Topic: Dividend Stocks

Faster-growing fields should spur their dividends


Intel LISTEN:  

These two leading U.S. tech companies have aggressively shifted their focus to faster-growing areas as demand for their legacy products declines. That should fuel their longterm earnings and provide more cash for dividends.

INTEL CORP. $45 (Nasdaq symbol INTC; Conservative Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 4.7 billion; Market cap: $211.5 billion; Dividend yield: 2.4%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.intel.com) is the world’s leading maker of computer chips: its products power 80% of all personal computers.

With its June 1, 2017, payment, Intel raised its quarterly dividend 4.8%. Investors now receive $0.2725 a share, for an annual rate of $1.09. That yields 2.4%.

To cut its reliance on cyclical demand for personal computers, Intel has diversified into other types of chips. The company completed its acquisition of Mobileye N.V. for $15.3 billion during the third quarter. Based in Israel, Mobileye specializes in computer systems and chips for selfdriving cars. Over 25 automakers currently use, or have agreed to use, its technology. Intel expects global demand for vehicle systems and data services could rise to $70 billion by 2030.

In the three months ended September 30, 2017, Intel’s revenue rose 2.4%, to $16.1 billion from $15.8 billion a year earlier. The company earned $4.5 billion, or $0.94 a share. That’s an increase of 36.2% from $3.4 billion, or $0.69 a share, a year earlier.

Intel ended the quarter with cash and investments of $17.5 billion, or $3.72 a share. Its long-term debt of $27.5 billion is a low 13% of its market cap.

In addition to acquisitions, the company continues to develop new chips and to improve the efficiency of its manufacturing equipment. In the third quarter of 2017, its research costs rose 5.0%, to $3.2 billion (or 19.9% of revenue) from $3.1 billion (or 19.5% of revenue) a year earlier.

Intel will probably earn $3.24 a share in 2017. The stock trades at a low 13.9 times that forecast.

Intel is a buy.

CISCO SYSTEMS INC. $36 (Nasdaq symbol CSCO; High-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 5.0 billion; Market cap: $180.0 billion; Dividend yield: 3.2%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.cisco.com) makes hardware and software that links and manages computer networks.

The company paid its first quarterly dividend of $0.06 a share in March 2011. Since then, it has increased that payout seven times. Cisco’s current quarterly dividend of $0.29 offers an annualized yield of 3.2%.

In response to stronger competition from lower-cost, generic routers and switches, the company has shifted its focus to faster-growing markets such as computer security systems and software.

In its fiscal 2018 first quarter, ended October 28, 2017, Cisco’s earnings fell 2.1%, to $3.04 billion from $3.10 billion a year earlier. During those three months, the company spent $1.6 billion on share repurchases; as a result, earnings per share were unchanged at $0.61.

Cisco recently paid $320 million for California-based Springpath Inc. Its hyper-convergence software will complement the company’s data center solutions. Cisco also recently paid an undisclosed sum for Perspica, a private company that uses artificial intelligence to identify computer network and database problems in order to prevent service disruptions. The company plans to merge Perspica with AppDynamics.

Cisco’s earnings will probably rise from $2.39 a share in fiscal 2017 to $2.52 in 2018. The stock trades at just 14.3 times that forecast

Cisco Systems is a top pick for 2017.

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