Investment in Automation Pays Off for Industrial Manufacturing Company

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

Today, we will look into Nike, Caterpillar, and Microsoft, 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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Brand Strategy

Nike Expands Global Sports Access With New Special Olympics Partnership

Nike (NYSE: NKE) is reinforcing its global positioning strategy through a new partnership with Special Olympics, launched during the Global Week of Inclusion.

The collaboration supports Nike’s broader goal of embedding brand relevance deeper into emerging youth markets and underserved communities, areas that increasingly shape long-term brand loyalty and market expansion.

The initiative is part of Nike’s ongoing shift toward performance-led growth, which includes tighter alignment with sport development, grassroots access, and athlete training infrastructure.

By integrating inclusive programs into its core global messaging, Nike is building community reach that supports both cultural capital and long-tail product adoption.

For investors, this move aligns with Nike’s multi-year effort to distance itself from overexposure to trend-dependent product lines and re-anchor its identity in sports performance.

Supporting inclusion at the youth level strengthens Nike’s positioning in regions where sports infrastructure is still developing, laying the groundwork for future demand.

It also reinforces Nike’s alignment with institutions that influence athletic policy, education, and product standardization globally.

Those assessing Nike’s resilience should view this as more than a feel-good campaign.

It is a continuation of Nike’s investment in brand trust and sport access, particularly at a time when values, access, and authenticity increasingly define competition in the apparel and footwear space.

While near-term financial impact may be limited, initiatives like this build market insulation over time, especially in international and youth-led growth channels.

NKE currently trades at $72 and pays a dividend of $1.60 per share, a yield of 2.22%

Industrial

Caterpillar Extends Its Reach Into Rival Fleets With GET Rollout

Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) is expanding its aftermarket reach with the launch of the Cat Fleet Bucket Program, a new compatibility initiative that allows third-party buckets to use Cat ground-engaging tools (GET).

The program is designed to bring Caterpillar’s tooling ecosystem to machines beyond its brand, reinforcing the company’s aftermarket strategy across mixed fleets.

Under the new initiative, contractors and operators can standardize bucket tooling using Caterpillar’s GET systems, including adapters, tips, and cutting edges, even when working with equipment from other manufacturers.

The tools are covered under Caterpillar’s 12-month warranty and supported through its global dealer network.

For investors, this move reinforces Caterpillar’s focus on high-margin recurring revenue.

Rather than rely solely on equipment sales, the company continues to expand its presence across the aftermarket lifecycle.

Compatibility initiatives like this one support long-term tool replacement cycles, dealer service relationships, and parts sales across a broader installed base.

Those assessing Caterpillar’s growth profile should see this as another step in tightening its grip on jobsite productivity.

While heavy machinery is cyclical, GET components offer consistent demand tied to usage rather than purchases.

By enabling cross-brand compatibility, Caterpillar lowers the barrier to entry for new customers while increasing aftermarket visibility across competitors’ fleets.

As the company continues to scale its services and tooling business, programs like this help shift more of its revenue base toward stable, service-linked cash flow, which is a key focus in capital-efficient industrial growth.

CAT currently trades at $407 and pays a dividend of $6.04 per share, a yield of 1.49%.

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Enterprise Software

Microsoft Cuts 15,000 Jobs and Saves $500M With Internal AI Rollout

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has saved $500 million by using AI across its call centers and internal operations.

The figure reflects year-over-year savings resulting from automating tasks in customer service, sales support, and software workflows, all while the company reduced its workforce by more than 15,000 jobs in 2025.

The savings highlight how AI is no longer a futuristic experiment at Microsoft, but a working tool that reshapes its cost structure in real time.

Call centers alone delivered nine-figure efficiencies, with Microsoft confirming that performance and satisfaction metrics remained stable during the transition.

For investors, this reflects a deeper shift: Microsoft is operationalizing AI across its own business with a clear financial impact.

While product revenue and Azure growth often dominate headlines, internal AI deployment is quietly transforming Microsoft's expense base.

When high-scale automation delivers hundreds of millions in retained value, it reinforces long-term margin potential and strengthens the case for enterprise AI at scale.

Those watching the company's trajectory should recognize that Microsoft is setting the example it wants its customers to follow.

Rather than simply selling AI tools, it's using them to optimize its profit and loss (P&L), accelerate internal processes, and streamline its workforce.

The job cuts, while controversial, are part of a broader strategy to transition toward a leaner, AI-enabled structure.

This is not a PR win or a one-time savings figure. It's a look at how Microsoft is building the next phase of enterprise efficiency from the inside out.

MSFT currently trades at $493 and pays a dividend of $3.32 per share, a yield of 0.67%.

UNM increased its dividend payout to 46 cents per share, a 9.5% rise. Its new yield is 2.30%. 

LEVI increased its dividend payout to 14 cents per share, a 7.7% rise. Its new yield is 2.66%. 

WOR increased its dividend payout to 19 cents per share, a 12% increase. Its new yield is 1.2%.

TWO cut its dividend payout to 39 cents per share, a 13% reduction. Its new dividend yield is 15.54%. 

SEVN cut its dividend payout to 28 cents per share, a 20% reduction. Its new dividend yield is 10.15%.

UG cut its dividend payout to 25 cents per share, a 28.6% reduction. Its new dividend yield is 5.42%.

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Everything Else

• Delta Airlines says it will soon begin to use AI to set its ticket prices as it looks to overhaul its pricing model amid flat demand.

• Cal-Maine Foods is expected to beat its price estimates amid an egg-cellent quarter.

• Bank of New York Mellon is cashing in on its newly launched commercial model with a 17% increase on net interest income.

• General Motors says it will retool an under-utilized EV plant in order to move production of three models to Michigan in early 2027.

• Johnson & Johnson has confirmed it now expects the impact from President Trump’s trade tariffs to be significantly lower, with profits and sales expected to rise higher than expected.