Southeastern Asset Management recently disclosed its portfolio updates for the third quarter of 2020, which ended on Sept. 30.

Founded by Mason Hawkins (Trades, Portfolio) in 1975, the Memphis, Tennessee-based firm manages the Longleaf Partners Funds. The firm employs a fundamental, bottom-up appraisal process based on in-house research in order to select a concentrated portfolio of quality investments that have strong balance sheets, good management teams and attractive valuations.

Based on its investment criteria, the firm made five new buys during the quarter: MGM Resorts International (MGM), Everest Re Group Ltd. (RE), Liberty Braves Group (BATRK), Summit

Campbell Soup Co (CPB), Hingham Institution for Savings (HIFS) and Worthington Industries Inc (WOR) announced quarterly dividends on Wednesday, March 25. These three companies are loyal payers, as they have been paying dividends for decades.

Campbell Soup Co

The Camden, New Jersey-based manufacturer and marketer of food and beverage products in North America announced that on April 27 it will pay a quarterly dividend of 35 cents per common share, which is in line with the previous distribution, to shareholders of record April 9. The ex-dividend date is scheduled for April. 8.

Based on Wednesday’s closing

The largest Insider Buys this week were for Churchill Downs Inc. (CHDN), Tiffany & Co. (TIF), Worthington Industries Inc. (WOR), and Knowles Corp. (KN).

Churchill Downs Inc. (CHDN): Director Richard L. Duchossois bought 4,130 Shares

Director Richard L. Duchossois bought 2,080 shares of CHDN stock on April 3 at the average price of $240.65. The price of the stock has decreased by 0.77% since.

Churchill Downs Inc. is an American entertainment and racing company. The company has racetracks and casinos across multiple states and is the United States’ leading online wagering company. Churchill Downs Inc. is also part of the

Metal manufacturer Worthington Industries Inc. (WOR) reported its results for the first quarter of fiscal 2018 before the opening bell on Sept. 27.

The Columbus, Ohio-based company posted earnings per share of 70 cents, below expectations of 82 cents and down from $1.02 in the prior-year quarter. Quarterly revenue of $848.2 million missed estimates of $864.8 million but grew 15% from $737.5 million in the comparable quarter of 2016.

Shares were down more than 7% shortly after the market opened.

Chairman and CEO John McConnell said the company started the new fiscal year with good results but “not as

FUND PERFORMANCE

While the year began with an alarming correction that reached into mid-February, the Fund bounced back strongly after a period of underperformance with one of its strongest relative quarterly showings in a number of years, gaining 5.0% versus a loss of 1.5% for the small-cap index in the first quarter. In this highly volatile period, the portfolio benefited from the long-awaited shift in the small-cap market towards companies with current earnings, below-average risk profiles, and lower valuations, which all fit well with the Fund’s strategy.

The second quarter featured an environment that was both more mixed and more

Low price volatility has been a general theme in the market, as stocks have been gaining but trading within thin trading ranges. Many of the market’s low volatility stocks are often mature businesses paying steady dividends, which helps to keep their prices more stable.

In a recent presentation from Royce Funds, Jay Kaplan discussed the use of low volatility stocks in the company’s portfolios.

In the current market environment, dividend paying stocks have been highly sought after, helping the equity market to gain. Kaplan’s comments provide even greater support for investing in dividend stocks. As

MARKET COMMENTARY

The Russell Developed Index had a flat -0.04% return during the first quarter of 2016, though it was anything but a flat trajectory. On February 11th, the index was down by more than 11% for the year before recovering over the quarter’s final seven weeks. This date also represented a turning point in the value/growth cycle. From the beginning of the year through February 11th, Russell Developed Index stocks with the lowest price-to-book ratios (lowest quintile) underperformed the index -20.5% vs. -11.7%. From February 11th through the end of the quarter, however, this lowest valued quintile outperformed the

What is one of the strongest signals to indicate that a stock is poised for an excellent path ahead? The answer is simple – insider buying. Insiders are people who have access to certain information about the company that is not leaked to the public. Insiders include top management of a company, directors and investors who hold more than 10% of the stock. Insider buying has a positive effect on the share prices of a company. One of the legends of investing, Peter Lynch had once commented that there could be many reasons why an insider would sell his shares,

Darden Matches Q4 Estimates, Ups Dividend by 34%