Core Insights - Medtronic is a consistent dividend payer with a 48-year history of increasing its dividend, making it a unique player in the healthcare stock sector [1][7] - The company operates in a recession-resistant market, providing essential medical devices and treatments that are often non-negotiable for patients [2] - Medtronic has only experienced two declines in annual revenue since 2000, with a 5.4% drop in fiscal year 2020 due to the COVID pandemic and a 1.4% decrease in 2023 attributed to currency fluctuations and supply chain issues [4] - The company has four strong business units: cardiovascular, medical-surgical, neuroscience, and diabetes, although the diabetes unit is set to be spun off [5] - Medtronic has maintained annual net income for over 60 years, showcasing its financial stability despite some fluctuations in profitability [6] - The current dividend yield is nearly 3%, which is more than double the average yield of S&P 500 stocks, highlighting the company's commitment to returning value to shareholders [7] - Despite its strong fundamentals, Medtronic's stock has underperformed the S&P 500 index for several years due to frequent restructuring and competition from other healthcare companies [8] - The company has received FDA clearance for its Hugo robotic-assisted surgery system, indicating potential growth opportunities in the future [10] - Expectations are high for Medtronic to outperform the S&P 500 in the coming years, suggesting a potential investment opportunity [11]

Core Viewpoint - ExxonMobil's stock has risen significantly due to increasing oil and natural gas prices, but the company's long-term growth is driven by its two-pronged growth strategy [1][2]. Group 1: Stock Performance and Market Conditions - ExxonMobil's stock price increased by 17% in January, correlating with a 17% rise in Brent Crude prices [2]. - The company's current market capitalization stands at $614 billion, with a current stock price of $147.28 [6][7]. Group 2: Earnings and Production Growth - Despite a year-over-year decline in earnings primarily due to weaker oil and gas prices, ExxonMobil increased its production by approximately 9% in 2025 [5]. - In 2025, advantaged production accounted for 59% of Exxon's total production, an increase of seven percentage points from 2024 [7]. Group 3: Long-term Strategy and Dividend Outlook - ExxonMobil is focusing on profitable oil opportunities and investing in its business to enhance future growth [8]. - The company has a strong history of annual dividend increases, with a current dividend yield of 2.7%, indicating potential for future dividend growth [9].

Core Insights - The iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF (SLVP) and VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX) provide distinct investment opportunities in the metals and mining sector, with SLVP focusing on silver and diversified metals while GDX targets gold miners [1][2]. Cost and Size Comparison - SLVP has a lower expense ratio of 0.39% compared to GDX's 0.51% - SLVP offers a higher dividend yield of 1.5% versus GDX's 0.6% - As of February 20, 2026, SLVP has $1.3 billion in assets under management (AUM), while GDX has $33.5 billion [3][4]. Performance and Risk Metrics - Over the past five years, SLVP experienced a maximum drawdown of -56.18%, while GDX had a drawdown of -49.79% - An investment of $1,000 would have grown to $2,718 in SLVP and $3,246 in GDX over the same period [5]. Portfolio Composition - GDX consists of 55 holdings focused solely on gold mining, with major positions in Agnico Eagle Mines (9.73%), Newmont Corp (9.11%), and Barrick Mining Corp (6.65%) [6]. - SLVP holds 30 companies, with a concentration in silver mining, featuring top holdings such as Hecla Mining (15.38%), Indust Penoles (11.9%), and Fresnillo Plc (10.94%) [7]. Market Context - Precious metals have gained significant momentum, with gold and silver prices reaching all-time highs in January 2026, influencing investor decisions between SLVP and GDX based on desired metal exposure [8]. Investment Strategy - GDX is noted for its liquidity and diversification within the gold mining sector, making it a suitable choice for investors seeking exposure without the complexities of individual stock analysis [9][10]. - SLVP is recognized as a leading silver ETF, providing access to top-tier global silver mining companies, which may appeal to investors looking for higher dividend yields and lower costs [12][13].

Group 1 - Microsoft has experienced a significant stock decline of over 25% from its October highs in 2026, with most of this drop occurring in the same year [1] - The current market cap of Microsoft is $2.9 trillion, and its stock is trading at $397.24, which is considered a buying opportunity [7][8] - Microsoft has shown strong performance in its core software business and artificial intelligence, with Azure experiencing rapid growth and a substantial backlog of workloads [8] Group 2 - In Q2 of fiscal year 2026, Microsoft reported a 17% year-over-year revenue growth, indicating strong operational performance despite the stock decline [9] - The company's forward earnings valuation is at 24 times, the lowest in nearly three years, making it an attractive investment compared to the S&P 500's 21.9 times [9] - Investing in Microsoft now could potentially yield mid-teens returns, accelerating wealth accumulation for investors [11]

These companies pay high-yielding dividends that should continue growing.High-quality, high-yielding dividend stocks can provide you with a growing passive income stream. Many companies delivered decades of consistent dividend growth, trends that seem unlikely to end. Here are four top stocks with dividends yielding more than 4% (over three times higher than the S&P 500's 1.2% yield) that you can buy now for bankable passive income. Clearway Energy Clearway Energy (CWEN +1.07%)(CWEN.A +0.57%) is a leader i ...

One of the nation’s largest wholesale mortgage lenders reported a significant insider sale amid a year of declining share prices.Mat Ishbia, President and CEO of UWM Holdings Corporation (UWMC 3.75%), reported the indirect sale of 1,898,622 shares of Common Stock across three open-market transactions from Feb. 10 through Feb. 12, 2026, for nearly $9 million as disclosed in the SEC Form 4 filing. Transaction summaryMetricValueShares sold (indirect)1,898,622Transaction value$8,999,468 millionPost-transaction ...

Group 1 - The S&P 500 is considered one of the best long-term wealth creation tools despite short-term valuation or economic growth concerns [1][3] - The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is the largest ETF globally, providing simple and cost-effective exposure to major U.S. companies [1] - The index's allocation to technology stocks has grown significantly, now accounting for 33% of the S&P 500, with a focus on the "Magnificent Seven" stocks [2][5] Group 2 - The current sector allocations in the S&P 500 include Technology (33%), Communication Services (11%), Consumer Discretionary (10%), Healthcare (9%), and Industrials (9%) [5] - The S&P 500's performance will be heavily influenced by the tech sector and the Magnificent Seven stocks in the foreseeable future [6] - Long-term investors should maintain exposure to various sectors of the U.S. economy, and owning the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is an effective way to achieve this [9] Group 3 - The economic environment currently favors large-cap companies, which show better earnings growth and quality compared to small-cap companies [10] - A significant portion of companies in the Russell 2000 index are unprofitable, while the S&P 500 has a much lower percentage of unprofitable companies [10] - Long-term wealth creation will be driven by earnings, making the S&P 500 a solid long-term investment despite short-term valuation concerns [11]

Core Viewpoint - Tesla is not retreating from the electric vehicle (EV) market but is instead leading it, maintaining its long-held aspirations despite challenges faced by other automakers [1][5]. Investment and Strategy - Tesla has committed to a significant $20 billion capital spending program, which includes investments in a lithium refinery in Texas, a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery factory in Nevada, and the Gigafactory in Texas for Cybercab production [4]. - These investments are aimed at supporting Tesla's vision for the future of the EV market, which aligns with the ambitions that many legacy automakers once promised [5]. Industry Context - Legacy automakers have struggled with their robotaxi developments, with companies like Ford and General Motors backing off from their initial plans, indicating a shift in their strategies due to weak sales performance [6][9]. - The failures of legacy automakers in the EV market are highlighted by significant financial writedowns, such as $19.5 billion at Ford and $27 billion at Stellantis, while Tesla holds a 46% share of the U.S. EV market compared to GM's 13% [9]. Tesla's Focus - Tesla's strategy differs from that of legacy automakers, as it aims to build out its robotaxi business, including the Cybercab, while also introducing lower-cost variants of its Model Y and Model 3 [12]. - The company's consistent focus on the EV market and its robotaxi ambitions reflects a belief in the potential of the sector, contrasting with the reset strategies of its competitors [13].

Core Insights - January 2023 marked a record high for ETF inflows, with investors contributing approximately $167 billion, bringing total U.S. ETF assets to around $14 trillion, a 31% increase from January 2025 and a 570% increase from 10 years ago [1][2] ETF Popularity - The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has emerged as the largest ETF globally, holding about $1.5 trillion in assets and attracting $16.3 billion in net inflows in January alone [2][4] - The SPDR S&P 500 Trust ETF, established in 1993, ranks third with approximately $701 billion in assets, following the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF at $754 billion [4] Investment Trends - These large-cap ETFs are gaining popularity over major tech stocks, indicating a shift in investor sentiment towards more stable investments amid rising market volatility [5][9] - The S&P 500 index has demonstrated strong historical performance, with an average annualized return of 11.8% over the past five years and 13.7% over the last decade, reinforcing the appeal of large-cap index ETFs [7][8] Market Conditions - Increased market volatility, as indicated by the VIX Volatility Index rising over 20, has led investors to seek safer investment options, contributing to the growing interest in ETFs [9] - Investors are diversifying their portfolios by including various ETFs, such as the Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF and international ETFs, reflecting a strategy to mitigate risk and seek better growth prospects [11][12]

Core Viewpoint - Nvidia is expected to experience stronger-than-anticipated growth this year due to Meta Platforms' significant investment in AI infrastructure [1]. Group 1: Meta Platforms' Investment - Meta Platforms plans to increase its capital spending to a range of $115 billion to $135 billion by 2026, up from $72.2 billion last year [2]. - The increased capital investment will support Meta's Superintelligence Labs division and core business operations [3]. Group 2: Partnership with Nvidia - Meta and Nvidia have entered a "multiyear, multigenerational strategic partnership" to build AI infrastructure, deploying Nvidia's Grace CPUs, millions of Blackwell and Rubin GPUs, and Ethernet switches in its data centers [5]. - Meta will utilize Nvidia's Vera Rubin data center chips to enhance its personal superintelligence platform, which can significantly reduce AI inference costs and the number of GPUs needed for training [7]. Group 3: Growth Projections for Nvidia - Analysts forecast a 53% increase in Nvidia's revenue in fiscal 2027 to $327 billion, with earnings expected to jump by 65% this year to $7.75 per share [10]. - Nvidia's stock price could potentially rise to $247, suggesting a 32% gain, based on a projected earnings multiple of 32 times [10][11].