Three key updates to boost your returns

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SNAP-ON INC. $147 is still a hold. The company (New York symbol SNA; Conservative-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 54.9 million; Market cap: $8.1 billion; Dividend yield: 2.9%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.snapon.com) makes tools for auto mechanics and sells them through a fleet of franchised vans that visit garages. It also makes specialized tools for industrial customers. Starting December 2019, Snap-On increased the quarterly dividend for shareholders by 13.7%, to $1.08 a share from $0.95. The new annual rate of $4.32 yields a solid 2.9%. COVID-19 hurt the ability of the company’s salesforce to visit auto-repair centres. It also led the company to temporarily close its factories and increase employee wages. Snap-On’s overall revenue in the three months ended June 27, 2020, fell 21.9%, to $808.9 million from $1.04 billion a year earlier. That reflects a 23.9% revenue drop for its main automotive operations (90% of total revenue). However, revenue at the financial services division (10%), which provides loans to franchisees and customers,…