A Kitchen Staple Is Betting Big on Game Day

A major food brand is teaming up with the biggest stage in sports to reignite growth, boost visibility, and reconnect with consumers at a critical moment for its turnaround.

Author

Noah Zelvis
March 18, 2026

Sometimes the fastest way back into consumers’ homes is through culture.

This household name is making a bold play to win back attention and sales where it matters most.

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Utilities

Why Duke Energy Is Borrowing at a Pace Most Utilities Have Never Attempted

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) just completed another round of major fundraising, adding fresh capital to support its $103 billion five-year spending plan.

The company is using multiple methods to raise capital, including new debt offerings and the ability to sell shares over time as needed.

The goal is simple. Keep the money flowing fast enough to match the pace of construction.

This is a company that cannot afford to slow down because the demand for new power infrastructure is not slowing down either.

The Spending Plan Demands Constant Fuel

Duke is building new power generation, expanding transmission lines, adding battery storage, and modernizing aging systems across multiple states.

Data centers, electric vehicles, and electrification are driving power demand higher than the existing grid was ever designed to handle.

You think about the scale of what needs to be built, and it becomes clear why Duke keeps coming back for more capital. A $103 billion plan does not get funded from electricity bills alone.

Flexibility Is the Strategy

Duke is not raising everything at once. It is building a flexible system that allows it to bring in money gradually based on market conditions and construction timelines.

That approach reduces risk compared to one massive raise and gives the company room to adjust as conditions change.

If your impression of utilities is that they move slowly and cautiously, Duke is operating at a pace that looks nothing like that.

DUK currently trades at $131.00 and pays a dividend of $4.26 per share, a yield of 3.24%.

Retail

Costco Wants to Be Your Doctor's Office, Not Just Your Grocery Store

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST) just partnered with Sesame and IVI RMA to offer its members access to coordinated fertility care and discounts of up to 80% on fertility medications.

Members can now get diagnostic evaluations, treatment coordination, and referrals to reproductive specialists as part of their existing membership.

A warehouse known for bulk paper towels and rotisserie chickens just stepped into one of the most expensive and emotionally charged areas of healthcare.

Healthcare Is the New Aisle

This is not Costco's first move into health services. The company already offers affordable prescriptions, vision care, hearing aids, and primary care visits through partnerships.

Fertility care is the latest and most ambitious addition to a growing healthcare portfolio.

The pattern tells a clear story. Costco sees healthcare as a massive opportunity to deepen member loyalty by solving problems that hit people's wallets hardest.

You do not add fertility services to a warehouse membership unless the data shows members want help with costs that traditional healthcare is failing to solve.

Membership Becomes More Valuable Every Month

Every new service Costco adds gives members another reason to stay and non-members another reason to join.

Fertility treatments can cost tens of thousands of dollars with limited insurance coverage.

Hard to ignore what is happening here. You step back, and a company built on bulk buying is quietly becoming one of the most accessible healthcare platforms in the country.

COST currently trades at $988 and pays a dividend of $5.20 per share, a yield of 0.53%.

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Networking

From Office Routers to AI Backbone, Cisco Is Making a Deliberate Shift

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) just joined a new industry alliance focused on setting the standards for how AI data centers connect and communicate at the highest speeds.

The group includes some of the most important names in chips and networking, all working together to make sure their products work seamlessly inside the massive facilities being built to power AI.

The Old Cisco Sold Routers, The New One Sells AI Infrastructure

For decades, Cisco was the company that connected offices, campuses, and corporate networks. That business still exists, but it is not where the growth is heading.

AI data centers need networking equipment that can handle speeds and data volumes that make traditional setups look outdated.

Cisco has already booked billions in AI infrastructure orders this year. You do not pivot a company this large toward a new market unless the demand is real and accelerating.

A Company in Transition

Cisco still faces intense competition from smaller, faster-moving rivals. But the shift toward AI infrastructure gives the company a chance to redefine its position in the industry.

Ask yourself what Cisco looks like in five years if AI data center spending keeps growing at this pace.

The answer is a very different company from the one most people remember, and that transformation is happening right now.

CSCO currently trades at $79.00 and pays a dividend of $1.68 per share, a yield of 2.13%.

Dividend Stocks Worth Watching

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE: DAL) is seeing a sharp rebound in travel demand, giving it room to raise fares even as rising fuel costs put fresh pressure on margins.

The airline reported stronger-than-expected momentum heading into spring, with sales jumping roughly 25% year over year in recent weeks.

The surprising growth spurt has been broad-based, spanning corporate travel, international routes, premium leisure, and domestic bookings, prompting management to raise its first-quarter revenue outlook.

While a surge in jet fuel prices linked to geopolitical tensions is lifting operating costs, Delta is leaning on pricing power and disciplined capacity to offset the impact. 

After a rocky few weeks for travel, the key takeaway here is clear: demand remains strong enough to support both revenue growth and pricing flexibility.

DAL pays an 18-cent dividend, yielding 1.16%.

Amcor PLC (NYSE: AMCR) is quietly strengthening its position in sustainable packaging, rolling out a new tethered closure solution for beverage producer Vöslauer Mineralwasser.

The redesigned cap stays attached to the bottle when opened, aligning with new European Union regulations aimed at reducing plastic waste and improving recycling rates.

It is a small detail on the surface, but one that matters, as packaging compliance and sustainability are becoming non-negotiable for global brands.

Beyond regulation, the innovation is also about usability and brand perception.

The closure is designed to open cleanly, stay out of the way, and reseal easily, showing how functionality and sustainability are increasingly going hand in hand.

The partnership builds on a broader relationship between the two companies and follows additional collaborations with major brands like Mondelēz International.

For dividend investors, this is a reminder of Amcor's role as critical infrastructure behind consumer brands.

As sustainability rules tighten and demand for compliant packaging rises, Amcor's steady stream of innovation and long-term partnerships can support reliable revenue and consistent cash flow that underpin its dividend.

AMCR currently pays a 65-cent dividend, yielding 6.46%. 

The Kraft Heinz Company (NYSE: KHC) is making a big play to reconnect with consumers, signing a five-year partnership with the National Football League to become its first global condiment partner.

The deal brings brands like Heinz, Kraft, and Philadelphia directly into the heart of game-day culture, from stadium activations to retail promotions and watch-party moments.

It is designed to boost visibility, drive in-store sales, and expand the company's away-from-home foodservice business during key events such as the Super Bowl and Thanksgiving.

More importantly, the partnership comes at a pivotal time.

Kraft Heinz has paused plans to split the business and is instead doubling down on revitalising its core brands, backed by a $600 million investment in marketing, innovation, and product development.

With sales under pressure, the NFL tie-up represents a clear push to stay culturally relevant and top of mind with a massive, engaged audience.

For dividend investors, the story is about reigniting growth.

If stronger brand visibility and deeper consumer engagement translate into improved sales and pricing power, it could help stabilise revenues and support the cash flows that underpin the company’s dividend.

KHC pays a 40-cent dividend, yielding 7.14%.

Dividend Increases

WSBF has raised its dividend to 17 cents, up 13.33%. Its new yield is 3.83%.

IVT has increased its dividend to 25 cents, up 5.17%. Its new yield is 3.16%.

LINE has lifted its dividend to 53 cents, a rise of 0.95%. Its new yield is 5.85%.

ESLT has increased its dividend to $1.00, up 33.3%. Its new yield is 0.41%.

FINV has increased its dividend to 31 cents, up 10.5%. Its new yield is 5.57%.

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Upcoming Dividend Payers

WY’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 21-cent payment is 03/20/26.

SN’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 22-cent payment is 03/23/26.

SWK’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 83-cent payment is 03/24/26.

FIS’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 44-cent payment is 03/24/26.

CIX’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 30-cent payment is 03/24/26.

Everything Else

  • Josh D’Amaro has officially taken over as Disney CEO with longtime boss Bob Iger stepping down after two decades in charge.

  • Smithfield Foods has secured a provisional use permit for a new $1.6 billion pork processing facility as it eyes a move from its current premises to Foundation Park in Sioux Falls. 

  • Public Storage has agreed to acquire National Storage Affiliates NSA in an all-stock transaction valued at about $10.5 billion. 

  • General Motors is reportedly pulling the plug on production of the Honda Prologue, with the last vehicle set to roll off the line in December 2026. 

That’s all for today’s edition of the Dividend Brief.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any feedback or dividend stocks you want me to take a look at, just reply to this email!

—Noah Zelvis
DividendBrief.com