Kimberly-Clark Shares Demonstrate Resilience as Defensive Stocks Gain Attention Again
New Investment by Gilman Hill Asset Management: The firm disclosed a new stake in Kimberly-Clark Corporation, acquiring 79,790 shares valued at approximately $9.92 million, which represents 1.55% of its total assets under management as of September 30, 2025.
Performance of Kimberly-Clark: As of October 14, 2025, Kimberly-Clark's shares were priced at $120.17, reflecting a 16.28% decline over the year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 26.6 percentage points.
Stability in Consumer Defensive Sector: Kimberly-Clark, known for its essential personal care and tissue products, is seen as a stable investment option due to its consistent cash flow and strong brand presence, even amid economic fluctuations.
Market Trends and Investment Strategy: Gilman Hill's investment in Kimberly-Clark indicates a strategic shift towards stability in portfolios, focusing on companies that provide consistent revenue and dividend growth, particularly in the consumer defensive sector.
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- Record Performance: Hercules Capital achieved total investment income of $137.4 million and net investment income of $87 million in Q4 2025, reflecting strong profitability amidst market volatility and a solid operational foundation.
- Portfolio Expansion: The company set a new record with nearly $4 billion in originations for 2025, while assets under management surpassed $5.7 billion, marking over a 20% year-over-year increase, indicating enhanced competitiveness in the capital markets.
- Stable Dividend Policy: Despite market fluctuations, Hercules Capital maintained a quarterly base distribution of $0.40 per share with a 120% coverage ratio, demonstrating a commitment to shareholder returns and financial stability.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Management anticipates a robust new business environment in 2026, particularly in strategic M&A and capital markets activities, reflecting ongoing confidence and investment in supporting the innovation economy.
- Record Financing Commitments: Hercules Capital achieved record total debt and equity commitments of $1.06 billion in Q4 2025, driving nearly $4 billion in annual commitments, showcasing the company's strong financing capabilities and growth potential amid market volatility.
- Investment Income Growth: Total investment income reached $532.5 million in 2025, a 7.9% year-over-year increase, while net investment income stood at $341.7 million, up 4.9%, indicating sustained profitability in a stable credit environment.
- Shareholder Distribution Plan: Despite challenges from declining interest rates, Hercules Capital achieved a 120% coverage of its quarterly base distribution in Q4, maintaining a $0.40 per share base distribution and announcing a $0.07 supplemental distribution for 2026, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to shareholders.
- Asset Management Scale Expansion: Hercules Capital's assets under management exceeded $5.7 billion at the end of 2025, a 20.5% increase, reflecting strong performance in the private credit market and proactive positioning for future market opportunities.
- Earnings Beat: Hercules Capital (HTGC) reported Q4 net investment income of $0.48 per share, slightly above the analyst estimate of $0.49, although it declined from Q3 and the same quarter last year, indicating the company's resilience in maintaining profitability amid challenges.
- Investment Income Fluctuation: Total investment income reached $137.4 million, missing the $141.6 million consensus, and fell from $138.1 million in the previous quarter, yet increased from $121.8 million year-over-year, reflecting the company's resilience in a volatile market.
- Debt Repayment Record: During the quarter, Hercules Capital realized early loan repayments of $149.7 million, along with normal amortization of $19.5 million, resulting in total debt repayments of $169.2 million, showcasing the company's effectiveness in debt management.
- Record New Commitments: The company originated gross new debt and equity commitments totaling $1.06 billion, a record increase of 71% year-over-year, while gross new fundings totaled $522.3 million, indicating Hercules Capital's strong position and growth potential in the venture lending market.
- Debt and Equity Commitment Growth: Hercules Capital reported total gross debt and equity commitments of $1.06 billion in Q4 2025, reflecting a robust year-over-year increase of 70.8%, indicating strong performance in capital markets and enhanced financing capabilities.
- Strong Earnings Coverage: The company achieved a net investment income (NII) of $0.48 per share for Q4 2025, providing a 120% coverage of the base cash distribution, demonstrating solid profitability and the ability to consistently generate value for shareholders.
- Conservative Balance Sheet Management: Hercules Capital maintained a net leverage ratio of 101.8% and a net regulatory leverage ratio of 86.0%, showcasing a cautious approach to risk management that helps sustain stability amid market fluctuations.
- Liquidity and Distribution Plans: As of year-end, Hercules Capital had over $1.0 billion in available liquidity and announced a new supplemental cash distribution of $0.28 per share for 2026, payable over four quarters, further boosting investor confidence.
- Earnings Announcement: Hercules Capital is set to release its Q4 2023 earnings report on February 12th after market close, with consensus estimates predicting an EPS of $0.49 and revenue of $141.57 million, reflecting a 16.2% year-over-year growth.
- Earnings Estimate Adjustments: Over the last three months, EPS estimates have seen one upward revision with no downward adjustments, indicating strong market confidence in the company's profitability.
- Revenue Estimate Changes: Revenue estimates have experienced two upward revisions and no downward changes, suggesting analysts maintain an optimistic outlook on Hercules Capital's future performance, which could positively influence its stock price.
- Market Focus: As the earnings report approaches, investor anticipation for Hercules Capital's performance is high, particularly in the current market environment where BDCs are under close scrutiny.






