KMB · 10-Q · 2026Q3 · Full report

Operating Expense Trends

KIMBERLY CLARK CORP · 2026-11-05 · Importance 32 · Surprise 24

Marketing, research and general expenses included Kenvue acquisition-related costs of $106 million for the third quarter and $263 million for the first nine months of 2026. The filing attributes the quarterly decline in adjusted operating profit partly to lower marketing, research and general expenses. In North America, lower advertising spend helped increase operating profit by 2.7% in the quarter. In International Personal Care, lower advertising spend partly offset pricing, cost-inflation, and China-disruption headwinds to operating profit.