merger

New spinoffs often struggle for a period, partly because investors tend to dump their new shares. We think that’s why Kyndryl and Viatris are down since they became separate companies. Still, we believe both will eventually move higher, and we see each of them as a hold.


KYNDRYL HOLDINGS INC....

3M’s shares are down 18% since the start of 2022. The decline is partly due to legal issues involving earplugs that the company manufactured for the U.S. Army. There are now more than 280,000 lawsuits filed against 3M. Of 11 trials to date, juries have sided with the plaintiffs six times, and with 3M five times.


We feel the company will eventually settle these lawsuits....

B. RILEY FINANCIAL INC., $63.42, symbol RILY on New York, is a diversified provider of financial services, including investment banking, wealth management, venture capital, and many others. Its focus is on small- and mid-cap companies. Founded in 1997, it went public in 2014.

On January 18, 2022, B....

RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORP., $99.59, New York symbol RTX, is a buy for long-term gains.

The company took its current form on April 3, 2020, with the merger of United Technologies Corp. (old symbol UTX) and Raytheon Co. (old symbol RTN). It’s now a leading maker of commercial aircraft equipment, electronic systems for military aircraft and radar systems, and guided missiles.

The stock hit a new all-time high of $104.34 this week in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine....

CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE, $159.56, Toronto symbol CM, remains a buy.

CIBC last raised your quarterly dividend with the January 2022 payment. Investors now receive $1.61 a share, up 10.3% from $1.46. The new annual rate of $6.44 yields a high 4.0%....

MCDONALD’S CORP., $249.45, New York symbol MCD, is your #1 Conservative Buy for 2022.

The company is the world’s largest fast-food chain, with over 39,000 restaurants in 119 countries. It serves a wide variety of food but is best known for its hamburgers and french fries....

Including the best stocks for conservative investors in your diversified portfolio will help you make superior gains over time. Learn more here.

INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC. $137 is a buy. The company (New York symbol IFF; Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 254.6 million; Market cap: $34.9 billion; Dividend yield: 2.3%; Takeover Target Rating; Medium; www.iff.com) makes compounds that improve the taste of food and the smell of consumer products.


On February 1, 2021, IFF merged with the nutrition and biosciences business of DuPont (New York symbol DD)....

INDIE SEMICONDUCTOR INC., $8.09, symbol INDI on Nasdaq, is a manufacturer of automotive semiconductors (computer chips) and software used in the sensors for advanced driver assistance systems, including LiDAR. Based in California, the company has offices in the U.S., Europe, Israel, Japan, and China.

LiDAR sensors on vehicles emit single particles of light, known as photons, that strike nearby objects such as cars, pedestrians, and trees....

Despite volatile crude prices, we continue to advise all investors to maintain some exposure to the oil and gas industry. That advice reflects oil’s huge importance to global economic growth even as governments impose new regulations to cut carbon emissions.


We also recommend investors stick with well-established producers like Cenovus....