Dividend Stocks

This pandemic has presented the global economy with an unprecedented challenge. The level of globalization, ease of travel from one country to another and the ensuing shutdowns contributed to the sharpest economic decline the developed world has ever seen. These conditions also made for unprecedented volatility in the stock market, sending even high-quality dividend stocks

Last year was a tale of two halves for dividend stocks. The novel coronavirus pandemic made the first half of 2020 a period of payout cuts and halts by S&P 500 Index names, but payouts came back mightily in the second half of the year, indicating that many of the top stocks for 2021 are

It could hardly be a better time to buy bank stocks. Interest rates are climbing, enabling banks to earn much more money from their loans and credit cards. Meanwhile, the economy is improving by leaps and bounds. The latter trend should continue as tens of millions of more Americans are vaccinated  against the novel coronavirus.

Interest rates may be on the rise right now, but they are still near historic lows. So, as it continues to be a near-zero interest rate environment, dividend stocks have become even more important to investors searching for yield. The problem? Unlike bonds, there’s a lot more risk in depending on equities for income. Bond

When it comes to income investing, we think investors should look for blue-chip stocks that have a few key features that go beyond the ordinary dividend stock. In particular, we prefer dividend stocks that have the ability to grow their payouts over time, as well as those that have very safe and reliable payouts, even

Much of the United States felt the sting of extremely cold weather this month. Perhaps no part of the country was hurt more than Texas, which saw millions go without power. This has caused energy prices to surge higher. For investors, that puts the focus on energy stocks. Consider that WTI crude increased 6.5% over

In all the electric car hoopla that Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) inspires, Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM) has been ignored. TM stock continues to be a low-volume name. About 330,000 shares trade on an average day, while TSLA stock averages almost 41 million. Source: josefkubes / Shutterstock.com But Toyota is the world’s largest car company, having passed Volkswagen (OTCMKTS:VLKAY)

Health care companies often prove to be recession resilient, as their medicines and medical devices usually remain in high demand even if the economic environment weakens. Consumers need these products to maintain or improve their quality of life, regardless of state of the economy. At the same time, the world’s population continues to age, which

There are two types of dividend stocks: those that increase their annual dividend payments year after year, often referred to as Dividend Aristocrats, and those that grow their annual dividends by double-digit percentages every year.  In early January, Rob Carrick, one of Canada’s best personal finance columnists, wrote an article about dividend stocks that doubled

Wall Street has a tough time breaking old habits. Today we’re going to examine the opportunity with energy stocks. Last year, major investors committed to being more Earth friendly and the concept of ESG investing took flight. Global shutdowns gave the environment a big break. Humans drastically reduced the use of fossil fuels. For one

Most electric utility stocks are distinctly unloved right now. But there’s an exception to this rule: NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE). Right now, NEE stock is up. Source: madamF / Shutterstock.com In fact, while the S&P 500 is up a little under 41% over the last two years, the Utilities Select SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLU) is up just

Recently, after being asked to look at Beyond Meat (NASDAQ:BYND), I did a drive-by recommendation for Pepsico (NASDAQ:PEP). Well it turns out things are looking good for Pepsico stock. Source: suriyachan / Shutterstock.com “The stock’s not bad even without Beyond Meat,” I wrote. “With it, it’s even tastier.”  Today, after delivering fat earnings and a

I hate Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM). But that doesn’t mean XOM stock is a bad play. Source: Harry Green / Shutterstock.com When it comes to the company, it’s personal. I accept the science of climate change. If I ever have grandchildren, I want them to have a livable planet. But the last time I wrote about

Shares of off-price retailer The TJX Companies (NYSE:TJX), operators of TJ Maxx, Marshall’s and HomeGoods, managed to stay in line with the market during the pandemic. Since vaccines have arrived, TJX stock is fading, up just 1.1% since Jan. 1 while the S&P 500 Index is up 4.3%. Source: Joe Hendrickson / Shutterstock.com This has

After a huge year in 2020, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is holding onto its gains so far in 2021. Apple stock bulls are excited about the opportunity 5G device upgrades can provide in the near-term. Apple bears are concerned about just how much more Apple can milk out of the iPhone. Source: dennizn / Shutterstock.com Growth catalysts

Interest rates remain very low and given the ongoing economic impact from COVID-19, they will likely stay very low. This low-rate environment places income investors in a difficult position. Add in the S&P 500 rising nearly 100% over the last five years, and finding high-yielding securities has become much more difficult. With low interest rates,

Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG), America’s largest shopping mall landlord, spent 2020 becoming its biggest tenant. Source: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com During the pandemic year it bought out four of its tenants — Forever 21, Lucky Brand, Brooks Brothers and JCPenney. It already owned Aeropostale, acquired in 2016. Yet since missing earnings estimates with a profit

Oil stocks have been among the market’s worst stocks to own over the past few years. The global supply glut has caused oil prices to fall significantly as many of the world’s largest producers have ramped up production. At the same time, the coronavirus pandemic caused demand for refined products to plunge. This has served

Investors have a tendency to associate dividend stocks with slow-growth companies that return cash to shareholders because they can’t find a good way to invest it in future business expansion. Dividend stocks are seen as a safe, boring play on safe, boring companies. However, this association is often undeserved. Many companies that pay dividends to

Disney (NYSE:DIS) is likely to reach new highs once its earnings come out after the market closes on Feb. 11. DIS stock is down 3% year-to-date, but this downdraft could easily turn around after the earnings release. The main reason is investors will see how powerful its over-the-top (OTT) streaming subscription services have become. For