Kraft may sell Oscar Mayer

Article Excerpt

KRAFT HEINZ CO. $32 is a buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol KHC, Conservative-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio; Consumer sector; Shares o/s: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $38.4 billion; Dividend yield: 5.0%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.kraftheinzcompany.com) is a leading producer of processed foods. Top brands include Velveeta and Philadelphia cheese products, Oscar Mayer hot dogs, and Ore-Ida potatoes. Kraft cut your quarterly dividend by 36.5% with the March 2019 payment to $0.40 a share from $0.63. The current annual rate of $1.60 yields a high 5.0%. That cut was due to declining sales of the company’s older brands as consumers continued their shift to healthier options. The company may be preparing to sell its Oscar Mayer business. In addition to hot dogs, this business also sells bacon, ham, and bologna products. A sale could raise between $3 billion and $5 billion. The cash would help the company with its plan to buy back up to $3 billion of its outstanding shares through December 26, 2026. Kraft Heinz is a..