Key Takeaways CSX raised its quarterly dividend to 14 cents per share from 13 cents.CSX has been consistently making efforts to reward its shareholders through dividends and share buybacks.During 2025, CSX repurchased shares worth $1.39 billion and paid $972 million in dividends.In a shareholder-friendly move, CSX Corporation (CSX) board of directorsapproved a dividend hike of 7.6%, thereby raising its quarterly cash dividend to 14 cents per share (56 cents annualized) from 13 cents (52 cents annualized). T ...

Group 1: Walmart - Walmart serves over 270 million customers globally each week through its stores and websites [4] - The company reported a fiscal third-quarter operating profit of $7.2 billion, reflecting an 8% year-over-year growth [4] - Walmart generated free cash flow of $8.8 billion over the prior nine months, significantly exceeding its $5.6 billion dividend payout [5] - The company has a history of increasing dividends for over 50 consecutive years, earning the title of Dividend King [5] - Walmart's stock has increased by 169% over the past three years, outperforming the S&P 500's 70% gain [6] - The current dividend yield for Walmart is 0.7%, which is lower than the S&P 500's yield of 1.1% [6] Group 2: Macy's - Macy's is undergoing a turnaround plan that includes store revamps, closures, and a focus on luxury brands [7] - The company's fiscal third-quarter same-store sales increased by 3.4%, indicating early signs of effectiveness in its turnaround strategy [8]

Key Takeaways Wabtec raised its quarterly dividend to 31 cents per share from 25 cents.Wabtec has been consistently making efforts to reward its shareholders through dividends and share buybacks.During the first nine months of 2025, WAB repurchased shares worth $148M and paid $130M in dividends.In a shareholder-friendly move, Wabtec Corporation (WAB) board of directors approved a dividend hike of 24%, thereby raising its quarterly cash dividend to 31 cents per share ($1.24 annualized) from 25 cents ($1.00 a ...

Market Overview - Wall Street has experienced significant volatility since the beginning of the year, with major indexes giving up most of their gains recently [1][2] - Economic uncertainty, including higher inflation and borrowing rates, along with geopolitical tensions, has contributed to this volatility [2][4] - The S&P 500 dropped 1.23% to 6,798.40 points, entering negative territory for the year, while the Dow and Nasdaq also saw declines of 1.2% and 1.6% respectively [5] Economic Indicators - Job openings in December totaled 6.54 million, a decrease of 386,000 from November, marking the lowest level since September 2020 [6] - Jobless claims rose to 231,000 for the last week of January, up 22,000 from the previous week, exceeding the consensus estimate of 212,000 [7] - U.S. companies announced 108,435 layoffs in January, the highest total for that month since the global financial crisis [7] Federal Reserve Actions - The Federal Reserve maintained interest rates in January after a total reduction of 75 basis points last year, facing challenges from high inflation [8] Dividend-Paying Stocks - Investors are advised to consider dividend-paying stocks as a means to protect capital during market volatility [2] - The New York Times Company (NYT) announced a dividend of $0.23 per share, with a dividend yield of 1.06% and a payout ratio of 30% of earnings [10][12] - Yum China Holdings, Inc. (YUMC) declared a dividend of $0.29 per share, yielding 1.81% with a payout ratio of 40% of earnings [14][12] - Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (ESQ) announced a dividend of $0.20 per share, yielding 0.60% with a payout ratio of 12% of earnings [16][12]

Group 1 - The highest-yielding stocks in the Nasdaq 100 are expected to be attractive in 2026 due to a changing economic environment, with the Federal Reserve moving through its rate-cutting cycle and inflation moderating [1] - Dividend-paying stocks provide a compelling combination of passive income and stability compared to bonds and growth stocks, making them appealing for growth and income investors, especially Baby Boomers and Gen Xers nearing retirement [1][4] - High-yield dividend stocks typically come from mature companies with strong cash flows and proven business models, offering defensive qualities that are valuable during economic slowdowns or increased market volatility [1] Group 2 - Passive income from high-yield stocks helps cover rising costs such as mortgages, insurance, and taxes, facilitating savings for future retirement needs [2][4] - The five highest-yielding Nasdaq 100 stocks are characterized by dependable yields from quality companies, making them suitable for long-term investment [2] - Kraft Heinz Co. is highlighted as a solid value buy, trading at about half its long-term fair value estimate and offering a 6.75% dividend yield, despite challenges in the food sector due to rising input costs [5]

Core Insights - Investors are shifting from traditional fixed income securities to sectors with strong dividends due to falling interest rates, with notable inflows into utilities, energy, and real estate [2] - The approval of the first 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs by the SEC in January 2024 has provided a new avenue for investors to gain crypto exposure without navigating the complexities of decentralized finance [3] - Demand for Bitcoin and Ethereum funds surged, adding over $32 billion in 2025 [4] Group 1 - Traditional fixed income options have lost appeal for income-focused investors due to lower interest rates [2] - The introduction of Bitcoin ETFs allows investors familiar with equity markets to access crypto without the complexities of DeFi [3] - The crypto asset class, including Bitcoin, does not inherently produce yield, presenting challenges for income generation [5] Group 2 - A financial services firm is planning to leverage Bitcoin through traditional equity markets to create income-generating opportunities [6] - With lower interest rates expected in 2026, there is a growing interest in dividend-paying stocks and ETFs that also provide crypto market exposure [8] - BlackRock has filed for approval of a Bitcoin income ETF that utilizes options strategies to generate yield while providing access to Bitcoin prices [8]

Economic Overview - The U.S. economy shows resilience with a GDP growth of 4.4% in Q3 2025, up from 3.8% in the previous quarter, driven by a 3.5% increase in consumer spending, the fastest in three years [1] - The AI-driven boom and the Federal Reserve's supportive monetary policy are contributing factors to the economic expansion [1] Inflation and Labor Market - The Personal Consumption Expenditures index for November is at 2.8% year over year, up from 2.7% in October, remaining above the 2% target [2] - Unemployment is stable at around 4.4%, but job openings are decreasing, indicating potential labor market concerns [2] - Analysts predict cooling economic conditions due to uncertainties related to tariffs and trade policies [2] Dividend-Paying Stocks - Investors looking to diversify can consider dividend-paying stocks, which indicate a healthy business model and can withstand market volatility [3] - Stocks with recent dividend increases tend to have a sound financial structure and outperform non-dividend-paying stocks in volatile markets [3] USCB Financial - USCB Financial, a community bank, has declared a dividend of 13 cents per share with a dividend yield of 2% [4] - Over the past five years, USCB has increased its dividend twice, with a payout ratio of 25% of earnings [5] Amalgamated Financial - Amalgamated Financial, a full-service commercial bank, announced a dividend of 17 cents per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6% [6] - The company has increased its dividend four times in the past five years, with a payout ratio of 16% of earnings [7] Cadre Holdings - Cadre Holdings, a manufacturer of safety equipment, declared a dividend of 10 cents per share with a yield of 0.9% [10] - The company has increased its dividend three times in the past five years, with a payout ratio of 34% of earnings [10] Cadence Bank - Cadence Bank announced a dividend of 34 cents per share, yielding 2.4% [11] - The bank has increased its dividend six times over the past five years, with a payout ratio of 37% of earnings [11] Metropolitan Bank Holding - Metropolitan Bank Holding declared a dividend of 20 cents per share with a yield of 0.7% [12] - The bank has increased its dividend once in the past five years, with a payout ratio of 10% of earnings [13]

Core Insights - Investing in healthy and growing dividend-paying stocks is a solid strategy, but few stocks qualify as no-brainer investments [1] Dividend Performance - Dividend growers and initiators have an average annual total return of 10.24% from 1973 to 2024, while dividend payers yield 9.20%. In contrast, non-payers return only 4.31% [5] Company Analysis - **Pfizer (NYSE: PFE)**: Offers a dividend yield of 6.81%. The stock has faced challenges due to reduced demand for its COVID-19 products and patent expirations, but it has potential with new investments, including a GLP-1 weight-loss drug [7][9] - **Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ)**: Provides a dividend yield of 6.93% and has increased its payout for 19 consecutive years, although the increases have been modest [10]

Core Insights - Expeditors International of Washington (EXPD) and FedEx Corporation (FDX) have both increased their dividends this year, highlighting their commitment to shareholder returns despite economic uncertainty [1][3] Dividend Performance - EXPD raised its semi-annual dividend by 5.5%, increasing the payout from $0.73 to $0.77 per share, with a payout ratio of 25% and a five-year dividend growth rate of 7.4% [3] - FDX increased its quarterly cash dividend to $1.45 per share from $1.38, resulting in an annualized dividend of $5.80 compared to $5.52 [3] Price Performance Comparison - Over the past year, EXPD has outperformed FDX in stock performance, attributed to better handling of market volatility and geopolitical challenges [5] - FDX's weaker performance is linked to revenue pressures from geopolitical uncertainty and inflation, leading to lower package shipment volumes [5] - EXPD's stock performance is supported by a recovering airfreight environment, with a 4% year-over-year increase in tonnage in the September quarter [6] E-commerce Impact - The demand for intermodal services has increased due to the growing importance of e-commerce, which continues to support growth for companies like Expeditors despite a moderation from pandemic peaks [7] Earnings Surprise History - EXPD has consistently exceeded earnings estimates in the past four quarters, with an average surprise of 13.9%, while FDX has beaten estimates in three of the last four quarters with a 5.7% average surprise [12] Valuation Comparison - EXPD trades at a forward sales multiple of 1.99X and has a Value Score of D, while FDX has a Value Score of A and trades at a lower forward sales multiple [11] Conclusion - EXPD's stronger share price performance and earnings track record suggest it is the more attractive investment option at present, with a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) compared to FDX's Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [14]

Market Overview - The U.S. markets ended the final trading week of 2025 on a mixed note, with optimism over AI growth offset by caution regarding Federal Reserve policy signals [1] - Despite thin year-end liquidity, late pullbacks in all three major benchmark indexes kept the broader bull trend intact as market participants positioned for 2026 [1] Macroeconomic Indicators - Initial jobless claims fell unexpectedly by 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 199,000 for the week ended Dec. 27, the lowest since the end of November, signaling continued labor market strength [2] - Pending home sales unexpectedly rose 3.3% in November, marking the largest seasonal rise since 2023 [2] Federal Reserve Policy - The Fed has successfully kept inflation stable and near its 2% target, with a current overnight borrowing rate in the range of 3.50-3.75% [3] - The pace of further easing may slow, even though markets are expecting two additional quarter-point cuts in 2026 [3] Dividend-Paying Stocks - Investors looking to diversify their portfolios can consider dividend-paying stocks, which indicate a healthy business model and can counter market upheavals [4] - Stocks that have raised dividends recently tend to outperform non-dividend-paying entities in a highly volatile market [4] Company Highlights The Ensign Group - The Ensign Group provides health care services in the post-acute care continuum and has a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) [5] - On Dec. 19, ENSG declared a dividend of 7 cents a share, with a dividend yield of 0.1% [5] - Over the past five years, ENSG has increased its dividend five times, with a payout ratio of 4% of earnings [6] Invesco Mortgage Capital - Invesco Mortgage Capital is a real estate investment trust with a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) [7] - On Dec. 18, IVR declared a dividend of 36 cents a share, reflecting a dividend yield of 17.3% [7] - IVR has increased its dividend four times in the past five years, with a payout ratio of 58% of earnings [8] ABM Industries - ABM Industries is a provider of integrated facility solutions with a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) [9] - On Dec. 17, ABM announced a dividend of 29 cents a share, yielding 2.5% [9] - Over the past five years, ABM has increased its dividend six times, with a payout ratio of 31% of earnings [11] Franklin Resources - Franklin Resources is a global investment management company with a Zacks Rank 3 [12] - On Dec. 17, BEN declared a dividend of 33 cents a share, yielding 5.5% [12] - Over the past five years, BEN has increased its dividend five times, with a payout ratio of 58% of earnings [13] Norwood Financial - Norwood Financial is a bank holding company with a Zacks Rank 3 [14] - On Dec. 16, NWFL announced a dividend of 32 cents a share, yielding 4.4% [14] - Over the past five years, NWFL has increased its dividend six times, with a payout ratio of 47% of earnings [14]