KMB US Equity☆

kmb-20201231

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

☒Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

☐Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission File Number 1-225

KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

P.O. Box 619100

Dallas, TX

75261-9100

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (972) 281-1200

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock-$1.25 par value KMB New York Stock Exchange

0.625% Notes due 2024 KMB24 New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes☒No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐No☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes☒No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes☒No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer ☒ Accelerated filer ☐ Emerging growth company ☐

Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐No ☒

The aggregate market value of the registrant's common stock held by non-affiliates on June 30, 2020 (based on closing stock price on the New York Stock Exchange as of such date) was approximately $48.2 billion.

As of January 29, 2021, there were 338,363,924 shares of Kimberly-Clark common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Certain information contained in the definitive Proxy Statement for Kimberly-Clark's Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on April 29, 2021 is incorporated by reference into Part III.

KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Part I

Item 1. Business 1

Item 1A. Risk Factors 3

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 7

Item 2. Properties 7

Item 3. Legal Proceedings 7

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 8

Information About Our Executive Officers 8

Part II

Item 6. Selected Financial Data 11

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 25

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 27

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 62

Item 9B. Other Information 63

Part III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 64

Item 11. Executive Compensation 64

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 64

Part IV

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 65

Signatures 68

KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION - 2020 Annual Report

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Kimberly-Clark Corporation was incorporated in Delaware in 1928. We are a global company focused on leading the world in essentials for a better life through product innovation and building our personal care, consumer tissue and K-C Professional brands. We are principally engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of a wide range of products mostly made from natural or synthetic fibers using advanced technologies in fibers, nonwovens and absorbency. Unless the context indicates otherwise, the terms "Corporation," "Kimberly-Clark," "K-C," "we," "our" and "us" refer to Kimberly-Clark Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries.

Dollar amounts are reported in millions, except per share dollar amounts, unless otherwise noted.

Description of Kimberly-Clark

We are organized into operating segments based on product groupings. These operating segments have been aggregated into three reportable global business segments as follows:

•Personal Care brands offer our consumers a trusted partner in caring for themselves and their families by delivering confidence, protection and discretion through a wide variety of innovative solutions and products such as disposable diapers, training and youth pants, swimpants, baby wipes, feminine and incontinence care products, and other related products. Products in this segment are sold under the Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, DryNites, Sweety, Kotex, U by Kotex, Intimus, Depend, Plenitud, Softex, Poise and other brand names.

•Consumer Tissue offers a wide variety of innovative solutions and trusted brands that responsibly improve everyday living for families around the world. Products in this segment include facial and bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins and related products, and are sold under the Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, Viva, Andrex, Scottex, Neve and other brand names.

•K-C Professional partners with businesses to create Exceptional Workplaces, helping to make them healthier, safer and more productive through a range of solutions and supporting products such as wipers, tissue, towels, apparel, soaps and sanitizers. Our brands, including Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech and KleenGuard are well known for quality and trusted to help people around the world work better.

These reportable segments were determined in accordance with how our chief operating decision maker and our executive managers develop and execute our global strategies to drive growth and profitability of our personal care, consumer tissue and K-C Professional operations. These strategies include global plans for branding and product positioning, technology, research and development programs, cost reductions including supply chain management and capacity, and capital investments for each of these businesses.

Products for household use are sold directly to supermarkets, mass merchandisers, drugstores, warehouse clubs, variety and department stores and other retail outlets, as well as through other distributors and e-commerce. Products for away-from-home use are sold through distributors, directly to manufacturing, lodging, office building, food service, and high-volume public facilities, and through e-commerce.

Net sales to Walmart Inc. as a percent of our consolidated net sales were approximately 15 percent in 2020 and 14 percent in 2019 and 2018, respectively. Net sales to Walmart Inc. were primarily in the Personal Care and Consumer Tissue segments.

On October 1, 2020, we acquired Softex Indonesia, a leader in the fast-growing Indonesian personal care market, in an all-cash transaction for approximately $1.2 billion. This transaction significantly expands our presence in an important developing and emerging market and is a strong strategic fit with our core business. Softex Indonesia generated net sales of approximately $420 in 2019. We financed the transaction through a combination of short-term commercial paper, cash on hand, and the issuance of a $600 bond. See Item 8, Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for details.

Patents and Trademarks

We own various patents and trademarks registered domestically and in many foreign countries. We consider the patents and trademarks that we own and the trademarks under which we sell certain of our products to be material to our business. Consequently, we seek patent and trademark protection by all available means, including registration.

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Raw Materials

Cellulose fiber, in the form of kraft pulp or fiber recycled from recovered waste paper, is the primary raw material for our tissue products, and in the form of fluff pulp is a component of disposable diapers, training and youth pants, feminine pads and incontinence care products.

Polypropylene and other synthetics and chemicals are the primary raw materials for manufacturing nonwoven fabrics, which are used in disposable diapers, training and youth pants, wet wipes, feminine pads, incontinence care products, and away-from-home wipers and apparel. Superabsorbent materials are important components of disposable diapers, training and youth pants and incontinence care products.

Raw materials are purchased from third parties, and we consider the supply to be adequate to meet the needs of our businesses. See Item 1A, "Risk Factors."

Competition

We have several major competitors in most of our markets, some of which are larger and more diversified than us. The principal methods and elements of competition include brand recognition and loyalty, product innovation, quality and performance, price, and marketing and distribution capabilities. For additional discussion of the competitive environment in which we conduct our business, see Item 1A, "Risk Factors."

Foreign Market Risks

We operate and market our products globally, and our business strategy includes targeted growth in Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with a particular emphasis in Latin America, China, Eastern Europe and ASEAN. See Item 1A, "Risk Factors" for a discussion of foreign market risks that may affect our financial results.

Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability

Our continued commitment to doing the right thing underpins our social impact and smallest footprint ambitions. Making lives better begins with ensuring the health and safety of our customers, consumers, and employees, promoting diversity and inclusion within our business, and protecting the rights of workers across our supply chain. We also believe we can make meaningful contributions to gender equality, clean water and sanitation, climate action and responsible consumption and production. Our sustainability strategy puts our brand and innovation teams to work to create shared value by solving global challenges and is focused on addressing key sustainability impacts and opportunities throughout our value chain.

We implement this strategy by integrating sustainability objectives into our business and capital planning processes, aligning the priorities of our supply chain, brand and innovation teams, and establishing meaningful performance indicators. Our environmental priorities include reducing our use of new fossil fuel-based plastic, while enabling circular systems to recover the materials in our products and packaging; reducing our products’ forest carbon footprint, while protecting forest biodiversity and supporting forest dependent communities; reducing greenhouse gas emissions along our value chain, in line with climate science; and building resilience to water risk at our facilities and in our communities. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals are now accepted as the best shared definition of what needs to be done over the next decade, and we have aligned our goals with that framework.

Regulatory Compliance

We are subject to many laws and regulations across all the countries in which we do business, and we are particularly impacted by those relating to product safety, environmental protection and data privacy and protection.

We are obligated to comply with regulations that cover product safety, efficacy, manufacturing, advertising, labeling and safety reporting. These include requirements that we provide a label that highlights perceived concerns about a product or warns consumers of risks of using our products. In some cases, it may be necessary to initiate product recalls if safety risks are considered to exist. All our facilities and other operations are subject to various environmental protection statutes and regulations, including those relating to the use of water resources and the discharge of wastewater. We are also subject to various laws and regulations related to data privacy and protection, including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation and the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, which became effective on January 1, 2020.

Our policy is to abide by all applicable laws and regulations, and we have internal programs in place to manage global compliance with these various requirements. We monitor each of these areas for new or changed regulatory requirements,

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particularly in the rapidly evolving area of data privacy and protection. We have made, and plan to continue making, necessary expenditures for compliance with applicable laws and regulations; however, total capital expenditures and operating expenses related to compliance are not expected to have a material effect on our total capital and operating expenditures, consolidated earnings or competitive position.

Employees

We had approximately 46,000 employees as of December 31, 2020 in our consolidated operations. Approximately 30 percent of our employees were located in North America and the remainder were in more than 65 countries outside of North America. Overall, approximately 60 percent of our workforce was directly involved in manufacturing and distribution operations. We are committed to workforce diversity and inclusion and continue to make progress on goals for women in senior roles globally and ethnic minorities in senior roles in the United States.

Available Information

We make financial information, news releases and other information available on our corporate website at www.kimberly-clark.com. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are available free of charge on this website as soon as reasonably practicable after we file these reports and amendments with, or furnish them to, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The information contained on or connected to our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K and should not be considered part of this or any other report filed with the SEC. Stockholders may also contact Stockholder Services, P.O. Box 612606, Dallas, Texas 75261-2606 or call 972-281-5317 to obtain a hard copy of these reports without charge.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Our business faces many risks and uncertainties that we cannot control. Any of the risks discussed below, as well as factors described in other places in this Form 10-K, or in our other filings with the SEC, could adversely affect our business, consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In addition, these items could cause our future results to differ from those in any of our forward-looking statements. These risks are not the only ones we face. Other risks that we do not presently know about or that we presently believe are not material could also adversely affect us.

Business Operations

We face various risks related to health epidemics, pandemics and similar outbreaks, which may have material adverse effects on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Our business and financial results may be negatively impacted by health epidemics, pandemics and similar outbreaks. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could have negative impacts on our business, including causing significant volatility in demand for our products, changes in consumer behavior and preference, disruptions in our manufacturing and supply chain operations, disruptions to our cost saving programs and restructuring initiatives, limitations on our employees’ability to work and travel, significant changes in the economic or political conditions in markets in which we operate and related currency and commodity volatility. Despite our efforts to manage these impacts, their ultimate impact also depends on factors beyond our knowledge or control, including the duration and severity of any such outbreak and actions taken to contain its spread and mitigate its public health effects.

Cyber-attacks, privacy breaches, data breaches or a failure of key information technology systems could disrupt our business operations and cause us financial and reputational damage.

Increased cyber-security threats and computer crime pose a potential risk to the security of our information technology systems, including those of third-party service providers with whom we have contracted, as well as the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the data stored on those systems. Further, data privacy is subject to frequently changing rules and regulations regarding the handling of personal data, such as the General Data Protection Regulation and the California Consumer Privacy Act. Any breach in our information technology security systems could result in the disclosure or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, including sensitive customer, supplier, employee or investor information maintained in the ordinary course of our business. Any such event, or any failure to comply with these data privacy requirements or other laws in this area, could cause damage to our reputation, loss of valuable information or loss of revenue and could result in legal liability, or regulatory or other penalties. In addition, we may incur large expenditures to investigate or remediate, to recover data, to repair or replace networks or information systems, or to protect against similar future events.

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Our information technology systems, some of which are dependent on services provided by third parties, serve an important role in the efficient and effective operation and administration of our business. These systems could be damaged or cease to function properly due to any number of causes, such as catastrophic events, power outages, security breaches, computer viruses or cyber-based attacks. The risk of cyber-based attacks is heightened with many of our employees working and accessing our technology infrastructure remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have contingency plans in place to prevent or mitigate the impact of these events, if they were to occur and our disaster recovery plans do not effectively address the issues on a timely basis, we could suffer interruptions in our ability to manage our operations, which may adversely affect our business and financial results.

Significant increases in prices for raw materials, energy, transportation or other necessary supplies or services, without corresponding increases in our selling prices, could adversely affect our financial results.

Increases in the cost and availability of raw materials, including pulp and petroleum-based materials, the cost of energy, transportation and other necessary services, supplier constraints, supplier consolidation which could limit our sources of supply for these items, an inability to maintain favorable supplier arrangements and relations or an inability to avoid disruptions in production output could have an adverse effect on our financial results.

Cellulose fiber, in the form of kraft pulp or recycled fiber from recovered waste paper, is used extensively in our tissue products and is subject to significant price fluctuations. Cellulose fiber, in the form of fluff pulp, is a key component in our personal care products. In past years, pulp prices have experienced significant volatility. Increases in pulp prices or limits in the availability of recycled fiber could adversely affect our earnings if selling prices for our finished products are not adjusted or if these adjustments significantly trail the increases in pulp prices. In some instances, we utilize negotiated short-term contract structures to reduce pulp price volatility, but we have not used derivative instruments to manage these risks.

A number of our products, such as diapers, training and youth pants, feminine pads, incontinence care products and disposable wipes, contain certain materials that are principally derived from petroleum. These materials are subject to price fluctuations based on changes in petroleum prices, availability and other factors, with these prices experiencing significant volatility in recent years. We purchase these materials from a number of suppliers. Significant increases in prices for these materials could adversely affect our earnings if selling prices for our finished products are not adjusted, if these adjustments significantly trail the increases in prices for these materials, or if we do not utilize lower priced substitutes for these materials.

Our manufacturing operations utilize electricity, natural gas and petroleum-based fuels. To ensure we use all forms of energy efficiently and cost-effectively, we maintain energy efficiency improvement programs at our manufacturing sites. Our contracts with energy suppliers vary as to price, payment terms, quantities and duration. Our energy costs are also affected by various market factors including the availability of supplies of particular forms of energy, energy prices and local and national regulatory decisions (including actions taken to address climate change and related market responses). There can be no assurance that we will be fully protected against substantial changes in the price or availability of energy sources.

There can be no assurance that our efforts to increase selling prices in response to increased costs will be successful.

Our international operations are subject to foreign market risks, including changes in foreign currency exchange rates, currency restrictions and political, social and economic instability, which may adversely affect our financial results.

Our strategy includes operations growth outside the U.S., especially in developing markets such as China, Eastern Europe, ASEAN and Latin America. About half of our net sales come from markets outside the U.S. We and our equity companies have manufacturing facilities in 34 countries and sell products in a substantial majority of countries around the world. Our results may be substantially affected by a number of foreign market risks:

•Exposure to the movement of various currencies against each other and the U.S. dollar. A portion of the exposures, arising from transactions and commitments denominated in non-local currencies, is systematically managed through foreign currency forward and swap contracts where available and economically advantageous. We do not generally hedge our income statement translation exposure with respect to foreign operations.

•Increases in currency exchange restrictions. These restrictions could limit our ability to repatriate earnings from outside the U.S. or obtain currency exchange for U.S. dollar inputs to continue operating in certain countries.

•Adverse political conditions. Risks related to political instability, expropriation, new or revised legal or regulatory constraints, difficulties in enforcing contractual and intellectual property rights, and potentially adverse tax

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consequences, including the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit) and the related ongoing negotiations with the European Union, could adversely affect our financial results.

•Increases in dollar-based input costs for operations outside the U.S. due to weaker foreign exchange rates versus the U.S. dollar. There can be no assurance that we will be protected against substantial foreign currency fluctuations.

The inability to effectively manage foreign market risk could adversely affect our business, consolidated financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. See Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") and Item 8, Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for information regarding our adoption of highly inflationary accounting in Argentina.

Damage to the reputation of Kimberly-Clark or to one or more of our brands could adversely affect our business.

Developing and maintaining our reputation, as well as the reputation of our brands, is a critical factor in our relationship with consumers, customers, suppliers and others. Our inability to address adverse publicity or other issues, including concerns about product safety, quality, efficacy, environmental impacts (including packaging, energy and water use and waste management), inclusion and diversity, human rights and other sustainability or similar matters, or breaches of consumer, customer, supplier, employee or other confidential information, real or perceived, could negatively impact sentiment towards us and our products and brands, and our business and financial results could suffer. In addition, our products could face withdrawal, recall or other quality issues. Consumers increasing use and reliance on social media for information could increase the risk of adverse publicity, potentially with negative perception of our products or brands. Our business and results could also be negatively impacted by the effects of product-related litigation, allegations of product tampering or contamination, or the distribution and sale of counterfeit products.

Disruption in our supply chain or our manufacturing or distribution operations could adversely affect our business.

Our ability to manufacture, distribute and sell products is critical to our operations. These activities are subject to inherent risks such as natural disasters, power outages, fires or explosions, labor strikes, terrorism, epidemics, pandemics (including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic), import restrictions, regional economic, business, environmental or political events, governmental regulatory requirements or nongovernmental voluntary actions in response to global climate change or other concerns regarding the sustainability of our business, which could disrupt our supply chain and impair our ability to manufacture or sell our products. This interruption, if not mitigated in advance or otherwise effectively managed, could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as require additional resources to address.

In addition, third parties manufacture some of our products and provide certain administrative services. Disruptions or delays at these third-party manufacturers or service providers due to the reasons above or the failure of these manufacturers or service providers to otherwise satisfactorily perform, could adversely impact our operations, sales, payments to our suppliers, employees, and others, and our ability to report financial and management information on a timely and accurate basis.

There is no guarantee that our ongoing efforts to reduce costs will be successful.

We continue to implement plans to improve our competitive position by achieving cost reductions in our operations, including implementing restructuring programs in functions or areas of our business where we believe such opportunities exist. In January 2018, we announced a global restructuring program. The 2018 Global Restructuring Program will reduce our structural cost base by streamlining and simplifying our manufacturing supply chain and overhead organization. In addition, we expect ongoing cost savings from our continuous improvement activities. We anticipate these cost savings will result from reducing material costs and manufacturing waste and realizing productivity gains, distribution efficiencies and overhead reductions in each of our business segments and in our corporate functions. Any negative impact these plans have on our relationships with employees, suppliers or customers or any failure to generate the anticipated efficiencies and savings could adversely affect our financial results.

We may acquire or divest product lines or businesses, which could impact our results.

We may pursue acquisitions of product lines or businesses from third parties, including our recent acquisition of Softex Indonesia. Acquisitions involve numerous risks, including difficulties in the assimilation of the operations, technologies, services and products of the acquired product lines or businesses, estimation and assumption of liabilities and contingencies, personnel turnover and the diversion of management's attention from other business concerns. We may be unable to successfully integrate and manage product lines or businesses that we may acquire in the future, or be unable to achieve anticipated benefits or cost savings from acquisitions in the timeframe we anticipate, or at all.

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We may periodically divest product lines or businesses. These divestitures may adversely impact our results if we are unable to offset the dilutive impacts from the loss of revenue associated with the divested products or businesses, or mitigate overhead costs allocated to those businesses. Furthermore, the divestitures could adversely affect our ongoing business operations, including by enhancing our competitors' positions or reducing consumer confidence in our ongoing brands and products.

The inability to effectively and efficiently manage acquisitions and divestitures with the results we expect or in the timeframe we anticipate could adversely affect our business, consolidated financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

Marketing and Competition

Increasing dependence on key retailers in Developed Markets and the emergence of new sales channels may adversely affect our business.

Our products are sold in a highly competitive global marketplace, which continues to experience increased concentration and the growing presence of large-format retailers, discounters and e-tailers. With the consolidation of retail trade, both traditional retailers and e-tailers, we are increasingly dependent on key customers, and some of these customers, including large-format retailers and large e-tailers, may have significant bargaining power. They may use this leverage to demand higher trade discounts or allowances which could lead to reduced profitability. We may also be negatively affected by changes in the policies of our retail trade customers, such as inventory destocking, limitations on access to shelf space, delisting of our products, additional requirements related to safety, environmental, social and other sustainability issues, and other conditions. If we lose a significant customer or if sales of our products to a significant customer materially decrease, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Intense competition for sales of our products, changes in consumer purchasing patterns and the inability to innovate or market our products effectively could have an adverse effect on our financial results.

We operate in highly competitive domestic and international markets against well-known, branded products and low-cost or private label products. Inherent risks in our competitive strategy include uncertainties concerning trade and consumer acceptance, the effects of consolidation within retailer and distribution channels, a growing e-commerce marketplace, and customers' and competitors' actions. Our competitors for these markets include global, regional and local manufacturers, including private label manufacturers. Some of these competitors may have better access to financial resources and greater market penetration, which enable them to offer a wider variety of products and services at more competitive prices. Alternatively, some of these competitors may have significantly lower product development and manufacturing costs, particularly with respect to private label products, allowing them to offer products at a lower price. E-commerce potentially intensifies competition by simplifying distribution and lowering barriers to entry. The actions of these competitors could adversely affect our financial results. It may be necessary for us to lower prices on our products and increase spending on advertising and promotions, which could adversely affect our financial results.

We may be unable to anticipate or adequately respond to changes in consumer demand for our products. Demand for our products may change based on many factors, including shifting consumer purchasing patterns to lower cost options such as private-label products and mid to lower-tier value products, low birth rates in certain countries due to slow economic growth or other factors, negative consumer response to pricing actions, consumer shifts in distribution from traditional retailers to e-tailers, changing consumer preferences due to increased concerns in regard to post-consumer waste and packaging materials and their impact on environmental sustainability, or other changes in consumer trends or habits. If we experience lower sales due to changes in consumer demand for our products, our earnings could decrease.

Our ability to develop new products is affected by whether we can successfully anticipate consumer needs and preferences, develop and fund technological innovations, and receive and maintain necessary patent and trademark protection. In addition, we incur substantial development and marketing costs in introducing new and improved products and technologies. The introduction of a new consumer product (whether improved or newly developed) usually requires substantial expenditures for advertising and marketing to gain recognition in the marketplace. If a product gains consumer acceptance, it normally requires continued advertising and promotional support to maintain its relative market position. Some of our competitors may spend more aggressively on advertising and promotional activities, introduce competing products more quickly and respond more effectively to changing business and economic conditions. We may not be successful in developing new or improved products and technologies necessary to compete successfully in the industry, and we may not be successful in advertising, marketing, timely launching and selling our products. Also, if we fail to perfect or successfully assert our intellectual property rights, we may be less competitive, which could adversely affect our business, financial results and financial condition.

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Legal and Regulatory

Government regulations and enforcement, and potential litigation, could have an adverse effect on our financial results.

As a global company, we are subject to many laws and governmental regulations across all of the countries in which we do business, including laws and regulations involving marketing, antitrust, anti-bribery or anti-corruption, product liability, environmental, intellectual property or other matters, as well as potential litigation or administrative actions.

If we are unable to comply with all laws and regulations, it could negatively impact our reputation and our business results. We cannot provide assurance that our internal control policies and procedures, and ethics and compliance program will always protect us from acts committed by our employees or agents. While it is our policy and practice to comply with all legal and regulatory requirements applicable to our business, a finding that we are in violation of, or out of compliance with, applicable laws or regulations could subject us to civil remedies, including fines, damages, injunctions or product recalls, or criminal sanctions, any of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Even if a claim is unsuccessful, is without merit or is not fully pursued, the negative publicity surrounding such assertions regarding our products, processes or business practices could adversely affect our reputation and brand image.

In addition, new or revised laws or regulations may alter the environment in which we do business, including in connection with Brexit, which could adversely impact our financial results. For example, new legislation or regulations may result in increased costs to us, directly for our compliance, or indirectly to the extent suppliers increase prices of goods and services because of increased compliance costs, excise taxes or reduced availability of raw materials.

New or revised tax regulations could have an adverse effect on our financial results.

We are subject to income tax requirements in various jurisdictions in the U.S. and internationally. Many of these jurisdictions have made changes to their tax policies, including tax reform in the U.S. that was enacted in December 2017. Other jurisdictions are contemplating changes or have unpredictable enforcement activity. Increases in applicable tax rates, implementation of new taxes, changes in applicable tax laws and interpretations of these tax laws and actions by tax authorities in jurisdictions in which we operate could reduce our after tax income and have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

As of December 31, 2020, we own or lease:

•our principal executive office located in the Dallas, Texas metropolitan area;

•four operating segment and geographic headquarters at two U.S. and two international locations; and

•four global business service centers at one U.S. and three international locations.

The locations of our and our equity affiliates' principal production facilities by major geographic areas of the world are as follows:

Geographic Area: Number ofFacilities

North America (in 14 states in the U.S.) 30

Outside North America 54

Total (in 34 countries) 84

Many of these facilities produce multiple products, some across multiple segments. Consumer tissue and K-C Professional products are produced in 49 facilities and personal care products are produced in 49 facilities. We believe that our and our equity affiliates' facilities are suitable for their purpose, adequate to support their businesses and well maintained.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

See Item 8, Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements, which is incorporated in this Item 3 by reference, for information on legal proceedings.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The names and ages of our executive officers as of February 11, 2021, together with certain biographical information, are as follows:

Gustavo L. Ghory, 62, was elected Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer in June 2020. He is responsible for procurement, manufacturing, logistics, quality, safety and sustainability. Mr. Ghory joined Kimberly-Clark from SmarterChains, a technology company focused on creating agile operations for manufacturers, where he served as Chairman and Co-Founder since 2017. Mr. Ghory joined SmarterChains from The Procter & Gamble Company, where he served in multiple roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as Vice President Product Supply - Global Manufacturing.

Maria Henry, 54, was electedSenior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2015. Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark, Ms. Henry served as Chief Financial Officer of Hillshire Brands Company from 2012 to 2014, and Chief Financial Officer of Sara Lee Corporation’s North America Retail and Food Service business from 2011 to 2012. Prior to joining Sara Lee (the predecessor to Hillshire Brands) in 2011, Ms. Henry was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Culligan International, where she was responsible for finance, strategy, business development and information technology. Before Culligan, Ms. Henry served as Chief Financial Officer of Vastera, Inc. She began her career at General Electric. She also serves on the board of directors of General Mills, Inc.

Michael D. Hsu, 56, has served as Chairman of the Board since January 2020 and as Chief Executive Officer since January 2019. Prior to that, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer since 2017, where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of our business units, along with our global innovation, marketing and supply chain functions. He served as Group President, K-C North America from 2013 to 2016, where he was responsible for our consumer business in North America, as well as leading the development of new business strategies for global nonwovens. From 2012 to 2013, his title was Group President, North America Consumer Products. He has been a director of Kimberly-Clark since2017. Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark, Mr. Hsu served as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Kraft Foods, Inc., from January 2012 to July 2012, as President of Sales, Customer Marketing and Logistics from 2010 to 2012 and as President of its grocery business unit from 2008 to 2010. Prior to that, Mr. Hsu served as President and Chief Operating Officer, Foodservice at H. J. Heinz Company. He also serves on the board of directors of Texas Instruments Incorporated.

Sandra R.A. Karrmann, 55, was elected Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer in October 2020. She is responsible for the design and implementation of all human capital strategies for Kimberly-Clark, including global compensation and benefits, talent management, diversity and inclusion, organizational effectiveness and labor/employee relations. Ms. Karrmann joined Kimberly-Clark from Tenet Healthcare Corporation, a diversified healthcare services company, where she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer since March 2019 and Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer since November 2017. Prior to joining Tenet, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for United Surgical Partners International, which operates surgical facilities, since January 2013.

Alison Lewis, 53, was elected Chief Growth Officer in July 2019. Ms. Lewis joined Kimberly-Clark from Johnson & Johnson, a health care products company, where she served as Chief Marketing Officer of the Global Consumer business since 2013. Prior to her role at Johnson & Johnson, Ms. Lewis served as Chief Marketing Officer, Senior Vice President, North America at The Coca-Cola Company.

Jeffrey Melucci, 50, was elected Chief Transformation, Business Development and Legal Officer in November 2020. From April 2020 to November 2020, he served as Senior Vice President, Business Development and General Counsel and from 2017 to April 2020, he served as Senior Vice President - General Counsel. From January 2017 to September 2017, he served as Vice President, Senior Deputy General Counsel and General Counsel of Kimberly-Clark’s Global Operations. From March 2013 to January 2017, he served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel. He also served as Corporate Secretary from April 2014 to September 2017 and General Counsel of Kimberly-Clark International from March 2013 to December 2016. Mr. Melucci joined Kimberly-Clark from General Electric, where he served in multiple roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as General Counsel - Aviation Systems and Aviation Business Development.

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Aaron Powell, 49, was elected President, K-C Asia-Pacific in March 2020. He is responsible for our consumer business in our Asia-Pacific region. From May 2018 to March 2020, he served as President of K-C Professional. Previously, he served as President, K-C Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) from April 2018 to May 2018, and prior to that he led our K-C Professional operations in North America since 2016. Mr. Powell joined Kimberly-Clark in 2007 and has held a number of positions of increasing responsibility within our EMEA operations, including Vice President and Managing Director, Central & Eastern Europe.

Russell Torres, 49, was elected President of K-C Professional in March 2020. He is responsible for our global business to business operations which provides a deep range of essential commercial products and services, including tissue and surface wipers, skin care, safety and do-it-yourself products. Mr. Torres joined Kimberly-Clark from Newell Brands Inc., a consumer goods company, where he served as Group President since 2018 and as Chief Transformation Officer from 2016 to 2018. Prior to joining Newell Brands, Mr. Torres was a partner at Bain & Company from 2013 to 2016. Prior to that, Mr. Torres served as a senior executive at Mondelez International in its North America Business Unit from 2011 to 2013.

Kimberly K. Underhill, 56, was elected Group President, K-C North America in 2018. She is responsible for our consumer business in North America. From 2014 to May 2018, she served as President of K-C Professional, and from 2011 to 2014, she served as President, Consumer Europe. Ms. Underhill joined Kimberly-Clark in 1988 and has held a number of positions with increasing responsibility within research and engineering, operations and marketing. Ms. Underhill also serves on the board of directors of Foot Locker, Inc.

Gonzalo Uribe, 49, was elected President, K-C Latin America in November 2020. He is responsible for our consumer business in our Latin America region. From 2018 to November 2020 he served as Vice President, North Latin America and from 2017 to 2018 he served as Vice President, Andean Region. Mr. Uribe joined Kimberly-Clark from Mondelēz, where he served in multiple roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as Western Andean, Central America and Caribbean General Manager.

Tristram Wilkinson, 52, was elected President, K-C EMEA in 2018. He is responsible for our consumer business in our EMEA region. From 2016 to 2018, he served as Vice President and Managing Director, Central & Eastern Europe. Prior to that, Mr. Wilkinson held a number of positions of increasing responsibility within our EMEA operations, including Vice President and Managing Director, United Kingdom & Ireland. Mr. Wilkinson joined Kimberly-Clark in 1995.

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PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Kimberly-Clark common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The ticker symbol is KMB.

Quarterly dividends have been paid continually since 1935. Dividends have been paid on or about the second business day of January, April, July and October.

As of January 29, 2021, we had 18,209 holders of record of our common stock.

For information relating to securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans, see Part III, Item 12 of this Form 10-K.

We repurchase shares of Kimberly-Clark common stock from time to time pursuant to publicly announced share repurchase programs. During 2020, we repurchased 4.9 million shares of our common stock at a cost of $700 through a broker in the open market.

The following table contains information for shares repurchased during the fourth quarter of 2020. None of the shares in this table were repurchased directly from any of our officers or directors.

(a)Share repurchases were made pursuant to a share repurchase program authorized by our Board of Directors on November 13, 2014. This program allows for the repurchase of 40 million shares in an amount not to exceed $5 billion. On January 22, 2021, the Corporation’s Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program, pursuant to which the Corporation is authorized to repurchase up to 40 million shares of the Corporation’s common stock, subject to a limit of $5 billion in aggregate expenditures. The authorization is incremental to the remaining shares available to be repurchased under the current share repurchase program authorized on November 13, 2014.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Year Ended December 31

Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests (44) (40) (35) (41) (53)

Per Share Basis

Cash Dividends Per Share

(a) Results include pre-tax charges of $419, $323 after tax, related to the 2018 Global Restructuring Program, acquisition-related costs of $32, $27 after tax, associated with the acquisition of Softex Indonesia, and business tax credits of $77, $51 after tax, related to the resolution of certain Brazil tax matters. See Item 8, Notes 1, 2 and 3 to the consolidated financial statements for details.

(b) Results include pre-tax charges of $366, $248 after tax, related to the 2018 Global Restructuring Program and a pre-tax property sale gain of $31, $24 after tax, related to the sale of property associated with a former manufacturing facility. See Item 8, Notes 2 and 14 to the consolidated financial statements for details.

(c) Results include pre-tax charges of $1,036, $783 after tax, related to the 2018 Global Restructuring Program and a net charge of $117 associated with U.S. tax reform related matters. See Item 8, Notes 2 and 12 to the consolidated financial statements for details.

(d) Results include other expense of $24 and an income tax benefit of $85 for U.S. tax reform related matters.

(e) Results include other income of $11 related to an updated assessment of the deconsolidation of our Venezuelan operations. Additionally, results were negatively impacted by pre-tax charges of $35, $27 after tax, related to the 2014 restructuring plan initiated to improve organization efficiency and offset the impact of stranded overhead costs resulting from the spin-off of our health care business (the "2014 Organization Restructuring").

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Introduction

This MD&A is intended to provide investors with an understanding of our recent performance, financial condition and prospects. This discussion and analysis compares 2020 results to 2019. For a discussion that compares our 2019 results to 2018, see Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of our 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The reference to "N.M." indicates that the calculation is not meaningful. In addition, we provide commentary regarding organic sales growth, which describes the impact of changes in volume, product mix and net selling prices on net sales. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates and acquisitions also impact the year-over-year change in net sales. Dollar amounts are reported in millions, except per share dollar amounts, unless otherwise noted.

The following will be discussed and analyzed:

•Overview of Business

•Overview of 2020 Results

•Impact of COVID-19

•Results of Operations and Related Information

•Unaudited Quarterly Data

•Liquidity and Capital Resources

•Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates

•New Accounting Standards

•Information Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Throughout this MD&A, we refer to financial measures that have not been calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S., or GAAP, and are therefore referred to as non-GAAP financial measures. These measures include adjusted gross and operating profit, adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted other (income) and expense, net, and adjusted effective tax rate. We believe these measures provide our investors with additional information about our underlying results and trends, as well as insight to some of the financial measures used to evaluate management.

Non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the comparable GAAP measures, and they should be read only in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. There are limitations to these non-GAAP financial measures because they are not prepared in accordance with GAAP and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies due to potential differences in methods of calculation and items being excluded. We compensate for these limitations by using these non-GAAP financial measures as a supplement to the GAAP measures and by providing reconciliations of the non-GAAP and comparable GAAP financial measures.

The non-GAAP financial measures exclude the following items for the relevant time periods as indicated in the reconciliations included later in this MD&A:

•2018 Global Restructuring Program - In 2018, we initiated a restructuring program to reduce our structural cost base by streamlining and simplifying our manufacturing supply chain and overhead organization. See Item 8, Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements for details.

•Softex Indonesia Acquisition-Related Costs - Transaction and integration costs associated with the acquisition of Softex Indonesia. See Item 8, Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for details.

•Brazil Business Tax Credits - In the fourth quarter of 2020, we received a favorable legal ruling that resolved certain matters related to prior years' business taxes in Brazil. See Item 8, Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for details.

•Property Sale Gain - In the fourth quarter of 2019, we recognized a gain on the sale of property associated with a former manufacturing facility that was closed in 2012 as part of a past restructuring.

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Overview of Business

We are a global company focused on leading the world in essentials for a better life, with manufacturing facilities in 34 countries, including our equity affiliates, and products sold in more than 175 countries and territories. Our products are sold under well-known brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend. We have three reportable business segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue and K-C Professional. These business segments are described in greater detail in Item 8, Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements.

In operating our business, we seek to:

•grow our portfolio of brands through innovation, category development and commercial execution,

•leverage our cost and financial discipline to fund growth and improve margins, and

•allocate capital in value-creating ways.

We describe our business outside North America in two groups – Developing and Emerging Markets ("D&E") and Developed Markets. D&E Markets comprise Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, excluding Australia and South Korea. Developed Markets consist of Western and Central Europe, Australia and South Korea.

On October 1, 2020, we acquired Softex Indonesia, a leader in the fast-growing Indonesian personal care market, in an all-cash transaction for approximately $1.2 billion. This transaction significantly expands our presence in an important D&E market and is a strong strategic fit with our core business. Softex Indonesia generated net sales of approximately $420 in 2019. We financed the transaction through a combination of short-term commercial paper, cash on hand and the issuance of a $600 bond. See Item 8, Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for details.

Overview of 2020 Results

•Net sales of $19.1 billion increased 4 percent. Organic sales increased 6 percent. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates reduced sales by 2 percent.

•In North America, organic sales increased 10 percent in consumer products and decreased 5 percent in K-C Professional.

•Outside North America, organic sales increased 3 percent in D&E Markets and 6 percent in Developed Markets.

•Operating Profit and Net Income Attributable to Kimberly-Clark were $3,244 and $2,352 in 2020, respectively.

•Diluted earnings per share were $6.87 in 2020 compared to $6.24 in 2019. Results in 2020 and 2019 include net charges of $0.94 and $0.72, respectively, related to the 2018 Global Restructuring Program. Results in 2020 also include acquisition-related costs of $0.08 associated with the acquisition of Softex Indonesia and a benefit of $0.15 related to the resolution of certain business tax matters in Brazil. Results in 2019 also include a net gain of $0.07 related to the sale of property associated with a former manufacturing facility that was closed as part of a past restructuring.

•We continue to focus on generating cash flow and allocating capital to shareholders. Cash provided by operations was $3.7 billion in 2020. We raised our dividend in 2020 by 4 percent, the 48th consecutive annual increase in our dividend. Altogether, share repurchases and dividends in 2020 amounted to $2.15 billion.

In 2021, we plan to continue to execute our strategies for long-term success which include delivering balanced, sustainable growth by growing our brands in-line with or ahead of category growth, leveraging our cost and financial discipline to fund growth and improve margins, and allocating capital in value-creating ways. Our growth strategy is built on two pillars. Elevate our core business is our first pillar and is driven by delivering value-added innovations and driving category opportunities. Accelerating growth in D&E markets is our second pillar and emphasizes Personal Care and K-C Professional with Latin America, China, Eastern Europe and ASEAN as our priority markets. Both strategies are enabled by our focus on accelerating and investing in our commercial capabilities through digital marketing, revenue growth management, consumer-inspired innovation and strong in-market execution.

Our strong legacy of financial discipline supports our growth strategy by driving ongoing supply chain productivity through our FORCE (Focused On Reducing Costs Everywhere) program, completing the execution of the 2018 Global Restructuring program, controlling discretionary spending, driving down working capital and maintaining the top-tier return on invested

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capital. Our capital allocation strategy is consistent with our historical approach of disciplined capital spending, payment of a top tier dividend, evaluation of acquisition opportunities and allocation of excess cash flow to share repurchases.

We are subject to risks and uncertainties, which can affect our business operations and financial results. See Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in this Form 10-K for additional information.

Impact of COVID-19

We continue to actively address the COVID-19 situation and its impact globally. We believe that we will emerge from these events well positioned for long-term growth, though we cannot reasonably estimate the duration and severity of this global pandemic or its ultimate impact on the global economy and our business and results.

We have experienced increased volatility in demand for some of our products as consumers adapt to the evolving environment. Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, particularly in March, demand increased in our Consumer Tissue and Personal Care business segments across all major geographies as consumers increased home inventory levels in response to COVID-19. The increase was followed by a period of demand softness as consumers used existing home inventories and demand returned to more normal levels. Demand for our consumer tissue products was elevated throughout 2020 as more people spent more time at home. Our K-C Professional business experienced volume declines throughout 2020 reflecting the reduction in away from home demand.

During 2020, we experienced temporary closures of certain facilities, though we did not experience a material impact from a plant closure and our facilities were largely exempt or partially exempt from government closure orders. At many of our facilities, we have been experiencing increased employee absences, which may continue in the current situation.

During 2020, we also experienced increased volatility in foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices, as certain countries experienced increased macro-economic volatility from the COVID-19 situation.

Results of Operations and Related Information

This section presents a discussion and analysis of net sales, operating profit and other information relevant to an understanding of 2020 results of operations.

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Consolidated

Selected Financial Results Year Ended December 31

Net Sales:

Intergeographic sales (272) (266) +2 %

Operating Profit:

Corporate & Other(a) (720) (787) N.M.

Other (income) and expense, net(a) (54) (210) -74 %

Provision for income taxes (676) (576) +17 %

Share of net income of equity companies 142 123 +15 %

Net Income Attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation 2,352 2,157 +9 %

Diluted Earnings per Share 6.87 6.24 +10 %

(a) Corporate & Other and Other (income) and expense, net includes income and expenses not associated with the business segments, including adjustments as indicated in the Non-GAAP Reconciliations.

GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations of Selected Financial Results

Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2020

Other (income) and expense, net (54) (9) — (77) 32

Nonoperating expense (70) (36) — — (34)

Effective tax rate 23.1 % — — — 22.7 %

Share of net income of equity companies 142 (1) — — 143

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (44) 3 — — (47)

Net Income Attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation 2,352 (323) (27) 51 2,651

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Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2019

Marketing, research and general expenses 3,254 99 — 3,155

Other (income) and expense, net (210) (194) (31) 15

Nonoperating expense (91) (45) — (46)

Effective tax rate 21.7 % — — 23.0 %

Share of net income of equity companies 123 (2) — 125

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (40) 2 — (42)

Net income attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation 2,157 (248) 24 2,381

(a) "As Adjusted Non-GAAP" may not equal "As Reported" plus "Adjustments" as a result of rounding.

Analysis of Consolidated Results

Net Sales Percent Change Adjusted Operating Profit Percent Change

Volume 4 Volume 8

Net Price 1 Net Price 8

Mix/Other 1 Input Costs 5

Currency (2) Cost Savings(c) 17

Total(a) 4 Currency Translation (1)

Other(d) (28)

Organic(b) 6 Total 9

(a) Total may not equal the sum of volume, net price, mix/other and currency due to rounding.

(b) Combined impact of changes in volume, net price and mix/other.

(c) Combined benefits of the FORCE program and 2018 Global Restructuring Program.

(d) Includes impact of changes in product mix, marketing, research and general expenses, foreign currency transaction effects and other manufacturing costs.

Net sales of $19.1 billion increased 4 percent compared to the year ago period. Operating profit was $3,244 in 2020 and $2,991 in 2019. Adjusted operating profit was $3,582 in 2020, up 9 percent compared to $3,281 in 2019. Results benefited from organic sales growth, $455 of FORCE cost savings and $120 of cost savings from the 2018 Global Restructuring Program. Input costs decreased $175, driven by pulp. The comparison was impacted by other manufacturing cost increases, unfavorable currency effects, increased advertising spending and higher general and administrative costs.

Other (income) and expense, net of $54 in 2020 primarily reflected tax credits recognized related to a favorable legal ruling that resolved certain matters related to prior years' business taxes in Brazil. In 2019, Other (income) and expense, net of $210 primarily reflected gains on the sales of manufacturing facilities and associated real estate related to the 2018 Global Restructuring Program and property associated with a former manufacturing facility that was closed as part of a past restructuring. Adjusted other (income) and expense, net was $32 and $15 of expense in 2020 and 2019, respectively.

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The effective tax rate of 23.1 percent in 2020 increased compared to the effective tax rate of 21.7 percent in 2019. The rate in 2019 included a net benefit of $47 related to a nonrecurring capital loss from a legal entity restructuring. See additional details in Item 8, Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements. The adjusted effective tax rate was 22.7 percent compared to 23.0 percent in 2019.

Our share of net income of equity companies was $142 in 2020 and $123 in 2019. Kimberly-Clark de Mexico, S.A.B. de C.V. ("KCM") results in 2020 benefited from organic sales growth, lower input costs and cost savings but were negatively impacted by unfavorable currency effects.

Diluted earnings per share were $6.87 in 2020 and $6.24 in 2019. Adjusted earnings per share of $7.74 in 2020 increased 12 percent compared to $6.89 in 2019. The increase was driven by growth in adjusted operating profit, along with higher net income from equity companies and declines in the share count and adjusted effective tax rate.

Business Segments

Personal Care

Net Sales Percent Change Operating Profit Percent Change

Volume 4 Volume 7

Net Price — Net Price 2

Mix/Other 1 Input Costs 2

Acquisition 1 Cost Savings(c) 15

Currency (4) Currency Translation (2)

Total(a) 3 Other(d) (22)

Organic(b) 5 Total 2

(a) Total may not equal the sum of volume, net price, mix/other, acquisition and currency due to rounding.

(b) Combined impact of changes in volume, net price and mix/other.

(c) Combined benefits of the FORCE program and 2018 Global Restructuring Program.

(d) Includes impact of changes in product mix, marketing, research and general expenses, foreign currency transaction effects and other manufacturing costs.

Net sales in North America increased 6 percent. Volumes increased 4 percent, primarily driven by broad-based growth in baby and child care as well as increases in adult care. Changes in net selling prices and product mix each increased sales by 1 percent.

Net sales in D&E Markets decreased 1 percent. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates decreased sales by 9 percent, primarily in Latin America. Volumes increased 4 percent led by growth in China, Eastern Europe, Brazil and India. Changes in product mix and the Softex Indonesia acquisition each increased sales by 2 percent. The improvements in product mix were primarily in China.

Net sales in Developed Markets outside North America increased 1 percent. Changes in product mix increased sales by 2 percent, primarily in South Korea, and volumes increased 1 percent. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates and net selling prices each decreased sales by 1 percent.

Operating profit of $1,933 increased 2 percent. The comparison was positively impacted by organic sales growth, cost savings and lower input costs, partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency effects, increases in other manufacturing costs and higher marketing and general and administrative costs.

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Consumer Tissue

Net Sales Percent Change Operating Profit Percent Change

Net Price 2 Net Price 12

Mix/Other (1) Input Costs 13

Currency (1) Cost Savings(c) 20

Total(a) 12 Currency Translation —

Other(d) (28)

Organic(b) 13 Total 44

(a) Total may not equal the sum of volume, net price, mix/other and currency due to rounding.

(b) Combined impact of changes in volume, net price and mix/other.

(c) Combined benefits of the FORCE program and 2018 Global Restructuring Program.

(d) Includes impact of changes in product mix, marketing, research and general expenses, foreign currency transaction effects and other manufacturing costs.

Net sales in North America increased by 17 percent. Volume increased 14 percent reflecting strong demand related to the COVID-19 and work from home environment, along with improved performance in Kleenex facial tissue. Volumes were up double-digits in all major product categories. Changes in net selling prices increased sales by 4 percent, driven by lower promotion spending. Changes in product mix decreased sales by 2 percent.

Net sales in D&E Markets decreased 1 percent. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates decreased sales by approximately 6 percent, primarily in Latin America, and changes in net selling prices decreased sales by 2 percent. Volumes increased 4 percent, led by improvements in Latin America, and changes in product mix increased sales by 2 percent.

Net sales in Developed Markets outside North America increased 14 percent. Volumes increased 12 percent. driven by strong growth in South Korea and Western and Central Europe and reflecting strong demand related to the COVID-19 and work from home environment. Changes in product mix increased sales by 1 percent.

Operating profit of $1,448 increased 44 percent. Results benefited from higher volumes and net selling prices, cost savings and lower input costs, partially offset by increases in marketing and general and administrative costs, other manufacturing costs and unfavorable foreign currency effects.

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K-C Professional

Net Sales Percent Change Operating Profit Percent Change

Volume (11) Volume (21)

Net Price 3 Net Price 13

Mix/Other 2 Input Costs —

Currency (1) Cost Savings(c) 13

Total(a) (8) Currency Translation (1)

Other(d) (24)

Organic(b) (7) Total (20)

(a) Total may not equal the sum of volume, net price, mix/other and currency due to rounding.

(b) Combined impact of changes in volume, net price and mix/other.

(c) Combined benefits of the FORCE program and 2018 Global Restructuring Program.

(d) Includes impact of changes in product mix, marketing, research and general expenses, foreign currency transaction effects and other manufacturing costs.

Net sales in North America decreased 5 percent. Volumes decreased 10 percent, reflecting lower away from home demand and challenging business conditions following the outbreak of COVID-19. Changes in product mix and net selling prices increased sales by 3 percent and 2 percent, respectively.

Net sales in D&E Markets decreased 21 percent. Volumes decreased by 17 percent, reflecting lower away from home demand and challenging business conditions following the outbreak of COVID-19 with declines in all major markets. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates and product mix decreased sales by 5 percent and 2 percent, respectively, partially offset by changes in net selling prices which increased sales by 3 percent, all primarily related to Latin America.

Net sales in Developed Markets outside North America decreased 4 percent. Volumes decreased 11 percent, reflecting lower away from home demand and challenging business conditions following the outbreak of COVID-19, primarily in Western and Central Europe. Changes in product mix and net selling prices increased sales by 4 percent and 3 percent, respectively, also primarily in Western and Central Europe.

Operating profit of $528 decreased 20 percent. The comparison was impacted by lower volumes, other manufacturing cost increases, and increased general and administrative costs. Results benefited from favorable net selling prices and cost savings.

2018 Global Restructuring Program

Annual pre-tax savings from the 2018 Global Restructuring Program are now expected to be $540 to $560 by the end of 2021. Savings for 2020 were $120, bringing cumulative savings to $420.

To implement this program, we expect to incur incremental capital spending of approximately $600 to $700 by the end of 2021. See Item 8, Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information.

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Unaudited Quarterly Data

Fourth Third Second First Fourth Third Second First

(a) Quarterly results in 2020 and 2019 were impacted by charges related to the 2018 Global Restructuring Program. See Item 8, Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements for details. Third and fourth quarter results in 2020 were impacted by acquisition-related costs associated with the acquisition of Softex Indonesia. See Item 8, Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for details. Fourth quarter results in 2020 were also impacted by business tax credits related to the resolution of certain Brazil tax matters. See Item 8, Note 1 for details.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash Provided by Operations

Cash provided by operations was $3.7 billion in 2020 compared to $2.7 billion in 2019. The increase was driven by improved working capital and higher earnings.

Obligations

The following table presents our total contractual obligations for which cash flows are fixed or determinable.

•The unconditional purchase obligations are for the purchase of raw materials, primarily superabsorbent materials, pulp and utilities. Although we are primarily liable for payments on the above operating leases and unconditional purchase obligations, based on historic operating performance and forecasted future cash flows, we believe exposure to losses, if any, under these arrangements is not material.

•The open purchase orders displayed in the table represent amounts for goods and services we have negotiated for delivery.

The table does not include amounts where payments are discretionary or the timing is uncertain. The following payments are not included in the table:

•We will fund our defined benefit pension plans to meet or exceed statutory requirements and currently expect to contribute approximately $50 to these plans in 2021.

•Other postretirement benefit payments are estimated using actuarial assumptions, including expected future service, to project the future obligations. Based upon those projections, we anticipate making annual payments for these obligations of approximately $50 through 2030.

•Accrued income tax liabilities for uncertain tax positions, deferred taxes and noncontrolling interests.

Investing

Our capital spending was $1.2 billion in 2020 and 2019, including incremental spending related to the 2018 Global Restructuring Program. Acquisition, net of cash acquired of $1.1 billion in 2020 reflected the purchase of Softex Indonesia.

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Proceeds from dispositions of property in 2019 of $242 primarily reflects the proceeds from the sales of manufacturing facilities and associated real estate related to the 2018 Global Restructuring Program and property associated with a former manufacturing facility that was closed as part of a past restructuring. We expect capital spending to be approximately $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion in 2021, including spending associated with the 2018 Global Restructuring Program and other growth initiatives.

Financing

We issue long-term debt in the public market periodically. Proceeds from the offerings are used for general corporate purposes, including repayment of maturing debt or outstanding commercial paper indebtedness. See Item 8, Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements for details.

Our short-term debt, which consists of U.S. commercial paper with original maturities up to 90 days and/or other similar short-term debt issued by non-U.S. subsidiaries, was $223 as of December 31, 2020 (included in debt payable within one year on the consolidated balance sheet). The average month-end balance of short-term debt for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020 was $365. These short-term borrowings provide supplemental funding for supporting our operations. The level of short-term debt generally fluctuates depending upon the amount of operating cash flows and the timing of customer receipts and payments for items such as pension contributions, dividends and income taxes.

At December 31, 2020, total debt was $8.4 billion compared to $7.7 billion at December 31, 2019.

We maintain a $2.0 billion revolving credit facility which expires in June 2023 and a $750 revolving credit facility which expires in June 2021. These facilities, currently unused, support our commercial paper program, and would provide liquidity in the event our access to the commercial paper markets is unavailable for any reason.

In July 2017, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), announced that it intends to phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. We are currently evaluating the potential effect of the eventual replacement of the LIBOR, but we do not expect the effect to be material. Accounting guidance has been issued to ease the transition to alternative reference rates from a financial reporting perspective. See Item 8, Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for details.

We paid $1.5 billion in dividends in 2020. The Board of Directors approved a dividend increase of 6.5 percent for 2021. We repurchase shares of Kimberly-Clark common stock from time to time pursuant to publicly announced share repurchase programs. During 2020, we repurchased 4.9 million shares of our common stock at a cost of $700 through a broker in the open market. We are targeting full-year 2021 share repurchases between $650 and $750, subject to market conditions. On January 22, 2021, the Corporation’s Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program, pursuant to which the Corporation is authorized to repurchase up to 40 million shares of the Corporation’s common stock, subject to a limit of $5 billion in aggregate expenditures. The authorization is incremental to the remaining shares available to be repurchased under the current share repurchase program authorized on November 13, 2014.

We believe that our ability to generate cash from operations and our capacity to issue short-term and long-term debt are adequate to fund working capital, payments for our 2018 Global Restructuring Program, capital spending, pension contributions, dividends and other needs for the foreseeable future. Further, we do not expect restrictions or taxes on repatriation of cash held outside of the U.S. to have a material effect on our overall business, liquidity, financial condition or results of operations for the foreseeable future.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of net sales and expenses during the reporting period. The critical accounting policies we used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements are those that are important both to the presentation of our financial condition and results of operations and require significant judgments by management with regard to estimates used. The critical judgments by management relate to accruals for sales incentives and trade promotion allowances, pension and other postretirement benefits, deferred income taxes and potential income tax assessments. These critical accounting policies have been reviewed with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

Sales Incentives and Trade Promotion Allowances

Trade promotion programs include introductory marketing funds such as slotting fees, cooperative marketing programs, temporary price reductions and other activities conducted by our customers to promote our products. Rebate and promotion accruals are based on estimates of the quantity of customer sales. Promotion accruals also consider estimates of the number of consumer coupons that will be redeemed and timing and costs of activities within the promotional programs. Generally, the estimated redemption value of consumer coupons and related expense are based on historical patterns of coupon redemption, influenced by judgments about current market conditions such as competitive activity in specific product categories, and the cost is recorded when the related revenue from customers is realized. Our related accounting policies are discussed in Item 8, Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements.

Employee Postretirement Benefits

Substantially all regular employees in the U.S. and the United Kingdom are covered by defined contribution retirement plans and certain U.S. and United Kingdom employees previously earned benefits covered by defined benefit pension plans that currently provide no future service benefit (the "Principal Plans"). Certain other subsidiaries have defined benefit pension plans or, in certain countries, termination pay plans covering substantially all regular employees. Our related accounting policies and account balances are discussed in Item 8, Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements.

Changes in certain assumptions could affect pension expense and the benefit obligations, particularly the estimated long-term rate of return on plan assets and the discount rate used to calculate the obligations:

•Long-term rate of return on plan assets. The expected long-term rate of return is evaluated on an annual basis. In setting these assumptions, we consider a number of factors including projected future returns by asset class relative to the target asset allocation. Actual asset allocations are regularly reviewed and they are periodically rebalanced to the targeted allocations when considered appropriate.

As of December 31, 2020, the Principal Plans had cumulative unrecognized investment and actuarial losses of approximately $1.1 billion. These unrecognized net losses may increase future pension expense if not offset by (i) actual investment returns that exceed the assumed investment returns, (ii) other factors, including reduced pension liabilities arising from higher discount rates used to calculate pension obligations, or (iii) other actuarial gains, and whether such accumulated actuarial losses at each measurement date exceed the "corridor" as required. If the expected long-term rate of return on assets for the Principal Plans were lowered by 0.25 percent, the impact on annual pension expense would not be material in 2021.

•Discount rate. The discount (or settlement) rate used to determine the present value of our future U.S. pension obligation at December 31, 2020 was based on a portfolio of high quality corporate debt securities with cash flows that largely match the expected benefit payments of the plan. For the United Kingdom plan, the discount rate was determined based on yield curves constructed from a portfolio of high quality corporate debt securities. Each year's expected future benefit payments were discounted to their present value at the appropriate yield curve rate to determine the pension obligations. If the discount rate assumptions for these same plans were reduced by 0.25 percent, the increase in annual pension expense would not be material in 2021, and the December 31, 2020 pension liability would increase by about $146.

•Other assumptions. There are a number of other assumptions involved in the calculation of pension expense and benefit obligations, primarily related to participant demographics and benefit elections.

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Pension expense for defined benefit pension plans is estimated to approximate $85 in 2021, including incremental charges resulting from 2018 Global Restructuring Program actions. Pension expense beyond 2021 will depend on future investment performance, our contributions to the pension trusts, changes in discount rates and various other factors related to the covered participants in the plans.

Substantially all U.S. retirees and employees have access to our unfunded health care and life insurance benefit plans. Changes in significant assumptions could affect the consolidated expense and benefit obligations, particularly the discount rate used to calculate the obligations and the health care cost trend rate:

•Discount rate. The determination of the discount rates used to calculate the benefit obligations of the plans is discussed in the pension benefit section above, and the methodology for each country is the same as the methodology used to determine the discount rate for that country's pension obligation. If the discount rate assumptions for these plans were reduced by 0.25 percent, the impact to 2021 other postretirement benefit expense and the increase in the December 31, 2020 benefit liability would not be material.

•Health care cost trend rate. The health care cost trend rate is based on a combination of inputs including our recent claims history and insights from external advisers regarding recent developments in the health care marketplace, as well as projections of future trends in the marketplace.

Deferred Income Taxes and Potential Assessments

As a global organization, we are subject to income tax requirements in various jurisdictions in the U.S. and internationally. Changes in certain assumptions related to income taxes could significantly affect consolidated results, particularly with regard to valuation allowances on deferred tax assets, undistributed earnings of subsidiaries outside the U.S. and uncertain tax positions. Our income tax related accounting policies, account balances and matters affecting income taxes are discussed in Item 8, Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements.

•Deferred tax assets and related valuation allowances. We have recorded deferred tax assets related to, among other matters, income tax loss carryforwards, income tax credit carryforwards and capital loss carryforwards and have established valuation allowances against these deferred tax assets. These carryforwards are primarily in non-U.S. taxing jurisdictions and in certain states in the U.S. Foreign tax credits earned in the U.S. in current and prior years, which cannot be used currently, also give rise to net deferred tax assets. In determining the valuation allowances to establish against these deferred tax assets, many factors are considered, including the specific taxing jurisdiction, the carryforward period, income tax strategies and forecasted earnings for the entities in each jurisdiction. A valuation allowance is recognized if, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized.

•Undistributed earnings. As of December 31, 2020, we have accumulated undistributed earnings generated by our foreign subsidiaries of approximately $7.9 billion. Earnings of $5.2 billion were previously subject to tax, primarily due to the one-time transition tax on foreign earnings required by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Any additional taxes due with respect to such previously-taxed earnings, if repatriated, would generally be limited to foreign and U.S. state income taxes. Deferred taxes have been recorded on $0.7 billion of earnings, most of which were previously taxed for U.S. federal income tax purposes, of foreign consolidated subsidiaries expected to be repatriated. We do not intend to distribute the remaining $4.5 billion of previously taxed foreign earnings and therefore have not recorded deferred taxes for foreign and U.S. state income taxes on such earnings. While the transition tax resulted in a reduction of the excess amount for financial reporting over the tax basis in our foreign subsidiaries, any remaining amount of financial reporting over tax basis after such reduction could be subject to additional taxes, if repatriated. However, we consider any excess to be indefinitely reinvested. The determination of deferred tax liabilities on the amount of financial reporting over tax basis or the $4.5 billion of previously taxed foreign earnings is not practicable.

•Uncertain tax positions. We record our global tax provision based on the respective tax rules and regulations for the jurisdictions in which we operate. Where we believe that a tax position is supportable for income tax purposes, the item is included in our income tax returns. Where treatment of a position is uncertain, a liability is recorded based upon the expected most likely outcome taking into consideration the technical merits of the position based on specific tax regulations and facts of each matter. These liabilities may be affected by changing interpretations of laws, rulings by tax authorities or the expiration of the statute of limitations.

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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets are not subject to amortization and are tested for impairment annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. Intangible assets that are deemed to have finite lives are amortized over their useful lives, generally ranging from 10 to 20 years. We typically obtain the assistance of third-party valuation specialists to measure the acquisition date fair values of goodwill and other intangible assets acquired.

Events and conditions that could result in impairment include a sustained drop in the market price of our common shares, increased competition or loss of market share, obsolescence, product claims that result in a significant loss of sales or profitability over the product life, deterioration in macroeconomic conditions, or declining financial performance in comparison to projected results.

Our related accounting policies and our acquisition of Softex Indonesia are discussed in Item 8, Notes 1 and 3, respectively, to the consolidated financial statements.

Goodwill

In our evaluation of goodwill impairment, we have the option to first assess qualitative factors such as macroeconomic, industry and competitive conditions, legal and regulatory environments, historical and projected financial performance, significant changes in the reporting unit and the magnitude of excess fair value over carrying amount from the previous quantitative impairment testing. If the result of a qualitative test indicates a potential for impairment, a quantitative test is performed. When a quantitative test is considered necessary, estimates of fair value for goodwill impairment testing are determined based on a discounted cash flow model and a market-based approach. We use inputs from our long-range planning process to determine growth rates for sales and earnings. The other key estimates and factors used in the discounted cash flow include, but are not limited to, discount rates, actual business trends experienced, commodity prices, foreign exchange rates, inflation and terminal growth rates.

For 2020, we completed the required annual assessment of goodwill for impairment for all of our reporting units using a qualitative assessment as of the first day of the third quarter, and we determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value is more than the carrying amount for each of our reporting units.

Other Intangible Assets

We evaluate the useful lives of our other intangible assets, primarily brands, to determine if they are finite or indefinite-lived. Reaching a determination on useful life requires significant judgments and assumptions regarding the future effects of obsolescence, demand, competition, other economic factors (such as the stability of the industry, known technological advances and expected changes in distribution channels), the level of required maintenance expenditures, and the expected lives of other related groups of assets.

Our estimate of the fair value of our brand assets is based on a discounted cash flow model and a market-based approach using inputs which include projected revenues from our long-range plan, assumed royalty rates that could be payable if we did not own the brands, and a discount rate. The cash flows used in the discounted cash flow model are consistent with those we use in our internal planning, which gives consideration to actual business trends experienced and the long-term business strategy.

We performed our 2020 impairment assessment of our intangible assets as of the first day of the third quarter of 2020, and based upon a qualitative assessment, no impairment indicators were found to be present.

New Accounting Standards

See Item 8, Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for a description of new accounting standards and their anticipated effects on our consolidated financial statements.

Information Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters contained in this report concerning the business outlook, including the anticipated cost savings from our FORCE program, costs and savings from the 2018 Global Restructuring Program, cash flow and uses of cash, growth initiatives, innovations, marketing and other spending, net sales, anticipated currency rates and exchange risks, including the impact in Argentina, raw material, energy and other input costs, effective tax rate, contingencies and anticipated transactions of Kimberly-Clark, including dividends, share repurchases and pension contributions, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are based upon management's expectations and

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beliefs concerning future events impacting Kimberly-Clark. There can be no assurance that these future events will occur as anticipated or that our results will be as estimated. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update them.

The assumptions used as a basis for the forward-looking statements include many estimates that, among other things, depend on the achievement of future cost savings and projected volume increases. In addition, many factors outside our control, including pandemics (including the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak), epidemics, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, the prices and availability of our raw materials, potential competitive pressures on selling prices for our products, energy costs, general economic and political conditions globally and in the markets in which we do business, as well as our ability to maintain key customer relationships and to realize the expected benefits and synergies of the Softex Indonesia acquisition, could affect the realization of these estimates.

The factors described under Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in this Form 10-K, or in our other SEC filings, among others, could cause our future results to differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf. Other factors not presently known to us or that we presently consider immaterial could also affect our business operations and financial results.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

As a multinational enterprise, we are exposed to risks such as changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices. A variety of practices are employed to manage these risks, including operating and financing activities and, where deemed appropriate, the use of derivative instruments. Derivative instruments are used only for risk management purposes and not for speculation. Foreign currency derivative instruments are primarily entered into with major financial institutions. Our credit exposure under these arrangements is limited to agreements with a positive fair value at the reporting date. Credit risk with respect to the counterparties is actively monitored but is not considered significant since these transactions are executed with a diversified group of financial institutions.

Presented below is a description of our risks (foreign currency risk and interest rate risk) together with a sensitivity analysis, performed annually, of each of these risks based on selected changes in market rates and prices. These analyses reflect management's view of changes which are reasonably possible to occur over a one-year period. Also included is a description of our commodity price risk.

Foreign Currency Risk

A portion of our foreign currency risk is managed through the systematic use of foreign currency forward contracts. The use of these instruments supports the management of transactional exposures to exchange rate fluctuations as the gains or losses incurred on the derivative instruments will offset, in whole or in part, gains or losses on the underlying foreign currency exposure. We also utilize cross currency swaps and foreign denominated debt to hedge certain investments in foreign subsidiaries. The gain or loss on these instruments is recognized in other comprehensive income to offset the change in value of the net investments being hedged.

Foreign currency contracts and transactional exposures are sensitive to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. An annual test is performed to quantify the effects that possible changes in foreign currency exchange rates would have on annual operating profit based on our foreign currency contracts and transactional exposures at the current year-end. The balance sheet effect is calculated by multiplying each affiliate's net monetary asset or liability position by a 10 percent change in the foreign currency exchange rate versus the U.S. dollar.

As of December 31, 2020, a 10 percent unfavorable change in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar against the prevailing market rates of foreign currencies involving balance sheet transactional exposures would not be material to our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. This hypothetical loss on transactional exposures is based on the difference between the December 31, 2020 rates and the assumed rates.

Our operations in Argentina are reported using highly inflationary accounting and their functional currency is the U.S. dollar. Changes in the value of an Argentine peso versus the U.S. dollar applied to our net peso monetary position are recorded in Other (income) and expense, net at the time of the change. As of December 31, 2020, K-C Argentina had a small net peso monetary position and a 10 percent unfavorable change in the exchange rate would not be material.

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The translation of the balance sheets of non-U.S. operations from local currencies into U.S. dollars is also sensitive to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Consequently, an annual test is performed to determine if changes in currency exchange rates would have a significant effect on the translation of the balance sheets of non-U.S. operations into U.S. dollars. These translation gains or losses are recorded as unrealized translation adjustments ("UTA") within stockholders' equity. The hypothetical change in UTA is calculated by multiplying the net assets of these non-U.S. operations by a 10 percent change in the currency exchange rates. As of December 31, 2020, a 10 percent unfavorable change in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar against the prevailing market rates of our foreign currency translation exposures would have reduced stockholders' equity by approximately $750. In the view of management, the above potential UTA adjustments resulting from these assumed changes in foreign currency exchange rates are not material to our consolidated financial position because they would not affect our cash flow.

Interest Rate Risk

Interest rate risk is managed through the maintenance of a portfolio of variable and fixed-rate debt composed of short and long-term instruments. The objective is to maintain a cost-effective mix that management deems appropriate. At December 31, 2020, the long-term debt portfolio was comprised of primarily fixed-rate debt. From time to time, we also hedge the anticipated issuance of fixed-rate debt and those contracts are designated as cash flow hedges.

In order to determine the impact of changes in interest rates on our financial position or future results of operations, we calculated the increase or decrease in the market value of fixed-rate debt using a 10 percent change in current market interest rates and the rates governing these instruments. At December 31, 2020, a 10 percent decrease in interest rates would have increased the fair value of fixed-rate debt by about $198, which would not have a significant impact on our financial statements as we do not record debt at fair value.

Commodity Price Risk

We are subject to commodity price risk, the most significant of which relates to the price of pulp. Selling prices of tissue products are influenced, in part, by the market price for pulp. As previously discussed under Item 1A, "Risk Factors," increases in pulp prices could adversely affect earnings if selling prices are not adjusted or if such adjustments significantly trail the increases in pulp prices. In some instances, we utilize negotiated short-term contract structures, including fixed price contracts, to manage volatility for a portion of our commodity costs, but derivative instruments have not been used to manage these risks.

Our energy, manufacturing and transportation costs are affected by various market factors including the availability of supplies of particular forms of energy, energy prices and local and national regulatory decisions. As previously discussed under Item 1A, "Risk Factors," there can be no assurance we will be fully protected against substantial changes in the price or availability of energy sources. In addition, we are subject to price risk for utilities and manufacturing inputs, used in our manufacturing operations. Derivative instruments are used in accordance with our risk management policy to hedge a limited portion of the price risk.

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ITEM 8.FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS

Year Ended December 31

(Millions of dollars, except per share amounts) 2020 2019 2018

Other (income) and expense, net (54) (210) 1

Nonoperating expense (70) (91) (163)

Income Before Income Taxes and Equity Interests 2,930 2,650 1,813

Share of net income of equity companies 142 123 103

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (44) (40) (35)

Net Income Attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation $ 2,352 $ 2,157 $ 1,410

Per Share Basis

Net Income Attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation

See notes to the consolidated financial statements.

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KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

Year Ended December 31

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax

Unrealized currency translation adjustments 129 19 (428)

Employee postretirement benefits 37 12 140

Total Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax 132 (3) (237)

Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests (55) (31) (22)

See notes to the consolidated financial statements.

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KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

December 31

ASSETS

Current Assets

Cash and cash equivalents $ 303 $ 442

Property, Plant and Equipment, Net 8,042 7,450

Investments in Equity Companies 300 268

Other Intangible Assets, Net 832 29

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current Liabilities

Debt payable within one year $ 486 $ 1,534

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 2,262 1,978

Noncurrent Employee Benefits 864 897

Redeemable Preferred Securities of Subsidiaries 28 29

Stockholders' Equity

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Preferred stock - no par value - authorized 20.0 million shares, none issued — —

Additional paid-in capital 657 556

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (3,172) (3,294)

Total Kimberly-Clark Corporation Stockholders' Equity 626 (33)

Noncontrolling Interests 243 227

Total Stockholders' Equity 869 194

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 17,523 $ 15,283

See notes to the consolidated financial statements.

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KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Shares Amount Shares Amount

Stock-based awards exercised or vested — — (90) (1,351) 152 — — — 62

Recognition of stock-based compensation — — 39 — — — — — 39

Dividends declared ($4.00 per share) — — — — — (1,391) — (32) (1,423)

Stock-based awards exercised or vested — — (93) (2,817) 322 — — — 229

Recognition of stock-based compensation — — 94 — — — — — 94

Dividends declared ($4.12 per share) — — — — — (1,415) — (42) (1,457)

Other — — 7 — — (3) (1) 1 4

Stock-based awards exercised or vested — — (55) (2,339) 271 — — — 216

Recognition of stock-based compensation — — 142 — — — — — 142

Dividends declared ($4.28 per share) — — — — — (1,458) — (36) (1,494)

See notes to the consolidated financial statements.

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KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENTS

Year Ended December 31

Operating Activities

Asset impairments 17 — 74

Deferred income taxes 45 29 2

Net (gains) losses on asset dispositions 68 (193) 52

Equity companies' earnings (in excess of) less than dividends paid (30) (6) 18

Postretirement benefits (28) 13 (25)

Investing Activities

Acquisition, net of cash acquired (1,083) (4) —

Proceeds from dispositions of property 31 242 51

Investments in time deposits (753) (568) (353)

Financing Activities

Proceeds from exercise of stock options 217 228 62

Acquisitions of common stock for the treasury (700) (800) (800)

Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents 4 1 (30)

Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents (139) (97) (77)

Cash and Cash Equivalents - Beginning of Year 442 539 616

Cash and Cash Equivalents - End of Year $ 303 $ 442 $ 539

See notes to the consolidated financial statements.

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KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1. Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements present the accounts of Kimberly-Clark Corporation and all subsidiaries in which it has a controlling financial interest as if they were a single economic entity in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). All intercompany transactions and accounts are eliminated in consolidation. The terms "Corporation," "Kimberly-Clark," "we," "our," and "us" refer to Kimberly-Clark Corporation and all subsidiaries in which it has a controlling financial interest. Dollar amounts are reported in millions, except per share dollar amounts, unless otherwise noted.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of net sales and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from these estimates, and changes in these estimates are recorded when known. Estimates are used in accounting for, among other things, sales incentives and trade promotion allowances, employee postretirement benefits, and deferred income taxes and potential assessments.

Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents are short-term investments with an original maturity date of three months or less.

Inventories and Distribution Costs

Most U.S. inventories are valued at the lower of cost, using the Last-In, First-Out ("LIFO") method, or market. The balance of the U.S. inventories and inventories of consolidated operations outside the U.S. are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value using either the First-In, First-Out ("FIFO") or weighted-average cost methods. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. Distribution costs are classified as cost of products sold.

Property and Depreciation

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost and are depreciated on the straight-line method. Buildings are depreciated over their estimated useful lives, primarily 40 years. Machinery and equipment are depreciated over their estimated useful lives, primarily ranging from 16 to 20 years. Purchases of computer software, including external costs and certain internal costs (including payroll and payroll-related costs of employees) directly associated with developing significant computer software applications for internal use, are capitalized. Computer software costs are amortized on the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the software, which generally does not exceed 5 years.

Estimated useful lives are periodically reviewed and, when warranted, changes are made to them. Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amount may not be recoverable. An impairment loss would be indicated when estimated undiscounted future cash flows from the use and eventual disposition of an asset group, which are identifiable and largely independent of the cash flows of other asset groups, are less than the carrying amount of the asset group. Measurement of an impairment loss would be based on the excess of the carrying amount of the asset group over its fair value. Fair value is measured using discounted cash flows or independent appraisals, as appropriate. When property is sold or retired, the cost of the property and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from the consolidated balance sheet and any gain or loss on the transaction is included in income.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents costs in excess of fair values assigned to the underlying net assets of acquired businesses. Goodwill is not amortized, but rather is assessed for impairment annually and whenever events and circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. Impairment testing compares the reporting unit carrying amount, including goodwill, with its fair value. If the reporting unit carrying amount, including goodwill, exceeds its fair value, a goodwill impairment charge for the excess amount above fair value would be recorded. In our evaluation of goodwill impairment, we have the option to first assess qualitative factors such as macroeconomic, industry and competitive conditions, legal and regulatory environments, historical and

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projected financial performance, significant changes in the reporting unit and the magnitude of excess fair value over carrying amount from the previous quantitative impairment testing. If the qualitative assessment determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then a quantitative impairment test using discounted cash flows to estimate fair value must be performed. On the other hand, if the qualitative assessment determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is more than its carrying value, then further quantitative testing is not required. For 2020, we completed the required annual assessment of goodwill for impairment for all of our reporting units using a qualitative assessment as of the first day of the third quarter, and we determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value is more than the carrying amount for each of our reporting units.

Indefinite-lived intangible assets, other than goodwill, consist of certain brand names related to our acquisition of Softex Indonesia and are tested for impairment annually at the same time as our goodwill impairment assessment and whenever events and circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. Our estimate of the fair value of our brand assets is based on a discounted cash flow model and a market-based approach using inputs which include projected revenues from our long-range plan, assumed royalty rates that could be payable if we did not own the brands, and a discount rate.

Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives and are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amount may not be recoverable. An impairment loss would be indicated when estimated undiscounted future cash flows from the use of the asset are less than its carrying amount.An impairment loss would be measured as the difference between the fair value (based on discounted future cash flows) and the carrying amount of the asset. Estimated useful lives range from 10 to 20 years for trademarks and 15 to 20 years for certain acquired distributor and customer relationships.

Investments in Equity Companies

Investments in companies which we do not control but over which we have the ability to exercise significant influence and that, in general, are at least 20 percent-owned by us, are stated at cost plus equity in undistributed net income. These investments are evaluated for impairment when warranted. An impairment loss would be recorded whenever a decline in value of an equity investment below its carrying amount is determined to be other than temporary. In judging "other than temporary," we would consider the length of time and extent to which the fair value of the equity company investment has been less than the carrying amount, the near-term and longer-term operating and financial prospects of the equity company, and our longer-term intent of retaining the investment in the equity company.

Revenue Recognition

Sales revenue is recognized at the time of product shipment or delivery, depending on when control passes, to unaffiliated customers, and when all of the following have occurred: a firm sales agreement is in place, pricing is fixed or determinable, and collection is reasonably assured. Sales are reported net of returns, consumer and trade promotions, rebates and freight allowed. Taxes imposed by governmental authorities on our revenue-producing activities with customers, such as sales taxes and value-added taxes, are excluded from net sales.

Sales Incentives and Trade Promotion Allowances

The cost of promotion activities provided to customers is classified as a reduction in sales revenue. In addition, the estimated redemption value of consumer coupons and related expense are recorded when the related revenue from customers is realized. Rebate and promotion accruals are based on estimates of the quantity of customer sales. Promotion accruals also consider estimates of the number of consumer coupons that will be redeemed and timing and costs of activities within the promotional programs.

Advertising Expense

Advertising costs are expensed in the year the related advertisement or campaign is first presented through traditional or digital media. For interim reporting purposes, advertising expenses are charged to operations as a percentage of sales based on estimated sales and related advertising expense for the full year.

Research Expense

Research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred.

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Other Income

Certain amounts not directly associated with the current operations of the business are recorded in Other (income) and expense, net. In the fourth quarter of 2020, we received a favorable legal ruling that resolved certain matters related to prior years’ business taxes in Brazil. These matters involved the revenue base, which included value added taxes, used to calculate and pay social security taxes for the period 2004 to 2014. In the legal ruling, the São Paulo State Court recognized our right to exclude the value added taxes from the revenue base used to calculate those social security taxes. This decision resulted in business tax credits being recognized of $77 that we expect to use by the end of 2024.

In the fourth quarter of 2019, gains of $194 on the sales of manufacturing facilities and associated real estate which were disposed of as part of the restructuring were recorded. See Note 2. Also, in the fourth quarter of 2019, we recognized a gain of $31 on the sale of property associated with a former manufacturing facility that was closed in 2012 as part of a past restructuring.

Foreign Currency Translation

The income statements of foreign operations, other than those in highly inflationary economies, are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange in effect each month. The balance sheets of these operations are translated at period-end exchange rates, and the differences from historical exchange rates are reflected in stockholders' equity as unrealized translation adjustments.

As of July 1, 2018, we elected to adopt highly inflationary accounting for our subsidiaries in Argentina (“K-C Argentina”). The effect of changes in exchange rates on peso-denominated monetary assets and liabilities has been reflected in earnings in Other (income) and expense, net and was not material. As of December 31, 2020, K-C Argentina had a small net peso monetary position. Net sales of K-C Argentina were approximately 1 percent of our consolidated net sales in 2020, 2019 and 2018.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging

Our policies allow the use of derivatives for risk management purposes and prohibit their use for speculation. Our policies also prohibit the use of any leveraged derivative instrument. Consistent with our policies, foreign currency derivative instruments, interest rate swaps and locks, and the majority of commodity hedging contracts are entered into with major financial institutions. At inception, we formally designate certain derivatives as cash flow, fair value or net investment hedges and establish how the effectiveness of these hedges will be assessed and measured. This process links the derivatives to the transactions or financial balances they are hedging. Changes in the fair value of derivatives not designated as hedging instruments are recorded in earnings as they occur. All derivative instruments are recorded as assets or liabilities on the balance sheet at fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are either recorded in the income statement or other comprehensive income, as appropriate. The gain or loss on derivatives designated as fair value hedges and the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk are included in income in the period that changes in fair value occur. The gain or loss on derivatives designated as cash flow hedges is included in other comprehensive income in the period that changes in fair value occur, and is reclassified to income in the same period that the hedged item affects income. The gain or loss on derivatives designated as hedges of investments in foreign subsidiaries is recognized in other comprehensive income to offset the change in value of the net investments being hedged. Certain foreign-currency derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments have been entered into to manage certain non-functional currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities. The gain or loss on these derivatives is included in income in the period that changes in their fair values occur. Cash flows from derivatives are classified within the consolidated statement of cash flows in the same category as the items being hedged. Cash flows from derivatives are classified within Operating Activities, except for derivatives designated as net investment hedges which are classified in Investing Activities. See Note 11 for disclosures about derivative instruments and hedging activities.

Leases

Lease assets and lease liabilities are recognized at the commencement of an arrangement where it is determined at inception that a lease exists. Lease assets represent the right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent the obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. These assets and liabilities are initially recognized based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term calculated using our incremental borrowing rate generally applicable to the location of the lease asset, unless the implicit rate is readily determinable. Lease assets also include any upfront lease payments made and exclude lease incentives. Lease terms include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that those options will be exercised.

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Variable lease payments are generally expensed as incurred and include certain index-based changes in rent, certain nonlease components, such as maintenance and other services provided by the lessor, and other charges included in the lease. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet, and the expense for these short-term leases and for operating leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Certain lease agreements with lease and nonlease components are combined as a single lease component. The depreciable life of lease assets and leasehold improvements is limited by the expected lease term, unless there is a transfer of title or purchase option reasonably certain of exercise.

Accounting Standards - Adopted During 2020

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40). The new guidance reduces complexity for the accounting for costs of implementing a cloud computing service arrangement and aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal use software license). We adopted this standard as of January 1, 2020 on a prospective basis. The effects of this standard on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows were not material.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. This guidance provides temporary optional expedients and exceptions to accounting guidance on contract modifications and hedge accounting to ease entities’ financial reporting burdens as the market transitions from the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates. The guidance was effective upon issuance and generally can be applied through December 31, 2022. In January 2021, the FASB issued ASU No. 2021-01 to further clarify the scope of this guidance. The effects of these standards on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows are not expected to be material.

Accounting Standards Issued - Not Adopted as of December 31, 2020

In 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (Topic 740). The new guidance simplifies the accounting for income taxes by eliminating certain exceptions related to the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the tax basis of goodwill after a business combination, and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. The new guidance also changes the calculation of the income tax impact of hybrid taxes and the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period. We adopted this standard as of January 1, 2021 on either a prospective basis, or through a modified retrospective approach, as required by the standard. There was no cumulative effect adjustment recorded to retained earnings as the amount was not material. The effects of this standard on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows were not material.

Note 2. 2018 Global Restructuring Program

In January 2018, we announced the 2018 Global Restructuring Program to reduce our structural cost base by streamlining and simplifying our manufacturing supply chain and overhead organization. We expect to close or sell approximately 10 manufacturing facilities and expand production capacity at several others. We expect to exit or divest some lower-margin businesses that generate approximately 1 percent of our net sales. The restructuring is expected to impact all of our business segments and our organizations in all major geographies. Workforce reductions are now expected to be in the range of 6,300 to 6,400.

The restructuring is expected to be completed in 2021, with total costs now anticipated to be in the range of $2.0 billion to $2.1 billion pre-tax ($1.5 billion to $1.6 billion after tax). Cash costs are expected to be $1.1 billion to $1.15 billion, primarily related to workforce reductions. Non-cash charges are expected to be $900 to $950 pre-tax and will primarily consist of incremental depreciation, asset write-offs and pension settlement and curtailment charges. Restructuring charges in 2021 are expected to be $180 to $280 pre-tax ($135 to $215 after tax).

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The following net charges were incurred in connection with the 2018 Global Restructuring Program:

Year Ended December 31

Cost of products sold:

Charges for workforce reductions $ 10 $ 31 $ 149

Asset impairments 17 — 74

Marketing, research and general expenses:

Charges for workforce reductions 13 (12) 243

Other (income) and expense, net(a) (9) (194) (12)

Provision for income taxes (94) (118) (243)

Net impact related to equity companies and noncontrolling interests (2) — (10)

Net charges attributable to Kimberly-Clark Corporation $ 323 $ 248 $ 783

(a)Other (income) and expense, net in 2019 was the result of pre-tax gains on the sales of manufacturing facilities and associated real estate which were disposed of as part of the restructuring.

(b)Represents non-cash pension settlement and curtailment charges resulting from restructuring actions, primarily in the U.S., United Kingdom and Canada.

The measurement of the asset impairment charges was based on the excess of the carrying values of the impacted asset groups over their fair values. These fair values were measured by using discounted cash flows expected over the limited time the assets would remain in use or the expected sales value, and as a result, the assets were essentially written off or written down to fair value less costs to sell. The use of discounted cash flows represents a level 3 measure under the fair value hierarchy.

The following summarizes the restructuring liabilities activity: