Part of my mandate as Chief Investment Strategist of High-Yield Investing is to find stocks that will put more cash in your pocket. It’s that simple. And as the end of another month approaches, that means it’s time for my monthly check-in on companies that are likely to do just that… If you’re new to this, here’s how it works… In each issue of my premium newsletter, I scan the market for potential dividend hikes over the next four to six weeks. We also highlight noteworthy special distributions on the horizon. I give special attention to outsized double-digit increases and… Read More

Part of my mandate as Chief Investment Strategist of High-Yield Investing is to find stocks that will put more cash in your pocket. It’s that simple. And as the end of another month approaches, that means it’s time for my monthly check-in on companies that are likely to do just that… If you’re new to this, here’s how it works… In each issue of my premium newsletter, I scan the market for potential dividend hikes over the next four to six weeks. We also highlight noteworthy special distributions on the horizon. I give special attention to outsized double-digit increases and reliable dividend-payers that have been steadily growing payouts for a decade or more. I flag these stocks first for my premium readers. Then, I share them with the public. It’s that simple. If you’re looking for potential portfolio additions to research further, I can’t think of a better place to start. So without further delay, here’s what I’ve found this month… 3 Upcoming Dividend Hikes 1. Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) – Amgen is a leading global biotech developer with special expertise in cancer research and renal failure (kidney disease) treatments. Its biggest blockbuster is the anti-inflammatory drug Enbrel. This is used… Read More

A stock we've been following for a while is undergoing a dramatic makeover. Here's where we stand now... Read More

A stock we've been following for a while is undergoing a dramatic makeover. Here's where we stand now... Read More

With the news about Iran over the past week, it's a good time to check in on our old friend... Read More

With the news about Iran over the past week, it's a good time to check in on our old friend... Read More

Any business can crank out hefty profits when conditions are favorable. The true test is how well it performs when the operating climate cools. As a group, energy stocks underperformed during the bull market. That’s no secret, given the persistent weakness in oil prices. The price of benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTIC) crude was once above $100 per barrel in 2014. After falling to the low $30s by 2016, prices have since only recovered to the mid-$60s. You can see how this affected stocks in the sector, as represented by the SPDR Energy Select Sector ETF (NYSE: XLE),… Read More

Any business can crank out hefty profits when conditions are favorable. The true test is how well it performs when the operating climate cools. As a group, energy stocks underperformed during the bull market. That’s no secret, given the persistent weakness in oil prices. The price of benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTIC) crude was once above $100 per barrel in 2014. After falling to the low $30s by 2016, prices have since only recovered to the mid-$60s. You can see how this affected stocks in the sector, as represented by the SPDR Energy Select Sector ETF (NYSE: XLE), on the chart below. This is exactly what makes a company like Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) so special. We’re up more than 54% (with dividends reinvested) on the holding over at The Daily Paycheck. That not only blows the sector out of the water, but also the entire market. ​ We just got a glimpse of the kind of operating expertise necessary to pull that kind of performance off – and why I think it’s still a “buy” today.   Inside The Numbers The company's core refining margins slipped to $11.18 per barrel… Read More

If you're like most people, then you have probably received a box (or several) on your front door this month courtesy of Amazon Prime's free two-day shipping. Or perhaps it was sent by Wal-Mart or another online retailer. Wherever the source, there are countless packages whizzing from warehouse to doorstep during the Christmas shopping season. It has been estimated that FedEx (NYSE: FDX) made 510 million deliveries between Black Friday and New Year's Eve. The firm's hectic Memphis hub processes 2 million packages per day during the peak holiday season – about 500,000 per hour. Keep in mind,… Read More

If you're like most people, then you have probably received a box (or several) on your front door this month courtesy of Amazon Prime's free two-day shipping. Or perhaps it was sent by Wal-Mart or another online retailer. Wherever the source, there are countless packages whizzing from warehouse to doorstep during the Christmas shopping season. It has been estimated that FedEx (NYSE: FDX) made 510 million deliveries between Black Friday and New Year's Eve. The firm's hectic Memphis hub processes 2 million packages per day during the peak holiday season – about 500,000 per hour. Keep in mind, FedEx and Amazon have a testy relationship at best. Otherwise, that number would be even higher. The e-commerce king does quite a bit of shipping on its own and is becoming a real threat in that regard. Amazon even dictates how the 5 million independent third-party sellers on its website can and can't fulfill their orders. According to Business Insider, Amazon employs 75,000 private courier drivers who will deliver 3.5 billion packages this year. For context, UPS (NYSE: UPS) drops off 5.2 billion parcels annually. UPS estimates it will deliver 32 million packages per day globally this holiday… Read More

What a difference a year makes. The week leading up to Christmas 2018 was the worst for U.S. stocks since the 2008 crash. The market was already in turmoil when Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin sent out a bizarre tweet on Christmas Eve to say that he had spoken with the CEOs of the nation's six largest banks and was reassured that there were "no liquidity problems or margin issues." The statement was meant to pacify jittery investors but instead had the exact opposite effect. In what is normally a quiet day for the market, traders fled and sent the Dow… Read More

What a difference a year makes. The week leading up to Christmas 2018 was the worst for U.S. stocks since the 2008 crash. The market was already in turmoil when Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin sent out a bizarre tweet on Christmas Eve to say that he had spoken with the CEOs of the nation's six largest banks and was reassured that there were "no liquidity problems or margin issues." The statement was meant to pacify jittery investors but instead had the exact opposite effect. In what is normally a quiet day for the market, traders fled and sent the Dow tumbling 650 points. It was the worst Christmas Eve selloff on record. There was a nice bounce two days later, but the damage had been done. The Dow Jones finished the month with a painful 9% decline, the worst December performance since 1931 when the country was in the grip of the Great Depression. I didn't buy into the doom and gloom. Unlike in 1931, the underlying macro backdrop at the time was quite positive. The following week, I said that "this crisis feels more manufactured than real" and predicted we'd see "a recovery on the horizon once confidence returns."… Read More

I spent some time working in a bank branch as a financial advisor back in the early 2000s. It’s a pretty good gig, if for no other reason than the inordinate number of paid holidays (Columbus Day, Flag Day, Arbor Day). But what really amazes me is that almost 20 years later, the bank hasn’t really changed a bit. This is a timeless business model. —Recommended Link— Shocking Marijuana Discovery Could Turn Every $1,000 Into $61,770​ Scientists have stumbled on a technology that could drive every marijuana “grow op” into bankruptcy. Early investors have a… Read More

I spent some time working in a bank branch as a financial advisor back in the early 2000s. It’s a pretty good gig, if for no other reason than the inordinate number of paid holidays (Columbus Day, Flag Day, Arbor Day). But what really amazes me is that almost 20 years later, the bank hasn’t really changed a bit. This is a timeless business model. —Recommended Link— Shocking Marijuana Discovery Could Turn Every $1,000 Into $61,770​ Scientists have stumbled on a technology that could drive every marijuana “grow op” into bankruptcy. Early investors have a shot at returns up to 6,077% on the biotech that’s become Wall Street’s “best-kept secret.” A Senate vote within weeks could change the marijuana industry forever. Click here for details. Just think of the number of products and services that have been disrupted or rendered obsolete since then. VCRs. Dot Matrix printers. Fax machines. Floppy disc drives. But banks are just as viable and important today as they were a century ago. More than that, you could argue the financial system is the backbone of the entire economy. After all, borrowing and lending are what grease… Read More

Christmas just came early. That’s because it’s time for my monthly check-in on companies that are likely to announce a dividend hike in the coming month. If you’re new to this, here’s how it works… In each issue of my premium newsletter, High-Yield Investing, I scan the market for noteworthy special dividend hikes on the horizon, as well as for potential dividend hikes over the next four to six weeks. I give special attention to outsized double-digit increases and reliable dividend-payers that have been steadily growing payouts for a decade or more. I flag these stocks first for my premium… Read More

Christmas just came early. That’s because it’s time for my monthly check-in on companies that are likely to announce a dividend hike in the coming month. If you’re new to this, here’s how it works… In each issue of my premium newsletter, High-Yield Investing, I scan the market for noteworthy special dividend hikes on the horizon, as well as for potential dividend hikes over the next four to six weeks. I give special attention to outsized double-digit increases and reliable dividend-payers that have been steadily growing payouts for a decade or more. I flag these stocks first for my premium readers. Then, I share them with the public. It’s that simple. If you’re looking for potential portfolio additions to research further, I can’t think of a better place to start. So without further delay, here’s what I’ve found this month… 1. Coca Cola (NYSE: KO) – Coca-Cola doesn’t really need an introduction, other than a reminder that this global beverage giant is far more than just its namesake soda. Yes, the Coke brand is one of the world’s most valuable, worth an estimated $59 billion. But it’s just one of twenty thoroughbred brands in the stable that each rake in… Read More