Over the past year, Apple (AAPL 0.04%) and Amgen (AMGN -0.69%), two well-established companies that are part of the iconic Dow Jones Industrial Average, have faced significant headwinds. Apple is struggling due to the threat that President Donald Trump's trade agenda poses to its business, while Amgen faced a clinical setback late last year. Apple and Amgen have lagged the market over the trailing-12-month period, but despite their issues, both stocks are worth investing in for the long haul. Here's why. An ...

Core Viewpoint - Dividend-paying stocks are generally considered lower-risk investments compared to non-payers, as they generate sufficient cash to fund growth and return excess to shareholders through dividends [1] Group 1: Black Hills (BKH) - Black Hills operates as a regulated utility with a monopoly on natural gas distribution and electricity in several states, benefiting from government regulation [5][6] - The company has a growing customer base, expanding at twice the rate of the U.S. population, and has a history of increasing dividends for over five decades, achieving Dividend King status [7] - Expected earnings growth of 4% to 6% and a dividend yield of 4.8% make Black Hills an attractive investment opportunity [8] Group 2: Kinder Morgan (KMI) - Kinder Morgan is one of the largest energy infrastructure platforms in the U.S., with stable cash flows supported by take-or-pay contracts that account for 64% of annual cash flows [9][10] - The company anticipates cash flow growth to $5.9 billion this year, sufficient to cover its $2.6 billion dividend outlay and fund capital expenditures with excess free cash flow [11][12] - With $8.8 billion in growth capital projects, primarily in natural gas pipelines, Kinder Morgan has a strong foundation for future dividend increases, having raised its payout for eight consecutive years [13] Group 3: American States Water (AWR) - American States Water is a major water utility serving 1 million consumers across nine states, with a long history of dividend payments since 1931 and 70 consecutive years of increases, making it a top Dividend King [15] - The company has achieved a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.8% in dividend growth over the past five years and aims for over 7% in the long term, supported by planned capital expenditures [16] - The stable cash flows and growth potential position American States Water as one of the safest and most reliable dividend stocks available, with a current yield of 2.4% [17]

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the importance of dividend-paying stocks as a strategy for investors to enhance returns amid macroeconomic uncertainties, featuring three specific stocks recommended by top Wall Street analysts. Group 1: McDonald's (MCD) - McDonald's offers a quarterly dividend of $1.77 per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $7.08 per share and a dividend yield of 2.4% [3] - The company has increased its annual dividend for 49 consecutive years, positioning itself to become a dividend king [3] - Jefferies analyst Andy Barish has reiterated a buy rating on McDonald's with a price target of $360, citing near-term acceleration in U.S. same-store sales and medium-term unit growth as key drivers [4][5] - Barish also noted improved international same-store sales, benefiting from McDonald's value proposition and competitive advantages in size, scale, and advertising [5][6] - The analyst expects global unit growth to accelerate to 4% to 5% and highlighted the company's strong free cash flow generation to support dividends and share repurchases [6] Group 2: EPR Properties (EPR) - EPR Properties, a REIT focused on experiential properties, recently increased its monthly dividend by 3.5% to $0.295 per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $3.54 per share and a dividend yield of 6.2% [8] - Stifel analyst Simon Yarmak upgraded EPR to buy from hold, raising the price target to $65 from $52, citing improvements in the cost of capital and potential for external growth [9] - Yarmak noted that EPR's weighted average cost of capital has improved to about 7.85% from nearly 9.3%, enabling the company to pursue acquisitions [11] - The analyst expects continued improvement in the theatre industry fundamentals to enhance EPR's earnings over the coming years [12] Group 3: Halliburton (HAL) - Halliburton offers a quarterly dividend of 17 cents per share, leading to an annualized dividend of 68 cents per share and a dividend yield of 3.3% [14] - Goldman Sachs analyst Neil Mehta reaffirmed a buy rating on Halliburton with a price target of $24, highlighting that about 60% of HAL's revenue comes from international markets, providing resilience [15][16] - Management anticipates growth from unconventional completion opportunities and market share growth in directional drilling, which could enhance margins and support strong free cash flow [17] - Despite expected pricing softness in North America, Halliburton aims to maintain a premium due to its differentiated technology and long-term contracts [18]

Core Viewpoint - The recent sell-offs of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Oneok, and PepsiCo have resulted in significantly higher dividend yields, making them attractive long-term investment opportunities for dividend income [2][14]. Alexandria Real Estate Equities - Alexandria Real Estate Equities' stock price has decreased due to slowing demand for lab space, leading to a dividend yield exceeding 7% [4]. - The company possesses a high-quality portfolio leased to leading tenants, generating durable cash flows with a conservative payout ratio of 57%, allowing for excess free cash flow for development projects [5]. - Alexandria is heavily investing in lab space development, which is expected to provide stable rental income and support future dividend increases, having grown its payout at an average annual rate of 4.5% over the past five years [6]. Oneok - Oneok's stock has declined partly due to lower oil prices, resulting in a dividend yield around 5% [7]. - The company has shown resilience with 11 consecutive years of adjusted EBITDA growth at an annualized rate of 16%, supported by organic expansion and acquisitions [8]. - Oneok aims to increase its dividend by 3% to 4% annually, benefiting from recent acquisitions and ongoing expansion projects, including an export terminal expected to be operational by early 2028 [10]. PepsiCo - PepsiCo's stock decline has raised its dividend yield to approximately 4.5%, maintaining its status as a Dividend King with 53 consecutive years of dividend growth [11]. - The company is focused on organic revenue growth and margin enhancement through product innovation, projecting 4% to 6% annual organic revenue growth and high-single-digit EPS increases in the long term [12]. - PepsiCo's strong balance sheet supports its portfolio transformation towards healthier options, including recent acquisitions that will bolster its ability to increase dividends in the future [13].

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the growing interest in dividend stocks, particularly for investors approaching retirement, highlighting the appeal of regular income and reinvestment opportunities. Group 1: Ares Capital - Ares Capital is the largest publicly traded business development company (BDC) and provides direct loans to private middle-market companies in the U.S. [3] - The stock is affordable with a share price under $22 and a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 10.7 [3][4]. - Ares Capital has a forward dividend yield of 8.95% and has paid stable to growing dividends for 63 consecutive quarters [4]. - The total addressable market for Ares Capital is estimated at $5.4 trillion, positioning the company well for market growth [5]. Group 2: Enbridge - Enbridge is a leading player in the midstream energy industry, operating extensive crude and natural gas pipelines, and is the largest natural gas utility in North America [6]. - The company's diversified operations make it resilient across economic cycles, with less than 1% of EBITDA linked to commodity prices and approximately 80% protected from inflation [7]. - Enbridge has increased its dividend for 30 consecutive years, with a forward dividend yield of 6.07% and a distributable cash-flow payout ratio between 60% and 70% [8]. Group 3: Enterprise Products Partners - Enterprise Products Partners is another midstream energy leader, operating over 50,000 miles of pipeline and owning various energy assets [11]. - The company has a strong resilience, with around 90% of long-term contracts protected from inflation, and has consistently generated strong distributable cash flow [12]. - Enterprise Products Partners has increased its distribution for 26 consecutive years, with a forward distribution yield of 6.93% [13].

All right. So, we're on pace to open up at records. You say you're still bullish on stocks. So, if you're still bullish on stocks, what's the play right now.Is it about value stocks right now. Is it about uh perhaps dividend stocks. You continue to pile into tech.Where's the move. Frank, I think you want to be diversified here. In our view, what you want to do is you want to own growthier value and garbier growth uh as your core wherever you can pick up a dividend and still look at primarily dividend grower ...

Third Point's value-focused billionaire chief dumped a stock priced for perfection for one that's reasonably inexpensive amid a historically pricey market.Nothing is more valuable on Wall Street than data. The only problem for investors is that keeping atop the latest data releases is a daunting task that can allow something of importance to slip through the cracks.For example, what can arguably be described as the most important data dump of the second quarter occurred on May 15. But because it was at the ...

Geopolitical tensions have been high. Tariff uncertainty could also upend the economy and market. If you are worried about the future, then you'll probably want to buy a safe dividend stock. Perhaps one that, in years past, would have been recommended to widows and orphans. Namely a utility.If you have $1,000 to invest, you'll likely find NextEra Energy (NEE -1.44%), Black Hills (BKH -2.04%), or Dominion Energy (D -1.28%) an attractive option. Each one has a safe business and an attractive dividend yield. B ...

Market Overview - The current market environment is characterized by a significant amount of cash, approximately $7 trillion, held in money-market funds, which is expected to flow into dividend-paying stocks as rates decline [2][10] - Investors have shown a tendency to react to market fears, leading to fluctuations in cash holdings within money-market funds [3] Economic Concerns - The U.S. government's deficit is projected to reach $1.9 trillion for fiscal 2025, with an additional $2.8 trillion expected from the "Big Beautiful Bill" over the next decade, raising concerns about higher Treasury yields and interest rates [4] - This situation creates a potential "doom loop" where increasing debt leads to higher servicing costs, further exacerbating the deficit [4] Investment Opportunities - As interest rates fall, yields on money-market funds and Treasuries are expected to decrease, prompting investors to seek higher income from dividend stocks [10] - Three specific dividend-paying stocks are highlighted as potential beneficiaries of this cash flow: Nuveen Quality Municipal Income Fund (NAD), Dominion Energy (D), and Union Pacific (UNP) [10] Nuveen Quality Municipal Income Fund (NAD) - NAD is currently trading at a 4.9% discount to its net asset value (NAV), providing an opportunity to purchase municipal bonds at a lower price [11] - The fund offers an 8.1% dividend yield, which is tax-free for most Americans, making it an attractive investment [13] Dominion Energy (D) - Dominion Energy offers a dividend yield of 4.9% and is positioned to benefit from the growing demand for energy, particularly in data centers [14] - The stock has potential for recovery as it has resumed dividend hikes after a previous cut, and its forward price-to-earnings ratio of 16 is below its five-year average [15] Union Pacific (UNP) - Union Pacific has a lower yield of 2.4% but is considered to have upside potential due to ongoing trade discussions and tariff negotiations that could positively impact its operations [16][17] - The company has a "Dividend Magnet" effect, indicating that its dividend growth is overdue, which could attract investor interest as cash flows from money-market funds increase [18][19]

The average stock on the S&P 500 yields just 1.3%. That's a modest return on your money, but that's only the average. There are many dividend stocks that pay you much more than that. While you don't necessarily want to go for double-digit yields (which involve stocks that tend to be extremely risky), you can find plenty of safe, high-yielding stocks to own and hang on to for the long haul. Fast-food restaurants are facing challenges amid rising prices and consumers using GLP-1 weight loss drugs, which can c ...