Core Viewpoint - Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has announced a change in its dividend policy from semi-annual to quarterly payments, reflecting strong financial performance and aligning with industry practices [1][4]. Financial Performance - For the trailing twelve months ending June 30, 2025, the company reported a net income of $90.0 million, an increase from $87.9 million the previous year [2]. - Diluted earnings per share for the same period were $126.87, up 7.8% from $117.73 a year earlier [2]. - For the second quarter of 2025, net income was $23.1 million, or $32.94 per diluted common share [3]. - The annualized return on average assets was 1.65%, and return on average equity was 15.09% for the quarter [3]. - Total assets at quarter-end were reported at $5.5 billion [3]. Dividend Information - The Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $5.00 per share, payable on October 1, 2025, to shareholders of record on September 11, 2025 [2]. - The last semi-annual cash dividend was $9.30, paid on July 1, 2025 [2]. - The company has paid dividends for 90 consecutive years and has increased dividends for 60 consecutive years, ranking 17th among "Dividend Kings" [4][6]. Capital Ratios and Credit Quality - As of June 30, 2025, the common equity tier 1 ratio was 13.88%, and the total risk-based capital ratio was 15.36%, exceeding regulatory requirements [3]. - The company maintained an allowance for credit losses on loans and leases of $76.2 million, or 2.09% of total loans and leases, with no non-accrual loans reported [3]. Industry Recognition - Farmers & Merchants Bancorp was ranked as the 3 best performing bank in the nation across all asset categories for 2024 by Bank Director's Magazine [7]. - The bank has consistently received high rankings in various studies, including being named the 1 best performing bank in 2022 and 2 in 2023 [8]. - F&M Bank was also recognized as the 6th best bank in America by Forbes in 2023 [9].

Group 1 - The article discusses the periodic updates of lists related to Dividend Kings by The Motley Fool and SureDividend, indicating a focus on companies with a strong history of dividend payments [1] - Kiplinger has also featured a recent selection of Dividend Kings, suggesting that these companies are recognized for their reliability in dividend distribution [1] Group 2 - The Dividend Dogcatcher offers subscription services for more detailed information on dividend stocks, highlighting the importance of staying informed about potential investment opportunities [2] - The Underdog Daily Dividend Show, hosted by Fredrik Arnold, showcases portfolio candidates, emphasizing the engagement of investors in identifying promising stocks [2]

Core Viewpoint - Costco's stock is currently overvalued despite its strong business performance, making Coca-Cola and PepsiCo more attractive investment options for income and value-focused investors [4][14]. Group 1: Costco - Costco operates on a membership model, providing a reliable revenue stream with a high member renewal rate of approximately 90% [2]. - The company is experiencing growth through new store openings and increased customer spending, but its stock valuation is high with P/S, P/E, and P/B ratios above five-year averages [4]. - The dividend yield for Costco is low at around 0.6%, which is disappointing for income-focused investors [5][4]. Group 2: Coca-Cola - Coca-Cola has shown strong performance with a 5% growth in organic revenues in the second quarter, appealing to consumers despite inflation concerns [6][7]. - The stock is reasonably priced with P/S, P/E, and P/B ratios at or slightly below five-year averages, and a dividend yield of 3% [8]. - Coca-Cola is considered a better value than Costco due to its strong business performance and reasonable stock valuation [8][14]. Group 3: PepsiCo - PepsiCo's stock is undervalued with P/S, P/E, and P/B ratios significantly below five-year averages, and a dividend yield of approximately 4% [10]. - The company reported a lower organic sales growth of 2.1% in the second quarter compared to Coca-Cola, indicating underperformance [11]. - PepsiCo is a diversified business with a history of dividend growth, and recent acquisitions may help it regain momentum [12][13].

Group 1 - The Dividend Champions list is a monthly compilation of companies that have consistently increased their annual dividend payouts, but the data can quickly become outdated due to its monthly publication frequency [1] - Justin Law is a contributor to The Dividend Kings, a group of analysts focused on teaching individuals how to invest wisely in dividend stocks [1] - The Dividend Kings curates the Dividend Champions list, highlighting companies with a history of increasing dividends [1] Group 2 - Justin Law holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Rice University and has earned the CFA Institute Investment Foundations certificate, applying his expertise to deep value and dividend-paying stocks [2]

Core Insights - Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are the only two beverage companies recognized as Dividend Kings, having raised their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years [2][4] - Over the past 30 years, Coca-Cola's stock increased by 324%, while PepsiCo's stock rose by 551%, with total returns including reinvested dividends at 796% for Coca-Cola and 1,220% for PepsiCo [1] Dividend Sustainability - Coca-Cola has a forward yield of 2.95% and has raised its payout for 63 years, while PepsiCo has a forward yield of 3.91% with 52 years of annual increases [4] - Coca-Cola's trailing payout ratio is 71%, indicating a sustainable dividend, whereas PepsiCo's payout ratio is nearly 100%, suggesting less room for future increases [13] Sales Growth Comparison - Coca-Cola's organic sales grew by 16% in 2022, 12% in 2023, and is expected to grow by 5% to 6% in 2025, with an 8% rise in comparable EPS [9][11] - PepsiCo's organic sales increased by 14% in 2022, 10% in 2023, but only 2% in 2024, with expectations of low single-digit growth in 2025 due to various challenges [10][11] Revenue and EPS Projections - Analysts project Coca-Cola's revenue and EPS to grow at a CAGR of 5% and 11% from 2024 to 2027, respectively [12] - PepsiCo's revenue and EPS are expected to grow at a slower CAGR of 3% and 8%, respectively, during the same period [12] Investment Valuation - Coca-Cola is valued at 22 times next year's earnings, while PepsiCo is valued at a lower forward multiple of 18, indicating a potentially better entry point for investors [12] - Despite PepsiCo's historical performance, Coca-Cola is viewed as a better investment currently due to its capital-light model and stronger growth rates [14] Business Model Differences - Both companies focus on producing concentrates and syrups, relying on bottling partners for distribution, which helps maintain stable cash flows [6] - PepsiCo's involvement in packaged foods exposes it to more inflationary pressures compared to Coca-Cola, which does not engage in this sector [7]

Group 1 - Dividend kings are companies that have increased their dividends for 50 consecutive years or more, showcasing a strong commitment to returning capital to shareholders through cash distributions [1] - The focus on high-quality and reliable dividend growth investments aims to build growing income for investors, emphasizing stability and long-term wealth creation [1] Group 2 - The service offers ideas for writing options to further enhance investors' income [1] - Membership provides access to a portfolio, watchlist, and live chat, along with exclusive articles not available elsewhere [2]

Group 1 - June was a challenging month for the Dividend Kings, with a collective loss of 0.39% among the 55 companies [1] - In comparison, the SPDR S&P 500 Trust ETF performance is not detailed in the provided content, but it serves as a benchmark for evaluating the Dividend Kings [1] Group 2 - The article does not provide specific financial metrics or performance data for individual companies within the Dividend Kings [1]

Financial Performance - Farmers & Merchants Bancorp reported record second quarter net income of $23.1 million, or $32.94 per diluted common share, representing a 5.9% increase from $21.8 million, or $29.39 per diluted common share, in the same quarter of 2024 [2][6] - Annualized return on average assets was 1.65% and return on average equity was 15.09% for the second quarter of 2025, compared to 1.58% and 15.33% for the same quarter in 2024 [2][6] - Net interest income for the quarter was $53.9 million, up 6.1% from $50.8 million in the second quarter of 2024, with a net interest margin of 4.07% [6][8] Dividend and Recognition - The Company declared a mid-year cash dividend of $9.30 per share, totaling $6.5 million, a 5.7% increase from the $8.80 per share dividend in 2024 [4] - Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has paid dividends for 90 consecutive years and increased dividends for 60 consecutive years, ranking 17th among "Dividend Kings" [4][14] - The Company was ranked the 3 best performing bank in the nation across all asset categories by Bank Director Magazine for 2024, following a 2 ranking in 2023 and 1 in 2022 [15] Balance Sheet and Capital - Total assets at quarter-end were $5.5 billion, with total deposits increasing by $61.2 million, or 1.3%, to $4.8 billion compared to December 31, 2024 [9][7] - The preliminary total risk-based capital ratio was 15.35% and the common equity tier 1 ratio was 13.87%, both exceeding regulatory requirements for "well-capitalized" banks [12] - The tangible book value per share increased by 9.7% to $835.33 compared to $761.62 as of June 30, 2024 [6][8] Credit Quality - The Company maintained solid credit quality with no non-accrual loans and a negligible delinquency ratio of 0.03% of total loans and leases [10] - The allowance for credit losses on loans and leases was $79.0 million, with a provision of $1.4 million recorded during the second quarter of 2025 [10][11]

Core Viewpoint - Johnson & Johnson is a reliable dividend stock with a strong financial profile, showcasing its ability to maintain and grow dividends while investing heavily in research and development and strategic growth opportunities [1][12]. Financial Performance - The company reported approximately $6.2 billion in free cash flow for the first half of the year, covering its year-to-date dividend payment of $6.1 billion [4]. - Free cash flow decreased slightly from $7.5 billion in the same period last year, but the company generated $20 billion in total free cash flow last year, easily covering its $11.8 billion dividend outlay [5]. - Johnson & Johnson has a pristine AAA bond rating and ended the first quarter with $19 billion in cash and marketable securities, against $51 billion in debt, resulting in a net debt of $32 billion [6]. Investment Strategy - The company invested over $17 billion in R&D last year, representing 19.4% of total sales, and a total of $50 billion in growth initiatives, including acquisitions [8]. - Johnson & Johnson anticipates elevated growth in the second half of the year, raising its annual revenue guidance by $2 billion, implying a 5.4% growth for the full year [9]. Future Outlook - By 2027, the company expects one-third of its MedTech sales to come from new products, and it plans to launch over 10 innovative medicine assets by 2030, potentially generating over $5 billion in peak-year sales [10][11]. - The company’s strong balance sheet will support continued R&D efforts and strategic M&A opportunities, ensuring ongoing revenue and free cash flow growth [11].

Group 1: Dividend Attractiveness - Federal Realty offers an attractive dividend yield of 4.6%, significantly higher than the S&P 500's yield of approximately 1.3% and the average REIT yield of 4.1% [2] - The company has increased its dividend annually for 57 consecutive years, earning it the title of Dividend King, a designation for companies that have raised dividends for at least five decades [4] Group 2: Company Overview - Federal Realty is a retail-focused real estate investment trust (REIT) that primarily invests in strip malls and mixed-use developments, catering to consumer needs [6] - The company owns around 100 high-quality properties, which are strategically located in markets with larger populations and greater wealth compared to its peers [7] Group 3: Active Management Strategy - Federal Realty actively manages its portfolio by buying and selling properties, continually investing in them to enhance value [8] - This proactive approach contributes to its impressive dividend record, as the company focuses on constant improvement rather than merely collecting rent [9] Group 4: Market Position - Federal Realty is not frequently available at discounted prices, typically only during significant economic downturns, but its current dividend yield of 4.7% remains historically attractive [10]