Kimberly-Clark and Kenvue (NYSE: KVUE) detail proposed strategic combination plans
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Kimberly-Clark Corporation has issued a communication describing a proposed transaction with Kenvue Inc., in which the two companies plan to combine to create what they describe as a preeminent global health and wellness leader. The message comes from a senior Kimberly-Clark executive, who characterizes this as one of the most important days in the company’s history and highlights the strategic significance of joining two iconic American brands.
The companies plan to file a Form S-4 registration statement with the SEC, including a joint proxy statement/prospectus, and will seek stockholder approval from both Kimberly-Clark and Kenvue investors. The communication emphasizes that investors should rely on the full registration statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus when available, and it provides standard cautionary language that forward-looking statements about expected benefits, synergies, and financial impact are subject to numerous risks, including regulatory approvals, integration challenges, transaction timing, market reactions, and broader economic and operational uncertainties.
Positive
- Strategic combination signaled: Kimberly-Clark and Kenvue describe a proposed transaction intended to create a leading global health and wellness company, suggesting a potentially transformative deal for both businesses.
Negative
- None.
Insights
Kimberly-Clark and Kenvue outline a major proposed combination with standard SEC and risk disclosures.
The communication signals a proposed transaction between Kimberly-Clark and Kenvue, framed internally as one of the most important events in Kimberly-Clark’s history. It describes an intended Form S-4 registration that will include a joint proxy statement/prospectus, meaning both sets of stockholders will be asked to vote on transaction-related proposals. This places the contemplated deal in the category of a strategic combination rather than a minor partnership.
The text stresses that the definitive details will be in the S-4 and joint proxy statement/prospectus, which will contain the financial terms, structure, and pro forma information for the combined company. Until those materials are available, this communication mainly serves as required securities-law messaging around a public promotional statement by a Kimberly-Clark executive, plus instructions on where investors can later access full documents.
The forward-looking statement section lists extensive risks: potential failure to obtain regulatory or stockholder approvals, integration difficulties, uncertainty around realizing projected synergies, possible termination of the merger agreement with related fees, and exposure to macro factors such as inflation, supply chain issues, litigation, and geopolitical disruptions. These caveats underscore that the combination remains subject to multiple contingencies and that actual outcomes could differ materially from current management expectations.
Filed by Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Pursuant to Rule 425 of the Securities Act of 1933
and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Subject Company: Kenvue Inc.
Commission File No.: 001-41697
On November 10, 2025, Jeff Melucci, Chief Strategy, Business Development and Administrative Officer of Kimberly-Clark Corporation, published the following social media post on LinkedIn in connection with the proposed transaction between Kimberly-Clark Corporation and Kenvue Inc.:
A transcript of the reposted video clip is as follows:
This may be the second most important day in our company's history. Of course, Founder's Day is the most important. But this is really about two great iconic American companies joining forces to create what we think is the preeminent global health and wellness leader.
Important Information for Investors and Stockholders
This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction. It does not constitute a prospectus or prospectus equivalent document. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
This communication may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed transaction between Kimberly-Clark Corporation (“K-C”) and Kenvue Inc. (“Kenvue”). In connection therewith, K-C and Kenvue intend to file relevant materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including, among other filings, a K-C registration statement on Form S-4 in connection with the proposed issuance of shares of K-C’s common stock pursuant to the proposed transaction that will include a joint proxy statement of K-C and Kenvue that also constitutes a prospectus of K-C, and a definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus, which, after the registration statement is declared effective by the SEC, will be mailed to stockholders of K-C and Kenvue seeking their approval of their respective transaction-related proposals. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF K-C AND KENVUE ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS IN THEIR ENTIRETY THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, THE PARTIES TO THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND ANY SOLICITATION. This communication is not a substitute for the registration statement, the joint proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that K-C or Kenvue may file with the SEC and send to its stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Investors and stockholders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and the joint proxy statement/prospectus (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by K-C or Kenvue through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by K-C will be available free of charge on K-C’s website at kimberly-clark.com under the tab “Investors” and under the heading “Financial” and subheading “SEC Filings.” Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Kenvue will be available free of charge on Kenvue’s website at kenvue.com under the tab “Investors” and under the heading “Financials & reports” and subheading “SEC filings.”
Certain Information Regarding Participants
K-C, Kenvue, and their respective directors and executive officers and certain other members of management and employees may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of K-C and Kenvue in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of K-C is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on February 13, 2025, its proxy statement for its 2025 annual meeting, which was filed with the SEC on March 10, 2025, and its Current Report on Form 8-K, which was filed with the SEC on May 6, 2025. Information about the directors and executive officers of Kenvue is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on February 24, 2025, its proxy statement for its 2025 annual meeting, which was filed with the SEC on April 9, 2025, and its Current Reports on Form 8-K, which were filed with the SEC on May 8, 2025, June 24, 2025, July 14, 2025, and November 3, 2025. To the extent holdings of K-C’s or Kenvue’s securities by its directors or executive officers have changed since the amounts set forth in such filings, such changes have been or will be reflected on Initial Statements of Beneficial Ownership on Form 3 or Statements of Beneficial Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC, including the Initial Statements of Beneficial Ownership on Form 3, Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 or Annual Statements of Beneficial Ownership on Form 5 filed with the SEC on: 5/2/2025, 5/2/2025, 5/2/2025, 5/2/2025, 5/2/2025, 5/2/2025, 5/2/2025, 5/2/2025, 5/2/2025, 5/2/2025, 5/27/2025, 5/27/2025, 5/27/2025, 5/27/2025, 5/27/2025, 5/27/2025, 5/27/2025, 5/27/2025, 6/2/2025, 6/4/2025, 8/1/2025, 8/1/2025, 8/4/2025, 9/10/2025, 9/24/2025, 10/1/2025, 10/1/2025, 10/1/2025, 10/1/2025, 10/3/2025 and 10/7/2025. Additional information about the directors and executive officers of K-C and Kenvue and other information regarding the potential participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, which may, in some cases, be different than those of K-C’s stockholders or Kenvue’s stockholders generally, will be contained in the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. You may obtain these documents (when they become available) free of charge through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov and from K-C’s or Kenvue’s website as described above.
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Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain matters contained in this communication, including projections as to the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, the impact of the proposed transaction on K-C’s and Kenvue’s business and future financial and operating results and prospects and other contingencies in connection with the proposed transaction, constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act and are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of the management of K-C and Kenvue concerning future events impacting K-C and Kenvue and are qualified by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations generally. There can be no assurance that these future events will occur as anticipated or that our results will be as estimated. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond K-C’s and Kenvue’s control. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update them. Some of these forward-looking statements can be identified by words like “anticipate,” “approximately,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “possible,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” or “would,” the negative of these words, other terms of similar meaning or the use of future dates.
The assumptions used as a basis for the forward-looking statements include many estimates that depend on many factors outside of K-C’s or Kenvue’s control, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties around the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement, including circumstances requiring a party to pay the other party a termination fee pursuant to the merger agreement, the risk that the conditions to the completion of the proposed transaction (including stockholder and regulatory approvals) are not satisfied in a timely manner or at all, the possibility that competing offers or transaction proposals may be made, the risks arising from the integration of the K-C and Kenvue businesses, the uncertainty of rating agency actions, the risk that the anticipated benefits and synergies of the proposed transaction may not be realized when expected or at all and that the proposed transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, the risk of unexpected costs or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction, the risk of litigation related to the proposed transaction, including resulting expense or delay, the risks related to disruption to ongoing business operations and diversion of management’s time as a result of the proposed transaction, the risk that the proposed transaction may have an adverse effect on the ability of K-C and Kenvue to retain key personnel, customers and suppliers, the risk that the credit ratings of the combined company declines following the proposed transaction, the risk that the announcement or the consummation of the proposed transaction has a negative effect on the market price of the capital stock of K-C and Kenvue or on K-C’s and Kenvue’s operating results, the risk of product liability litigation or government or regulatory action, including related to product liability claims, the risk of product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action, risks relating to inflation and other economic factors, such as interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations, government trade or similar regulatory actions (including current and potential trade and tariff actions and other constraints on trade affecting the countries where K-C or Kenvue operate and the resulting negative impacts on our supply chain, commodity costs, and consumer spending), natural disasters, acts of war, terrorism, catastrophes, pandemics, epidemics, or other disease outbreaks, the prices and availability of K-C’s or Kenvue’s raw materials, manufacturing difficulties or delays or supply chain disruptions, disruptions in the capital and credit markets, counterparty defaults (including customers, suppliers and financial institutions with which K-C or Kenvue do business), impairment of goodwill and intangible assets and projections of operating results and other factors that may affect impairment testing, changes in customer preferences, severe weather conditions, regional instabilities and hostilities, potential competitive pressures on selling prices for K-C and Kenvue products, energy costs, general economic and political conditions globally and in the markets in which K-C and Kenvue do business (including the related responses of consumers, customers and suppliers on sanctions issued by the U.S., the European Union, Russia or other countries), the ability to maintain key customer relationships, competition, including technological advances, new products, and intellectual property attained by competitors, challenges inherent in new product research and development, uncertainty of commercial success for new and existing products and digital capabilities, challenges to intellectual property protections including counterfeiting, the ability of K-C and Kenvue to successfully execute business development strategy and other strategic plans, changes to applicable laws and regulations and other requirements imposed by stakeholders, as well as changes in behavior and spending patterns of consumers, could affect the realization of these estimates.
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Additional information and factors concerning these risks, uncertainties and assumptions can be found in K-C’s and Kenvue’s respective filings with the SEC, including the risk factors discussed in K-C’s and Kenvue’s most recent Annual Reports on Form 10-K, as updated by their Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and future filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements included herein are made only as of the date hereof and neither K-C nor Kenvue undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, or any other information in this communication, as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, or to correct any inaccuracies or omissions in them which become apparent. All forward-looking statements in this communication are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
It should also be noted that projected financial information for the combined businesses of K-C and Kenvue is based on management’s estimates, assumptions and projections and has not been prepared in conformance with the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X relating to pro forma financial information, and the required pro forma adjustments have not been applied and are not reflected therein. None of this information should be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, the historical financial statements of K-C or Kenvue. Various factors could cause actual future results to differ materially from those currently estimated by management, including, but not limited to, the risks described above and in each of K-C’s and Kenvue’s respective filings with the SEC.
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FAQ
What transaction involving Kenvue (KVUE) is described in this communication?
What SEC filings will Kimberly-Clark and Kenvue make for the proposed deal?
Will Kenvue (KVUE) and Kimberly-Clark stockholders be asked to vote on the transaction?
How can investors access the detailed documents about the Kimberly-Clark–Kenvue deal?
What risks and uncertainties are highlighted regarding the proposed Kimberly-Clark and Kenvue transaction?
Does this communication itself constitute an offer to buy or sell Kenvue or Kimberly-Clark securities?
