Australia clears Kimberly-Clark's acquisition of Kenvue but requires Carefree, Stayfree divestment

Australia’s competition regulator approved Kimberly-Clark’s proposed $40B takeover of Kenvue, but required divestiture of Kenvue’s Carefree and Stayfree period care brands in the country to address competition concerns. The conditional approval reduces deal uncertainty and supports progression toward closing, although it implies asset-level constraints and potential margin/value dilution.