Furniture Supplier Bucks Housing Market Downtrend

Hello and welcome to Dividend Brief, the 2-times-weekly newsletter focused on dividend investing.

Today, we will look into Chevron, IBM, and Walmart, highlight a few dividend stocks worth watching, as well as share companies that are about to pay a dividend in the next few days.

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Oil & Gas

Chevron's Venezuela Access Shrinks Under Renewed U.S. Sanctions Pressure

Chevron (NYSE: CVX) is facing renewed restrictions in Venezuela after the U.S. government allowed a broader license to lapse, replacing it with a narrower authorization. The new approval permits Chevron to retain its assets and stakes in joint ventures with Venezuela but bars it from operating oil fields, exporting crude, or expanding its activities.

Officials in Washington had been weighing options for Chevron and other international partners with concerns. The revised license closely mirrors the company's previous sanctions-era restrictions, which were in place between 2020 and 2022. Chevron confirmed the change in a statement, saying its presence in Venezuela remains compliant with U.S. regulations.

For investors, this move restricts Chevron's ability to tap into one of the world's largest oil reserves. It also signals continued political risk surrounding U.S.-Venezuela relations, which have oscillated across administrations. The decision could limit Chevron's future flexibility in Latin America while competitors in less restricted jurisdictions retain operational momentum.

European oil firms also lobbied for extensions but have not been granted parallel approvals. The scope of the new U.S. terms underscores Washington's hardline stance despite shifting global energy dynamics.

Chevron now enters a holding pattern in Venezuela, managing its exposure but unable to generate near-term production gains or revenue from the region.

CVX currently trades at $137 and pays a dividend of $6.84 per share, a yield of 4.98%.

Banking

IBM Tightens Grip on Financial IT With Deutsche Bank Software Expansion

IBM (NYSE: IBM) is deepening its role at the core of global finance. Deutsche Bank has expanded its partnership with the tech giant, committing to broader adoption of IBM’s automation tools, hybrid cloud solutions, and the Watsonx AI suite.

Instead of simply offering new features, IBM is embedding itself in Deutsche Bank’s long-term infrastructure play. The bank will utilize IBM’s latest software updates, including Storage Protect, to phase out legacy systems and refine its IT infrastructure.

The deal reaffirms IBM’s commercial relevance in high-value sectors, such as banking. Unlike consumer-facing platforms, enterprise technology must deliver at scale and adhere to strict compliance standards. That Deutsche picked IBM again shows confidence in its roadmap and creates a repeatable model for future banking deals.

IBM’s strategic inclusion of Watsonx means that the company’s AI tools are now in active enterprise deployment. Deutsche aims to streamline decision-making and automate operations, areas where Watsonx can drive measurable ROI.

This is less about headlines and more about deep, recurring software integration. IBM is not pursuing growth through flash technology but is instead embedding itself into the mission-critical tech stacks of global banks, which is a significant strength relevant to investors.

IBM currently trades at $261 and pays a dividend of $6.72 per share, a yield of 2.57%.

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Retail

Walmart Heats Up Fuel War With 45 New Gas Stations to Undercut Costco

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is expanding into gas stations in a big way, opening more than 45 new fuel locations across the U.S. this year. The new sites will bring Walmart's fuel presence to over 450 stations in 34 states as the retail giant looks to challenge Costco's strong position in the fuel business.

A move of this magnitude isn't just about selling gas. Walmart is offering fuel discounts of up to 10 cents per gallon for Walmart+ members to attract more shoppers into its stores. It's a classic one-stop-shop strategy: save money at the pump, then spend more inside.

For investors, this indicates that a stronger competitive advantage is developing within Walmart's ecosystem. Fuel brings margin-limited revenue, yes, but it also brings repeat visits. And in the fight for grocery dollars, every extra trip counts. 

With EVs still years away from dominating the roads, Walmart is betting that cheap gas will remain a gateway for loyal in-store and online spending.

This isn't just about undercutting Costco's 12% fuel-driven sales contribution in 2024. It's about being the most convenient full-stack stop for America's everyday consumer needs.

WMT currently trades at $97 and pays a dividend of $0.94 per share, a yield of 0.96%.

LYB bumped its dividend payout up to $1.37 per share, a 2.2% rise. Its new forward yield is 9.73%.

ALRS expanded its dividend payout to 21 cents per share, a 5% increase. Its new forward yield is 4.01%. 

LII improved its dividend payout to $1.30 per share, an increase of 13%. Its new forward yield is 0.91%.

SHIP lowered its dividend payout to 5 cents per share, a cut of 50%. Its new dividend yield is 3.32%.

XRX reduced its dividend payout to two cents per share, a cut of 80%. Its new dividend yield is 10.95%.

DGRS decreased its dividend payout to six cents per share, a cut of 55%. Its new dividend yield is 2.38%.

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Everything Else

• Compass Diversified is cratering after it announced liquidity management plans that include a dividend suspension.

• Scotiabank raised its dividend a hair in the most recent earnings report, but its future is uncertain as it increases its allowance for bad debt. 

• Bank of America and UBS are on deck to manage a new robotics deal for a Swiss startup. 

• U.S. Steel’s Nippon Steel deal disproportionately benefits American shareholders, says Bloomberg. 

• GM is flipping its position on EV manufacturing as it announces a massive new V-8 engine plant expansion.