10 Dividend Stock Picks of Ira Unschuld’s Brant Point Investment

Published December 24, 2021 at 11:31 am EST Updated August 19, 2026 at 5:48 am EDT

In this article, we discuss the 10 dividend stock picks of Ira Unschuld’s Brant Point Investment based on Q3 holdings of the fund.

Ira Unschuld is a Managing Member of Brant Point Investment, where he has worked since December 2002. He is a member of the New-York Historical Society’s board of directors. He was formerly employed at Schroders, Inc. as a Principal.

Brant Point Investment Management has a multi-disciplined investing strategy that employs fundamental and technical research to benefit from market opportunities. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO), Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:ZTS), and Analog Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADI) are among the most significant stocks in Ira Unschuld’s Brant Point Investment Q3 portfolio.

In Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Ira Unschuld owns 15,436 shares. The investment covers 0.76% of the fund’s portfolio. In November, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. declared a quarterly dividend of $0.26 per share, in line with the previous.

Another notable stock in Ira Unschuld’s portfolio is Zoetis Inc.. The investor owns a $4.01 million stake in the company. Morgan Stanley analyst Erin Wright initiated coverage of Zoetis Inc. in November, giving the stock an “Overweight” rating and a $264 price target.

Based on the 13F holdings for the third quarter of 2021, Brant Point Investment owns 35,113 shares in Analog Devices, Inc. after increasing its holding in the company by 1% from the second quarter of 2021.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Let’s start our list of the 10 dividend stock picks of Ira Unschuld’s Brant Point Investment. We picked these dividend stocks from the Q3 portfolio of Unschuld’s hedge fund.

Dividend Stock Picks of Ira Unschuld’s Brant Point Investment

10. Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX)

Brant Point Investment Stake Value: $4,403,000

Percentage of Brant Point Investment’s 13F Portfolio: 0.38%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31

Dividend Yield: 1.44%

Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX) is a data center solutions provider. Equinix announced its expansion into Africa on December 7, announcing its intention to acquire MainOne, a West African data center, and connectivity solutions provider.

RBC Capital analyst Jonathan Atkin reduced his price objective on Equinix, Inc. to $850 from $885 in November but maintained an “Outperform” rating on the stock. The analyst informs investors that Equinix’s reduced price target reflects a more gradual growth in EBITDA margins.

Equinix, Inc. saw a decrease in hedge fund sentiment recently. The number of long hedge fund positions declined to 31 at the end of the third quarter compared to 33 positions in the previous quarter.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Zoetis Inc., and Analog Devices, Inc. are some of the dividend stock picks of Ira Unschuld’s Brant Point Investment, alongside Equinix, Inc..

In its second-quarter 2021 investor letter, Baron Funds mentioned Equinix, Inc.. Here is what the fund said:

“The shares of Equinix, Inc. gained 18% in the most recent quarter. Equinix is the premier global data center company in the world. We believe the company is exceptionally well positioned to continue to benefit from powerful secular demand trends including strong growth in information technology outsourcing, increased cloud computing adoption, multi-year increases in mobile data traffic, global internet traffic, and the number of connected devices.”

9. Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (NYSE:FIS)

Brant Point Investment Stake Value: $3,760,000

Percentage of Brant Point Investment’s 13F Portfolio: 0.32%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 69

Dividend Yield: 1.49%

Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (NYSE:FIS) is a technology, solutions, and services company that works with merchants, banks, and capital markets firms. Robert Joseph Caruso’s Select Equity Group is the biggest shareholder of Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., with 9.09 million shares worth $1.11 billion.

On December 7, Barclays analyst Ramsey El-Assal decreased his price target on Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. from $154 to $141 and kept an “Overweight” rating. The analyst lowered his forecasts to account for heightened risk from long-term pandemic effects, supply chain, and wage inflation dynamics.

Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. was in 69 hedge fund portfolios in the third quarter of 2021.

In its third-quarter 2021 investor letter, Weitz Investment Management mentioned Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.. Here is what the fund said:

“Shares of Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) declined as its payments volume growth has lagged peers due in part to greater exposure to industries recovering more slowly (e.g., global travel) or geographies pursuing more substantive lockdowns (e.g., the United Kingdom). As these temporary headwinds calm and FIS continues to win new business, we believe investors will better appreciate the positive, longer-term outlook.”

8. Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM)

Brant Point Investment Stake Value: $6,730,000

Percentage of Brant Point Investment’s 13F Portfolio: 0.58%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 38

Dividend Yield: 1.50%

Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM), formerly known as Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc., is a Fortune 1000 corporation headquartered in the United States. In November, Yum! Brands, Inc. declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, in line with the previous.

On December 9, Atlantic Equities analyst Edward Lewis upgraded Yum! Brands, Inc. to “Overweight” from “Neutral” with a price target of $151. Brant Point Investment started building its position in Yum! Brands, Inc. in the fourth quarter of 2016 and currently holds 55,024 shares in the company, valued at $6.73 million.

Hedge funds are loading up on Yum! Brands, Inc., as Insider Monkey’s data shows that 38 hedge funds held stake in the company in the third quarter of 2021, compared to 35 funds in the preceding quarter.

7. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM)

Brant Point Investment Stake Value: $4,447,000

Percentage of Brant Point Investment’s 13F Portfolio: 0.38%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 31

Dividend Yield: 1.57%

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) is a publicly listed consumer retail firm specializing in kitchenware and home furnishings in the United States. In November, RBC Capital analyst Steven Shemesh raised his price target on Williams-Sonoma, Inc. to $219 from $199 and kept a “Sector Perform” rating on the shares.

Brant Point Investment holds 25,080 Williams-Sonoma, Inc. shares representing 0.38% of its portfolio and worth $4.45 million.

6. Crane Co. (NYSE:CR)

Brant Point Investment Stake Value: $4,756,000

Percentage of Brant Point Investment’s 13F Portfolio: 0.41%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 20

Dividend Yield: 1.67%

Crane Co. (NYSE:CR) makes engineered industrial goods. On December 3, Morgan Stanley analyst Kristine Liwag initiated coverage of Crane Co., rating the stock as “Equal Weight” and gave a price target of $111.

In the third quarter, Brant Point Investment trimmed its stake in Crane Co. by 26%. As of Q3 2021, 20 hedge funds have positions in Crane Co., compared with 25 in the previous quarter.

In addition to Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Zoetis Inc., and Analog Devices, Inc., Crane Co. is a notable dividend stock in Ira Unschuld’s Brant Point Investment Q3 portfolio.

5. Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE:AAP)

Brant Point Investment Stake Value: $11,526,000
Percentage of Brant Point Investment’s 13F Portfolio: 0.99%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 35
Dividend Yield: 1.70%

Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE:AAP) sells auto parts in the United States. As of the third quarter of 2021, Ken Griffin’s Citadel Investment Group, with 591,694 shares worth $123.60 million, is the largest investor in Advance Auto Parts, Inc..

In an investor note issued in November, Raymond James analyst Bobby Griffin raised his price target on Advance Auto Parts, Inc. to $275 from $265 and kept a “Strong Buy” rating on the shares.

In the third quarter of 2021, Brant Point Investment held 55,177 shares of Advance Auto Parts, Inc..

4. Avient Corporation (NYSE:AVNT)

Brant Point Investment Stake Value: $5,666,000
Percentage of Brant Point Investment’s 13F Portfolio: 0.48%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 17
Dividend Yield: 1.72%

Avient Corporation (NYSE:AVNT) is a global maker of specialist polymer materials. Brant Point Investment holds 122,244 shares in the company worth over $5.67 million, representing 0.48% of their portfolio. In addition, Brant Point Investment has increased its stake in the firm by 50% in the third quarter of 2021.

Avient Corporation declared a quarterly dividend of $0.2375 per share in October, up 11.8% from the previous dividend of $0.2125. Avient Corporation reported earnings for the third quarter in October, posting earnings per share of $0.70, beating the estimates by $0.02 and revenue of $1.21 billion, up 30.9% compared to the revenue over the same period last year.

In the third quarter of 2021, 17 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $93.96 million in Avient Corporation, down from 20 in the previous quarter worth $145.69 million.

3. LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ)

Brant Point Investment Stake Value: $10,891,000
Percentage of Brant Point Investment’s 13F Portfolio: 0.94%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 38
Dividend Yield: 1.75%

LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ) manufactures alternative and specialty components for automobiles and other vehicles in the United States. In October, LKQ Corporation declared its first quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share.

For the fiscal third quarter of 2021, LKQ Corporation reported an EPS of $1.02, exceeding market predictions by $0.16. (NASDAQ:LKQ). The company’s revenue was $3.3 billion, up 8.2% year over year and beating estimates by $30 million.

Bonsai Partners cited LKQ Corporation in its first-quarter 2021 investor letter. Here is what the fund said:

“LKQ is the largest provider of alternative collision and mechanical automotive parts in the United States. In Europe, they are the leading distributor of general automotive maintenance parts and supplies. Its shares appreciated 20.1% during the quarter.

During the quarter, LKQ shared its fourth-quarter results: showing a slight revenue decline and a nearly 30% increase in quarterly profit Vs. the same period last year. COVID has proved a surprising catalyst for my investment thesis which revolves around optimizing their recent large acquisitions that were never efficiently integrated.

Admittedly, in addition to LKQ’s quarterly performance, thematically, there has been broad enthusiasm for “re-opening” trades, of which, LKQ has been a beneficiary. Most importantly, the prior overhang related to LKQ’s debt burden is now all but behind us. Their net debt to EBITDA ratio now sits below 2x, a stark change from the near 3x leverage ratio before the pandemic. At that time, LKQ’s leverage had the potential to spiral upward to nearly 4-5x if the business experienced a prolonged shutdown. It’s good to be past this issue.”

2. Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK)

Brant Point Investment Stake Value: $2,472,000
Percentage of Brant Point Investment’s 13F Portfolio: 0.21%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 26
Dividend Yield: 2.10%

Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) is a restaurant corporation located in San Diego that runs and franchises Jack in the Box restaurants, one of the nation’s largest hamburger chains.

On December 7, Baird analyst David Tarantino lowered his price target on Jack in the Box Inc. to $85 from $100 and kept a “Neutral” rating on the shares.

In the third quarter of 2021, Ira Unschuld decreased his stake in Jack in the Box Inc. by 19%.

1. Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW)

Brant Point Investment Stake Value: $3,284,000
Percentage of Brant Point Investment’s 13F Portfolio: 0.28%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 40
Dividend Yield: 2.56%

Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) develops and produces specialized glass and ceramics. In October, Deutsche Bank analyst Matthew Niknam initiated coverage of Corning Incorporated, rating the stock as “Buy” and gave a price target of $45.

Ira Unschuld began building his stake in Corning Incorporated back in the second quarter of 2020. After selling 55,278 shares of Corning stock in the third quarter, he now holds 90,000 shares worth about $3.28 million.

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