Updating your Conservative stocks: P&G, Howmet Aerospace & IFF

Article Excerpt

PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. $162 (www.pg.com) is a buy. The consumer product giant Procter expects its sales in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, will rise between 4% and 5%. As well, thanks to improving productivity and easing costs for raw materials, earnings for the year should rise by 9% to $6.46 a share. The stock trades at a still-reasonable 25.1 times the midpoint of that range. Procter & Gamble is a buy. HOWMET AEROSPACE INC. $68 (www.howmet.com) is a hold. The maker of jet engine components and industrial products has jumped nearly 70% in the past year and hit a new all-time high of $70 in March 2024. That’s largely due to strong demand from airplane makers as travel volumes rebound from COVID-19 restrictions. However, the company is a major supplier to Boeing, which has had to curtail production of certain aircraft due to quality control issues. Howmet is a hold. INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC. $84 (www.iff.com) is still a buy for long-term gains. Revenue at the maker of compounds…