International Shipping Stock Offers Smooth Sailing for Income Investors

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

Today, we will look into Wells Fargo, Disney, and AbbVie, 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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Financial Services

Wells Fargo Finally Escapes Fed’s $1.95T Cap—Now What?

Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) has been released from the asset cap that has limited its growth for over six years. The Federal Reserve lifted the $1.95 trillion ceiling imposed after the 2016 fake accounts scandal, giving the bank more flexibility to expand operations and compete with larger peers.

The cap removal marks a significant shift in Wells Fargo’s trajectory. Since 2018, the company has operated under tighter restrictions than its rivals, such as JPMorgan or Bank of America, which has stifled its ability to grow its balance sheet or scale its core businesses aggressively. Now, that constraint is gone.

For investors, this opens the door to long-term revenue expansion, particularly in lending and fee-generating services. It could also improve Wells Fargo’s operating leverage over time, especially as the bank repositions in wealth management and commercial finance.

While some analysts argue the market has already priced in this upside, the structural change may still unlock new growth pathways.

Recent performance shows mixed signals. Earnings per share rose 16% year-over-year, and fee-based revenue is climbing. But net interest income has dipped, and exposure to commercial real estate remains a risk.

How Wells Fargo deploys this regulatory breathing room, whether through disciplined growth or strategic reinvestment, will shape investor sentiment through 2025 and beyond.

WFC currently trades at $76.13 and pays a dividend of $1.60 per share, a yield of 2.10%.

Media & Entertainment

Disney Expands Streaming Strategy With Bold Canadian Bundle Move

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) will launch a new streaming bundle in Canada later this year, combining Disney+, Crave, and TSN. The move is made possible through a partnership with Bell Media. It aims to provide customers with access to a broader range of content while offering savings across entertainment and sports.

Unlike the U.S. market, where Disney has already tested bundling Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN+, this marks the company’s first major bundle in Canada. By teaming up with a strong local distributor and integrating TSN’s live sports lineup, Disney gains new traction in a key international region where retention and platform loyalty are harder to maintain.

For long-term followers of Disney’s streaming strategy, this step marks a shift toward collaboration rather than direct competition. The company is under increasing pressure to improve profitability in its streaming division.

By entering bundled deals with local giants like Bell Media, Disney could stabilize Canadian subscriber numbers without needing to drive aggressive content spending alone.

Success here may serve as a model for Disney’s global markets, especially in countries where homegrown platforms dominate regional viewing habits. The bundle includes hits from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and TSN’s sports catalog, offering strong value across demographics.

DIS currently trades at $113.64 and pays a dividend of $1.00 per share, a yield of 0.88%.

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Pharmaceuticals

AbbVie Gains First-Mover Edge in Lung Cancer With Emrelis

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) has received FDA approval for Emrelis, its first internally developed treatment for solid tumors. The new drug targets non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in adults with high c-Met overexpression, a segment with few good options today.

The approval grants AbbVie a new position in solid tumors, expanding beyond its focus on blood cancers. That matters because Emrelis is now the only approved treatment for this specific patient group. Analysts expect sales to begin in Q3, with a modest $28 million forecasted for 2025.

What makes this move more important than the sales figure is what it says about AbbVie’s next chapter. Emrelis shifts the company from its heavy reliance on hematologic drugs like Imbruvica and Venclexta. Its oncology franchise now spans five treatments, suggesting AbbVie is quietly building a broader cancer portfolio while rivals focus on splashier pipeline announcements.

Those following ABBV will also notice this comes at a time when AstraZeneca and Regeneron are racing to catch up in the same c-Met space. But both are still in earlier testing. AbbVie has the lead for now.

Market participants may not see an immediate upside from Emrelis alone, but the long-term value could emerge as the drug anchors deeper growth in oncology. With competition looming and pricing pressure a constant threat, any move that diversifies revenue is worth watching.

ABBV currently trades at $190 and pays a dividend of $6.56 per share, a yield of 3.45%.

G increased its dividend payout to 17 cents per share, an 11.5% rise. Its new forward yield is 1.58%.

UNH expanded its dividend payout to $2.21 per share, a 5.2% increase. Its new forward yield is 2.99%. 

WKC improved its dividend payout to 20 cents per share, an increase of 17.6%. Its new forward yield is 2.91%. 

XRX lowered its dividend payout to 2.5 cents per share, a cut of 80%. Its new dividend yield is 1.95%.

CODI suspended its dividend payout amid investor lawsuits and investigations into financial irregularities.

ECOW decreased its dividend payout to 14 cents per share, a cut of 74.27%. Its new dividend yield is 2.59%.

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Everything Else

• JPMorgan Chase is dropping the hammer on job hoppers, clamping down on the industry-wide pipeline of juniors moving from investment banking into private equity after a 2-year stint.

• Alcoholic beverage stocks are facing a range of headwinds (not just tariff-related).  

• Warren Buffett’s imminent departure is leading to a groundswell of wannabe-Berkshires. 

• UnitedHealth may have boosted its dividend, but will that be enough to save the suffering insurer?

• On the flipside, long-standing healthcare dividend stocks are going on a hiring spree - which may bode well for growth prospects.