Their dividends still look safe

Article Excerpt

These two beverage makers continue to raise their dividends. However, their shares will likely remain in a narrow range as they cope with changing consumer tastes and increasingly strong competition. MOLSON COORS CANADA INC. is a hold. The brewer (Toronto symbols TPX.A $69 and TPX.B $69; Conservative Growth Payer Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares o/s: 211.9 million; Market cap: $14.6 billion; Dividend yield: 3.5%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.molsoncoors.com) raised your quarterly dividend with the March 2024 payment by 7.3%, to $0.44 U.S. a share from $0.41 U.S. The annual rate of $1.76 U.S. yields 3.5%. In the three months ended March 31, 2024, revenue jumped 10.7%, to $2.60 billion from $2.35 billion a year earlier (all figures except share prices and market cap in U.S. dollars). Excluding currency exchange rates, sales rose 10.1%. That gain was due to higher volumes and increased selling prices. Factoring out one-time items, earnings rose 74.4%, to $0.95 a share (or a total of $202.8 million) from $0.54 a share (or $116.3…