Welcome back to another episode of the Dividend Talk Podcast! This week, we’re diving into the latest dividend earnings reports, focusing on European markets. We discuss standout earnings, dividend hikes, and some surprising developments in dividend growth investing.

There’s plenty to talk about from AI investments in France to the latest from companies like Nestlé, Unilever, and British American Tobacco.

Timestamps and Tickers

Here’s a quick guide to the key sections of the episode:

• 0:06 – 1:21: Introduction and overview of the week’s dividend earnings.
• 1:21 – 4:11: Discussion on AI investments in Europe, particularly France’s €109 billion AI plan.
• 4:11 – 10:02: Dividend hikes announced by companies like Meta Platforms (META), Nestlé (NESN), and Cisco (CSCO).
• 10:02 – 24:30: Deep dive into British American Tobacco’s (BATS) earnings and litigation issues.
• 24:30 – 32:00: Analysis of Agree Realty’s (ADC) steady performance in a challenging real estate market.
• 32:00 – 40:00: Ahold Delhaize’s (AD) strong earnings and dividend growth.
• 40:00 – 45:00: Siemens’ (SIE) impressive quarter and outlook.
• 45:00 – 53:00: Unilever’s (ULVR) comeback story and dividend hikes.
• 53:00 – 1:15:00: Listener questions, including thoughts on Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Google (GOOGL), and Novo Nordisk (NOVO B).

Key News

France’s €109 Billion AI Investment: The hosts discuss France’s ambitious plan to invest heavily in AI, with a focus on infrastructure like data centers. While this is a positive move for Europe’s tech race, there’s some concern about the lack of involvement from major European investors like Norway’s sovereign wealth fund.

Defense Spending in Europe: The conversation touches on the need for increased defense investments in Europe, with a nod to the continent’s strong defense companies.

Dividend Hikes

This week was packed with dividend hikes! Here are some of the highlights:

• Meta Platforms (META): Announced its first-ever dividend, with a 5% hike, though the yield remains low at 0.3%.
• Nestlé (NESN): A modest 1.7% increase, continuing a trend of slower dividend growth.
• Cisco (CSCO): Hiked its dividend by 2.5%, marking 14 years of consistent increases.
• Unilever (ULVR): Surprised investors with two dividend hikes in five months, totaling a 6.1% year-over-year increase.
• Brookfield Asset Management (BAM): A standout with a 15% dividend hike, making it a favorite among the hosts.
• Ora (ORA): A Norwegian company that delivered a massive 33% dividend hike and a special dividend.

Listener Questions

• Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): A listener asked about buying JNJ on the NYSE vs. European exchanges. The hosts recommend buying on the local exchange for simplicity, but suggest consulting a tax advisor for specific situations.
• Google (GOOGL): Is Google today like Apple in 2017? The hosts think Google’s valuation is still higher than Apple’s was back then, but they see potential in Google’s cloud and AI growth.
• Novo Nordisk (NOVO B): A question about potential US tariffs on Novo’s weight loss drugs sparked a discussion on the company’s future growth and competition in the pharmaceutical space.

A Full List of REIT Aristocrats for Dividend Income

Support Us

There are a couple of ways that you can support me if you like my content

Free Ways to Support Us

1. Follow us on social media. Twitter or DividendTalk (@dividendtalkpodcast) • Instagram photos and videos
2. Listen to our Podcast Dividend Talk | Podcast on Spotify
3. Follow my Buddy Home European Dividend Growth Investor – European Dividend Growth Investor (europeandgi.com)
4. Subscribe to my YouTube channel, Dividend Talk, on YouTube.

Become a Premium Member and join our growing community!

Sign up here to access one newsletter, three dividend stock cards, and three deep dives to see what you can expect from our analysis. Download Your Free Samples – Dividend Talk

Affiliate links: I use these services. If you plan to use these anyway, it won’t cost you any more, but I may receive a commission.

1. Seeking Alpha – I use seeking alpha quite a bit. They have a free version, but I will get a commission if you sign up for the premium version. ( I use the premium version)
2. Buy me a coffee – if you don’t want to use any of the above services, you can always buy me a coffee.
3. Buy a bracelet from my niece – BraceletsByLucyIE – Etsy Ireland. I am trying to teach my niece what they won’t teach her at school. 15% of all profits are mine, but I donate this to charity as my main goal is to teach Lucy about business

Disclaimer

Dividend Talk is not a licensed or registered investment adviser or broker/dealer. We are not providing you with individual investment advice on this site. Please consult with a licensed investment professional before you invest your money. This site is for entertainment, informational, and educational use only.

Any opinion expressed on the site here and elsewhere on the internet is not a form of investment advice provided to you. We use information, data, and sources in the articles we believe to be correct at the time of writing them, but there is no guarantee of their accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or correctness. We are not liable for any losses suffered by any party because of information published on this site. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performa