• Dividend Brief
  • Posts
  • This Legacy Automaker Just Made Its Boldest Electric Bet Yet – With A Little Help from a Key Rival

This Legacy Automaker Just Made Its Boldest Electric Bet Yet – With A Little Help from a Key Rival

With EV momentum slowing, one Detroit icon is choosing reinvention over retreat.

This next-generation platform is more than an upgrade. It is a high-stakes attempt to reset the economics of electric vehicles.

And it’s borrowing some inspiration from a competitor to do so.

Hidden Opportunity (Sponsored)

$1,000 in just seven stocks in 2004 could have turned into a million-dollar portfolio today

Back then… one financial expert begged people to look at Nvidia -- when it was trading at just $1.10!

Now… he’s urging you to look at a new group of seven stocks

Check this Out (The NEXT Magnificent Seven)  

Never Miss a Stock Recommendation Again!

We now send our dividend picks right to your phone via text, so you’ll get the same actionable moves without having to open your inbox.

Telecommunications

Why Verizon's Biggest Financial Promise Comes With Fine Print

Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) just laid out a plan to return $55 billion through 2028 via dividends and up to $25 billion in share repurchases.

On paper, that is one of the largest capital return commitments in the telecom industry.

In practice, the company gave itself full discretion to change, pause, or reduce any of it at any time.

That gap between the headline and the fine print is the entire story.

Big Promise, Loose Terms

The buyback portion is entirely discretionary. Market conditions, economic shifts, or internal priorities could all shrink the actual number.

The board declares dividends on a rolling basis, with no locked-in guarantees beyond the current cycle.

You hear $55 billion, and it sounds like a done deal. It is closer to a ceiling than a floor, and the company has built in every exit ramp it needs.

Cash Out Means Less Cash In

Every dollar returned is a dollar not available for network upgrades, acquisitions, or competitive investments.

Verizon is betting that its current infrastructure and market position are strong enough to support massive payouts without falling behind.

Verizon wants to be seen as a reliable cash return machine. But flexibility clauses this wide exist for a reason.

If you take one thing from this, it is that the commitment is real, but the execution depends entirely on what happens next.

VZ currently trades at $48 and pays a dividend of $2.83 per share, a yield of 5.83%.

Energy

$103 Billion to Rebuild the Grid From the Ground Up

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) just committed to a $103 billion capital investment plan, the largest of any regulated utility in the country.

The money goes toward upgrading the electrical grid, building new generation capacity, and expanding both natural gas and renewable energy projects across its service territory.

This is not a maintenance budget. This is a company deciding that the current grid is not built for what comes next.

Power Demand Is Changing Fast

Between data centers, electric vehicles, and the electrification of homes and businesses, the amount of electricity the U.S. needs is climbing in ways the existing infrastructure was never designed to handle.

Duke Energy is positioning itself to meet that demand before it becomes a crisis.

You can see the logic in the scale. When the grid itself becomes the bottleneck, the company that upgrades first gains a structural advantage that lasts decades.

Gas and Renewables, Not One or the Other

Duke is investing in both natural gas and clean energy projects. That balance reflects the reality that reliability cannot wait for any single technology to mature.

Gas keeps the lights on today while renewables build the long-term foundation.

If you have assumed that utilities pick a side, Duke is proving otherwise. The plan is built around making the system work, not making a political statement.

DUK currently trades at $125 and pays a dividend of $4.26 per share, a yield of 3.40%.

Claim Now (Sponsored)

A tiny government task force working out of a strip mall just finished a 20-year mission.

And with almost no media coverage, they confirmed one of the largest U.S. territorial expansions in modern history...

Thanks to sovereign U.S. law, this isn't just a national asset.

It's an American birthright.

But very few even know the opportunity exists.

If you want to see how you can get in line for your portion of this record-breaking windfall...

I've assembled everything you need to see inside a new, time-sensitive briefing:

Aesthetics

AbbVie Wants to Own the Space Between Skincare and Surgery

AbbVie Inc (NYSE: ABBV) recently completed a clinical trial for JUVEDERM VOLITE, an injectable gel designed to improve fine lines, hydration, and skin radiance with a single treatment lasting up to 12 months.

The study is done, data is being finalized, and this could be the next major addition to a beauty franchise that already dominates the filler market.

Not a Filler, Not Skincare, Something in Between

VOLITE is not about adding volume or reshaping features.

It targets overall skin quality, the kind of improvement that used to require months of topical routines or repeated clinic visits—one injection, visible results, up to a year of benefit.

You can see why this category has massive appeal. It sits right in the gap between what serums promise and what traditional fillers deliver.

The Aesthetics Business Pays Differently

Unlike AbbVie's prescription drug portfolio, aesthetic procedures are cash-pay.

Patients cover the cost directly, which means no insurance negotiations, no reimbursement battles, and no government pricing pressure.

That makes every new product in your aesthetics lineup a cleaner revenue stream that operates on completely different economics than the pharma side of the business.

ABBV currently trades at $226 and pays a dividend of $6.92 per share, a yield of 3.06%.

Dividend Stocks Worth Watching

Blackstone Inc. (NYSE: BX) has agreed to acquire Champions Group in another push into essential services with recurring demand characteristics.

Champions Group operates a large residential home services platform, employing more than 1,800 field technicians and serving roughly 150,000 active members across major metropolitan areas.

The business focuses on repair and replacement services, supported by a membership-based model designed to drive recurring revenue and customer loyalty. 

Essential home services offer steady demand regardless of broader economic cycles, aligning with Blackstone's long-term strategy of building durable platforms that compound value over time.

BX pays a 96-cent dividend, yielding 4.57%. 

Mid Penn Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: MPB) is moving ahead with its acquisition of 1st Colonial Bancorp after 1st Colonial shareholders overwhelmingly approved the deal, with more than 99% of votes cast in favor of the merger.

The transaction will expand Mid Penn’s footprint into the Greater Philadelphia market while strengthening its presence across Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.

Once completed, the combined company is expected to hold approximately $7.5 billion in assets, enhancing scale and regional reach.

This near-unanimous approval removes a key hurdle and signals confidence in the strategic rationale.

The deal positions Mid Penn to deepen its market penetration, leverage operational synergies, and pursue steadier earnings growth through a broader community banking platform.

MPB pays a 22-cent dividend, yielding 2.57%. 

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is doubling down on its next generation of electric vehicles, betting $5 billion on a redesigned platform that adopts a 48-volt electrical architecture first commercialized by Tesla.

The shift replaces the traditional 12-volt system with a higher-capacity setup that improves efficiency, reduces wiring weight, and supports more advanced vehicle functions.

Ford says the move, alongside Tesla-style “gigacastings” and a streamlined manufacturing process, will cut parts, speed up assembly, and lower costs.

The first model built on the new Universal Electric Vehicle platform will be a $30,000 electric pickup slated for 2027.

Management has framed the overhaul as a "Model T moment," arguing that deeper engineering changes are essential to making EVs cost-competitive with gas-powered vehicles.

Make no mistake: this is a high-stakes reset.

While EV adoption has cooled and the company recently took significant write-downs, Ford is betting that smarter design and manufacturing innovation can restore profitability and competitiveness in the global EV race. 

F currently pays a 15-cent quarterly dividend, yielding 4.27%.

Dividend Increases

GNK has raised its dividend to 50 cents, a leap of 233.33%. Its new yield is 8.88%.

GPC has lifted its dividend to $1.06, an increase of 3.16%. Its new yield is 3.37%. 

HOG has increased its dividend to 19 cents, a 4.17% rise. Its new yield is 3.67%.

QUAD has boosted its dividend to 10 cents, up 33.33%. Its new yield is 6.1%. 

ESNT has raised its dividend to 35 cents, a rise of 12.90%. Its new yield is 2.28%.

TRP has increased its dividend to 88 cents, a boost of 3.24%. Its new yield is 5.53%.

Dividend Decreases

UL has trimmed its dividend to 55 cents, a reduction of 6.23%. Its new yield is 2.97%. 

ECC has slashed its dividend to 6 cents, a 57.14% cut. Its new yield is 17.27%.

Early Access (Sponsored)

A major tech company is preparing for what could become the largest IPO in history—and early investors are already positioning themselves for what’s next.

According to new research, a breakthrough project could soon connect billions of devices worldwide through ultra-fast satellite technology—unlocking an opportunity valued at over $2 trillion.

And here’s the surprising part: you don’t need insider access or accredited status to get involved.

You can take part using a regular brokerage account for less than $100.

[Click Here to See the Full Story]

*This ad is sent on behalf of Paradigm Press, LLC, at 1001 Cathedral St., Baltimore, MD 21201. If you're not interested in this opportunity from Paradigm Press, LLC, please click here to remove your email from these offers.

Poll: Which feels more fragile long term?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Upcoming Dividend Payers

UNM’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 46-cent payment is 02/20/26.

WSM’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 66-cent payment is 02/20/26.

CWT’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 33-cent payment is 02/20/26.

TNP’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 67-cent payment is 02/22/26.

Everything Else

  • Paramount’s revised play for Warner Bros. has been rejected again, although the studio has been given a seven-day grace period to submit its 'best and final' offer. 

  • Las Vegas Sands has confirmed Patrick Dumont’s appointment as the new chairman and CEO, effective March 1.

  • Microsoft President Brad Smith says US tech companies should be concerned about the subsidies that Chinese firms receive from their government, as the race for AI superiority continues. 

  • The J.M. Smucker Company has launched a new marketing campaign to bring its Folger's coffee brand to new audiences by overhauling its long-standing jingle.

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