Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. However, when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments. While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yi ...

AI requires power and data to thrive. Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the biggest investing megatrends in a generation. The technology requires a tremendous amount of computing power. That's driving the need for more data centers. Those facilities demand an enormous amount of electricity, especially when running AI applications. This trend plays right into the hands of companies that build and operate infrastructure for data and energy. Three leaders are Brookfield Infrastructure (BIPC 0.88%) (BIP 0. ...

Brookfield Infrastructure is an extremely compelling long-term investment opportunity these days. Brookfield Infrastructure (BIPC 0.88%) (BIP 0.48%) has been a great dividend stock since its formation 15 years ago. The global infrastructure operator has increased its payout every year, growing it at a robust 9% compound annual rate. That has given it the fuel to create tremendous value for investors over the years, with early shareholders earning a 6.6x return on their initial investment. Many investors wou ...

Every time the Federal Reserve (the Fed) cuts interest rates, investors tend to flock to the sectors they believe will outperform the most due to historical reactions and fundamental reasoning. However, this rate cut is a bit different than the ones experienced in the recent past, as the United States economy is more globalized and a bit slower than before. This will be a different case study, one in which rising credit card delinquency rates and spiking car repossessions will place a headwind in the consum ...

Join iREIT on Alpha today to get the most in-depth research that includes REITs, mREITs, Preferreds, BDCs, MLPs, ETFs, and other income alternatives. 438 testimonials and most are 5 stars. Nothing to lose with our FREE 2-week trial . At least, it seems to be that way, as U.S. stocks have hit news records, commodities are surging again, and bond market volatility is easing. Analyst's Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of NOC either through stock ownership, options, or other deriva ...

Core Investment Strategy - Many investors focus on both attractive yield and growth in income and portfolio appreciation, especially those not yet in retirement or in early retirement years [1] - The Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) tracks 103 blue-chip companies with a 3-year dividend growth rate of 8% and a current yield of approximately 3.4% [1] - Current macro and interest rate environments make high-yield defensive businesses more attractive, complicating the rationale for investing in dividend growth strategies like SCHD [1] Investment Pick 1: Enbridge (ENB) - Enbridge operates in the midstream space, with 98% of its EBITDA from cost of service contracts, providing price stability and insulation from commodity cycle risks [2] - ENB offers a dividend yield of approximately 6.6%, which is 320 basis points higher than SCHD's yield [2] - The company has a CapEx pipeline of around $21 billion, representing nearly 25% of its market cap, and aims for annual EBITDA growth of 7% to 9% through 2026 [2] - ENB's credit rating was upgraded to A low by DBRS, and S&P removed the negative outlook from its BBB+ rating, indicating a solid balance sheet [2] Investment Pick 2: Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (BIP) - BIP focuses on infrastructure investments with a risk-averse buy and hold strategy, generating around 70% of its FFO from the Americas [3] - The company targets annual distribution growth of 5-9%, with nearly 80% of its FFO linked to CPI escalators [3] - In Q2 2024, BIP achieved a 10% year-over-year increase in FFO and identified a CapEx agenda of approximately $7.7 billion [3] - BIP has a strong investment-grade credit rating and no corporate debt maturities until 2027, reducing refinancing risk [3] Conclusion - Selecting individual businesses like Enbridge and Brookfield Infrastructure Partners can provide retirement investors with higher yields and a clear growth trajectory compared to traditional blue-chip dividend growth strategies [4]

Brookfield Infrastructure is a wealth-creating and income-producing machine. I buy a lot of dividend stocks. I focus on dividends because they have proven to be powerful wealth creators. Over the past 50 years, dividend payers have outperformed the average stock in the S&P 500 -- their 9.2% average annual total return beats the 7.7% produced by an equal-weighted S&P 500 index. Dividend growers and initiators have done most of the heavy lifting, posting a 10.2% annual return compared to 6.7% for companies wi ...

The stock market is around an all-time high, but that doesn't mean you have to pay up for quality companies. Bargains can be harder to come by when the stock market is up big on the year. But there are plenty of opportunities if you know where to look. Toyota Motor (TM 1.08%), Delta Air Lines (DAL 2.24%), and Brookfield Infrastructure (BIP 0.17%) (BIPC 1.05%) may not be the fastest-growing, flashiest names. But all three companies reward investors with growing payouts and have inexpensive valuations. Here's ...

Core Investment Strategy - The focus is on generating passive income through investments in companies that pay above-average dividends expected to grow steadily over time [1][2] Realty Income (O) - Realty Income has a strong track record of paying dividends, with 650 consecutive monthly dividends and 126 payout increases since its public listing in 1994, achieving a 4.3% compound annual growth rate over three decades [3][5] - The company benefits from a durable real estate portfolio, with approximately 90% of rent coming from recession-resistant industries and long-term net leases providing stable rental income [4][5] - Realty Income has a conservative financial profile and a significant addressable market of $14 trillion for net lease real estate in the U.S. and Europe, allowing for annual cash flow growth of 4% to 5% [5] Brookfield Infrastructure (BIPC) - Brookfield Infrastructure operates a diversified platform in utilities, midstream, transportation, and data sectors, with 90% of earnings backed by long-term contracts or regulated rate structures [6] - The company pays out 60% to 70% of its stable cash flow in dividends, retaining the rest for new investments, and has a strong investment-grade balance sheet [7] - Brookfield Infrastructure expects to boost cash flow per share by over 10% annually, which should support a dividend increase of 5% to 9% annually [8] Enbridge (ENB) - Enbridge has a long history of dividend payments, having paid dividends for over 69 years and increased its payout for 29 consecutive years at a 10% compound annual growth rate [9][10] - The company has $17.7 billion in secured capital projects, including oil and gas expansions and renewable energy projects, providing visibility into future growth [10] - Enbridge anticipates cash flow per share growth of 3% annually through 2026 and 5% thereafter, supporting a potential 5% annual dividend increase [11] Conclusion - Realty Income, Brookfield Infrastructure, and Enbridge are highlighted as elite passive income stocks with strong records of increasing high-yielding dividends, making them attractive for long-term investment [12]

These companies have excellent records of growing shareholder value. Volatility briefly returned to the stock market earlier this month. It was a reminder that sell-offs can happen at any time and without any notice. The speed of the most recent market sell-off and subsequent recovery also showed that it's good to have ready a list of stocks you'd buy during a sell-off so that you can pounce when the opportunity arises. Brookfield Infrastructure (BIPC 0.97%) (BIP 1.45%), Nucor (NUE 0.01%), and NextEra Energ ...