Replies to post #4572 on The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence

[DewDiligence]

APD increased its dividend for the 30th consecutive year:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/air-products-increases-quarterly-dividend-194100259.html

At the current share price, the new payout has a yield of 2.8%.

[DewDiligence]

GE wants to be a bigger player in mining:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-24/ge-prepares-for-mining-deals-copying-energy-m-a-strategy.html

I might be tempted to buy if they would jettison the financial subsidiary.

[DewDiligence]

General Electric’s fourth-quarter earnings rose 7.5% as the conglomerate said demand in China and other emerging economies offset an "uncertain" outlook in developed markets like the U.S. and Europe. Profit climbed 12% in GE's industrial business, compared with the year-ago period, and the company said orders for big-ticket industrial equipment and services edged up slightly after two quarters of declines.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323968304578249680745522260.html?mod=djemTAR_t

All told, a solid quarter. However, GE remains too dependent on the finance sub for my tastes; if it ever split off the industrial businesses, I would probably be a buyer.

[DewDiligence]

GE's 2Q13 oil & gas sales were +24 YoY, one of the bright spots in a ho-hum quarter.

[DewDiligence]

APD jumps 3.5% on disclosure of $2.2B stake (~10%) by Pershing Square:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/31/ackman-acquisition-idUSL1N0G10CI20130731

[DewDiligence]

Barron’s says GE has plans for (partial) finance spinoff:

http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424052748703320204579081311460014386.html

…Wall Street expects the company to announce by December a spinoff of its consumer-lending operations. That has been a long time coming, but with the market hitting new highs and stock offerings once again finding willing buyers, the delay could pay off.

Such a split could win fans among stock investors. There are many who like industrials and many who like consumer lenders, but few who want both in the same company. GE would retain financial businesses where it enjoys competitive advantages, like aircraft leasing, in which it uses strong industry knowledge to keep profits robust.

In other words, the kind of captive finance subsidiary that such companies as CAT and DE have long used to advantage.