Kimberly-Clark is preparing asset sales to address European Union antitrust concerns over its planned $40 billion acquisition of Kenvue, according to Reuters. The company is reportedly seeking remedies that could secure European Commission approval by the September 29 deadline and avoid a more extensive four-month investigation. Similar concerns already surfaced in Australia, where the deal won conditional approval after Kimberly-Clark agreed to divest Kenvue's Carefree and Stayfree brands. The transaction would create a consumer-health and personal-care company with approximately $32 billion of annual revenue and $7 billion of adjusted EBITDA, and Kimberly-Clark expects about $1.9 billion of annual cost synergies and $500 million of revenue synergies, though it expects to invest roughly $2.5 billion in cash to achieve the cost savings. Kimberly-Clark's first-half 2026 organic sales rose only 1.2%, and the company subsequently lowered its full-year organic sales outlook, making the scale of any EU divestitures critical to whether it can retain the expected economic benefits of the deal.
Kimberly-Clark CorporationKimberly-Clark must sell EU assets to win antitrust approval for its $40B Kenvue deal, risking loss of expected deal benefits.
Kenvue Inc.Kenvue is the acquisition target whose brands may be divested to clear EU and Australian antitrust concerns.
