Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s revenue slid less than Wall Street expected in the third quarter, while profit came in above forecasts despite the continued impact of currency volatility.

The Dallas-based company lifted the bottom end of its earnings guidance for the year by 5 cents a share, to a range of $5.70 to $5.80 a share.

But the maker of Huggies diapers, Kleenex tissue and Scott toilet paper said it now sees currency cutting 10% to 11% off sales for the year, compared with its previous guidance for a 10% impact.

Excluding currency rates, Kimberly-Clark expects organic sales to be up 4% to 5%, compared with its previous call for 3% to 5% growth.

Kimberly-Clark has said it is trying to raise prices in some countries to make up for the currency impacts.

In the third quarter, organic sales—which exclude acquisitions, divestments and the effect of currency moves—grew 5%, driven by growth in developing and emerging markets and an improvement in the company's North American personal-care business.

In all, Kimberly-Clark reported a profit of $517 million, or $1.41 a share, down from $562 million, or $1.50 a share, a year earlier.

Excluding special items, per-share earnings ticked up to $1.51 from $1.50 a year earlier, helped by fewer shares outstanding.

Sales fell 6.7% to $4.72 billion.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters forecast $1.49 a share in earnings on $4.68 billion in revenue.

In the U.S., Kimberly-Clark has struggled over the past year to claw back market share in Huggies diapers, which have lost ground to Procter & Gamble Co.'s Pampers and Luvs brands.

The company's adult-incontinence products, sold under the Depend and Poise brands, also have been under assault from P&G, which last year re-entered the incontinence business

In the latest quarter, sales at Kimberly Clark's personal-care segment, which includes both baby and adult diapers, slid 5% to $2.4 billion, as a 13% currency impact offset 7% volume growth.

Sales at the consumer-tissue segment, which includes Cottonelle and Kleenex, fell 10% to $1.5 billion. An 11% currency impact offset 2% volume growth.

Write to Chelsey Dulaney at Chelsey.Dulaney@wsj.com

 

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 21, 2015 09:05 ET (13:05 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2015 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Kimberly Clark (NYSE:KMB)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024 Click Here for more Kimberly Clark Charts.
Kimberly Clark (NYSE:KMB)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024 Click Here for more Kimberly Clark Charts.