Core Viewpoint - The article highlights several ultra-high-yield dividend stocks that are well-positioned to provide consistent high dividends for income investors in 2026 [2]. Group 1: Ares Capital - Ares Capital is the largest publicly traded business development company (BDC) with a diversified portfolio worth $28.7 billion across over 15 industries [4]. - The company offers a forward dividend yield of 9.6% and has maintained or grown its dividend for 16 consecutive years, outperforming rival BDCs and the S&P 500 since its inception in 2004 [5]. Group 2: Enbridge - Enbridge is a leading midstream energy company that operates pipelines transporting 30% of North America's crude oil and 20% of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. [7]. - The company has a strong dividend track record with 30 consecutive years of increases and a forward dividend yield of approximately 5.9% [7]. Group 3: Energy Transfer - Energy Transfer operates over 144,000 miles of pipeline and has a forward distribution yield of 8.1% [8][10]. - The company is involved in growth opportunities, including contracts with CloudBurst and Oracle to provide natural gas for data centers [10]. Group 4: Enterprise Products Partners - Enterprise Products Partners is a leader in the midstream energy sector, operating over 50,000 miles of pipelines and having a distribution yield of 6.8% [11][12]. - The company has a history of 27 consecutive years of distribution increases and maintains a strong balance sheet with the highest credit rating in the midstream energy industry [12]. Group 5: Realty Income - Realty Income is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns 15,542 commercial properties across nine countries, with a diverse tenant base [13][15]. - The REIT has increased its dividend for 30 consecutive years and has raised its payout for 112 straight quarters, offering a forward dividend yield of 5.7% and paying dividends monthly [16].

Core Insights - Apple CEO Tim Cook recently purchased 50,000 shares of Nike at an average price of $58.97, totaling nearly $3 million, which nearly doubles his stake in the company [4] - Nike has faced significant challenges, including a 19% stock decline this year and over 57% in the past five years, attributed to rising competition, price-sensitive consumers, and macroeconomic factors [1][2] - The company acknowledged strategic mistakes, such as overemphasis on online promotions and lack of product innovation, but is currently undergoing a turnaround plan [2][8] Financial Performance - Nike reported earnings of $0.53 per share on revenue of $12.4 billion for Q2 of fiscal year 2026, exceeding Wall Street estimates [6] - Despite strong earnings, the stock price fell due to disappointing guidance, particularly regarding performance in China, a key market for Nike [6][7] - Nike is guiding for low single-digit percentage revenue decline in Q3, with ongoing challenges in Greater China and the Converse brand [7][8] Strategic Challenges and Initiatives - Nike's turnaround plan focuses on a renewed emphasis on athletes, brand identity, and product innovation, with some positive traction noted in North America [8] - The company faces significant challenges in China, needing to better connect with consumers and efficiently reach them [9] - Investors are advised to be patient as the turnaround may take time, but the presence of notable investors like Tim Cook may instill confidence [10]

Hint: It's a change that will affect you even if you're not receiving benefits.There's a reason so many seniors on Social Security eagerly await news of a cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, announcement each year. Those raises are crucial in helping retirees maintain their buying power over time.Social Security COLAs are based on inflation. When there's an increase in inflation from one year to the next, benefits are eligible for a boost. But Social Security benefits themselves aren't the only thing that g ...

Core Insights - The tech sector, particularly driven by artificial intelligence (AI), presents significant investment opportunities, with Alphabet being a standout performer in 2025 [1] Company Overview - Alphabet is currently valued at $3.8 trillion and is considered a less risky investment compared to other tech stocks due to its established business model [2] - The company has shown strong growth potential, particularly in the AI market, where it is increasing its market share [4] AI Market Performance - Alphabet's AI assistant, Gemini, has grown its monthly active users from 450 million in July to 650 million in Q3 2025 [4] - The processing capability of Alphabet's first-party models, including Gemini, is 7 billion tokens per minute, surpassing OpenAI's reported 6 billion tokens per minute [5] - Gemini's market share has increased significantly from 5.4% to 18.2% over the past year, indicating strong user attraction to its AI products [6] Financial Metrics - Alphabet reported a net income of $35 billion in Q3 2025, highlighting its profitability and financial security [8] - The company has a gross margin of 59.18% and a dividend yield of 0.26%, further showcasing its financial health [7]

Core Insights - Axon Enterprise is experiencing significant growth driven by its innovative technology in law enforcement, including TASERs, body cameras, and cloud-based software services [1][3] - The company is focusing on enhancing its 911 services through recent acquisitions and the introduction of AI technology to improve response times and efficiency [5][6] Financial Performance - Axon reported strong performance in its most recent quarter, with a notable increase in AI bookings expected to contribute over 10% of US state and local bookings for the year [6][8] - The company has achieved a growth rate of over 30% in recent years, maintaining a consistent upward trajectory [18] Strategic Initiatives - Recent acquisitions of Prepared and Carbyne are aimed at improving the 911 response process, leveraging AI to reduce the time taken to dispatch help from over two minutes to mere seconds [5][6] - The introduction of the AI Era Plan is expected to streamline administrative tasks in public safety, allowing officers to focus more on their core duties [8][10] Product Development - Axon is expanding its product offerings beyond public safety into the enterprise market, addressing issues like workplace theft and abuse with new technologies [13][20] - The company is developing products like the ABW mini body camera and Fusus, which integrates various video feeds for enhanced security monitoring [13][20] Market Opportunities - Axon sees significant potential in the enterprise sector, with a focus on providing solutions that can reduce theft and improve safety in retail environments [13][20] - The company is also exploring opportunities in surveillance and live security monitoring, ensuring that privacy and ethical considerations are prioritized [11][12] Competitive Landscape - The less-than-lethal space is gaining traction, with Axon viewing it as an opportunity for growth rather than competition, emphasizing the importance of safer incapacitation methods [16] - Axon aims to maintain its leadership in public safety technology while adapting to emerging trends and customer needs [16][18]

Core Viewpoint - AGNC Investment expects to maintain its monthly dividend payment, which currently yields over 13%, significantly higher than the S&P 500's yield of 1.1% [1]. Dividend Payment - AGNC Investment pays $0.12 per share monthly, a rate it has sustained since April 2020 [3]. Investment Strategy - The REIT supports its dividend by investing in Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS), which are guaranteed against credit losses by government agencies like Fannie Mae. This investment is leveraged primarily through repurchase agreements, enhancing returns and risk [4]. Financial Alignment - AGNC can sustain its dividend as long as its investment returns align with its cost of capital. Currently, the REIT's return on equity is between 16% and 18%, while its cost of capital is around 17% after issuing new equity [5]. Market Performance - The current market cap of AGNC Investment is $12 billion, with a stock price of $10.85. The dividend yield stands at 13.27%. The recent quarter is viewed as a low point for earnings, which are expected to improve, thereby enhancing dividend sustainability [6]. Risk Profile - Although AGNC Investment is considered a higher-risk dividend stock, it believes it can continue to pay its current monthly dividend, making it one of the few stocks with a yield above 10% that consistently pays [7].

Core Viewpoint - Berkshire Hathaway has made significant investments in Lennar, increasing its stake to $910 million, indicating confidence in the housing market and Lennar's long-term potential [1][2] Company Overview - Lennar is recognized for its well-run operations and a unique land-light business model, which mitigates risks associated with land ownership during market fluctuations [7][9] - The company has successfully spun off its land assets to create Millrose Properties, a REIT that develops land into finished homesites, allowing Lennar to focus on core homebuilding operations [9][10] Financial Performance - Lennar's current market capitalization stands at $27 billion, with a gross margin of 17.91% and a dividend yield of 1.91% [7] Strategic Initiatives - The formation of Millrose Properties has reduced Lennar's land risk and opened new opportunities, including the acquisition of Rausch Coleman Homes, which expands its market presence [10] - The land-light strategy allows Lennar to allocate capital more efficiently, enhancing its growth potential and shareholder value over the long term [10][11]

Core Viewpoint - AI software stocks are expected to emerge as significant market players in 2026, following the dominance of semiconductor and AI infrastructure stocks in recent years [1] Group 1: SoundHound AI - SoundHound AI is transitioning from an AI voice company to a voice-led agentic AI company, leveraging its voice technology for a competitive advantage [2] - The company experienced rapid growth, with revenue more than doubling in the first nine months of 2025, and has established a strong presence in the automobile and restaurant industries [4] - SoundHound AI's acquisition of Amelia has enhanced its capabilities in creating an agentic AI platform and expanded its customer relationships in healthcare, financial services, and retail [4] - The company is improving its gross margins, with expectations of generating positive EBITDA soon, and is well-positioned for future growth [6] Group 2: Salesforce - Salesforce is viewed as a potential AI loser but is actually well-positioned due to its role as a system of record for customer service, marketing, and sales [8] - The acquisition of Informatica strengthens Salesforce's data management capabilities, enhancing its position as a reliable data source [8] - Salesforce's Agentforce solution is integrated throughout its product suite, with annual recurring revenue (ARR) for Agentforce surging 330% to $540 million last quarter [9] - The stock is considered undervalued, trading at a forward price-to-sales (P/S) ratio below 5.5, a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio around 20, and a price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio below 0.65 [10] Group 3: Snowflake - Snowflake operates a cloud-based data warehousing and analytics platform that separates storage from compute, allowing customers to access data across different cloud providers [11] - The platform's architecture creates a "sticky" environment for customers, making it difficult to move data once integrated [11] - Snowflake is also adopting AI agents through its Snowflake Intelligence solution, which had over 1,200 customers and a $100 million AI revenue run rate at the end of the last quarter [12] - The company reported a 29% revenue increase last quarter, with a net revenue retention rate of 125% over the past 12 months, indicating strong growth potential [13][14]

Core Viewpoint - The "Magnificent Seven" stocks, particularly Alphabet, have shown significant performance this year, with Alphabet's shares up 63%, outperforming its peers and the S&P 500 [2][4]. Performance Analysis - Only three of the "Magnificent Seven" stocks have outperformed the S&P 500 this year, with Alphabet leading the group [2]. - Alphabet's strong performance is attributed to excellent financial results, particularly in cloud computing and AI, which have solidified its position in the market [4]. Legal and Competitive Landscape - Alphabet achieved a significant legal victory by avoiding a worst-case scenario in an antitrust lawsuit, which has removed a major threat to its business operations [5]. - The company continues to lead in search despite competition from AI chatbots, maintaining its dominance in the advertising space [4][5]. Financial Metrics - Alphabet's current market capitalization stands at $3.8 trillion, with a gross margin of 59.18% and a dividend yield of 0.26% [7]. - The company's cloud backlog reached $155 billion, reflecting a 46% increase from the previous quarter, indicating strong growth potential [11]. Future Growth Drivers - AI is expected to be a key growth driver for Alphabet over the next five years, enhancing profitability through improved search algorithms and ad campaign automation [10]. - The Google Cloud division is anticipated to contribute significantly to revenue growth, despite being a lower-margin business compared to advertising [11]. Valuation Perspective - Alphabet appears to be reasonably valued compared to its peers, which supports optimism about its medium-term prospects [7]. - The company's advertising and cloud computing strengths suggest that its shares may still be undervalued, with potential for outperformance in the coming years [13].

Industry Overview - Cannabis stocks, including Canopy Growth and Aurora Cannabis, have seen a decline over the past five years despite initial popularity [1] - Recent regulatory changes, specifically President Trump's executive order rescheduling cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3, may provide new opportunities for the industry [3][4] Regulatory Changes - Cannabis is now classified as a Schedule 3 drug, indicating accepted medical benefits and lower potential for abuse compared to Schedule 1 and 2 substances [4] - This change could facilitate easier access to banking services and allow cannabis companies to deduct normal business expenses, potentially leading to increased revenue and profits [6] Company-Specific Insights - Canopy Growth has a market cap of $407 million, with a current price of $1.19 and a gross margin of 18.74% [5][6] - Aurora Cannabis has a market cap of $255 million, with a current price of $4.49 and a gross margin of -86.45% [8][9] - Despite the potential market size in the U.S., both companies face significant challenges, including federal illegality and competition [7][10] Market Challenges - Cannabis remains illegal at the federal level in the U.S., complicating interstate commerce for growers [7] - Aurora Cannabis lacks a retail or distribution presence in the U.S., which may hinder its ability to capitalize on market opportunities [7][9] - Canopy Growth, while having a subsidiary in the U.S., still faces similar federal and competitive challenges [10]