Categories: Dividends

General Mills: The Very Definition of “Dividend Consistency”

General Mills: The Very Definition of “Dividend Consistency” (Seeking Alpha)

For most American consumers, the name General Mills (GIS) is synonymous with breakfast — specifically, breakfast cereals such as Wheaties, Cheerios and Lucky Charms. Ironically, though, I’d wager only a handful of those same consumers know that GIS is also another name for “dividend consistency.” That’s because the company has paid a quarterly dividend for 115 years straight without a single reduction. And for the most recent quarter, GIS raised its dividend by eight percent (to $0.38 per share), bringing the company’s current yield to a solid three percent. Looking ahead, emerging markets will provide an enormous opportunity for growth in 2014, as General Mills only derives 34% of its revenue from global sales today. Combine this potential with the company’s 115-year history of dividend payment, and you have a stock that bears watching this year.

Wayne Ellis

Wayne Ellis has been involved in the financial publishing industry for more than 15 years. During that time, he has helped to edit, to market and to launch products and services for Ernst & Young, LLC, Fidelity Investments, Agora, LLC, and Eagle Financial Publications. He currently puts his broad-based experience and industry expertise to use as a contributing writer for Eagle Financial Publications. He also is a graduate of Arizona State University.