Lower Commodity Costs Help Kimberly-Clark In 3Q

NEW YORK (AP) — Consumer products company Kimberly-Clark Corp. will report third-quarter results on Thursday before the market opens. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst commentary for the period ending Sept. 30.

OVERVIEW: Declining prices for commodities, such as resin (a plastic) and pulp, have been a boon for Kimberly-Clark, which makes Huggies diapers and Kleenex tissues. The company raised prices last year to cover higher commodity costs.

Kimberly-Clark will also likely benefit from continued swine flu concerns, as worried consumers likely stocked up on items made by Kimberly-Clark, such as face masks.

Another positive for Kimberly-Clark is its presence in fast-growing emerging markets.

Meanwhile, the company has previously said that shoppers were only buying what they needed right away, but with the economy recently showing signs of life, consumers may have begun to stock their pantries again.

BY THE NUMBERS: Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect Kimberly-Clark to report earnings of $1.14 per share and sales of $4.85 billion.