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KMB vs. PEP: Kimberly-Clark vs. PepsiCo Stock Comparison

How do Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP) share the Consumer Staples sector but sit in different industry groups — KMB in Household & Personal Products and PEP in Food, Beverage & Tobacco.

Company profile comparison for Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP)
Profile ItemKMBPEP
NameKimberly-Clark CorporationPepsiCo, Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorConsumer StaplesConsumer Staples
GICS Industry GroupHousehold & Personal ProductsFood, Beverage & Tobacco
GICS IndustryHousehold ProductsBeverages
GICS Sub-IndustryHousehold ProductsSoft Drinks & Non-alcoholic Beverages
Market Capitalization66.54 billion USD192.61 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNasdaq
Listing DateMarch 17, 1980June 1, 1972
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

KMB
PEP
GSPC
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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP)
MetricKMBPEP
Total Return (1Y)13.15%4.03%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)1.74%-1.40%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)0.51%0.55%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

KMB
PEP
GSPC
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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP)
MetricKMBPEP
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)25.22%21.68%
Beta (5Y)0.240.30
Max Drawdown (5Y)-34.06%-30.32%
Avg. Volume (3M)4.78M8.86M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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KMB and PEP are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. Each dashed Capital Allocation Line uses that stock's own industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP)
MetricKMBPEP
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.35-0.01
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.53-0.02

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 78.38% and PepsiCo (PEP) at 52.19% turn shareholders’ equity into profit at rates above their industry benchmark ranges for ROE. That is a strong capital-efficiency signal, though leverage and the equity base still matter.

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

78.38%

KMB
78.38%
Max
42.18%
Q3
31.87%
Median
17.80%
Q1
9.28%
Min
-14.64%

PEP

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

52.19%

PEP
52.19%
Max
32.02%
Q3
16.61%
Median
10.05%
Q1
4.10%
Min
-10.50%
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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Net Margin (TTM)

Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 19.93% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of PepsiCo (PEP) at 11.09%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

19.93%

Max
23.47%
KMB
19.93%
Q3
12.19%
Median
8.50%
Q1
3.08%
Min
-9.74%

PEP

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

11.09%

Max
24.83%
Q3
11.22%
PEP
11.09%
Median
5.94%
Q1
2.05%
Min
-11.49%
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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 16.55% and PepsiCo (PEP) at 16.88% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

16.55%

Max
23.94%
Q3
17.03%
KMB
16.55%
Median
13.15%
Q1
10.58%
Min
1.87%

PEP

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

16.88%

Max
34.91%
Q3
17.57%
PEP
16.88%
Median
11.06%
Q1
4.15%
Min
-15.06%
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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP)
MetricKMBPEP
ROE (TTM)78.38%52.19%
ROA (TTM)10.37%9.02%
Net Margin (TTM)19.93%11.09%
Operating Margin (TTM)16.55%16.88%
Gross Margin (TTM)37.31%54.33%

Growth

Revenue Growth

PepsiCo (PEP) at 2.25% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at -2.13% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

PepsiCo (PEP) at -13.67% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at -19.60% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.

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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP)
MetricKMBPEP
Revenue Growth (YoY)-2.13%2.25%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)-6.58%2.83%
EPS Growth (YoY)-19.60%-13.67%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)1.94%-2.23%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 0.89 and PepsiCo (PEP) at 0.94 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

0.89

Max
4.26
Q3
2.82
Median
1.84
Q1
0.92
KMB
0.89
Min
0.65

PEP

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

0.94

Max
4.01
Q3
2.35
Median
1.53
Q1
1.02
PEP
0.94
Min
0.33
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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP): A comparison of their current ratio against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 2.12 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while PepsiCo (PEP) at 2.31 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

2.12

Max
2.30
KMB
2.12
Q3
2.12
Median
0.81
Q1
0.50
Min
0.01

PEP

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

2.31

PEP
2.31
Max
2.19
Q3
1.11
Median
0.68
Q1
0.33
Min
0.00
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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP)
MetricKMBPEP
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.890.94
Debt / Equity (MRQ)2.122.31
Net Debt / EBITDA1.312.12

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 4.62% and PepsiCo (PEP) at 4.07% offer top-quartile dividend income relative to share price within their industries.

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

4.62%

Max
5.00%
KMB
4.62%
Q3
2.47%
Median
1.30%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

PEP

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

4.07%

Max
9.38%
PEP
4.07%
Q3
3.77%
Median
1.76%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

PepsiCo (PEP) at 73.02% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 97.33% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

97.33%

Max
140.00%
KMB
97.33%
Q3
73.75%
Median
46.43%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

PEP

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

73.02%

Max
199.19%
Q3
81.03%
PEP
73.02%
Median
41.52%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP)
MetricKMBPEP
Dividend Yield (TTM)4.62%4.07%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)97.33%73.02%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 20.69 and PepsiCo (PEP) at 17.78 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

20.69

Max
37.57
Q3
33.54
KMB
20.69
Median
20.03
Q1
15.76
Min
6.45

PEP

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

17.78

Max
52.52
Q3
30.78
Median
18.76
PEP
17.78
Q1
12.77
Min
4.72
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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

PepsiCo (PEP) at 1.96 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 4.02 sits in the pricier quartile — KMB costs more per dollar of sales.

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

4.02

Max
4.36
KMB
4.02
Q3
3.57
Median
1.68
Q1
0.76
Min
0.30

PEP

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

1.96

Max
4.64
Q3
2.27
PEP
1.96
Median
1.17
Q1
0.52
Min
0.00
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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: Kimberly-Clark (KMB) at 12.30 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and PepsiCo (PEP) at 8.65 prices even higher, above its industry range.

KMB

Household & Personal Products industry group

12.30

KMB
12.30
Max
12.30
Q3
7.43
Median
3.44
Q1
1.30
Min
-3.91

PEP

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

8.65

PEP
8.65
Max
6.35
Q3
3.07
Median
1.58
Q1
0.82
Min
0.00
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Kimberly-Clark (KMB) vs. PepsiCo (PEP): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Household & Personal Products and Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and PepsiCo (PEP)
MetricKMBPEP
P/E Ratio (TTM)20.6917.78
P/S Ratio (TTM)4.021.96
P/B Ratio (MRQ)12.308.65
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)2.41%4.70%