03-12-2019, 08:19 AM
BTI, F, CVS, BT, and GIS are currently my worst performers if looking at stock price. Unsurprisingly, CVS, BT, and GIS have frozen their dividend payments while they work through various issues, F didn't announce a special dividend this year. Of the group, BTI is the only one that continues to raise (4% increase announced at the end of February). I think a lot of BTI's issues were related to RAI shareholders not wanting to hold a stock with dividends issued in a foreign currency, and overblown regulatory concerns. Stock price has rebounded nicely since the FDA chief resigned. I'm fairly confident CVS will sort out the debt issues from the Aetna merger, and start raising again by the end of 2020. F, BT, and GIS are dogs.