Accounting probe adds risk

Article Excerpt

ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND CO. $60 is a hold. The company (New York symbol ADM; High-Growth Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 494.4 million; Market cap: $29.7 billion; Dividend yield: 3.3%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.adm.com) processes corn, wheat, soybeans, flax seed and other crops into a variety of food ingredients such as flour, oils and sweeteners. With the February 2024 payment, Archer raised your quarterly dividend by 11.1%, to $0.50 a share from $0.45. The new annual rate of $2.00 a share yields 3.3%. The company also added $2 billion to its current share buyback authorization. It now aims to repurchase $1 billion of its shares by June 30, 2024. Archer’s shares trade at 10.7 times its likely 2024 earnings of $5.59 a share. That low p/e is because the U.S. Department of Justice continues to investigate Archer over accounting practices at its nutrition division, which makes ingredients for human and pet foods. Sales between business units within the company were not recorded at amounts…