with brands such as Kleenex or Huggies diapers, has agreed to purchase , the equivalent of 34.72 billion euros, as reported by the companies in a statement.
of the home. The resulting company will be the second largest manufacturer in the sector in the world, surpassing Unilever and only behind Procter&Gamble.
The operation is a relief for Kenvue, owner of brands such as Neutrogena creams, Listerine mouthwash, Carefree intimate hygiene products or Johnson’s baby shampoo, which is going through a difficult time, with low valuation by investors and even receiving attacks from the president of the United States, Donald Trump.
following J&J’s largest restructuring in its 140-year history. Since then, it has lost 35% of its stock market value. In addition, the company is accusing in recent weeks of the blow inflicted by the Trump Administration. The White House accuses, without any evidence, one of its products, Tylenol, of being behind cases of autism. This drug is a popular brand of painkillers in the United States, whose active ingredient is paracetamol.
Last week the case escalated to court. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the company and J&J, alleging they concealed evidence linking Tylenol to autism. The lawsuit also claimed, without providing evidence, that Kenvue was created to protect Johnson & Johnson from legal liability related to Tylenol, according to reports. The New York Times. To date there is no single scientific evidence to support the Republicans’ accusations.
The operation represents a boost for Kimberly-Clark, which had lagged somewhat behind its rivals Unilever and Procter & Gamble. Kenvue has a popular portfolio of health and wellness products that will help strengthen Kimberly-Clark’s position in the lucrative consumer health market.
“We know that consumers are increasingly prioritizing health and well-being,” Kimberly-Clark CEO Mike Hsu said at a conference with investors. “Together, we will be the largest company dedicated exclusively to consumer health.”
But Kimberly-Clark has also been the source of extensive legal problems for Johnson & Johnson (J&J). The American consumer goods giant created a subsidiary in 2021 to try to encapsulate claims about the carcinogenic effects of talc. Although Kenvue no longer makes talc products and replaced them with a cornstarch-based formula, there are still some issues.
In any case, Kimberly-Clark’s move represents one of the largest corporate operations in the sector. The merger will create a company with revenues of $32 billion and expected synergies of about $2.1 billion.
The operation will be carried out with a cash portion and an exchange of shares, in one of the largest acquisitions in the sector. Kimberly-Clark values Kenvue at about $48.7 billion.
“Kimberly-Clark Corporation, a global leader in personal care, and Kenvue, a global leader in consumer health, today announced an agreement under which Kimberly-Clark will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Kenvue in a cash and stock transaction that .
Current Kimberly-Clark shareholders would own about 54% of the merged companies, while Kenvue shareholders would get the rest.
