The ratings on Kimberly-Clark Corp., a global manufacturer and marketer of household and personal care products, reflects its strong business profile, solid cash flow generation, and our expectation that the company will maintain a modest financial risk profile. The company has leading market shares in a number of core categories, including personal care (Huggies, Pull-Ups, Depend), consumer tissue (Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle), and business-to-business products (Safeskin, Ballard). The diversity and strength of its product portfolio should provide Kimberly-Clark with a solid and consistent stream of earnings and cash flow. Revenues increased by 6.3% in fiscal 2008 due to higher sales volumes, favorable foreign exchange rates, and price increases. However, this was more than offset by higher raw material and energy costs
