Opioids are a class of drug that includes prescription pain relievers such as OxyContin and Vicodin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl (similar to morphine but much more potent), and illegal drug heroin.  In 2017 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared a public health emergency to address the national opioid crisis. The HHS believes [...]

News broke last night that the U.S. will impose a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports beginning on June 10 unless Mexico agrees to do more to address illegal immigration problems.  The tariff will increase 5% each month, reaching a maximum of 25% in October. Trump tweeted the 25% level would hold there "until Mexico [...]

Amgen (AMGN) was founded in 1980 and is one of the world's leading biotechnology companies with operations in more than 100 countries. The business develops and manufactures treatments for oncology/hematology, cardiovascular, inflammation, bone health, nephrology, and neurological diseases.  About 77% of the firm's sales are derived from the U.S., and Amgen's product portfolio is concentrated [...]

Shares of Qualcomm (QCOM) fell as low as $49 earlier this year as investors fretted over the significant legal risks the company's core licensing business faced. Simply put, the firm was accused by Apple and others of abusing its monopolistic position in wireless chips and charging excessive royalty rates. Investors received good news in April [...]

Founded in 1898, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) procures, transports, and processes corn, oilseeds, wheat, and other commodities which are turned into products for food, beverage, animal feed, chemical, and energy uses around the world.  The firm's end products include vegetable oil, protein meal, flour, corn sweeteners, starch, ethanol, and many other food and feed ingredients.  [...]

Since 1997, Kinder Morgan (KMI) has spent more than $60 billion building one of North America's largest midstream infrastructures, providing gathering, storage, transport, and processing services to the oil & gas industry. Kinder Morgan's immense footprint (84,000 miles of pipelines and over 150 distribution and storage terminals) means the company is vertically integrated into almost [...]

Founded in 1962, Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT) is one of the oldest REITs in the world. The company specializes in high-quality, neighborhood shopping centers that are anchored by grocery stores and located in large, affluent markets such as Silicon Valley and New York. Today the REIT owns 104 properties, comprising 24 million square feet [...]

Founded in 1919 in Columbus, Indiana, Cummins (CMI) is the largest dedicated global industrial diesel and natural gas engine manufacturer.The company’s primary markets are highway and heavy-duty vehicles, construction, and general industrial markets, where it serves customers such as Chrysler, Daimler, Volvo, PACCAR, Navistar, CNH Global, Komatsu, and Ford. PACCAR is the largest customer accounting [...]

Shares of Bayer (BAYRY) have slumped nearly 50% over the past year. The German manufacturer of chemicals and pharmaceuticals has remained under pressure following its June 2018 acquisition of Monsanto for $63 billion. Buying Monsanto made Bayer the world's largest seed and crop-chemical business, according to The Wall Street Journal. The firm's agriculture business shot up from [...]

Shares of A.O. Smith (AOS) have slumped about 11% over the last two days following a bearish research report released by short seller J Capital Research.  You can read their 66-page report here, but the firm makes the following key allegations against A.O. Smith's business practices and outlook: Short-term performance in China, which accounts for 34% [...]

In October 2018, we reviewed Vodafone's (VOD) dividend safety and made the following remarks (see our full note here): Vodafone's "Borderline Safe" Dividend Safety Score is hanging by a thread. With the dividend consuming the bulk of Vodafone's free cash flow, plus rising leverage from the Liberty Global deal, the capital-intensive nature of its businesses, and [...]

Founded in 1894 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Hershey (HSY) manufactures and sells chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products including gum and mints; baking ingredients such as toppings, beverages, and syrups; and snack items, including spreads, meat snacks, bars, mixes, popcorn, protein bars, and cookies.These products are marketed under over 80 leading brands including: Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kisses, Jolly [...]

Simon Property Group (SPG) is America’s largest mall owner, with full or partial ownership interest in over 230 properties across North America, Europe, and Asia. In 2018 Simon's U.S. mall tenants generated over $60 billion in retail sales.  Most of Simon's locations are anchored by department stores, and the vast majority of net operating income, [...]

Shares of 3M (MMM) have slumped 20% since April 24th, falling to their lowest level since early 2017. The stock's dividend yield now sits at 3.3%, a level not seen other than in 1995 and during the financial crisis. Investors aren't giving 3M much credit for its long-term track record of creating meaningful shareholder value [...]

PetMed Express (PETS) reported disappointing earnings on May 6, causing the firm's Dividend Safety Score to fall from our lowest "Borderline Safe" rating into the "Unsafe" bucket.  A low score does not necessarily mean a dividend cut is imminent. However, these companies have higher risk of reducing their payouts in the future and often depend on favorable [...]