‑Clark offer. ^[15]

Insider and hedge‑fund purchases don’t guarantee future performance, but they do signal that some professional and politically connected investors see value in KVUE at current prices.

3. Innovation story: new Neutrogena and OGX scalp‑care ranges

A separate piece of news coverage published today focuses on Kenvue’s product pipeline, not just the headline legal and M&A stories.

According to Simply Wall St:

Earlier this month, Kenvue launched new science‑driven scalp‑care systems under its Neutrogena and OGX brands, targeting scalp health and hair growth.
The ranges are initially rolling out at Walmart, with broader retail distribution planned for 2026.
The move is part of the “skinification of hair” trend, using Kenvue’s skincare expertise to push further into premium haircare. ^[16]

The article suggests these launches support Kenvue’s long‑term growth narrative — leaning into science‑backed, premium personal care — but that near‑term share performance remains dominated by the Kimberly‑Clark deal and legal headlines rather than new product launches on their own. ^[17]

4. Fresh valuation debates as analysts tweak fair‑value estimates

Kenvue is also seeing subtle shifts in analyst sentiment today:

A recent Yahoo Finance write‑up notes that at least one fair‑value model has trimmed its estimate for KVUE from about $19.42 to $19.33 per share, reflecting slightly higher perceived risk as Tylenol litigation evolves. ^[18]
Simply Wall St’s narrative piece cites a fundamental fair value estimate near $19.33, implying mid‑teens upside from current prices, and community valuations largely clustered between $18 and $28.56 per share. ^[19]

Put together with the MarketBeat targets around $20–$21, the takeaway is that most mainstream models still see KVUE as modestly undervalued versus their standalone fair‑value estimates — but also below the $21.01 Kimberly‑Clark deal value, after factoring in legal and execution risks. ^[20]

Big picture: the $48.7 billion Kimberly‑Clark takeover

The single biggest driver of Kenvue’s stock story remains its pending acquisition by Kimberly‑Clark (KMB):

On November 3, 2025, Kimberly‑Clark and Kenvue announced a cash‑and‑stock transaction valuing Kenvue at an enterprise value of about $48.7 billion. ^[21]
The deal terms give each Kenvue shareholder $3.50 in cash plus 0.14625 KMB shares, for total consideration of $21.01 per KVUE share based on KMB’s October 31 closing price. ^[22]
The combined company would generate roughly $32 billion in annual revenue and around $7 billion of adjusted EBITDA, backed by 10+ billion‑dollar brands ranging from Tylenol and Neutrogena to Kleenex and Huggies. ^[23]
Management is guiding to $2.1 billion of run‑rate synergies (mostly cost savings) and expects the deal to be accretive to Kimberly‑Clark’s adjusted EPS by year two after closing. ^[24]

Markets initially cheered the deal: Kenvue’s stock jumped roughly 17–19% when news broke, as investors priced in the premium to Kenvue’s pre‑announcement levels. ^[25]

Yet KVUE now trades well below that implied $21.01 value. Reasons include:

Tylenol litigation risk and the possibility that revived lawsuits could increase uncertainty around future liabilities. ^[26]
Regulatory and antitrust approvals still to come across multiple jurisdictions. ^[27]
The long timeline — the transaction is currently expected to close around the second half of 2026, leaving more than a year and a half of deal‑execution risk. ^[28]
Ongoing chatter that other bidders could emerge, which has helped support the share price but has not materialised into any confirmed rival offer so far. ^[29]

For now, KVUE effectively trades as a merger‑arbitrage stock: investors are weighing deal spread vs. risk rather than trying to price Kenvue purely on a standalone basis.

Legal overhang: Tylenol lawsuits remain a key risk

Kenvue’s most important non‑deal risk factor remains the wave of Tylenol‑related litigation:

In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Kenvue in late October, alleging the company misled consumers about Tylenol’s risks in pregnancy, and sought to block the November 26 dividend. ^[30]
On November 14, Judge LeAnn Rafferty declined to block the dividend and declined to immediately restrict Tylenol marketing, saying her court lacked jurisdiction to do so — a win for Kenvue in the short term. ^[31]
Separately, a federal appeals court panel in New York recently heard arguments on whether to revive more than 500 private lawsuits alleging Tylenol use in pregnancy caused autism and ADHD. Judges questioned whether the trial court was right to exclude certain expert testimony, and Kenvue’s shares fell about 2.5% on that headline. ^[32]

Kenvue, Johnson & Johnson and many healthcare professionals maintain that Tylenol remains safe when used as directed, and Reuters describes the autism link as a “scientifically unproven claim.” ^[33]

However, the legal uncertainty is clearly affecting:

Investor sentiment and fair‑value estimates, and
Perceptions of how much contingent risk Kimberly‑Clark is taking on via the acquisition.

How regulators, courts and scientific bodies ultimately resolve these questions will be a major swing factor for both KVUE’s standalone valuation and the likelihood that the Kimberly‑Clark deal closes on its current terms.

Fundamentals at a glance: Q3 2025 earnings

Beyond the headlines, Kenvue’s underlying business remains profitable but under modest top‑line pressure.

In its third‑quarter 2025 results, reported on November 3, Kenvue highlighted: ^[34]

Net sales down 3.5% year‑on‑year, with organic sales down 4.4%.
The decline driven primarily by lower volumes (about a 4% volume drop), timing shifts in China, trade‑inventory reductions at some customers and softer Self Care demand due to a mild season.
Diluted EPS of $0.21 and adjusted diluted EPS of $0.28, flat vs. the prior year and slightly ahead of analyst expectations.
Adjusted gross margin expanding to about 61.2%, helped by productivity gains and supply‑chain optimization.
Management affirmed full‑year 2025 guidance, signalling confidence despite weaker sales.

The quarter also marked a leadership milestone:

Kirk Perry was named permanent CEO, following a period of strategic review and earlier leadership changes in 2025. ^[35]

From an earnings perspective, that leaves Kenvue looking like a steady but not high‑growth consumer‑health franchise, with:

High‑margin, cash‑generative brands like Tylenol, Listerine, Aveeno and Neutrogena, and
A corporate‑level focus on productivity, innovation and premiumization, including the new scalp‑care launches under Neutrogena and OGX. ^[36]

How today’s developments may shape KVUE’s outlook

Putting today’s news flow together, several themes emerge for Kenvue shareholders and potential investors:

Income appeal is intact – and maybe rising.
With today’s $0.2075 dividend and a yield near 4.8%, KVUE remains a high‑yield consumer‑staples play, albeit one with above‑average legal risk and a high payout ratio (TradingView cites a 2024 payout above 150%). ^[37]
The market is discounting the Kimberly‑Clark deal.
KVUE’s price, sitting well below the $21.01 offer value, suggests investors are pricing in deal risk — from regulatory scrutiny to Tylenol‑related uncertainties and the long wait to closing. ^[38]
Insider and institutional buying provide a mild vote of confidence.
The new holdings disclosures from Rep. Lisa McClain and XTX Topco Ltd add to evidence that professional investors are willing to hold KVUE through the noise, although the positions are small in portfolio terms and don’t remove the underlying risks. ^[39]
Product innovation supports the long‑term story.
The Neutrogena and OGX scalp‑care launches play into secular trends in premium, science‑backed beauty and help Kenvue’s narrative as a health‑and‑wellness platform, not just a Tylenol proxy. ^[40]
Legal outcomes remain the wild card.
Future rulings in the Tylenol lawsuits could shift sentiment sharply, in either direction. A favorable resolution would likely narrow the deal spread; adverse rulings could put both the standalone valuation and the Kimberly‑Clark transaction under more pressure. ^[41]

What to watch next

For readers tracking KVUE day‑to‑day, the next major milestones include:

Further court decisions in federal and state Tylenol cases, including whether the appeals court revives the large multidistrict litigation. ^[42]
Regulatory reviews and shareholder votes related to the Kimberly‑Clark acquisition, and any signs of competing offers emerging. ^[43]
The company’s next earnings report, currently expected in early February 2026, where investors will look for updates on integration planning, legal provisions and brand performance. ^[44]

Bottom line

On November 26, 2025, Kenvue stock is:

Trading higher on the day,
Delivering a substantial cash dividend despite legal challenges, and
Still sitting at a meaningful discount to the proposed Kimberly‑Clark takeover price.

For now, KVUE is a complex blend of income stock, merger‑arbitrage play and litigation story. How those strands resolve over the next 12–24 months will likely matter more than any single trading session — even one as busy as today.

Disclosure & disclaimer: This article is for information and news purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal or medical advice. Always do your own research and consider speaking with a licensed financial adviser before making investment decisions.

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