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KMB or KR or PM
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. Kroger (KR) vs. Philip Morris International (PM) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- KMB shares have declined over 20% in the past six months amid slow revenue growth and analyst price target cuts, trading near 52-week lows around $96.
- KR leads year-to-date performance with gains near 19%, supported by strong Q4 results and investments in stores and fuel programs, with a market cap of about $45 billion.
- PM shows stable momentum with smoke-free products driving revenue, offering a 3.6% dividend yield and P/E ratio around 23, with a market cap exceeding $250 billion.
- All three consumer staples stocks provide defensive exposure, but KR and PM exhibit stronger relative momentum compared to KMB's recent weakness.
- Valuation contrasts highlight KMB at a lower forward P/E near 13x, while PM benefits from growth in non-combustible products.
- Recent market activity favors grocery and tobacco over personal care amid economic pressures on discretionary spending.
Introduction
This stock comparison examines KMB (Kimberly-Clark), KR (Kroger), and PM (Philip Morris International), three stalwarts in the consumer staples sector. These companies offer essential products—from personal care and hygiene to groceries and tobacco—making them attractive for defensive portfolios seeking stability amid market volatility. Traders focused on relative performance and investors eyeing dividends or growth in smoke-free alternatives will find value in analyzing their recent trajectories, valuations, and sector dynamics. This analysis draws on current market data to highlight contrasts in momentum, risks, and positioning.
KMB Overview and Recent Performance
Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB) is a global leader in personal care and consumer tissue products, including brands like Huggies diapers, Kleenex tissues, and Depend incontinence items. Operating in North America and internationally, the company focuses on nonwoven and absorbency technologies for baby care, feminine hygiene, and professional wipes. In recent market activity, KMB shares have faced downward pressure, declining over 20% in the past six months to around $96, near 52-week lows. This reflects challenges from slow revenue growth, rising capital intensity impacting free cash flow, and analyst caution, including a Deutsche Bank price target cut. Year-to-date returns lag at about -2%, underperforming broader indices, with sentiment weighed by softer quarterly results and competitive pressures in essentials.
KR Overview and Recent Performance
The Kroger Co. (KR) operates one of the largest U.S. grocery chains, with over 2,700 supermarkets, multi-department stores, and fuel centers under various banners. It offers fresh produce, pharmacy services, and private-label brands like Simple Truth, emphasizing e-commerce and customer loyalty programs. Recent performance has been robust, with shares up nearly 19% year-to-date to around $73, hitting 52-week highs. Q4 2025 results showed $34.7 billion in revenue, supported by store investments over $112 million and fuel incentives amid rising gas prices. Guidance for 2026 projects 1-2% identical sales growth excluding fuel, bolstering sentiment despite merger scrutiny and modest volume trends.
PM Overview and Recent Performance
Philip Morris International (PM) is a leading tobacco company shifting toward smoke-free products like IQOS heat-not-burn devices and Zyn nicotine pouches, sold in over 180 countries. Its portfolio includes traditional cigarettes alongside e-vapor and oral nicotine alternatives. In recent weeks, PM shares traded around $165, with year-to-date gains near 4% amid a monthly pullback from highs near $190. Strength stems from smoke-free revenues surpassing 40% of total, with 2026 guidance for 5-7% organic net revenue growth and 7-9% operating income expansion. Analysts maintain buy ratings, citing transformation progress despite regulatory risks.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
KMB, KR, and PM operate in resilient consumer staples but diverge in models: KMB's branded essentials face volume headwinds from private labels, while KR's retail network drives traffic via pricing and digital, and PM pivots to high-margin smoke-free growth. Recent momentum favors KR (19% YTD) over PM (4%) and laggard KMB (-2%), reflecting grocery resilience versus personal care softness. Risk factors include KMB's capex strain, KR's M&A (mergers and acquisitions) regulatory hurdles, and PM's litigation. Valuations show KMB cheapest at ~13x forward P/E, PM at 23x with superior growth, and KR elevated amid optimism. Sentiment tilts positive for transformation plays like PM, trading off KMB's stability for upside.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors KR for its consistent upward trend, strong YTD outperformance, and defensive grocery exposure with positive guidance. While PM offers compelling smoke-free catalysts and dividends, and KMB undervaluation, KR's relative momentum and stability position it probabilistically higher in the near term based on observable patterns.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
KMB’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whileKR’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s), and PM’s FA Score reflects 3 green FA rating(s).
- KMB’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- KR’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- PM’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
KMB’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while KR’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s), and PM’s TA Score reflects 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- KMB’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 3 bearish.
- KR’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- PM’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 3 bearish.
Price Growth
KMB (@Household/Personal Care) experienced а +1.60% price change this week, while KR (@Food Retail) price change was +0.29% , and PM (@Tobacco) price fluctuated -1.66% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Household/Personal Care industry was +0.96%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +3.95%, and the average quarterly price growth was -8.44%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Food Retail industry was +2.31%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +2.04%, and the average quarterly price growth was +3.08%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Tobacco industry was -1.34%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -0.47%, and the average quarterly price growth was -9.25%.
Reported Earning Dates
KMB is expected to report earnings on Apr 28, 2026.
KR is expected to report earnings on Jun 11, 2026.
PM is expected to report earnings on Apr 22, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Household/Personal Care (+0.96% weekly)Household/Personal Care companies sell products for home cleaning and/or personal hygiene and grooming purposes. Products of this industry include detergents, shampoos, soaps, cosmetics, fabric conditioners and infant care fragrances. Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Estee Lauder and Colgate-Palmolive are some of the biggest names in the business. A lot of the products become a necessary part of people’s daily routine, and therefore the industry is relatively less vulnerable to macroeconomic downturns. At the same time, product quality, consumer safety, and ease of use are extremely critical factors for a company to survive competition and earn recognition in this industry.
@Food Retail (+2.31% weekly)The food retail industry includes companies that sell food, beverage and household products. Items sold include grocery, gourmet food, fresh produce, and frozen food. Kroger Co., George Weston Ltd., Grocery Outlet Holding Corp., and Sprouts Farmers Markets, Inc. are examples of major food retailers. While e-commerce companies like Amazon have increasingly been ramping-up offerings in the food retail space, several traditional players have also been expanding their online presence to stand their ground against rising competition.
@Tobacco (-1.34% weekly)The industry is engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products like cigarettes. In 2017, tobacco companies spent an estimated $9.36 billion marketing cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in the U.S. – an amount that translates to more than $25 million each day (according to a CDC report). Philip Morris International Inc., Altria Group Inc., and British American Tobacco plc are some major cigar makers. In recent times, vaping or the use of e-cigarette (does not burn tobacco) is gaining momentum – several established cigarette makers are trying to expand their footprint in this new market.
| KMB | KR | PM | |
| Capitalization | 32.8B | 41.8B | 246B |
| EBITDA | 3.11B | 5.76B | 17.5B |
| Gain YTD | -0.822 | 9.686 | -0.749 |
| P/E Ratio | 20.34 | 44.28 | 21.72 |
| Revenue | 16.4B | 148B | 40.6B |
| Total Cash | 774M | 4.58B | N/A |
| Total Debt | 7.3B | 24.7B | 48.8B |
KMB | KR | PM | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 60 | 54 | 68 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 15 Undervalued | 55 Fair valued | 23 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 100 | 24 | 19 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 11 | 56 | 3 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 62 | 59 | 61 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 54 | 10 | 81 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
KMB's Valuation (15) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is in the same range as PM (23) in the Tobacco industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for KR (55) in the Food Retail industry. This means that KMB's stock grew similarly to PM’s and somewhat faster than KR’s over the last 12 months.
PM's Profit vs Risk Rating (19) in the Tobacco industry is in the same range as KR (24) in the Food Retail industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for KMB (100) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that PM's stock grew similarly to KR’s and significantly faster than KMB’s over the last 12 months.
PM's SMR Rating (3) in the Tobacco industry is in the same range as KMB (11) in the Household Or Personal Care industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for KR (56) in the Food Retail industry. This means that PM's stock grew similarly to KMB’s and somewhat faster than KR’s over the last 12 months.
KR's Price Growth Rating (59) in the Food Retail industry is in the same range as PM (61) in the Tobacco industry, and is in the same range as KMB (62) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that KR's stock grew similarly to PM’s and similarly to KMB’s over the last 12 months.
KR's P/E Growth Rating (10) in the Food Retail industry is somewhat better than the same rating for KMB (54) in the Household Or Personal Care industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for PM (81) in the Tobacco industry. This means that KR's stock grew somewhat faster than KMB’s and significantly faster than PM’s over the last 12 months.
| KMB | KR | PM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 43% | 2 days ago 57% | 2 days ago 68% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 40% | 2 days ago 66% | 2 days ago 55% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 47% | 2 days ago 49% | 2 days ago 48% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 54% | 2 days ago 54% | 2 days ago 55% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 43% | 2 days ago 62% | 2 days ago 50% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 46% | 2 days ago 53% | 2 days ago 51% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 42% | 2 days ago 57% | 10 days ago 57% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 48% | 4 days ago 46% | 3 days ago 48% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 48% | 2 days ago 57% | N/A |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 45% | 2 days ago 44% | 2 days ago 34% |
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KMB and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, KMB has been loosely correlated with CL. These tickers have moved in lockstep 53% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if KMB jumps, then CL could also see price increases.