Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of constructing investment portfolios that focus on generating additional income through dividends, highlighting the significance of companies with competitive advantages and strong financials to achieve attractive Dividend Yield and Dividend Growth [1]. Group 1: Investment Strategy - The investment strategy involves combining high Dividend Yield and Dividend Growth companies to reduce dependence on broader stock market fluctuations [1]. - A well-diversified portfolio across various sectors and industries is recommended to minimize portfolio volatility and mitigate risk [1]. - Incorporating companies with a low Beta Factor is suggested to further reduce the overall risk level of the investment portfolio [1]. Group 2: Portfolio Composition - Suggested investment portfolios typically consist of a blend of ETFs and individual companies, emphasizing broad diversification and risk reduction [1]. - The selection process for high dividend yield and dividend growth companies is meticulously curated, focusing on total return, which includes both capital gains and dividends [1]. - This approach ensures that the portfolio is designed to maximize returns while considering the full spectrum of potential income sources [1].

Core Viewpoint - Allianz SE has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook based on an upward trend in earnings estimates, which significantly influences stock prices [1][3]. Earnings Estimates and Stock Price Impact - The Zacks rating system emphasizes the importance of earnings estimate revisions, which are strongly correlated with near-term stock price movements [4][6]. - For the fiscal year ending December 2024, Allianz is expected to earn $2.74 per share, reflecting a 12.3% increase from the previous year [8]. Analyst Behavior and Market Dynamics - Individual investors may struggle with rating upgrades due to the subjective nature of Wall Street analysts' assessments, making the Zacks rating system a valuable tool for understanding stock price movements [2]. - Institutional investors utilize earnings estimates to determine a company's fair value, leading to significant stock transactions that affect price movements [4]. Zacks Rank System - The Zacks Rank system classifies stocks into five groups based on earnings estimates, with a strong historical performance, particularly for Zacks Rank 1 stocks, which have averaged a +25% annual return since 1988 [7]. - Allianz's upgrade to Zacks Rank 2 places it in the top 20% of Zacks-covered stocks, suggesting potential for market-beating returns in the near term [10].

Group 1 - Allianz SE (ALIZY) is currently outperforming its Finance peers with a year-to-date return of approximately 20%, compared to the average gain of 16.3% for Finance stocks [4] - The Zacks Rank for Allianz SE is 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook based on earnings estimates and revisions [3] - The consensus estimate for Allianz SE's full-year earnings has increased by 0.4% over the past three months, reflecting stronger analyst sentiment [3] Group 2 - Allianz SE belongs to the Insurance - Multi line industry, which is ranked 23 in the Zacks Industry Rank, and this industry has gained an average of 12.2% year-to-date [5] - Another notable stock in the Finance sector is Berkshire Hathaway B (BRK.B), which has returned 26.7% year-to-date and has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [4][5] - The Insurance - Property and Casualty industry, to which Berkshire Hathaway B belongs, is currently ranked 19 and has moved up by 26.8% year-to-date [6]

Economic Outlook - The current economic environment is raising recession alarms, reminiscent of the 2007 downturn, with indicators turning negative despite seemingly solid fundamentals [1] - A shift towards stable and profitable investments is recommended, including a balanced portfolio of treasury bonds and selected dividend stocks [1] Company Highlights Western Midstream Partners (WES) - Western Midstream Partners reported Q1 2024 earnings per share of $1.47, exceeding estimates by $0.68, with revenue growing 20.9% year-over-year to $887.73 million [1] - The company generated record free cash flow of $225 million in Q1 and currently offers a 9.3% dividend yield after a 52% increase in payout [1] Allianz (ALIZY) - Allianz SE's operating profit grew 6.8% to €4 billion in Q1, with net income rising 16%, and the stock is trading $5 above pre-pandemic levels [2] - The company has a 5.6% dividend yield, which is well-covered by earnings, making it an attractive option for dividend investors [3] HSBC Holdings (HSBC) - HSBC reported strong profits in Q2 2024, beating market expectations and initiating a $3 billion share buyback program, with a dividend yield of 7.5% [4] - The bank's robust margins provide a buffer against economic downturns, although concerns exist regarding its exposure to the Hong Kong commercial real estate market [4] Energy Transfer (ET) - Energy Transfer's Q1 results exceeded revenue expectations, with a strong performance across most segments, and it offers an 8.3% dividend yield [5][6] - Analysts have a "strong buy" consensus rating for ET, despite a slight miss in Q1 EPS estimates [6] Deutsche Telekom (DTEGY) - Deutsche Telekom's Q1 2024 service revenue grew 4.1% organically, with adjusted EBITDA increasing 6.9% year-over-year [7] - The stock has gained 26% over the past year and offers a 3.1% dividend yield, making it a reliable dividend payer [7] Axa SA (AXAHY) - Axa SA's Q1 revenues increased by 6%, and the company has made strategic moves, including a €5.4 billion sale and a €500 million acquisition [8] - The stock offers a 6.2% dividend yield and has seen a 12% increase over the past year, supported by a stable life insurance business [8] Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM) - Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has shown resilience in the challenging economic environment, with a 5.4% dividend yield [9] - The bank has seen sequential improvement in impaired PCLs in its Canadian personal and business banking segment, indicating stability [9]

Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers. In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in ...

Allianz SE (OTCPK:ALIZF) Q1 2024 Earnings Conference Call May 15, 2024 8:30 AM ET Company Participants Andrew Ritchie - Head of IR Claire-Marie Coste-Lepoutre - CFO Conference Call Participants Andrew Sinclair - Bank of America Peter Eliot - Kepler Cheuvreux Will Hardcastle - UBS Michael Huttner - Berenberg Will Hawkins - KBW James Shuck - Citi Vinit Malhotra - Mediobanca Andrew Crean - Autonomous Iain Pearce - BNP Exane Andrew Ritchie Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Allianz Conference Call on the Alli ...

Investors looking for stocks in the Insurance - Multi line sector might want to consider either Allianz SE (ALIZY) or Zurich Insurance Group Ltd. (ZURVY) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look.We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and es ...

According to a recent Bloomberg article, annuity sales in the U.S. could hit $700 billion over the next two years. In 2023, they hit a record of $385 billion, 23% higher than in 2022. That’s excellent news for annuity stocks. Bloomberg reported comments from Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management:“Key drivers for credit demand at the moment are retail and pensions seeking higher all-in yields, and annuity sales driven by more baby boomers retiring and by a higher level of interest rates g ...

Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers.Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors rely on traditional forms of analysis on key ...

Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.Of these, value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.Zacks has developed the innov ...