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 ...

Brookfield Infrastructure offers investors the best of both worlds. Brookfield Infrastructure (BIPC -1.84%) (BIP -2.22%) isn't your typical high-yielding dividend stock. The company, which yields over 4%, is also growing briskly. That was evident in the second quarter when its funds from operations (FFO) increased by 10%. The global infrastructure operator sees more high-powered growth ahead. That should give it the fuel to continue increasing its high-yielding dividend and produce strong total returns. A s ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics - Funds from operations (FFO) for Q2 2024 were $608 million, a 10% increase YoY, driven by organic growth and recent acquisitions [3] - Utilities segment FFO declined to $180 million from $224 million YoY due to capital recycling and higher interest costs, but base business grew organically due to inflation indexation and $450 million of capital commissioned into the rate base [4][5] - Transport segment FFO increased 60% YoY to $319 million, driven by acquisitions and a 15% tariff increase in the Brazilian rail and logistics operation [6] - Midstream segment FFO was $143 million, ahead of prior year levels excluding capital recycling, with strong demand in North American gas storage [6] - Data segment FFO grew 8% YoY to $78 million, supported by acquisitions and strong leasing activity in data centers [7] Business Line Performance - Utilities: Organic growth supported by inflation indexation and capital investments, partially offset by capital recycling and higher interest costs [4][5] - Transport: Strong performance from global intermodal logistics and Brazilian rail operations, with 9% organic growth driven by inflationary tariff increases [6] - Midstream: Benefited from strong demand and customer activity, particularly in North American gas storage, with accretive commercial agreements and capital projects [6] - Data: Growth driven by acquisitions and strong leasing activity, with investments in hyperscale data centers and strategic land acquisitions [7][13] Market Performance - North American power demand growth created opportunities for midstream assets, with several accretive commercial agreements secured [6] - Global data center platform saw strong momentum in leasing activity, driven by AI investment and customer demand for processing and storage capacity [7] Strategic Initiatives and Industry Competition - Focus on tuck-in and organic growth opportunities, with $4 billion in follow-on acquisitions completed in 2024, including data center sites and a stake in Brazilian rail and port logistics [12][13] - Large project backlog increased 15% YoY to $7.7 billion, with significant investments in midstream and data center growth [13] - Capital recycling remains active, with $1.4 billion generated YTD and $2.5 billion expected from advanced asset sales [15] - Strong alignment with global megatrends (digitalization, decarbonization, deglobalization), particularly in digitalization and decarbonization [16][17] Management Commentary on Operating Environment and Outlook - Management highlighted strong financial and operating results, with a focus on capitalizing on favorable debt markets and maintaining a strong balance sheet [3][8][11] - Expectation of increased M&A activity in H2 2024 due to improved interest rate environment and industry tailwinds like AI [14][16] - Significant opportunities in AI infrastructure, including power, transmission, and natural gas infrastructure to support data centers [20][21] Other Key Information - Completed $5 billion of non-recourse financing during the quarter, focusing on right-sizing capital structures, maturity extensions, and opportunistic repricing [8][9][10][11] - Corporate liquidity stands at $1.9 billion, with no corporate maturities until 2027 [11] Q&A Summary Question: Opportunities tied to AI in utilities and natural gas sectors - AI infrastructure includes power, transmission, and natural gas to support data centers, with opportunities in gas storage and movement [20][21] - Natural gas and nuclear may be needed to meet power demands for large data centers, creating investment opportunities [21] Question: Capital deployment and guardrails for Intel-like deals - Unlimited capital appetite for similar deals, with strong interest from global LP base [22] - Counterparty strength is a key limiting factor, with potential involvement from governments [23] - Similar structures applicable outside tech, such as hydrogen and decarbonization projects [24] Question: Feedback on Intel deal and BIP's participation in future deals - Private investors show more patience for long-lead development deals, while BIP offers a diversified portfolio balancing cash flow and growth [27][28] - Intel deal expected to be high-returning, with benefits expected in a few years [28] Question: Use of $2.5 billion asset sale proceeds - Proceeds likely redeployed into higher-earning investments, with potential to exceed $2.5 billion [29][30] - Focus on acquiring high-quality assets with returns around 15%, then selling at lower returns [30] Question: Geographies and subclasses with strong valuations - Balanced pipeline across Asia-Pac, North America, and Europe, with improving sentiment in Brazil [31][32] - U.S. and Europe remain deep markets for divestitures [32] Question: M&A activity in midstream sector - Midstream sector sees strong buyer interest, with opportunities for new investments and capital recycling [34][35] - Natural gas storage business is a mature asset potentially up for sale or partnership [36] Question: Data center development pipeline and self-funding strategy - Active development in multiple regions, with construction underway in South America, U.S., Europe, and Asia [38] - Capital recycling initiatives underway, with potential for programmatic sales to investors [39]

Brookfield Infrastructure Reports Second Quarter 2024 Results "We delivered strong second-quarter results driven by robust organic growth and the positive impact of several years of outsized capital deployment," said Sam Pollock, Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners. "The outlook for growth is very favorable as the surge in AI adoption is generating substantial capital deployment opportunities across our data, electric utility and natural gas sectors." Brookfield Infrastructure repo ...

Core Insights - Brookfield Infrastructure Partners reported strong second-quarter results driven by organic growth and capital deployment opportunities in sectors such as data, electric utility, and natural gas due to increased AI adoption [2][3] Financial Performance - Net income for the second quarter of 2024 was $8 million, a significant decrease from $378 million in the same period last year, impacted by increased borrowing costs and prior gains from capital recycling [3][4] - Funds from operations (FFO) for the second quarter reached $608 million, a 10% increase from $552 million in the prior year, supported by organic growth and recent acquisitions [3][4] - FFO per unit for the second quarter was $0.77, compared to $0.72 in the same period last year [32] Segment Performance - Utilities segment generated FFO of $180 million, down from $224 million year-over-year, primarily due to capital recycling activities [4] - Transport segment saw a 60% increase in FFO to $319 million, driven by acquisitions and organic growth [5] - Midstream segment reported FFO of $143 million, slightly ahead of the previous year, benefiting from strong demand in North American gas storage [6] - Data segment's FFO increased by 8% to $78 million, reflecting contributions from recent acquisitions [7] Strategic Initiatives - The company completed seven follow-on acquisitions in 2024, totaling nearly $4 billion in enterprise value, including data center sites and stakes in Brazilian logistics operations [8][9] - The organic growth project backlog increased by 15% to $7.7 billion, with significant investments planned in midstream and data sectors [9] - The company anticipates an active second half of 2024 for M&A, driven by favorable market conditions and industry tailwinds such as AI [10] Capital Recycling - Brookfield Infrastructure is actively pursuing capital recycling, with expected proceeds of nearly $2.5 billion from asset sales in the coming quarters [11] - The company has already monetized assets totaling approximately $210 million this year, bringing total capital recycling for 2024 to $1.4 billion [11] Distribution and Dividend - The Board of Directors declared a quarterly distribution of $0.405 per unit, representing a 6% increase compared to the prior year, payable on September 27, 2024 [12][13]

I continue to add growing streams of passive income to my portfolio. I make strides toward that goal each month by investing in passive income-generating vehicles. High-yield dividend stocks are a big part of that strategy. Two of my favorite income-producing stocks are Enbridge (ENB 1.45%) and Brookfield Infrastructure (BIPC 0.92%) (BIP 1.46%). Here's why I bought more of each in July and plan to continue adding to my positions in August. Enbridge offers a high-octane income stream. The Canadian pipeline a ...

VICI Properties: Bullish Analyst Sentiment and Growth Potential Annualized 3-Year Dividend Growth 13.58% VICI Properties Inc. is a prominent real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in owning, acquiring, and developing gaming, hospitality, and entertainment properties. With a market capitalization of $31 billion, VICI offers an impressive 5.49% dividend yield and has an attractively low P/E ratio of 11.96. Energy Transfer Dividend Payments Annualized 3-Year Dividend Growth 4.98% See Full Details Val ...

krblokhin/iStock via Getty Images Greetings from the Rocky Mountains! I make my pilgrimage to this slice of alpine paradise every summer, partly to escape the hellish heat of Texas but mostly for the profound pleasure of traversing Colorado's hiking trails. Around New Year's Eve, I wrote an article titled "Investing In The Good Life" in which I explored 10 elements of the optimally happy and fulfilled life, according to both science and timeless wisdom. One of those elements is "time in nature." There's som ...