New York, Feb 10, 2026, 12:58 EST — Regular session
- Kenvue climbed roughly 1.8% by midday, moving up alongside advances in Kimberly-Clark, which has been eyeing the company.
- Factoring in Kimberly-Clark’s current share price, the offer—part cash, part stock—works out to roughly $19.10 per share. There’s just a narrow spread left on the deal.
- Kenvue has its dividend record date set for Feb. 11, with results due out Feb. 17.
Kenvue Inc shares climbed Tuesday, jumping about 1.8% to $18.50, with investors reworking the numbers following the Kimberly-Clark deal announcement. Kimberly-Clark, for its part, tacked on roughly 1.9%. The broader market barely budged.
This shift comes as Kenvue approaches several key dates: a dividend record Wednesday, plus both Q4 and full-year earnings landing next week. Lately, shares keep acting like a stub post-merger, not a pure-play consumer-health stock—the daily action continues to show it. 1
Kimberly-Clark agreed to buy Kenvue in a mix of cash and stock, offering Kenvue holders $3.50 per share in cash plus 0.14625 Kimberly-Clark shares for each Kenvue share. Based on Kimberly-Clark’s latest share price, the package values Kenvue around $19.10 a share, which puts Kenvue stock trading at about a 3% discount. 2
Stocks showed no clear direction as Wall Street digested flat December U.S. retail sales, leaving traders on edge ahead of more economic numbers due this week. “The retail sales data that’s come out below expectations… (is) indicating that maybe the economy wasn’t as strong as people expected,” said Charlie Ripley, vice president of portfolio management at Allianz Investment Management, in a comment to Reuters. 3
Kenvue plans to release both its quarterly and full-year 2025 earnings after the bell on Feb. 17. With a transaction still pending, the company isn’t scheduling its usual quarterly call. 4
The dividend lands soon. Kenvue’s board has approved a quarterly payout of $0.2075 a share, set for distribution on Feb. 25 to those holding shares at the close on Feb. 11. 1
Both companies reported that shareholders gave the green light to the necessary proposals back in January. The deal now heads for regulatory review and other standard hurdles, with closing eyed for the second half of 2026. Kenvue CEO Kirk Perry sounded upbeat, saying the company is “progress[ing] toward completing the transaction later this year.” 5
Jefferies took Kenvue down to “Hold” following the vote, trimming its price target to $18. Analysts pointed out the shares were hovering near the implied offer value, and litigation risk still looms. 6
Kenvue moved higher, with other defensive household stocks like Procter & Gamble also edging up. Johnson & Johnson barely budged. The consumer staples ETF slipped a bit.
The gap persists for good reason. Delays in regulatory sign-off, a move in Kimberly-Clark’s stock, or new legal trouble tied to Kenvue products could all push the discount wider in a hurry—even if both sides are still aiming for a second-half finish. 7
The immediate focus for traders: Wednesday’s dividend record date, followed by Kenvue’s Feb. 17 results. Investors are hunting for whatever the company shares about performance and progress toward closing.
