merger

Mondelez has held up well during the recent market turmoil. While the stock is down about 3% since the start of 2022, the S&P 500 Index has suffered a 12% drop.


We feel the stock remains a solid pick for conservative investors. Mondelez continues to launch more-healthful, premium-priced products....

In April 2020, our long-time favourite United Technologies merged with rival Raytheon. The deal cut the company’s exposure to cyclical commercial airline customers, and freed up more cash for dividends and share buybacks.


RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORP....

China currently dominates rare-earth production due in part to higher labour costs and tighter environmental restrictions in the U.S. However, politicians and government officials in the U.S. are now trying to promote production in the U.S. MP Materials should benefit from that effort....

AT&T recently spun off its media operations as it continues to shift its focus to its main telecom businesses. The plan should benefit both companies considering investors tend to prefer pure-play firms. We like both, but feel AT&T is the better choice right now.


AT&T INC....

TWITTER INC., $45.08, symbol TWTR on New York, offers users a global platform to express themselves on the Internet in real time. Its website lets people create, distribute, and discover content. Platform partners include publishers, media outlets, and developers.

Advertisers use Twitter’s Promoted Products, the majority of which are pay-for-performance, to promote their brands, products, and services....

AT&T INC., $19.54, New York symbol T, is still a buy for long-term gains.

The company is the biggest wireless carrier in the U.S. It also offers traditional phone services.

AT&T has now completed its plan to merge its Warner Bros....

A: FactSet Research Systems Inc., $439.92, symbol FDS on New York (Shares outstanding: 37.8 million; Market cap: $16.4 billion; www.factset.com), is a leading provider of financial data and portfolio analytics to investment firms worldwide.

On December 27, 2021, FactSet announced that it would acquire CUSIP Global Services for $1.93 billion in cash....

UPSTART HOLDINGS INC., $109.03, symbol UPST on Nasdaq, is a California-based artificial intelligence (AI) lending platform that aims to help its bank partners make better credit decisions resulting in more loans at lower risk. The company also operates Upstart Auto Retail, a platform that aims to help auto dealers close more sales.

Upstart’s platform connects consumers looking for loans with its network of Upstart AI-enabled bank partners....

DESKTOP METAL INC., $4.61, symbol DM on New York, is a Massachusetts-based manufacturer of 3D printing systems.

Founded in 2015, the company believes that its 3D printing technology is up to 100 times faster than traditional legacy systems. Its customers include many of the major automotive manufacturers, including Ford, Toyota, Nissan, BMW, GM and Volkswagen....

ZIMMER BIOMET HOLDINGS INC., $120.77, symbol ZBH on New York, manufactures orthopedic reconstructive implants and surgical equipment for orthopedic surgeries. Zimmer has the largest market share for reconstructive implants in the U.S.

In February 2021, the company announced that it intended to spin off its Spine and Dental businesses....