Payments look safe despite rising inflation

Article Excerpt

So far, U.S. consumer confidence has held up in the face of rising inflation and interest rates. However, there are signs that higher rates could cut spending in 2023, which would likely weigh on the profit growth of these two consumer-products giants. Even so, their dividends look solid. PEPSICO INC. $176 is a hold. The company (Nasdaq symbol PEP; Conservative-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares o/s: 1.4 billion; Market cap: $246.4 billion; Dividend yield: 2.9%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.pepsico.com) is the world’s second-largest soft-drink maker after Coca-Cola. Its other brands include Frito-Lay snacks, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana fruit juices and Quaker Oats cereals. PepsiCo will raise your quarterly dividend by 10.0% with the June 2023 payment. The new annual rate of $5.06 a share yields 2.9%. The company has now increased the dividend annually for the past 51 years. In addition, it plans to repurchase $1 billion of its stock in 2023. In the quarter ended December 31, 2022, sales rose 10.9%, to $28.00…