Core Viewpoint - Dow Inc. is facing significant challenges, with its stock price down approximately 50% since its spin-off in April 2019, and currently yielding 10.3%, the highest in the S&P 500 [1][17] Industry Overview - Dow operates in the commodity chemicals sector, producing a wide range of products used across various industries, including electronics, food packaging, textiles, and healthcare [4] - The company lacks pricing power due to the commoditized nature of its products, similar to the oil and gas industry, necessitating scale and operational efficiency to remain competitive [5] Economic Challenges - Recent economic conditions have led to low demand for Dow's products, driven by high borrowing costs and slowing growth in key markets, particularly Europe [6] - Increased competition from China, which is investing heavily in manufacturing, poses a threat to Dow's market share and pricing [7] Financial Performance - Dow's latest quarter showed a 3% decline in net sales despite a sixth consecutive quarter of year-over-year volume growth, indicating competitive pressures [9] - The company's operating margin has decreased significantly from pre-pandemic levels of around 8% to just 3.3% currently, with a profit margin of less than 1% [9][11] Cash Flow and Dividend Sustainability - Dow is currently free-cash-flow negative, relying on asset sales and debt to cover its dividend expenses [11][12] - The company has paused its Path2Zero project to save $1 billion, reducing enterprise spending from $3.5 billion to $2.5 billion [8] - A recent asset sale netted Dow $2.4 billion, covering dividend expenses for approximately five quarters [13][14] Future Outlook - Dow is projected to receive around $6 billion in additional cash or cost savings, which may help support its dividend in the short term [15] - The company has manageable debt levels, with only $500 million maturing in 2025, but continued low margins may necessitate a dividend cut [16] - Dow's long-term goal is for its dividend to represent 45% of operating income, which may require either margin improvements or a reduction in the dividend payout [19][20]

FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC ) is a global agricultural giant that provides innovative and sustainable crop protection solutions. It traces its history back to 1883, when it initially developed a pump for spraying insecticides. Since, the company has drastically evolved, entering many businessesAs a detail-oriented investor with a strong foundation in finance and business writing, I focus on analyzing undervalued and disliked companies or industries that have strong fundamentals and good cash flows. I have a ...

JR Research is an opportunistic investor. He was recognized by TipRanks as a Top Analyst. He was also recognized by Seeking Alpha as a "Top Analyst To Follow" for Technology, Software, and Internet, as well as for Growth and GARP. He identifies attractive risk/reward opportunities supported by robust price action to potentially generate alpha well above the S&P 500. He has also demonstrated outperformance with his picks. He focuses on identifying growth investing opportunities that present the most attracti ...

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of patient investing and the accumulation of high-quality assets over time as a key to wealth creation [1] - It highlights the balance between steady investment strategies and high-risk, high-reward opportunities as essential for enjoying the investment process [1] - The author advocates for investing in companies and industries that contribute positively to society [1] Investment Philosophy - The investment approach focuses on the joy of compounding and the value of dividend reinvesting [1] - The principle of investing through both good and bad times is presented as a strategy that yields the greatest rewards [1] - The author identifies a mix of steady investments and transformative technologies as a way to enhance investment returns [1] Personal Background - The author describes themselves as an amateur investor with no formal education in investing or business, emphasizing self-education and learning from others [1] - The author holds a PhD from Brunel University and has experience teaching at the college/university level [1]