The first four months of 2025 have been challenging for equity investors. The volatility and uncertainty that have plagued the stock market over the last few months have been a concern for investors. Still, there are reasons for optimism. Historically, stocks are excellent long-term investments. Despite the business cycle’s ups and downs, and through all kinds of geopolitical and economic…
A quarterly dividend payment from a high-quality stock may be as close to a sure thing as an investor can find on Wall Street. Even during periods of broad market weakness, the lower a stock’s price falls, the higher its dividend yield rises. Unfortunately, companies often cut their dividend payments as the first line of defense when times get tough,…
The Department of Education will restart “involuntary” repayments of defaulted student loans after a nearly five-year pause, cautioning that as soon as next month borrowers could be referred to debt collectors or even have their wages and benefits withheld. “Debt cannot be wiped away. It just ends up getting transferred to others,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday, a day after the…
Most dividend-paying stocks have a quarterly distribution schedule, meaning they pay dividends every three months. A relatively small number of companies, however, pay dividends monthly. Monthly dividend stocks are usually companies that have made paying income a top priority. In addition to being more convenient, monthly dividends are a better hedge against inflation when prices are rising quickly. Simply stated,…
It’s tempting to think some magic number will guarantee that a stock will go up or down. But the hard reality is that Wall Street is as much of an expectations game as anything else. That’s why finding stocks with good news updates can be just as important as finding stocks with strong fundamentals. Based on the news cycle and…
One of the key developments for energy investors in recent years has been a move among oil and gas production companies to return cash to shareholders. Now, many exploration and production companies are more focused on returning free cash flow to shareholders in the form of stock buyback and dividends. Here’s a look at top seven energy companies paying dividends.…
President Donald Trump’s inauguration ushered in an administration much more friendly to oil and gas companies than its predecessor. But White House policies could prove a double-edged sword for the industry. On the one hand, it seems that petroleum producers could enjoy a more relaxed regulatory environment and greater export potential. On the other hand, a global trade war sparked by Trump’s…
Legendary investor and famous contrarian Sir John Templeton once said, “The time of maximum pessimism is the best time to buy.” The S&P 500 is down 3.7% through March 20, and though we are far from maximum pessimism, many investors feel a little discouraged at the volatility and lackluster performance of the equities markets. It is during times like these…
In response to abrupt moves by the administration of President Donald Trump, investors have been selling equities, sending the S&P 500 down 4.5% so far in 2025. They’ve also been selling the U.S. dollar, with the greenback measured against a basket of other currencies in the ICE U.S. Dollar Index dropping by a similar amount. At the same time, they’ve been…
The first three months of 2025 have been marked by higher-than-expected market volatility, with investors navigating a surge in uncertainty. As of March 17, the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) – often called Wall Street’s “fear index” – hovered around 22, after hitting a 2025 peak of 27.9 a week earlier. Despite the uncertainty, there’s no need to panic-sell. Market timing…