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Ahold Delhaize is the product of the July 2016 merger between Netherlands-based Ahold and Belgium's Delhaize, forming the fourth-largest grocer in the US and a top player in many parts of Europe. The US is the largest market, accounting for over 60% of group sales, with Ahold Delhaize the leading grocer on the Eastern Seaboard. The US store network stretches from Maine to Georgia and includes such banners as Stop & Shop, The Giant Company, Giant Food, Food Lion, and Hannaford. The Netherlands, Belgium, and Central and SouthEastern Europe, including the Czech Republic, Greece, Romania, and Serbia, account for slightly less than 40% of sales. Ahold Delhaize holds the number-one and number-two positions in almost all of these countries.

Sysco is the largest US foodservice distributor with 17% share of the highly fragmented $370 billion domestic market. It distributes roughly 500,000 food and nonfood products to restaurants (62% of fiscal 2024 revenue), education and government buildings (7%), travel and leisure (6%), healthcare facilities (7%), and other locations (18%) where individuals consume away-from-home meals. In fiscal 2024, 70% of the firm’s revenue was derived from its US foodservice operations, while its international (18%), quick-service logistics (10%), and other (2%) segments contributed the rest.

Kroger is one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States with more than 2,700 stores across a portfolio of over 20 supermarket banners. The company boasts an ingrained presence in US communities, citing that it is a top-two grocer in most of its major market areas. Over one fourth of Kroger’s roughly $110 billion in nonperishable and fresh food sales (about 75% of revenue) stems from its private-label portfolio, of which the company manufactures about 30% of units via its own food production plants. The company also operates fuel stations and pharmacies at 60% and 80% of its locations, respectively.

With the current stock turmoil, global stocks, and especially stocks that pay dividends, are a potential option for investors. While the S&P 500 has fallen 12% year to date, the EAFE Index of large- and mid-cap stocks based in countries other than the U.S. and Canada has gained 1%. That's quite a change from the recent record. Over the past five years, the S&P 500 has advanced 109% compared to a 50% gain in EAFE. But the underperformance has given global stocks a valuation advantage, particularly in the area of dividends. Consider that the EAFE dividend yield of 3.0% is roughly 175 basis points higher than the comparable S&P 500 dividend yield. We think global dividend stocks continue to offer opportunity, particularly given the endless speculation over the direction of interest rates in the U.S., which has created market-timing headaches for equity income investors. These investors have endured recent wide swings in prices for rate-sensitive equity groups such as utilities, REITs and MLPs. In our view, investing in international income stocks is one way to increase portfolio diversification while reducing sensitivity to volatile U.S interest rates. Investing in overseas stocks carries its own set of risks, including the impact of currency exchange and geopolitical turmoil. But there are also a number of positives in this asset class for U.S. investors, including a wide selection of companies that pay dividends, robust industry diversification, and, as we have mentioned, higher yields and lower valuations. Argus has recently boosted its global coverage, and recommends the following international dividend stocks, each of which has at least a long-term BUY rating from an Argus analyst. This list of approximately 25-30 companies offers exposure to eight of the 11 major industrial sectors, and includes companies from 10 countries.