In the spotlight today is the Western European market leader in the frozen food industry. With a portfolio of multiple brands, the company’s roots span over a century. The current setup was formed in 2015, when the brands Iglo and Findus were acquired. Since the IPO, a decade has passed, yet the stock is trading (again) where it had started. Are a near 5% dividend yield and a PE ratio of 7 enough to spark appetite, or is something fishy?
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Though initially not planned as a trilogy in that sense, today I am taking a closer look at Diageo, the world’s biggest spirits company. Like its competitors Pernod Ricard and Brown-Foreman, Diageo stock has nosedived, and caused strong headaches for its investors. After the stock got cut in half, while the broader market ran from high to high, the question arises, whether this could be a good contrarian pick right now. Especially with the dividend now being on a historically high level.
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Summer holidays have begun. This is a good time to have a look into the stock portfolio, challenging the personal picks and always asking “why” they have a place in the portfolio. Occasionally, a summer clean-up may be appropriate. Especially, if the core strategy consists of banking on dividend payers that generate a supposedly low-maintenance passive income stream. Be on guard, here come my next four names where I think the dividends will have a tough time to be sustained.
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Buying back own stock on the open market is a frequently used tool to let shareholders participate in the success of a company. At least in theory. Ideally, free cash flow is used to repurchase equities to lower share count, thus making every single piece a bit more valuable. There are examples where buybacks indeed created shareholder value. On the other hand, plenty of money has been wasted with the goal to appease shareholders, but without a positive outcome. Are buybacks good or bad, respectively when so?
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Here we go again with one of my favorite contrarian topics: Buckle up, the dividend butcher is sharpening his axe once more! Four prestigious dividend stocks once deemed safe havens are poised to slash their generosity to ribbons. With worsening fundamentals, overstretched balance sheets and drying cash flows in a challenging environment, these firms will likely need to trim the fat from their dividends in the not-too-distant future.
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Over the last years many energy companies made gigantic windfall profits which allowed them to ramp up their shareholder distributions. Dividends and buybacks are often the reasons for investments in big energy companies. Since the high in 2022, oil prices have almost halved, though. With the main driver oil now trading around 60–65 USD, the question arises whether these generous payouts are sustainable. Short answer: no, if we see a longer period of low energy prices. What does this mean for the Supermajors and their investors? And how do I handle this unfavorable environment? Is it maybe even advantageous for my setup?
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The stock of soft drinks and snacks giant PepsiCo over the last five years has done exactly nothing. Dividends were the only form of returns, but this will hardly make investors high-five this market-lagging performance. With a just raised-again dividend, a yield on the high-end of the historical range, a comparatively low PE ratio of 16x and an uncertain economic environment, this consumer staple company might qualify for a defensive portfolio.
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Pernod Ricard’s stock has taken an almost unthinkable tumble, plummeting from a spirited high of over 200 EUR not too long ago in 2023 to even below 100 EUR now. That’s a 50% nosedive in just two years, while the broader markets – until they got a bit tipsy a few months back – were toasting new highs. The more so shocking, as Pernod Ricard is seen as a “recession-proof, high-quality company with valuable brands”. Is this a rare chance to grab a premium spirits stock at a bargain, letting its value intoxicate your portfolio? Or could it trap you in a value hangover?
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Like I hinted in my outlook for 2025, this year indeed so far has proved to be rather volatile. Sentiment can change almost on a day-to-day basis, depending on political announcements. Even wild swings of 7–10% in just one day are not impossible. Under these circumstances, it makes sense to think about more defensive stocks, assuming the tariff circus continues and / or a recession hits soon. There are the usual suspects which can do the job. But I wouldn’t expect too much upside. My members have already received my next stock idea – one of the most defensive, recession- and tariff-unaffected businesses available – paired with decent upside.
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After my take on food stocks, in today’s second part of the series I am having a look at another failed group of consumer darlings – alcohol producers. These “sin stocks”, similar to tobacco, have been seen for long as one of the best ideas to play defense. Especially in crises, it was said people would smoke and drink even more. The only difference: valuations. While most tobacco stocks today are deep-value plays, alcohol stocks for a long time have had rather rich multiples. Frustrating for those who only looked at the perceived quality of the companies, but not their risks. With many alcohol companies trading substantially below their highs, is now the time to get active?
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