#3 - General Mills (NYSE:GIS)
General Mills (GIS) is one of those stocks that can be owned in good times and bad. However, demand for their products tends to increase during recessions largely because consumers will seek their products as they trim their entertainment budgets.
General Mills stock avoids the volatility that is typically associated with high return stocks. Case in point, in the last 10 years, the stock of General Mills has an annualized standard deviation of 17 percent. And, like many companies on this list, General Mills is a Dividend Aristocrat offering a dividend that has been steady or increasing for 115 years. This combination of low volatility and consistent dividend payments without a reduction is more in line with what you’d expect from a utility stock. However, this is a company that expects double-digit total returns. In fact, in the 20-year period from 1995-2015, General Mills averaged an 11 percent total return per year, beating the broader S&P 500 which averaged 9 percent per year. The stock is trading for an adjusted price-to-earnings ratio of 18.9, which could make it a nice bargain ahead of the next financial crisis.
About General Mills
General Mills, Inc manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates through four segments: North America Retail; International; Pet; and North America Foodservice. It offers grain, ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream and frozen desserts, nutrition bars, and savory snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables.
Read More - Current Price
- $69.91
- Consensus Rating
- Hold
- Ratings Breakdown
- 3 Buy Ratings, 12 Hold Ratings, 2 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $72.18 (3.2% Upside)
