Many Singapore investors love dividends, and for good reason. There’s something satisfying about getting a steady stream of income just for holding onto your shares. It’s one of the best perks of being patient and thinking long term.But here’s the catch: Some folks get a little too excited about the dividend. They jump in without looking at what’s actually behind those numbers.Let’s break down three mistakes everyone keeps falling into, and then get into some real ways to build an income portfolio that actu ...

Core Insights - High dividend yields can be misleading and may indicate underlying financial weaknesses rather than genuine investment opportunities [1][2][10] - Investors should be cautious of yield traps, where high yields do not correlate with sustainable financial health [11][12] Group 1: Misleading High Yields - Falling share prices can inflate yields, making them appear attractive despite deteriorating fundamentals, as seen with Lippo Malls Indonesia Retail Trust [3][4] - Unsustainable payout ratios, where companies pay out more than they earn, increase the risk of dividend cuts; sustainable ratios typically range from 40% to 60% [5] - Earnings or cash-flow pressures can threaten future payouts, with rising costs and declining income impacting REITs like Frasers Logistics and Commercial Trust [6][7] Group 2: Better Metrics for Evaluation - Investors should look beyond yield alone and consider metrics such as payout ratio, free cash flow, balance-sheet health, and dividend track record [8][14] - A moderate yield from a financially strong company can outperform a high yield from a struggling entity, emphasizing the importance of sustainability over headline numbers [11][12][10]

Core Viewpoint - Altria Group's forward dividend yield has reached 7.5% following a stock pullback, raising questions about the sustainability of its dividend amidst challenging trends in its business [1] Financial Performance - In Q3, Altria's revenue net of excise taxes decreased by 1.7% year over year to $5.25 billion, while adjusted EPS rose by 3.6% to $1.45, falling short of analyst expectations for revenue of $5.32 billion [3] - Revenue net of excise taxes for the smokeable segment fell by 1.3% to $4.6 billion, with adjusted operating income increasing slightly by 0.7% to $2.96 billion [6] Shipment Trends - Overall shipment volumes for Altria dropped by 8.2%, with Marlboro brand shipments declining by 11.7% and other premium brands down by 9.7%. In contrast, discount brand shipments surged by 74.5% [4] - For the oral tobacco product segment, revenue net of excise taxes fell by 4.3% to $665 million, with shipment volumes decreasing by 9.6% to 178.2 million units [7] Market Dynamics - Economic pressures, including inflation, are causing adult smokers to shift from premium to discount brands, although Altria has gained market share in the discount segment [5] - Altria's Njoy e-vapor business is embroiled in a patent dispute with Juul, while facing competition from illicit flavored disposable e-vapor products, which constitute an estimated 60% of the market [6] Dividend and Valuation - Despite the challenges in its core cigarette business, Altria's dividend remains well covered, and its balance sheet is in good condition, making the stock appear more reasonably valued than earlier in the year [8]

Core Insights - UPS stock rose by 15.4% in October, recovering from a year-to-date decline of 25%, driven by strong third-quarter results and positive fourth-quarter guidance [1] - The company is focusing on operational improvements and has a positive growth outlook, despite facing challenges in certain markets [2] - Management's confidence in execution has increased, with a commitment to achieve $3.5 billion in expense reductions by 2025, of which $2.2 billion has been realized [3] Financial Performance - UPS is shifting its delivery strategy towards higher-margin deliveries, particularly targeting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and healthcare [4] - U.S. domestic revenue per piece increased by 9.8% in the quarter, which helped mitigate volume declines attributed to reduced Amazon deliveries and lower-yielding e-commerce volume [5] - The company is expected to generate $4.7 billion in free cash flow (FCF) for the year, although this will not fully cover its $5.5 billion dividend payment [7] Strategic Focus - The expense cuts are part of UPS's strategy to enhance margins and focus on profitable delivery segments [4] - The company is reducing its delivery volume for Amazon by 50% from late 2024 to mid-2026, as many of these deliveries are low-margin [4] - Management has indicated that the dividend is sustainable, with expectations for FCF to exceed dividend payments in the near future [7] Market Position - UPS has gained market share in the SMB sector, despite a 2.2% year-over-year decline in SMB daily volume [5] - The overall guidance and performance indicate a strong underlying potential for the company moving forward [8]

Core Viewpoint - Kenvue is facing significant challenges, including legal issues related to its talc-based baby powder and recent accusations regarding its Tylenol product, which the company is actively contesting [1][2]. Company Overview - Kenvue is a consumer health company with a diverse portfolio of well-known brands, serving approximately one billion consumers across 165 countries, and has a market capitalization of about $28.7 billion [3]. - The stock has experienced a decline of over 22% in the past two years and 30% year-to-date, despite offering a dividend yield of 5.4%, which is more than double the sector median of 2.5% [3]. Financial Performance - Kenvue's revenue and earnings have decreased over the past year, with a consistent decline in earnings over the last two years [6]. - Despite the negative sentiment, Kenvue has shown resilience by beating earnings estimates, reporting earnings per share of $0.29 against an estimate of $0.28 in the most recent quarter [6]. Dividend Sustainability - The sustainability of Kenvue's dividend is in question due to a high payout ratio of nearly 75% and declining earnings, which limits growth potential [4].

Core Viewpoint - LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE: LYB) is attracting attention due to its high dividend yield of over 11%, which is perceived as exceptionally high and potentially unsustainable [1]. Company Analysis - The company has a significant dividend yield that stands out in the market, categorized as "can't-be-true" [1]. - The investment perspective is informed by extensive experience in managing investments since 1999, indicating a deep understanding of market cycles and economic factors [1]. Investment Strategy - The focus is on identifying deeply undervalued equities with long-term potential that are often overlooked by the market, suggesting a strategic approach to investment in LyondellBasell [1].

Core Insights - LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE: LYB) is attracting attention due to its high dividend yield of over 11%, which is categorized as "can't-be-true" [1] Company Analysis - The company has a significant dividend yield that stands out in the market, indicating potential investment interest [1] Market Perspective - The article reflects on the author's extensive investment experience since 1999, emphasizing the importance of identifying undervalued equities with long-term potential [1]

Core Insights - United Parcel Service (UPS) shares have shown a consistent downward trend, currently trading near a 52-week low of $82, with a closing price of $83.18 as of October 13 [1] - Year-to-date, UPS shares have declined by 34%, underperforming the Zacks Transportation—Air Freight and Cargo industry's decline of 27.5%, and lagging behind competitors FedEx and GXO Logistics [2][9] Factors Hurting UPS Stock - The expiration of the De Minimis exemption on August 29 has led to shipment backlogs and customer complaints, as UPS has reportedly discarded some international shipments due to customs bottlenecks [6] - Concerns about dividend sustainability have arisen due to UPS's high dividend payout ratio of 87%, which raises questions about its ability to maintain dividends in the long term [7][10] - A significant decline in shipping demand has negatively impacted UPS, with average daily volumes down 3.8% year-over-year in the first half of 2025, and revenues decreasing by 2.7% year-over-year in the June quarter [11] Earnings Estimate Revisions - In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for UPS's earnings for the third and fourth quarters of 2025, as well as for the full years 2025 and 2026, has been revised downward [12] Valuation Insights - UPS is currently considered relatively undervalued, trading at a forward 12-month price to sales (P/S) ratio of 0.8X, which is lower than the industry average but slightly higher than FedEx and GXO Logistics [13] Current Outlook - Despite UPS's attractive valuation, ongoing revenue challenges and doubts regarding dividend sustainability present significant headwinds [16] - The current situation of package backlogs is detrimental to customer satisfaction, leading to a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell) for UPS, indicating it may be a stock to avoid [17]

Core Viewpoint - United Parcel Service (UPS) is facing challenges that may lead to a potential cut in its dividend, despite being one of the highest-yielding stocks in the S&P 500 with a yield of 7.6% [1][2]. Financial Performance - UPS' stock price has decreased by 31.3% year-to-date and 47.7% over the past three years, contributing to the high dividend yield [2]. - The company generated only $742 million in free cash flow (FCF) in its latest quarter, which is insufficient to cover its dividend obligations [7][9]. - For the full year 2025, UPS plans to allocate $5.5 billion for dividends and has already completed $1 billion in share buybacks [6][14]. Strategic Initiatives - UPS is reducing its package delivery volumes with Amazon by 50% by June 2026, aiming to improve margins despite the expected decline in revenue [4][15]. - The company is implementing cost-cutting measures, expecting $3.5 billion in expense reductions through its network reconfiguration and Efficiency Reimagined initiatives [5]. Management and Market Conditions - UPS management has missed guidance for three consecutive years, indicating a need for better adjustment to market conditions [11][12]. - There are concerns regarding the sustainability of the dividend, as analysts forecast free cash flow of only $4.6 billion in 2025, which is below the dividend commitment [14][16]. Long-term Outlook - Despite current challenges, UPS has good long-term growth prospects by focusing on higher-margin deliveries and investing in technology [15].

Group 1 - The energy sector is highly volatile due to dramatic price swings in commodities like oil and natural gas, making diversified companies like Chevron a smart investment choice [1][6] - Chevron is a large, globally diversified integrated energy company with exposure to upstream, midstream, and downstream operations, providing investors with comprehensive industry exposure [3][4] - Chevron has a 38-year streak of annual dividend increases and offers a dividend yield of approximately 4.4%, significantly higher than the S&P 500's 1.2% and the average energy stock's 3.2% [5][6] Group 2 - The midstream segment of the energy industry operates on a toll-taker model, making it less sensitive to commodity prices and more focused on energy demand, presenting a strong investment opportunity [7][8] - Enterprise Products Partners is highlighted as a top high-yield energy investment due to its focus on the midstream sector [7][8]