Key updates on your dividend payers: Thomson Reuters, Saputo Inc. and Pepsico Inc.

Article Excerpt

THOMSON REUTERS CORP. $94 remains a buy. The company (Toronto symbol TRI; Conservative Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 500.0 million; Market cap: $47.0 billion; Dividend yield: 2.0%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Highest; www.thomsonreuters.com) last raised its quarterly dividend with the March 2019 payment. Investors now receive $0.36 U.S. a share instead of $0.35 U.S. The new annual rate of $1.44 U.S. yields 2.0%. Investors have gained 37% in the past year. That’s because the company continues to unlock value. Thomson recently agreed to merge its 45%-owned Refinitiv business, which sells financial information, to the London Stock Exchange Group plc (Over-the-counter Pink Sheets symbol LDNXF). Blackstone Group LP (New York symbol BX) owns the other 55% of Refinitiv. Under the terms of the deal, Thomson would own 15% of the combined firm. Based on LSE’s current share price, that stake is worth roughly $4.7 billion U.S. As well, investors will benefit from Thomson’s cost savings as Refinitiv and LSE combine operations. That savings should total…