Streak Looks Secure[William Temple | Dec 8, 2025 at 8:47 AM EST Emerson Electric (NYSE: EMR) has paid dividends for 68 consecutive years, but can the industrial automation giant maintain that streak?…]## ITT Has Raised Its Dividend for 14 Years and Retains 77% of Profits[William Temple | Dec 9, 2025 at 8:16 AM EST ITT Inc (NYSE: ITT) pays a modest dividend that won't excite income investors chasing yield, but the numbers behind it…]## Income Investors Can Sleep Well With MSA's Dividend Despite 2023 Cash Flo ...

Core Viewpoint - MFA Financial's high dividend yield of approximately 15% is deemed unsustainable due to significant payout ratios and deteriorating cash flow coverage, raising concerns for income investors and retirees [1] Financial Performance - MFA Financial paid out 180% of its Q3 2025 earnings as dividends, with a payout ratio of 180% for the quarter and 128.6% over the trailing twelve months [1] - The company reported distributable earnings of $0.20 per share while paying out $0.36 per share in dividends for Q3 2025 [1] - Operating cash flow for the first nine months of 2025 was only $38.6 million against $140.5 million in dividends paid, resulting in a coverage ratio of 0.27x [1] Leverage and Financial Health - As of Q3 2025, MFA Financial had total debt of $6.60 billion and equity of $1.82 billion, leading to a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.62x, which is considered elevated for a mortgage REIT [1] - The company has negative retained earnings of -$1.88 billion, indicating cumulative losses exceed profits over time [1] - Cash on hand was limited at $305 million, covering only 4.6% of total debt [1] Dividend History and Risks - MFA Financial maintained a stable dividend of $0.20 per quarter from 2014 to 2019, but cut its dividend to $0.05 during the 2020 pandemic [1] - The recent increase to $0.36 in Q1 2025 was the first raise in three years, highlighting the challenges in maintaining dividend stability [1] - The company faces elevated risks regarding dividend sustainability due to high payout ratios and deteriorating cash flow coverage [1]

Core Viewpoint - IAC reported a quarterly loss of $0.99 per share, significantly worse than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.67, marking an earnings surprise of -248.32% [1] Financial Performance - IAC's revenues for the quarter ended December 2025 were $645.98 million, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.83%, but down from $989.31 million a year ago [2] - Over the last four quarters, IAC has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times and topped revenue estimates only once [2] Stock Performance - IAC shares have declined approximately 5.3% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has gained 1.9% [3] Future Outlook - The company's earnings outlook will be crucial for stock performance, with current consensus EPS estimates at -$0.27 for the coming quarter and $0.45 for the current fiscal year [7] - The Zacks Rank for IAC is currently 2 (Buy), indicating expectations of outperforming the market in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Diversified Operations industry, to which IAC belongs, is currently ranked in the top 28% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable environment for stock performance [8]

Group 1 - Gabelli Funds, LLC will host the 36th Annual Pump, Valve, & Water Systems Symposium on February 26, 2026, in New York, NY [1] - The symposium will focus on discussions related to critical infrastructure, aerospace and defense, machine tools, and the oil and gas industry [2] - Attendees will have opportunities for one-on-one meetings with management from participating companies [2] Group 2 - Participating companies include AMETEK, Graco, Badger Meter, ITT, Crane, Landis+Gyr, Enpro, Mueller Water Products, Flowserve, Oil States International, Franklin Electric, and Watts Water Technologies [2] - A lunch presentation will be given by Robert Powelson, President & CEO of the National Association of Water Companies [3]

Core Insights - Howmet Aerospace Inc. is facing ongoing challenges in its commercial transportation market, with a 3% year-over-year revenue decline in Q3 2025, following declines of 14% and 4% in the first two quarters of the year [1][8] Group 1: Commercial Transportation Market - The decline in commercial truck builds due to tariff-related and economic uncertainties in North America is negatively impacting the company's near-term performance [2] - Demand in the Forged Wheels segment is expected to remain weak due to lower OEM builds, rising raw material costs, particularly aluminum, and stringent emission regulations [2][8] Group 2: Supply Chain and Operational Challenges - Howmet Aerospace is vulnerable to supply-chain volatility, which has resulted in delays and increased costs in recent years, potentially affecting the timely delivery of products [3] Group 3: Aerospace Market Strength - Despite difficulties in the commercial transportation sector, Howmet Aerospace is benefiting from strong demand in the commercial and defense aerospace markets, particularly for F-35 engine spares and aerospace fastening systems [4][8] Group 4: Peer Comparison - ITT Inc.'s Motion Technologies segment is experiencing strong demand, with organic revenues rising 1.4% year-over-year in the first nine months of 2025, and expects overall organic sales to increase by 3-5% [5] - Kennametal Inc.'s Metal Cutting segment is also performing well, with a 3% year-over-year increase in organic revenues in the first three months of fiscal 2026, driven by increased aerospace OEM build rates and robust defense spending [6] Group 5: Financial Performance and Valuation - Howmet Aerospace's shares have increased by 84.7% over the past year, outperforming the industry growth of 36.1% [7] - The company is currently trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 49.51X, which is above the industry average of 32.53X, and carries a Value Score of D [10]

Core Viewpoint - Investors are evaluating which stock between Grupo Cibest (CIB) and ITT (ITT) offers better value for investment, with CIB currently showing stronger potential based on various financial metrics [1]. Group 1: Zacks Rank and Earnings Outlook - Grupo Cibest has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), indicating a more favorable earnings outlook compared to ITT, which has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [3]. - The Zacks Rank is based on positive estimate revision trends, suggesting that CIB has experienced a stronger improvement in its earnings outlook than ITT [2][3]. Group 2: Valuation Metrics - CIB has a forward P/E ratio of 8.29, significantly lower than ITT's forward P/E of 26.62, indicating that CIB may be undervalued relative to ITT [5]. - The PEG ratio for CIB is 0.83, while ITT's PEG ratio is 2.11, suggesting that CIB's stock price is more favorable when considering expected earnings growth [5]. - CIB's P/B ratio is 1.79, compared to ITT's P/B of 5.18, further highlighting CIB's relative undervaluation [6]. Group 3: Value Grades - Based on various valuation metrics, CIB holds a Value grade of B, while ITT has a Value grade of D, indicating that CIB is perceived as a better investment option for value investors [6].

Core Insights - Grupo Cibest (CIB) has shown strong year-to-date performance, significantly outperforming its peers in the Conglomerates sector, which have collectively lost about 1.7% [4][6] - The Zacks Rank for Grupo Cibest is 1 (Strong Buy), indicating a favorable outlook based on earnings estimate revisions [3] - Analyst sentiment for Grupo Cibest has improved, with the consensus estimate for its full-year earnings increasing by 9.7% over the past quarter [4] Company Performance - Grupo Cibest has achieved a year-to-date return of approximately 99.8%, contrasting sharply with the average loss in the Conglomerates sector [4] - The company is part of the Diversified Operations industry, which includes 16 companies and currently ranks 160 in the Zacks Industry Rank [6] - Another company in the same sector, ITT, has also performed well with a year-to-date return of 24.1% and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5] Sector Overview - The Conglomerates sector consists of 16 individual stocks, with Grupo Cibest being one of them, and it ranks 12 in the Zacks Sector Rank [2] - The Zacks Rank system is designed to identify stocks with characteristics that are likely to outperform the market in the near term, focusing on earnings outlook improvements [3] - Investors in the Conglomerates sector are encouraged to monitor both Grupo Cibest and ITT for their continued strong performance [7]

Core Insights - The BBH Select Series - Mid Cap Fund experienced a total return decrease of -0.9% in Q3 2025, underperforming the Russell Midcap Index, which returned 5.3% [1] - Year-to-date, the fund's total return is -1.8%, compared to the Index's 10.4% [1] - The third quarter saw a continuation of the low-quality rally that began late last year, gaining momentum throughout 2025 [1] Company Highlights - BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ) was highlighted as a key stock in the fund's Q3 2025 investor letter [2] - BJ's Wholesale Club's one-month return was -4.66%, and its shares declined by 9.05% over the past 52 weeks [2] - As of December 10, 2025, BJ's stock closed at $89.61 per share, with a market capitalization of $11.806 billion [2] Investment Actions - The fund initiated new positions in ITT Inc. and BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. during Q3 2025 [3] - The fund exited positions in Globant, Bruker, and Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. [3]

Core Viewpoint - The BBH Select Series - Mid Cap Fund experienced a decline in Q3 2025, underperforming the Russell Midcap Index, which indicates challenges in the mid-cap investment space during this period [1]. Fund Performance - The fund decreased by -0.9% on a total return basis in Q3 2025, while the Russell Midcap Index returned 5.3% [1]. - Year-to-date, the fund has a total return of -1.8%, compared to a 10.4% return for the Index [1]. - The third quarter saw a continuation of a low-quality rally that began late last year, gaining momentum throughout 2025 [1]. Company Focus: ITT Inc. - ITT Inc. (NYSE:ITT) was highlighted as a key stock in the fund's Q3 2025 investor letter [2]. - The one-month return for ITT Inc. was -6.97%, but it gained 12.95% over the last 52 weeks [2]. - As of December 10, 2025, ITT Inc. closed at $171.87 per share, with a market capitalization of $14.607 billion [2]. Investment Decisions - The fund initiated two new positions in Q3 2025: ITT Inc. and BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. [3]. - The fund exited positions in Globant, Bruker, and Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. during the same quarter [3].

Group 1 - Global mergers and acquisitions are projected to reach over $3 trillion, marking the best year since 2021, driven by significant late-year deals [1][4] - Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery for $72 billion highlights the trend of bold M&A activity under a favorable regulatory environment [1][6] - Companies are leveraging record financing packages, with Netflix securing a $59 billion loan, facilitating large-scale transactions [2] Group 2 - Notable deals include Kimberly-Clark's $40 billion acquisition of Kenvue and BlackRock's $40 billion purchase of Aligned Data Centers, reflecting a surge in high-value transactions [3] - US M&A volumes have increased by 53% to nearly $1.8 trillion, approaching the 2021 peak, with 32 deals exceeding $10 billion this year [4][5] - The enterprise value of the Netflix-Warner Bros. deal is approximately $82.7 billion, as firms rush to finalize deals before the holiday slowdown [6]