stanley

Stanley Black & Decker’s 3.6% yield looks even more attractive with a robust restructuring plan in place and a turnaround in the making.

ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND CO., $59.31, New York symbol ADM, is still a hold.

The company processes corn, wheat, soybeans, flax seed and other crops into a variety of food ingredients such as flour, oils and sweeteners. It’s also a leading producer of ethanol from corn, a gasoline additive that reduces harmful emissions.

Archer recently suspended its chief financial officer in response to concerns about the accounting practices at its nutrition division....

PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V. ADRs $20 is a hold. The company (New York symbol PHG; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; ADRs outstanding: 906.4 million; Market cap: $18.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.0; Dividend yield: 4.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.philips.com) has stopped selling its sleep apnea and ventilator machines in the U.S....

The major Canadian and U.S. stock markets, while still subject to volatility, continue to offer attractive returns for investors—especially if you buy the top stocks. All in all, we think that if you can afford to stay in the market for several years or longer, now is a good time for new buying....

Despite wide economic swings, these two U.S. companies have raised their annual dividends for decades. That resiliency during good times and bad cuts the risk for investors.


PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. $144 is a buy. The stock (New York symbol PG; Income-Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 2.4 billion; Market cap: $345.6 billion; Dividend yield: 2.6%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Highest; www.pg.com) is one of the world’s largest makers of household and personal-care goods.


Procter last raised its quarterly dividend by 2.9% with the May 2023 payment....

STANLEY BLACK & DECKER INC. $90 (www.stanleyblackanddecker.com) is a buy. The company is one of the world’s largest makers of hand and power tools....

ISHARES MSCI JAPAN INDEX FUND, $50.97, is a buy. The ETF (New York symbol EWJ; buy or sell through brokers; us.ishares.com) aims to mirror the return of the Morgan Stanley Capital International Japan Index.


The fund’s top holdings include Toyota, 5.6%; Sony Corp., 3.1%; Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, 2.9%; Keyence (sensors), 2.3%; Tokyo Electron (computer chips), 1.9%; Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, 1.8%; Hitachi (conglomerate), 1.8%; and Mitsubishi Corp....

The major Canadian and U.S. stock markets, while still subject to volatility, continue to offer attractive returns for investors—especially if you buy the top stocks. All in all, we think that if you can afford to stay in the market for several years or longer, now is a good time for new buying....

LEON’S FURNITURE LTD. $19 is a buy for aggressive investors. The retailer (Toronto symbol LNF; High-Growth Payer Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 68.0 million; Market cap: $1.3 billion; Dividend yield: 3.4%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.leons.ca) operates 304 stores that sell furniture and home appliances, mainly under the Leon’s, The Brick, and Appliance Canada banners.


To conserve cash during the pandemic, Leon’s cut your quarterly dividend by 25.0% in July 2020, to $0.12 a share from $0.16....

The shares of these two makers of household products are down sharply from their recent peaks in 2021 as consumers curtailed their spending on non-essential items. Both firms are now aggressively cutting costs, which sets them up for future gains. However, Stanley is the better pick right now.


STANLEY BLACK & DECKER INC....