Archer scales back in Russia

Article Excerpt

ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND CO. $89 is a buy. The stock (New York symbol ADM; High-Growth Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 559.6 million; Market cap: $49.8 billion; Dividend yield: 1.8%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.adm.com) processes corn, wheat, soybeans, flax seed, peanuts and other crops into a variety of food ingredients. With the March 2022 payment, Archer Daniels raised its quarterly dividend by 8.1%. The new annual rate of $1.60 a share yields 1.8%. As a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Archer Daniels is scaling back operations in Russia that are not related to the production of essential foods. Its main business in that country is a 50% stake in a joint venture that makes sweeteners and starches. However, that shutdown will have little impact on earnings, which will probably total $5.26 a share in 2022. The stock trades at a still-reasonable 16.9 times that forecast. Archer Daniels Midland is a buy. buy…