EPS #270 | 3 Safe Dividend Stocks in the Nordics & Merck’s $9.2 Billion Acquisition

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? Location: Malmö, Sweden
? Date: Saturday, 17 January 2026

Welcome to Episode 270! This week, we dive into a jam-packed episode covering Merck’s pharmaceutical acquisition, a European earnings report, and a dive into 3 dividend stocks from the Nordics.

Here’s what you’ll hear:

• Big Pharma Moves: We analyze Merck’s aggressive, multi-billion dollar strategy to diversify its pipeline and reduce its reliance on its flagship drug, Keytruda, by planning the $9.2 billion acquisition of Cidara Therapeutics.

• Earnings & Dividends: We break down Siemens’ latest earnings report, the impact of their small dividend hike and the reason why. Plus, we quickly review fresh dividend increases from Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, ADP, and AFLAC.

• Nordic Dividend Stocks: We explore what makes the Scandinavian region a hotbed for dividend growth and why countries like Sweden have such high retail investor participation. We then share our analysis on three safe dividend payers from the Nordics, including a look at industrial giant Atlas Copco and the high-yielding insurer Mandatum.

• Listener Questions: We wrap up by answering your questions on Finnish company Valmet, the latest shareholder letter from Warren Buffett, and the pros and cons of investing with fractional shares.

Don’t miss this one!

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• 20 Deep Dives a Year & Library of 150 EU & US Dividend Stocks at https://www.dividendtalk.eu