When I reviewed Kroger (KR) in May 2018, I made the following concluding remarks:  At the end of the day, it's hard to pull the trigger to invest in a supermarket chain. While Kroger has rewarded shareholders with tremendous returns over the last decade, profitable growth is likely to be more challenging over the next 10 [...]

Pfizer (PFE) has taken steps in recent years to focus its business on higher-margin, faster-growing prescription drugs. For example, in 2013 the company spun off its animal health business, late last year Pfizer reached a deal with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to combine their consumer health businesses, and in June 2019 the firm agreed to buy cancer treatment firm Array BioPharma for [...]

Earlier this week V.F. Corp (VFC) declared a quarterly dividend of $0.43 per share. The company's prior quarterly dividend rate was $0.51 per share, resulting in some headlines claiming that this dividend aristocrat had cut its payout. While V.F. Corp's new dividend rate is technically lower, investors didn't actually receive a payout cut. In May, V.F. Corp spun [...]

Boeing's (BA) best-selling plane model, the 737 MAX, has been grounded since mid-March following two deadly crashes. Analysts had estimated this plane series would account for about two-thirds of the company's future deliveries and roughly 40% of Boeing's total profit. Understandably, many investors remain concerned about the risks Boeing faces from this ordeal. Based on what we [...]

Down more than half from their mid-2015 high, shares of WPP (WPP) yield nearly 7% today. The global advertising conglomerate has paid uninterrupted dividends for more than 20 consecutive years, but its business has faced challenges from the rise of digital marketing and shifting client needs.  In most cases, a company's financials paint a fairly clear [...]

Down more than half from their mid-2015 high, shares of WPP (WPP) yield nearly 7% today. The global advertising conglomerate has paid uninterrupted dividends for more than 20 consecutive years, but its business has faced challenges from the rise of digital marketing and shifting client needs. 

Imperial Brands (IMBBY) boasts an impressive track record of raising its dividend by 10% each year for the past decade, thanks to the predictable cash flow its tobacco business has historically generated.  However, shifting consumer habits and regulatory changes have challenged the tobacco market, sending Imperial Brands' dividend yield soaring to 9%.  With a Borderline Safe Dividend [...]

Flowers Foods (FLO) was founded in 1919 and has grown to become the second-largest producer of packaged bakery foods in the country with over 40 operating bakeries. The company primarily sells breads, buns, rolls, tortillas, and snack cakes, and some of its key brands include Nature’s Own (the number one bread in the U.S.), Tastykake, [...]

Founded in 1969, Sysco (SYY) is the largest global distributor of food, essentially acting as a middleman between food producers and retail consumers. The company provides food products and related services to more than 600,000 customer locations, including restaurants (62% of sales), healthcare facilities (9%), schools and governments (8%), hotels and travel companies (8%), and [...]

In business since 1905, C.H. Robinson (CHRW) is one of the largest third-party logistics companies in the world. The firm acts as a middleman in the transportation industry, helping connect companies that need to ship goods with cost-effective transportation providers that have capacity available via trucks, railroads, airlines, and ships. C.H. Robinson doesn’t own hard [...]

STAG Industrial (STAG) is a small but fast-growing industrial REIT that went public in 2011 but has existed since 2003. The company owns about 400 industrial properties which are located in 38 states and leased to over 350 tenants. The vast majority of its single-tenant properties are warehouses, distribution centers, and light manufacturing facilities.  STAG [...]

With roots dating back to 1951, Accenture (ACN) is one of the largest professional services companies in the world and provides a range of end-to-end services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital (marketing, analytics, mobility), technology infrastructure, and operations. Accenture essentially develops and implements technology-driven solutions to improve its clients’ productivity and efficiency. Serving more [...]

Founded in 1968, Waste Management (WM) owns the largest network of recycling facilities, transfer stations, landfills, and processing plants in North America. The company makes money by entering into contracts with customers to collect, transport, process, store, and dispose of their waste. In just 30 years of operation, the company has built an impressive and [...]

Shares of Iron Mountain (IRM) are down more than 7% today following a downgrade from Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Michael Funk.  Citing a sharp slump in the price of recycled paper, Funk believes that Iron Mountain will be forced to reduce its 2019 guidance, which calls for 2-2.5% organic sales growth and EBITDA growth of [...]

In June 2015 our Long-term Dividend Growth portfolio initiated a position in MSC Industrial (MSM) at a price of $69.81 per share. MSM shares closed at $69.55 today, virtually unchanged from the date of our purchase and matching the price they traded at eight years ago in July 2011. MSC Industrial hasn't lost us money, but the [...]