As the markets continue to trade around all-time highs, finding sound value stocks is no simple task. And as many stocks are unloved for a reason, there's a certain amount of risk investors must take when searching for values in the market right now. For savvy investors, however, Campbell Soup Company (CPB 1.29%) and General Motors (GM -0.04%) offer attractive dividend yields if they can rebound from recent headwinds.
Seeing the bigger picture
General Motors management has successfully built its vision around long-term lucrative trends including smart mobility projects with its Maven brand, electric vehicles through its impressive Chevrolet Bolt, and acquisitions to bolster its development of driverless vehicles.
In fact, speaking of driverless vehicle technology, General Motors announced last month it acquired LIDAR technology company Strobe which would bring in a wealth of engineering talent into GM's Cruise Automation team. The plan is for the acquisition to significantly improve GM's cost position and capabilities to produce driverless vehicles sooner rather than later.
Image source: General Motors.
But driverless car technology is only one dot and investors often miss how it should be connected to another dot: GM's Chevrolet Bolt. It's the long-term potential between GM's electric vehicle platforms -- which management hopes to be profitable by the next platform -- and driverless vehicles that could end up being lucrative for Detroit's largest automaker.
Make no mistake, GM is accelerating toward the future, which is increasingly zeroing in on driverless electric vehicles. But because investors are focused on the near-term, which includes peaking U.S. new vehicle sales, GM is selling at a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.7 times and offers a dividend yield of 3.4%. There are risks, but if GM can execute, savvy investors will be well-rewarded in the long term.
Own the aisle
It's been a rough few quarters for investors of Campbell Soup, including the recent first quarter that reported a 2% decline in organic sales and a 210 basis point decline in adjusted gross margins. Management had a number of factors working against its financial results including a recall of its Protein Plus beverage, poor quality issues with its fresh carrot business, and losing promotional shelf space at a leading U.S. retailer.
Image source: Getty Images.
Those issues, in addition to increased logistic and transportation costs following recent hurricanes, have sent Campbell Soup's stock tumbling this year, but it could be time for savvy investors to scoop up shares. Management expects to continue reducing $450 million in costs annually, the equivalent of about 6% of sales, by the end of fiscal year 2020, which will give the company extra cash to invest in growing its brands to reinvigorate sales.
Investors will need a little faith that management can execute on a number of initiatives in addition to cutting costs. Those initiatives include reinvigorating growth of its fresh products as well as accelerating the company's digital and e-commerce capabilities. In fact, Campbell hopes to generate $300 million in e-commerce sales over the next half decade.
Campbell Soup faces challenges in the near term, but it still possesses qualities that made it a hugely successful company. It owns almost 60% of the domestic wet soup aisle, making it a valuable partner for retailers, and its massive scale gives the company cost advantages few can match. At a price-to-earnings ratio of less than 16 times, and a dividend yield at roughly 3%, this is an unloved dividend stock that could end up rewarding investors.
