Dividend Talk

EPS #270 | 3 Safe Dividend Stocks in the Nordics & Merck's $9.2 Billion Acquisition

Join us in Malmo for a real-life #DividendTalk meetup. Sign up here: 🔗 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScSSOtk8LjBL80RLgfDjA1ITL16q89IlvbErgRUsdA0KG5ahw/viewform?usp=header [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScSSOtk8LjBL80RLgfDjA1ITL16q89IlvbErgRUsdA0KG5ahw/viewform?usp=header] 📍 Location: Malmö, Sweden 📅 Date: Saturday, 17 January 2026 Welcome to Episode 270! This week, we dive into a jam-packed episode covering Merck's pharmaceutical acquisition, a European earnings report, and a dive into 3 dividend stocks from the Nordics. Here’s what you’ll hear: * Big Pharma Moves: We analyze Merck's aggressive, multi-billion dollar strategy to diversify its pipeline and reduce its reliance on its flagship drug, Keytruda, by planning the $9.2 billion acquisition of Cidara Therapeutics. * Earnings & Dividends: We break down Siemens' latest earnings report, the impact of their small dividend hike and the reason why. Plus, we quickly review fresh dividend increases from Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, ADP, and AFLAC. * Nordic Dividend Stocks: We explore what makes the Scandinavian region a hotbed for dividend growth and why countries like Sweden have such high retail investor participation. We then share our analysis on three safe dividend payers from the Nordics, including a look at industrial giant Atlas Copco and the high-yielding insurer Mandatum. * Listener Questions: We wrap up by answering your questions on Finnish company Valmet, the latest shareholder letter from Warren Buffett, and the pros and cons of investing with fractional shares. Don't miss this one! Useful links: * Continue the conversation with our community at Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/dividendtalk] or Discord [https://discord.gg/xfS35ufm6H⁠] * 20 Deep Dives a Year & Library of 150 EU & US Dividend Stocks at https://www.dividendtalk.eu [https://www.dividendtalk.eu]

EPS #269 | Novo Nordisk Earnings, Kimberly-Clark Buys Kenvue, & Our Update on monthly dividend portfolio

In this week’s episode of Dividend Talk we kick off with Kimberly-Clark’s surprise move to buy Kenvue, asking if it’s a smart acquisition or a future balance-sheet headache. Then we review Q3 earnings from Novo Nordisk, Wolters Kluwer, and Ahold Delhaize, three European dividend powerhouses facing very different challenges. Novo Nordisk’s obesity drugs, valuation reset, and dividend safety dominate the discussion, while Wolters Kluwer’s high-PE sell-off and the impact of AI on research businesses spark debate on fair value and buybacks. We also look at Snap-on’s double-digit dividend hike and Simon Property Group’s steady income growth for REIT investors. Later, we revisit our “Monthly Dividend Portfolio” challenge from 2022, checking how picks like Altria, AbbVie, Johnson & Johnson, Realty Income, Shell, and Texas Instruments performed with lessons on dividend growth, yield, and diversification. In the listener Q&A, we cover: * Dividend tax strategies and EU exit taxes * How to handle rising wealth taxes as a dividend investor * Fair-value analysis vs Morningstar valuations * Our take on Volkswagen, General Mills, GreenCoat UK, ExxonMobil vs Chevron, and the global renewable-energy transition * Thoughts on Unilever’s upcoming Magnum spinoff SEE YOU ON THE INSIDE!! Tickers discussed: KMB, KVUE, NVO, LLY, PFE, WKL.AS, AD.AS, SNAP-ON, SPG, MO, ABBV, JNJ, O, TXN, SHEL, GIS, XOM, CVX, UKW.L Join us:[Facebook] – Https://www.facebook.com/groups/dividendtalk⁠ [Https://www.facebook.com/groups/dividendtalk] [Twitter] – @DividendTalk_ , @European_DG [Discord] – ⁠https://discord.gg/nJyt9KWAB5⁠ [https://discord.gg/nJyt9KWAB5] [Premium Services] – ⁠https://dividendtalk.eu/download-your-free-samples/⁠ [https://dividendtalk.eu/download-your-free-samples/] [Malmo Meetup] – ⁠https://t.co/STgV1nMWKj [https://t.co/STgV1nMWKj]

EP #268 | PayPal’s First Dividend! | Schneider Data-Center Surge, UNH & Shell Earnings + Listener Qs

In this week’s episode of Dividend Talk, we’re back with a jam-packed Dividend Announcements & Earnings deep dive. We kick things off with PayPal initiating its first-ever dividend (welcome to the club, Monkey!), Hershey holding flat to stay off the aristocrat chopping block, and a wild stat on revenue-per-employee (OnlyFans crushes tech giants at $37.6M per head). Then it’s over to dividend hikes from Iberdrola (+8.2%), Rockwell Automation, AbbVie, and ExxonMobil, before diving into earnings: Nestlé’s volume rebound in China, Schneider Electric riding data-center tailwinds, Altria’s cash-rich but growth-poor reality, UnitedHealth’s margin squeeze, T. Rowe Price outflows, and Shell’s $10B FCF buyback machine. In the Q&A, we tackle benchmarking vs. S&P 500, dollar-cost-averaging into falling knives, estate tax broker moves, covered-call ETFs, Finnish gems, Evolution’s permanent pivot, and stock-specific takes on Novo Nordisk, APD, Qualcomm, and more. SEE YOU ON THE INSIDE!! Tickers discussed: PYPL, HSY, GOOGL, MSFT, EBAY, AMZN, IBM, MCD, IEP, IBDR.MC, MUM.DE, SIE.DE, APD, LIN, NOVO-B.CO, EVO.ST, QCOM, ARE, ADC, MO, BATS.L, PM, UNH, TROW, SHEL, XOM, TTE, ITW, ABT, ADP, SCHN.PA, ROC.AX, NOVN.SW, NESN.SW, MCD, APH, DHR, TXN, VFC, RELAS, VWS.CO, WSO, GRG.L Join us:[Facebook] – Https://www.facebook.com/groups/dividendtalk [Https://www.facebook.com/groups/dividendtalk][Twitter] – @DividendTalk_ , @European_DG[Discord] – https://discord.gg/nJyt9KWAB5 [https://discord.gg/nJyt9KWAB5][Premium Services] – https://dividendtalk.eu/download-your-free-samples/ [https://dividendtalk.eu/download-your-free-samples/][Malmo Meetup] – https://t.co/STgV1nMWKj [https://t.co/STgV1nMWKj]

EPS 267 | Q3 Earnings and should we be worried about Evolution Gaming

In this week’s episode of Dividend Talk, we’re back with Q3 Earnings Roundup. We kick things off with Novo Nordisk shaking up half its board of directors, before covering two big dividend announcements from McDonald’s and Amphenol. Then it’s over to earnings, where we break down results from Germany’s Mensch und Maschine, Danaher, Evolution Gaming, and Texas Instruments. We also review a listener portfolio from “Bella Dividends,” packed with high-yield European names, and share our thoughts on diversification, growth balance, and dividend safety. In the Q&A, we talk estate tax and brokers, the future of quarterly reports, DCF vs. dividend discount models, and stock-specific questions on Intel, TotalEnergies, Watsco, and GreenCoat UK. SEE YOU ON THE INSIDE!! Tickers discussed: NVO, MCD, APH, MUM.DE, DHR, EVO.ST, TXN, SHEL, IBM, TTE, INTL, WSO, RELAS, IBDR.MC, VWS.CO Join us: [Facebook] – Https://www.facebook.com/groups/dividendtalk⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/groups/dividendtalk] [Twitter] – @DividendTalk_ , @European_DG [Discord] – ⁠https://discord.gg/nJyt9KWAB5⁠ [https://discord.gg/nJyt9KWAB5] [Premium Services] – ⁠https://dividendtalk.eu/download-your-free-samples/⁠ [https://dividendtalk.eu/download-your-free-samples/] [Malmo Meetup] – https://t.co/STgV1nMWKj [https://t.co/STgV1nMWKj]

EPS 266 | Q3 Portfolio Review and Some Earnings

In this week’s episode of Dividend Talk, we’re back with our Q3 Portfolio Review, covering earnings, market news, and plenty of dividend insights. We start with France’s credit downgrade and what rising debt could mean for European investors, before diving into results from Johnson & Johnson, ASML, Snap-on, and Pernod Ricard. We also chat about AI’s impact on research firms like FactSet, how to use tools like ChatGPT without outsourcing your thinking, and share a few laughs about zero-alcohol vodka. Finally, we reveal our Q3 dividend growth with +37% for Derek and +22% for Edgi and answer listener questions on estate taxes, mortgages vs. investing, tech exposure, and hedging strategies. SEE YOU ON THE INSIDE!! Tickers: JNJ, ASML.AS, SNA, RI.PA, MSFT, SHEL, AAPL, LSEG.L, PAYX, BAT.L, VICI, ENGA, NN.AS, LGEN.L, GOOG, TXN, QCOM Join us : [Facebook]  - ttps://www.facebook.com/groups/dividendtalk [https://www.facebook.com/groups/dividendtalk] [Twitter] -   @DividendTalk_    ,  @European_DG [Discord] - https://discord.gg/nJyt9KWAB5 [https://discord.gg/nJyt9KWAB5] [Premium Services] - https://dividendtalk.eu/download-your-free-samples/ [https://dividendtalk.eu/download-your-free-samples/] [Malmo Meet up] - https://t.co/STgV1nMWKj