Latest news with #CFR
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Cullen/Frost Bankers (CFR) is a Top Dividend Stock for Your Portfolio
Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments. While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns. Based in San Antonio, Cullen/Frost Bankers (CFR) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 0.51%. The financial holding company is paying out a dividend of $1.00 per share at the moment, with a dividend yield of 2.96% compared to the Banks - Southwest industry's yield of 1.26% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.45%. Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $4.00 is up 7% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Cullen/Frost Bankers has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 7.98%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Cullen/Frost's current payout ratio is 42%, meaning it paid out 42% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend. Looking at this fiscal year, CFR expects solid earnings growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $9.27 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 3.23%. From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. However, not all companies offer a quarterly payout. For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers its shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that CFR is not only an attractive dividend play, but is also a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (CFR) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Sign in to access your portfolio
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Chhattisgarh's Tiriya gram sabha recognised globally for community-led forest governance
RAIPUR: Tucked deep inside south Chhattisgarh's Bastar division, Tiriya village has been recognised among the top 15 mentions, out of the 190+ nominated communities, for the 2025 Collective Action Awards by the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI). Tiriya's model stands as a resilient example on how tribal (Adivasi) communities can lead inclusive, sustainable development rooted in traditional knowledge and collective action in Bastar region. The RRI is a global coalition of grassroots organisations aimed at improving coordination and support for the recognition of land rights for indigenous people across Africa, Asia and Latin America. The global efforts intended to safeguard nature and preserve traditional knowledge for future generations are much appreciated. The achievement of Tiriya has been supported by the Bastar-based team of ATREE, which has facilitated key steps in the community forest rights (CFR) claim-making and community planning processes. The global recognition celebrates Tiriya's exemplary grassroots efforts in securing community forest rights, strengthening collective governance and pioneering a self-sustaining eco-tourism model.
Bangkok Post
18-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
TOA Earns Sixth CFO Certification for Sustainability
TOA Paint (Thailand) Public Company Limited, or TOA, continues its journey towards becoming a Net Zero organisation. Most recently, the company received its 'Carbon Footprint for Organization (CFO)' certification for the sixth consecutive year. The certificate was presented to Ms Wipada Nakpairat, Vice President, SHE & Quality Management and Sustainability Division, from Dr. Wijarn Simachaya, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO), with Dr. Natarika Wayuparb Nitiphon, Deputy Executive Director of TGO, also in attendance at the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ). This achievement reaffirms TOA's commitment to its 'Green Mission' policy, advancing its transformation into a truly sustainable green organisation. The company's efforts span the entire value chain, covering upstream and downstream processes, with a focus on all stakeholders and on reducing both direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions. These include improvements in production, energy usage, transportation, waste management, and the development of eco-friendly products. To date, TOA has received the Global Warming Reduction Label (CFR) for 133 products and Carbon Footprint of Product (CFP) certification for 320 products – making it the manufacturer of certified low-carbon products in Thailand's paint and building materials market. TOA is driving its Green Mission policy through seven key strategies aimed at achieving Net Zero organisational greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Two core strategies are already yielding significant results: Green Production – improving energy and fuel efficiency in vehicles and reducing refrigerant leakage. Green Energy – increasing the use of renewable energy, decreasing reliance on fossil fuels, and minimizing long-term environmental impacts. The consistent CFO recognition highlights TOA's responsible business practices and environmental leadership. It also enhances stakeholder confidence in the company's ability to protect homes, preserve the environment, and build a sustainable future.
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Contesting the future of forest governance
Recently, the Chhattisgarh forest department issued a letter designating itself as the nodal agency for implementing community forest resource rights (CFRR) under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. CFRR, a transformative provision of the FRA, recognises the right of gram sabhas to manage their customary forests. It seeks to rectify the injustices of colonial forest consolidation which dispossessed local communities and supplanted their traditional management institutions with centralised state control. Not only was this usurpation of the nodal role contrary to the FRA, but the letter violated gram sabhas' statutory authority to implement locally developed management plans in their community forest resource (CFR) areas by insisting on a model plan from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA). This is not required by law. It also prohibited other departments or NGOs from supporting gram sabhas in CFRR management planning. The letter was withdrawn after a spirited grassroots mobilisation by gram sabhas, local elected representatives, and Adivasi rights groups. Still, the persistent attack on gram sabhas' autonomy in managing their forests demands a closer look at how forests should be managed under the FRA. Forest management Historically, forests under government control (excluding wildlife sanctuaries or national parks) have been managed through forest departments' working plans. These plans are rooted in the colonial misnomer of 'scientific forestry', i.e., planning and harvesting to maximise timber production. Ecologists, starting with Madhav Gadgil, questioned this approach, especially since early working plans even included clearfelling natural forests and replacing them with single-species plantations. The decline in India's forests, evidenced by the spread of invasive species and the increase in degraded forest areas, has fuelled doubts about the appropriateness of working plans. But for forest departments, they remain an article of faith to structure their operations and mobilise financial resources. In forest-rich central India, the continuing emphasis of working plans on timber extraction, which restricts communities' access and alters the composition of forests, was met with resistance even before Independence. While working plans have begun to consider restoration and wildlife conservation objectives, they remain products of bureaucratic writ, largely detached from local livelihoods and closed to independent scientific scrutiny. The FRA's radically different vision recognises the integral role of local communities in the 'very survival and sustainability' of forests. CFR management plans are to be developed by gram sabhas to prioritise local needs and address current problems. These plans shall be 'integrated' with working plans by the gram sabha. In other words, working plans will no longer apply in CFR areas, because communities will manage forests with a different objective and at much finer scales. Over 10,000 gram sabhas have received CFRR titles in India, but perhaps less than 1,000 have prepared their CFR management plans. Even their implementation is constrained by the refusal of forest departments to recognise their legitimacy and support gram sabhas. Instead, they have pursued a strategy of attrition, delaying or rejecting CFRR claims, attempting to revoke CFRR titles, and denying funds to CFRR-holding gram sabhas. Their aim to retain colonial power is concealed under arguments that communities lack the ability to manage forests scientifically. MoTA's vacillating responses have not helped. In 2015, it issued guidelines that gram sabhas can use simple formats for their plans, but later came under pressure to alter its stand. A 2024 joint letter with the Environment Ministry required CFR management plans to conform to the National Working Plan Code (NWPC) and even suggested the involvement of foresters in their preparation. This violates the FRA's letter and spirit. Addressing the bogeyman Even according to the NWPC, a working plan should outline 'the purpose with which a forest should be managed so as to best meet the interests and wishes of the owner, and indicate the means by which the purpose may be accomplished.' Yet, the lengthy processes and data-intensive formats that the NWPC prescribes carry the hangover of maximising timber yield. In contrast, forest management by gram sabhas will likely pursue multiple livelihood needs, for which the NWPC provides little guidance. Significant portions of working plans are devoted to cataloguing local conditions, but they abstract their complexities to focus on the forest crop (not ecosystem). A gram sabha's plan need not do the same because these insights are part of their lived experience. The variable impacts of climate change also challenge the linear trajectories of working plans, which need more adaptive responses that gram sabhas offer. CFRR demands shedding historical baggage and embracing new possibilities. The path forward is evident. The Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, launched by the Central government last year, introduced an indicative framework for CFR management plans. While the framework can be improved, it can be achieved through flexible and iterative practice by gram sabhas. MoTA must reject any attempt to derail CFR management through the red herring of NWPC compliance. And forest departments must provide funds and protection when required and discard a timber-oriented science in favour of a different science of a people-friendly forest management. Gautam Aredath, policy analyst at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment; Sharachchandra Lele, distinguished fellow at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment. Views are personal
Fibre2Fashion
09-07-2025
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
Understanding the latest US tariff updates from a T-shirt price POV
In a significant move reshaping global trade dynamic, US President Donald Trump has announced a new wave of potential tariffs targeting 14 countries—including key textile and apparel exporters like Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia, in addition to Myanmar, Tunisia, Japan, South Korea, and seven other nations. These countries have been given until August 1, 2025 (extended from the earlier July 9 deadline) to finalise new trade deals with the US or face steep increases in import duties. We consider four top textile and apparel manufacturing countries—China, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam, and in today's context analyse the average import unit price of a T-shirt into the US, based on the latest tariff rates. The 2025 average import unit price is calculated based on the United States' reported import trade values and quantities. These figures reflect CFR (Cost and Freight) terms. Table 1: Understanding the latest US Tariff from a T-shirt price POV *Subject to change with the anticipation of a trade deal announcement. (The above values are indicative cost prices based on the import trade data analysis) Following President Trump's tariff announcement on April 2, various countries responded in different ways. Some, such as China, imposed retaliatory tariffs, while others like India and Vietnam initiated discussions to explore potential trade deals and agreements. A deadline of July 9, which was recently extended to August 1, was set for these negotiations. During this period, tariffs were temporarily suspended, and a universal 10 per cent tariff was applied across all countries. China: Following the reciprocal tariffs announced by the US on April 2, 2025, a period of intense escalation ensued, with US tariffs on Chinese goods rising from an initial 34 per cent to as high as 245 per cent. Subsequently, with trade negotiations, both countries reached a temporary agreement in Geneva last month. Under this accord, the US reduced its tariffs on Chinese imports to 55 per cent, while China lowered its retaliatory tariffs to 10 per cent, marking a significant de-escalation from the previously imposed triple-digit rates by both sides. India: After being included in the US tariff list in April 2025, India has actively pursued a trade agreement. Negotiations are reportedly in the final stages, and a deal could soon be announced. In case a deal is not materialised, Indian products will attract a duty of 26 per cent in the US from August 1. Bangladesh: On July 7, Bangladesh received a formal notice from the US about the impending tariff hike. The new rate of 35 per cent (slightly down from the earlier 37 per cent, announced on April 2) is currently one of the highest among major apparel exporters. Vietnam: Despite securing a trade deal, Vietnam will face a 20 per cent tariff on its exports to the US—a reduction from the previously proposed 46 per cent, but still double the current 10 per cent rate, which is applicable equally to most countries. Observations from Table 1 While India currently has a high tariff of 26 per cent, with the positive developments of a trade deal with the US, it is poised to offer the most competitive pricing and may become even more attractive with a lower price point if a trade deal with tariff of 10 per cent or lesser is finalised. Bangladesh, despite a slight tariff reduction, faces one of the steepest duties among major exporters. Vietnam, even with a trade deal, ends up with the highest T-shirt price due to its elevated base cost and 20 per cent tariff. China could face a substantial impact on final import prices to the US, given its position as the highest-tariffed among key apparel-supplying countries. Nevertheless, it remains relatively competitive with Vietnam, largely due to its low base price, which helps offset the elevated tariff burden. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (AP)
