Core Insights - Dividend growers are considered some of the best long-term investments due to their ability to provide a lucrative and growing income stream alongside rising share prices, historically outperforming non-dividend payers and companies that do not increase dividends significantly [1] Company Summaries - **Brookfield Asset Management**: - A leading alternative investment manager with over $1 trillion in assets under management (AUM) and a current dividend yield of 3.3%, which is approximately three times the S&P 500's level [4] - The company has demonstrated strong dividend growth, increasing its payout by 19% in early 2024 and by another 15% the following year, with expectations of around 20% annual earnings growth over the next five years [5][6] - Brookfield is capitalizing on trends such as the shift towards alternative investments and AI infrastructure, supporting continued dividend growth of over 15% annually [6][8] - **MPLX**: - A master limited partnership (MLP) focused on energy midstream assets, currently yielding 8.1% [7] - MPLX has consistently raised its distribution by 10% or more for four consecutive years, with stable cash flow supported by long-term contracts and a conservative leverage ratio of 3.7 times [8] - The company generates enough cash to cover its payout comfortably by 1.3 times, providing flexibility for acquisitions and organic expansion projects [9] - **Prologis**: - Has delivered a compound annual dividend growth of 13% over the past five years, making it another strong candidate for dividend growth investment [8]

Core Insights - Brookfield Business Partners will host its Fourth Quarter 2025 Conference Call & Webcast on January 30, 2026, to discuss results and current business initiatives [2] - Results will be released on the same day prior to 8:00 a.m. (ET) and will be available on the company's website [2] - Brookfield Business Partners is a global business services and industrials company focused on owning and operating high-quality businesses that provide essential products and services [2][3] - Investors can invest in Brookfield Business Partners through either a limited partnership (NYSE: BBU; TSX: BBU.UN) or a corporation (NYSE, TSX: BBUC) [2] Company Overview - Brookfield Business Partners is the flagship listed vehicle of Brookfield Asset Management's Private Equity Group [3] - Brookfield Asset Management is a leading global alternative asset manager with over $1 trillion of assets under management [3]

Core Viewpoint - Invesco Ltd. is a publicly owned investment manager with a market cap of $12 billion, set to announce its fiscal Q4 earnings for 2025 soon [1] Financial Performance - Analysts expect Invesco to report a profit of $0.57 per share for the upcoming quarter, reflecting a 9.6% increase from $0.52 per share in the same quarter last year [2] - For the current fiscal year ending in December, a profit of $1.94 per share is anticipated, which is a 13.5% increase from $1.71 per share in fiscal 2024 [3] - Earnings per share (EPS) is projected to grow by 34% year-over-year to $2.60 in fiscal 2026 [3] Stock Performance - Invesco's shares have increased by 52.6% over the past 52 weeks, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 Index's return of 16.9% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF's increase of 13.9% during the same period [4] Recent Developments - On December 9, Invesco's shares rose by 2.8% following the announcement of a $500 million buyback of preference shares at an 18% premium, indicating management's confidence in the company's financial strength [5] - A new partnership with LGT Capital Partners aims to enhance U.S. investors' access to private markets, further boosting sentiment [5] Analyst Sentiment - Wall Street analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" rating for Invesco, with four out of 14 analysts recommending "Strong Buy" and ten suggesting "Hold" [6] - The mean price target for Invesco is set at $27.69, indicating a potential upside of 2.8% from current levels [6]

Core Viewpoint - The report highlights the performance of public "fixed income + equity" products from various wealth management companies, focusing on their annualized returns and risk metrics, with a specific emphasis on two standout products from 招银理财 and 农银理财 [4][5]. Group 1: Product Performance - The ranking includes products with an investment cycle of 1-2 years, with 7 wealth management companies represented, and 8 products achieving an annualized return exceeding 5% [4]. - 杭银理财's two products topped the list with annualized returns over 7%, while 招银理财 and 农银理财 had products with the lowest maximum drawdown, indicating strong risk-adjusted performance [4]. - The "招睿量化稳健多策略14个月持有日开1号" product achieved an annualized return of 5.87% since its inception, with a significant increase in asset size from 2.12 billion units to 5.21 billion units within a quarter [6]. Group 2: Asset Allocation and Strategy - The "招睿量化稳健多策略14个月持有日开1号" product maintains over 80% in bond investments, with a cash and bank deposit allocation of 9.7%, and a minor equity investment of 6.67% [6][7]. - The product's strategy involves actively adjusting bond positions to mitigate risks associated with longer durations while capturing opportunities in short to medium-term interest-bearing assets [7]. - The "农银匠心·灵珑固收增强第56期(共同富裕)" product, with a lower risk rating, focuses on fixed income assets and selectively participates in equity markets through mixed and stock funds, achieving an annualized return of 4.98% [8]. Group 3: Risk Metrics - The report indicates that both highlighted products have high Calmar ratios, suggesting a favorable balance between returns and drawdowns, with 招银理财's product being particularly noted for its risk management [4][5]. - The "农银匠心·灵珑固收增强第56期(共同富裕)" product has a significant allocation to non-standard assets, which contributes to its performance, despite its smaller asset size of 7.81 million yuan [8].

Market Reaction to Venezuela Developments - The market response to the political developments in Venezuela has been notably restrained, indicating modest hedging rather than a flight-to-safety [3][19] - Investors are assessing whether the situation in Venezuela will lead to a systemic impact on markets or if it will be a temporary shock [2][19] Oil Market Analysis - The current oil market structure is more critical than spot prices; as long as Brent crude remains around $60 and the forward curve is in contango, there is ample supply and limited concern about disruptions from Venezuela [4][8] - A shift to backwardation would signal a real supply issue, but this is not currently happening, suggesting that the market does not view the Venezuelan situation as a threat to global energy supply [5][7] Volatility and Risk Pricing - The Volatility Index (VIX) currently stands at 14.5, indicating low market stress and complacency despite geopolitical tensions [9][10] - Real yields in the U.S. remain elevated, reflecting the country's heavy debt burden, and inflation expectations are stable, suggesting no significant change in the economic outlook [11][12] Precious Metals Performance - Gold prices have increased over 2% to $4,419 per ounce, benefiting from the geopolitical developments in Venezuela, with expectations for further appreciation [2][14] - Silver prices have also risen over 3% to $75.2733 per ounce, indicating a knee-jerk reaction to geopolitical risks [14] Long-term Political Implications - The situation in Venezuela may influence political behavior in other regions, particularly concerning Taiwan, although immediate military action is not anticipated [15][18] - The developments in Venezuela are viewed as a tactical shock rather than a regime shift, with investors focusing on potential geopolitical risk premiums rather than structural changes in the market [19]

ESG may be the most controversial acronym in finance, but don’t tell that to ETF investors. Environmental, social and governance exchange-traded funds reached a new milestone, with global assets climbing to $799 billion through the end of November, according to ETFGI data. The category pulled in $5.7 billion in November alone, bringing year-to-date inflows to almost $49 billion, a 25% increase over the prior year. But it also comes at a pivotal time, as asset managers continue to downplay ESG labels and c ...

Core Insights - Asia's equity capital markets are projected to have a strong performance in 2026, continuing the momentum from 2025, which saw significant growth in share sales across the region [1][2] Group 1: Market Performance - In 2025, share listings, placements, and block trades in Asia Pacific raised $262.7 billion, marking the highest total in four years [2] - For the first time, four of the world's five busiest deal venues were located in Asia, driven by a rebound in Hong Kong and record IPOs in India [2] Group 2: Upcoming IPOs - Major IPOs expected in 2026 include Baidu Inc., Zepto Ltd., ChangXin Memory Technologies Inc., and Coca-Cola's India bottling unit [3] - Hong Kong listings of Chinese firms already traded in mainland China are anticipated to continue contributing to the IPO pipeline [3] Group 3: Regional Highlights - Hong Kong listings may raise up to $45 billion in 2026, potentially the largest amount in six years, while Indian IPOs are expected to achieve a third consecutive annual record [4] - Jio Platforms Ltd. is preparing for what could be India's largest-ever IPO, while A.S. Watson Group is considering a listing that could raise over $2 billion [8] Group 4: Notable Companies and Their Plans - Syngenta Group is in preliminary talks for a potential listing in 2026 after previously withdrawing a $9 billion plan [8] - Baidu's AI chip unit has confidentially filed for a Hong Kong IPO, valued at a minimum of $3 billion [8] - Other companies like Luxshare Precision Industry Co. and Muyuan Foods Co. are also pursuing significant IPOs in Hong Kong [8] Group 5: Indian Market Developments - PhonePe Ltd. has filed for an IPO that could raise up to $1.5 billion, valuing the fintech firm at approximately $15 billion [13] - Flipkart is exploring an IPO after moving its holding company to India, while Zepto aims to raise about $500 million through its IPO [13] Group 6: International Listings - SK Hynix Inc. is considering a potential New York listing to align its valuation with global peers [13] - Shein Group Ltd. has confidentially filed for a Hong Kong IPO, pending approval from Beijing [13]

Core Viewpoint - Larson Financial Group has increased its position in the JPMorgan Active Bond ETF (JBND) by purchasing 167,756 shares, reflecting a strategic shift towards income generation and active bond selection in a volatile market environment [2][3][11]. Fund Purchase Details - Larson Financial Group disclosed the purchase of 167,756 shares of JBND in its quarterly report, raising its total holdings to 547,165 shares valued at $29.63 million as of September 30 [3][7]. - The purchase resulted in an estimated position increase of $9.30 million [2][7]. Fund Performance Metrics - As of the latest report, JBND represents 1.0% of the fund's assets under management (AUM), which totals $4.26 billion [4][5]. - The current price of JBND shares is $54.00, reflecting a 3% increase over the past year, while the S&P 500 has gained 17% in the same period [4]. Investment Strategy - JBND aims to outperform the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index over a 3–5 year market cycle through active bond selection and portfolio management, with a policy to invest at least 80% of its assets in bonds [9][10]. - The fund is characterized as an actively managed ETF with an annualized dividend yield of approximately 4% [10][12]. Portfolio Composition - The fund's portfolio includes over 1,300 investment-grade holdings with an average duration of just over six years, focusing on Treasuries and agency mortgage-backed securities for stability while incorporating corporate exposure for additional income [12][13]. - JBND is positioned to serve institutional and income-oriented investors, emphasizing broad diversification and active risk management [10][12].

Core Insights - A significant number of elderly investors are not taking required minimum distributions (RMDs), leading to potential tax penalties [1][8] - The IRS mandates RMDs starting at age 70.5, with penalties for non-compliance ranging from 10% to 25% of the RMD amount [2][8] Summary by Sections RMD Compliance - In 2024, 585,000 Vanguard clients with individual retirement accounts (IRAs) failed to take RMDs, representing 6.7% of RMD-age clients [3] - Among those who did not take RMDs, the average amount was $11,600, resulting in potential penalties between $1,160 and $2,900 [3] Withdrawal Patterns - 24% of clients withdrew amounts below the RMD threshold, while 69% met or exceeded the RMD level [4] - Investors with smaller account balances are more likely to miss RMD deadlines, with 56.8% of those under $5,000 failing to meet requirements [4] Penalty Insights - Average penalties for clients with account balances of at least $1 million were reported at $8,792 [5] - A concerning trend is that 55% of those who missed RMDs in one year are likely to miss them again the following year [6] Recommendations - Vanguard suggests automating distributions and consolidating retirement accounts to help investors comply with RMD rules [7][8]

Invesco is an independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life.Be the first to know! Sign up for Invesco US Blog and get expert investment views as they post.Disclosure for all Invesco US articles: Before investing, carefully read the prospectus and/or summary prospectus and carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. The information provided is for educational purposes only and does not constitute a ...