A 2.3% Yield and Growing: Why This Medical Device Company Stands Out

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

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

Automotive

General Motors Balances EV Ambitions with Labor Cuts at Detroit Facility

General Motors (NYSE: GM) has implemented temporary layoffs for 200 workers at its all-electric Factory ZERO facility in Detroit. The decision comes as the automaker aligns its EV production with current market conditions. Factory ZERO, representing a $2.5 billion investment and housing more than 4,500 employees, serves as a core site for GM’s multi-brand electric vehicle initiative.

Production at the plant includes lithium-based models such as the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Hummer EV, as well as future models like the GMC Sierra Denali Edition 1 and Cadillac Escalade IQ2. In addition to vehicle assembly, the facility integrates battery modules and packs, reinforcing its role in GM’s EV supply chain.

Last week, GM announced plans to increase the output of light-duty trucks at its Fort Wayne, Indiana, plant. The latest EV-related layoffs reflect a strategic response to shifting consumer demand, not a reaction to trade policy or tariffs.

The Detroit-based company continues to invest in electric vehicle technology but has scaled back on previously announced production goals. GM revised its 2024 EV output forecast from 300,000 units to 250,000 and delayed its Orion Assembly plant project until mid-2026.

Operations at Factory ZERO are expected to resume based on future demand indicators. Eligible employees impacted by the layoff may qualify for subpay and benefits under the existing GM-UAW national agreement.

General Motors remains committed to recalibrating its workforce and facilities to support long-term electrification targets while managing short-term market realities.

Consumer Goods

Walmart Maintains Growth Outlook Despite Heightened Tariff Environment

Walmart (NYSE: WMT) has updated its full-year forecast as shifting global trade conditions influence operational and pricing strategies. The company anticipates net sales growth between 3% and 4%, adjusting for increased volatility and ongoing tariff developments.

Analysts gathered at Walmart's annual investor meeting in Dallas received new insight into how the company plans to manage current headwinds. Attendees reviewed strategic updates addressing supply chain resilience, pricing discipline, and domestic sourcing advantages.

Executives noted that two-thirds of Walmart's U.S. merchandise originates from domestic suppliers, providing insulation from some international trade exposure. Additional sourcing comes primarily from China and Mexico, areas currently affected by tariff escalations.

Walmart acknowledged increased day-to-day sales volatility as consumers react to pricing shifts and broader economic signals. Despite that, the company continues to expand essential product offerings and streamline store operations.

The retailer recently reaffirmed its commitment to scaling private-label brands and reducing overseas production dependency. Adjustments include trimming production footprints in tariff-sensitive regions to manage cost structures and preserve margin stability.

Walmart also reported that the U.S. division accounts for 70% of total company revenue, reinforcing the strategic benefit of its domestic focus during global trade disruption.

Uranium Opportunity (Sponsored)

The Next Big Name in Uranium?

Billionaires are backing uranium. Governments are pouring in billions.

The uranium bull market is just getting started.

And one tiny uranium junior is sitting on the kind of high-potential assets that turned UEC into a $3.11 billion powerhouse.

• Prime uranium assets in the Athabasca Basin and the Central Mineral Belt

• Advancing exploration with new data analysis

• Institutional investors quietly moving into uranium

With the Trump administration fast-tracking policies to boost domestic uranium production, this company is in a perfect position to capitalize.

The market hasn’t caught on yet, but it won’t stay this way for long.

Find out the symbol before the crowd catches up.

*Examples that we provide of share price increases pertaining to a particular Issuer from one referenced date to another represent an arbitrarily chosen time period and are no indication whatsoever of future stock prices for that Issuer and are of no predictive value. Our stock profiles are intended to highlight certain companies for YOUR further investigation; they are NOT stock recommendations or constitute an offer or sale of the referenced securities.

Pharmaceuticals

Pfizer Restructures R&D Footprint with San Diego Site Sale and Layoffs

Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) has completed the sale of its research facility in San Diego, transferring ownership of the five-building campus to BioMed Realty for $255 million. This move follows the company’s decision to lease a new location nearby as part of its operational streamlining efforts.

Executives previously used the 25-acre site for late-stage clinical work in oncology and HIV. Pfizer acquired the property in 2004, later selling part in 2012 while retaining core R&D buildings. Over the years, teams based at this facility contributed to developing cancer therapies, including Ibrance.

BioMed Realty, which owns several nearby properties, plans to repurpose the site for life sciences tenants. Pfizer, meanwhile, continues consolidating its research operations as part of its updated footprint strategy.

State filings confirm that 56 employees at the site will be laid off in early June. Pfizer has clarified that the staffing changes are unrelated to the property sale. The company focuses on simplifying internal operations and enhancing R&D efficiency across its global network.

Pfizer remains active in the region through its newly leased facility. Regulators have approved the transaction, allowing Pfizer to proceed with its ongoing reorganization.

KOF grew its dividend payout to 88.39 cents per share, an increase of 17.75%. Its new forward yield is 3.5%.

STZ expanded its dividend payout to $1.02 per share, an increase of 1%. Its new forward yield is 2.2%. 

CSWI improved its dividend payout to 27 cents per share, an increase of 12.5%. Its new forward yield is 0.36%.

TKC lowered its dividend payout to 11.96 cents per share, a cut of 46%. Its new dividend yield is 3.64%.

EC reduced its dividend payout to 48.58 cents per share, a cut of 37%. Its new dividend yield is 21.43%.

AVAL decreased its dividend payout to 1.05 cents per share, a cut of 5%. Its new dividend yield is 5.14%.

Uranium Market (Sponsored)

The Billionaire Bet on Uranium

On Behalf of Azincourt Energy Corp

Something big is brewing in the uranium market.

And the world’s wealthiest, most powerful investors are moving in—Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Sam Altman.

They’ve made their billions in tech revolutions like Amazon, Microsoft, and OpenAI. Now, they’re betting big on nuclear energy.

• Gates: His Natrium reactor secured $3 billion in funding.

• Bezos: Backing a fusion energy startup.

• Altman: Building reactors powered by nuclear waste.

Governments are following suit. The US just poured $6 billion into nuclear energy, while the Trump administration is fast-tracking policies to boost domestic uranium production.

For investors, this is a perfect storm.

The last uranium boom turned a tiny $0.60 stock into a $3.11 billion powerhouse.

The next one could be happening right now.

Find out which uranium junior could be the next big winner.

*Examples that we provide of share price increases pertaining to a particular Issuer from one referenced date to another represent an arbitrarily chosen time period and are no indication whatsoever of future stock prices for that Issuer and are of no predictive value. Our stock profiles are intended to highlight certain companies for YOUR further investigation; they are NOT stock recommendations or constitute an offer or sale of the referenced securities.

Everything Else

• Dividend stocks may be the only smart play in today’s choppy market, according to Barron’s.

• JPMorgan blew past earnings expectations and holds a strong balance sheet but warns that the future is uncertain. 

• Coke’s kosher offerings are gaining traction. 

• Automotive companies like Ford will likely face $5,000+ in additional costs when tariffs take effect.

• American Giant, a major Walmart supplier, wrote the playbook on “Made in America” manufacturing.