Archives April 2025

Hello, Reader.

When Bruce Springsteen sang “I was born in the U.S.A.” in the catchy chorus of his 1984 hit song, he probably didn’t think that the sentiment would relate to tech companies… or semiconductor chips… or manufacturing processes.

But these days, it does.

Take this morning’s news from International Business Machines Corp. (IBM): The company announced that it will invest $150 billion in the U.S. over the next five years.

IBM’s plan includes spending more than $30 billion in research and development to “advance and continue” making mainframe and quantum computers on American soil.

“We have been focused on American jobs and manufacturing since our founding 114 years ago,” IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said. “And with this investment and manufacturing commitment we are ensuring that IBM remains the epicenter of the world’s most advanced computing and AI capabilities.”

As I mentioned, IBM is the latest in a line of companies reshoring their operations. As we talked about here at Smart Money earlier this month, Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) announced that it is planning to entirely produce its AI supercomputers in the U.S. 

However, an underdog that I have been championing for a while has already been doing what these big tech companies are now just attempting to do.

And that is the unloved Intel Corp. (INTC).

As I’ve said previously…

Intel represents exactly what both political parties claim to want – an American company designing and building cutting-edge technology on American soil. Yet the market’s enthusiasm hasn’t followed political rhetoric.

Intel’s stock can’t seem to get out of its own way. Despite being America’s original semiconductor pioneer, most investors assume the company is a has-been. But when Intel finally begins producing chips from the multibillion-dollar fabs it has in the U.S., the company’s earnings could lurch to the upside. Based on those prospective future earnings, the stock is trading for 16 times 2026 earnings and just 10 times the estimate 2027 result. That valuation is far below the S&P 500’s.

Investing in companies with modest valuations typically offers greater downside protection than their high-flying counterparts. This is why my approach to investing prioritizes companies with solid fundamentals trading at attractive valuations.

And there is a more powerful way to capitalize on this investing approach – one that multiplies your returns.

It’s by using long-term equity anticipation securities (LEAPS), which are long-dated options contracts with expiration dates one to three years away. (Options may sound scary, but they don’t have to be. You can learn more about trading options in my free special broadcast, here.)

Although LEAPS are long-term options, you don’t need to hold them until expiration. I’ve recommended closing out many of my best trades after just a month or two, delivering substantial gains while minimizing risk.

Every option is identified with a specific stock. And we’ve had major success with LEAPS options on Intel in the past.

For instance, I recommended a LEAPS option on INTC to my Leverage subscribers in February 2023. The call had an expiration date of January 17, 2025.

We sold one-fourth of that position on December 14, 2023, for a 71% gain… and sold another one-fourth position less than two weeks later for a 95% gain.

Now, this strategy works across industries… and in the face of the Trump’s trade war. In fact, I recommended a LEAPS call option on a foreign stock early this month.

It’s a company that possesses a competitive advantage in the U.S. against all the sportwear brands may will soon face massive tariffs on the products they manufacture in China or Southeast Asia and export to the U.S.

Since then, the recommendation is up close to 50%.

To learn more about this strategy, I’ve created a free special presentation that explains how anyone can take advantage of LEAPS. In the broadcast, you’ll also learn how to access a special report that lays out three LEAPS trades with the potential to double your money in just a few months.

Click here to learn how to join Leverage and take advantage of this powerful options strategy.

Now, let’s look at what we covered here at Smart Money this past week…

Smart Money Roundup

Like the NFL Draft, Our New Stock-Picking System Is All About Finding Winners

April 23, 2025

An-E is an AI tool from TradeSmith that scans thousands of data points to forecast stock movements over the next 30 days. Drawing parallels between the NFL draft and investing success, TradeSmith CEO Keith Kaplan explains how An-E, built with machine learning and trained on over 50,000 back-tests, helps investors pick potential winners and avoid losers in their portfolio.

‘Unprecedented’: What History Tells Us About the Word Taking Over Wall Street

April 24, 2025

In Thursday’s issue, Tom Yeung looks at how the word “unprecedented” keeps popping up throughout history – from America’s war with Great Britain to today’s financial reports and Trump’s economic moves. While U.S. investors might think these sudden tariffs and market swings are totally new, Tom points out that similar patterns have happened before. He also breaks down how to profit from this roller coaster.

Why You Should Look Beyond the U.S. Markets for Big Profit Opportunities

April 26, 2025

When one investment door closes, smart investors find an open window elsewhere. For example, back in the dot-com crash, while tech stocks collapsed, overlooked non-tech companies with low valuations won big. In this issue, I reveal two undervalued foreign markets where investment windows are opening while the crowd is still banging on the wrong door.

Looking Ahead

As big tech companies make plans to manufacture in America, a question arises…

Who is going to do the work?

According to my InvestorPlace colleague Luke Lango, the answer to that question is machines.

Luke believes that physical AI – like robots, automation, and machine vision – is the only way this made-in-America industrial revival can realistically take shape.

And that’s why he is participating The 2025 Summer Panic Summit on Thursday, May 1, at 7 p.m. Eastern (sign up here).

During this free broadcast event, Luke will introduce a new set of seven small-cap U.S.-based AI stocks, which he calls the “MAGA 7” (Make AI Great in America), as the key to building a “nest egg” in this new bull market. 

To reserve your spot for his special event, click here.

And stay tuned – Luke is joining us later this week to talk more about the catalyst that could cause this next phase of the AI boom to explode… and how you can learn more about the seven stocks that could go parabolic.

Regards,

Eric Fry

Meta (META) isn’t the only social media company reporting earnings this week.

Along with Instagram and WhatsApp parent Meta, Snap (SNAP) and Reddit (RDDT) are due to release quarterly results this week, offering more insights into the state of the digital advertising market. 

Snap is up first, with its earnings expected after the market closes Tuesday. Deutsche Bank analysts have a “buy” rating for the stock but lowered their price target to $10 from $14 on Monday, citing a pullback in digital ad spending. Their target is just below the consensus of analysts polled by Visible Alpha at $11, which would imply roughly 25% upside from Monday’s close at $8.83.

The stock has had a tough start to 2025, with shares down about 18% year-to-date amid economic uncertainty in the face of President Trump’s shifting tariff policies. Reddit shares have lost over one-quarter of their value over the same period, while Meta shares dropped 6%.

The Deutsche Bank analysts said they will be watching Snap’s earnings call for “clarity on advertiser sentiment and the impact on the macro environment to budgets.” However, Deutsche Bank noted the platform is less exposed to Chinese e-commerce spending than some of its peers, and could be a beneficiary if Chinese-owned TikTok is ultimately banned in the U.S.

Reddit, slated to report Thursday, has “been the most impacted by recent macro weakness of its peer groups,” the analysts said, adding the company “has tapped into experimental ad budgets for growth, which tend to be the first cut in a pullback.” Deutsche Bank dropped its price target to $180 from $235, though still above the Street consensus of $152 and Monday’s close around $121.

Daily active users will also be in focus after Reddit missed expectations a quarter ago, thanks in part to changes to the Google Search algorithm.

Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) had posted better-than-expected results last week, in what could offer a “positive read-through” for Reddit and support “sustained momentum” for Snap, the analysts said. Alphabet’s signs of success with AI features could also bode well for Meta, set to report Wednesday, with analysts largely bullish on its AI-driven growth.

Editor’s Note: President Trump’s first 100 days in office are set to end tomorrow, April 29. We’ve seen a lot of action taken in that short timeframe – a record number of executive orders, tariffs and a massive effort to reshore the manufacturing sector, to name a few.

However, my InvestorPlace colleague Luke Lango says there is a major roadblock to Trump’s economic agenda. Specifically, he says we’re going to need a revolution in physical AI (aka robots) to make it happen. All we need to get there is a catalyst…

That could come as soon as this summer, according to Luke. In fact, it could cause a “panic” that causes more than $7 trillion in cash to leave the sidelines.

Luke will reveal all the details for how you can prepare for this in his Summer Panic Summit Event on Thursday, May 1, at 7 p.m. Eastern. Click here to automatically sign up for your spot!

For now, I’ll turn it over to Luke, so he can explain how this new form of AI will take shape…

*************************

Here is a hard truth few in Washington will say out loud.

President Trump’s economic agenda faces a major challenge.

Reindustrializing America. Reshoring manufacturing. Bringing back “Made in the USA.”

Trump has made this a central part of his economic agenda.

But no one is talking about a major roadblock preventing all this from happening.

Here is the hard truth: You can’t bring back American manufacturing unless robots do most of the work.

It’s all about the numbers.

There simply are not enough people, enough skill, or cheap enough labor to make it happen any other way. 

That reality means one thing for investors: physical AI — not just digital AI — is about to explode.

However, the stocks of companies developing and using physical artificial intelligence – robotics and other forms of AI-powered automation – can’t explode yet.

They need a catalyst. 

Something that will uncap $7 trillion in cash that’s been sitting on the sidelines and, basically, cause a “Summer Panic” in the markets.

So in this issue, let’s dig a little deeper into that catalyst – and all 7 trillion of those dollars.

Plus, I’ll start to show you why this “Summer Panic” could drive physical AI stocks higher.

And I’ll reveal the No. 1 way you can position yourself to grab some of those gains.

Take a look…

An Imminent $7 Trillion “Summer Panic” Catalyst

Today, roughly $7 trillion is parked in money‑market funds, earning about 4.5% while investors wait for better opportunities to pop up. 

In other words, we’re all waiting for a catalyst that could be the pin that pops the “cash bubble,” unleashing a violent rotation back into stocks — what we’re calling the 2025 Summer Panic

In fact, I’m so confident that this big event scheduled to take place very soon — May 7 to be exact – that it is virtually guaranteed to trigger huge moves in the market.

It has been almost 30 years — since 1997 — since investors last saw the same one‑two punch of this bullish signal and a breakthrough technology platform. Back then it was the internet. This year it is artificial intelligence.

When that cash stampede begins, history suggests it will not dribble in slowly. In 1997 the same signal sent money‑market balances down 8% in a single quarter and ignited a two‑year melt‑up that minted millionaires.

I believe the setup is even stronger now. And on May 7, the $7 trillion sitting in cash could rush toward the very companies building America’s AI‑powered factory floor.

Trump’s Reshoring Agenda: Big Vision, Big Problem

President Trump is pushing what may be the boldest industrial policy in U.S. history — a $500 billion commitment to expand AI infrastructure through the Stargate Project, support domestic manufacturing, and restore U.S. supply‑chain independence.

It is a compelling vision: chip fabs in Ohio, EV‑battery plants in Michigan, robotics in Texas, steel in Pennsylvania.

But no one is talking about a major problem: Who is going to work in all these factories?

Labor Supply: The People Simply Aren’t There

As of today, fewer than 2 million Americans are filing for unemployment benefits. Meanwhile, the president’s reshoring goals imply replacing tens of millions of overseas manufacturing jobs.

• China has more than 100 million manufacturing workers.
• India has about 20 million.
• Vietnam has more than 10 million.

That is 130 million to 150 million manufacturing jobs in just three Asian countries, many of which feed U.S. supply chains. Yet the United States cannot staff its existing plants, never mind an expanded industrial base, without automation.

Labor Quality: Americans Don’t Want These Jobs

The United States offshored manufacturing work for a reason. The positions are difficult, often dangerous, and generally not the kind of roles in which young Americans see a future.

A recent Cato Institute survey captured the mismatch:

• 80% of respondents say the nation would be better off if more people worked in manufacturing.
• Only 20% say they would be better off working in a factory.

The workforce has moved on.

But, if President Trump has his way, the factories will be moving back.

Labor Cost: We Can’t Compete on Wages

The economics here are even starker:

• Minimum wage in China averages about $300 a month.
• Vietnam: roughly $200.
• India: below $200 in many regions.
• U.S. federal minimum wage implies more than $1,200 a month, and factories often pay far more.

U.S. labor is four to six times as expensive as most Asian labor. That math doesn’t pencil out unless companies deploy AI-powered machines that don’t take breaks, benefits, or paid time off.

Robots: The Only Way Reshoring Works

Put simply: Trump’s industrial renaissance only works if robots build it.

The 21st‑century American factory will not look like Detroit in the 1950s. It will look like Tesla Inc.’s (TSLA) Gigafactory, multiplied across industries.

There will be fewer humans working inside them, replaced instead by dozens of industrial arms, autonomous material handling, machine vision‑based quality-assurance systems, and zero‑light warehouses.

The goal may be to replace Chinese or Indian labor with American labor. The reality is that we’ll replace foreign humans with domestic machines.

That is why our team sees physical AI — robots, automation systems, machine vision — as the next leg of the AI Revolution.

Enter the Physical AI Revolution

Until now, most of the AI hype has revolved around language models, chatbots, and digital copilots. Those software breakthroughs have been transformative for knowledge work.

But the next frontier is the physical world:

• Factory robots that can see, learn, and adapt.
• Warehouse pick‑and‑pack bots powered by machine vision models.
• Autonomous forklifts and mobile platforms.
• AI‑driven robotic arms that can manufacture, weld, and inspect.

With Stargate’s build‑out of domestic compute capacity, that kind of robotic intelligence can scale quickly. Just as ChatGPT catalyzed digital AI adoption, the Trump administration-supported 2025‑’26 infrastructure wave could catalyze physical‑AI adoption across manufacturing, logistics, and defense.

Finding market-beating investments within emerging tech megatrends such as this is exactly what I excel at. My predictive record in emerging tech is well documented:

• TipRanks named me the No. 1 Stock Picker of 2020, out of more than 15,000 professionals.
• Since 2014, I have highlighted almost 200 stocks that went on to double and more than a dozen that soared 10X, 20X, even 30X — including Alphabet Inc. (GOOG), Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), Meta Platforms Inc. (META), Apple Inc. (AAPL), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Tesla Inc. (TSLA), and Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) long before they were household names.
• Those “Mag 7” calls turned a hypothetical $70,000 total investment (seven positions at $10,000 each) into about $1.2 million at peak.

Now, I believe the next wealth‑defining list will be a basket of small, U.S.‑based physical‑AI leaders I’m calling the “MAGA 7.” No, I’m taking political sides here. 

In this case, “MAGA” stands for Make AI Great in America.

The Generational‑Wealth Window

This rare alignment of (1) a rally-inducing market signal (the one I’m predicting will happen on May 7), (2) a record cash hoard, and (3) a breakthrough technology platform has happened once in modern history — the late‑1990s dot‑com era. 

Investors who acted early in 1997 could have turned five‑figure stakes into six‑ and seven‑figure fortunes in just a few years.

If I’m right, May 7 could mark the start of a second, and possibly larger, melt‑up — one in which physical‑AI winners become the new titans of American industry.

That is the sort of opportunity often described as “generational wealth.” It is not about adding a few percentage points to a portfolio. It is about potentially changing a family’s balance sheet for decades.

This is not merely a policy trend. It is an investment megatrend.

• The economic math points to automation.
• Political momentum points to domestic buildout.
• The AI infrastructure build points to a physical AI supercycle.

President Trump wants to bring manufacturing back to America, but only robots can make the math work. If the Fed signals an easing cycle on May 7, the $7 trillion in sidelined cash could rush into the exact names supplying America’s next factory workforce.

That is why this coming Thursday, May 1, at 7 p.m. Eastern, I’m hosting an urgent strategy online session. During the event, I’ll show you how we can not only protect our portfolios this summer… but also see triple-digit gains in the coming years.

Plus, like I’ve been saying, I’ll detail seven new opportunities – the “MAGA 7” – at the center of this historic Summer Panic. 

To get ahead, sign up for my 2025 Summer Panic Summit on May 1, at 7 p.m. Eastern, to learn more about the stocks that could go parabolic.

Sincerely,

Luke Lango,
Senior Investment Analyst

Some analysts’ wheels are turning again about the outlook for Peloton Interactive (PTON).

Analysts with Truist on Monday upgraded the U.S.-based exercise equipment company’s stock to “buy” from “hold,” according to a research note from the bank.

Truist analysts said they believe Peloton’s stock “is finally nearing a point where the company’s improving fundamentals should support a gradual recovery of its equity.” The bank set its price target for Peloton at $11 a share, while the average target among 10 brokers who cover Peloton is about $10.20, according to Visible Alpha.

Truist said it downgraded Peloton three years ago to “hold” from “buy” after a boom for the company during the pandemic and a subsequent stock-price plunge of about 98% to $3.30 by April 2024 from its peak of above $167 a share in January of 2021.

New CEO Seeks To Deliver on Profitability Targets

But analysts believe the company may be pedaling toward recovery, as new CEO Peter Stern has set his sights on delivering on 2025 fiscal-year profitability targets, then, as Truist sees it, will focus on revenue growth starting the next year, something analysts say will be a “positive catalyst” for the stock.

“We met with the company recently and walked away encouraged,” the Truist note said.

Shares of Peloton are up more than 3% Monday afternoon at $6.49 and have more than doubled in the last 12 months. Peloton is expected to report its fiscal third-quarter earnings on May 8.

Athletic shoe companies appear to have an advantage over other footwear manufacturers in the tariff era, according to Citi Research analysts.

Companies making retailsneakers and hiking boots have relatively limited exposure to China, whose exports currently are subject to a 145% import tax, Citi wrote in a research note Monday. The analysts said tariffs on other countries seem “digestible”—assuming that the tax rate remains in the neighborhood of 10%—for many such companies.

Still, Citi lowered its price targets for all the athletic apparel companies—citing weakening economic conditions—and distinguished between brands with and without the ability to raise prices.

Citi’s Analysis of Athletic Footwear Makers Amid Tariffs

Here is how they see major footwear companies faring:

• On Holding (ONON), a Swiss company selling running, tennis and hiking shoes, sources about 90% of its materials in Vietnam, the analysts said. On Holding is also less likely to face a consumer backlash in China than American brands may there, according to Citi, which upgraded its shares to “buy” from “neutral.”
• Amer Sports (AS), the originally Finnish business behind Arc’teryx and Salomon hiking shoes, sources about 20% of U.S. products from China, but should be able to charge customers more for them, the Citi analysts said. They maintained a “buy” rating.
• Deckers Outdoor (DECK), the parent of Hoka and Ugg shoe brands, is “in a solid position to pass-through price to the consumer,” the analysts wrote, maintaining their “buy” rating on the company.
• Lululemon Athletica (LULU), an athletic shoe and attire company, is a Canadian brand, and therefore, should suffer less from anti-American sentiment, the analysts said. But Lululemon may also have a harder time raising prices, according to analysts, who maintained their “neutral” rating.
• Nike (NKE) was struggling with excess inventory before tariffs were announced and its sales may be more vulnerable now that anti-American sentiment is a concern, Citi said. It maintained a “neutral” rating on Nike shares.
• Under Armour (UA, UAA), another U.S. athletic clothing and shoe company, is in the middle of an attempted brand turnaround, and has “limited pricing power,” Citi said. Its analysts maintained their “neutral” rating on Under Armour.

Published on April 28th, 2025 by Bob Ciura
Spreadsheet data updated daily

We recommend long-term investors focus on high-quality dividend stocks. To that end, we view the Dividend Aristocrats as among the best dividend stocks to buy-and-hold for the long run.

The Dividend Aristocrats have a long history of outperforming the market when it comes to risk-adjusted returns. There are currently 69 Dividend Aristocrats.

You can download an Excel spreadsheet of all 69 Dividend Aristocrats (with metrics that matter such as dividend yields and price-to-earnings ratios) by clicking the link below:

 

Disclaimer: Sure Dividend is not affiliated with S&P Global in any way. S&P Global owns and maintains The Dividend Aristocrats Index. The information in this article and downloadable spreadsheet is based on Sure Dividend’s own review, summary, and analysis of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL) and other sources, and is meant to help individual investors better understand this ETF and the index upon which it is based. None of the information in this article or spreadsheet is official data from S&P Global. Consult S&P Global for official information.

This article begins with an overview of the Dividend Aristocrats list. Then, we list our top 10 high growth Dividend Aristocrats.

The list below is comprised of 10 Dividend Aristocrats, all of which have raised their dividends for over 25 years in a row, and are included in the S&P 500 Index.

This article will list the 10 Dividend Aristocrats with the highest returns expected to come from earnings growth. This does not analyze expected total returns, but rather how much future earnings growth will factor into the expected total returns.

These 10 Dividend Aristocrats do not have high dividend yields today. But with their outsized dividend growth potential, these 10 Dividend Aristocrats are optimal dividend stocks to buy and hold for the long run.

Table of Contents

Dividend Aristocrats Overview

The requirements to be a Dividend Aristocrat are:

• Be in the S&P 500
• Have 25+ consecutive years of dividend increases
• Meet certain minimum size & liquidity requirements

All Dividend Aristocrats are high-quality businesses based on their long dividend histories. A company cannot pay rising dividends for 25+ years without having a strong and durable competitive advantage.

But not all Dividend Aristocrats make equally good investments today. That’s where the spreadsheet in this article comes into play. You can use the Dividend Aristocrats spreadsheet to quickly find quality dividend investment ideas.

The list of all 69 Dividend Aristocrats is valuable because it gives you a concise list of all S&P 500 stocks with 25+ consecutive years of dividend increases (that also meet certain minimum size and liquidity requirements).

A sector breakdown of the Dividend Aristocrats Index is shown below:

The top 2 sectors by weight in the Dividend Aristocrats are Industrials and Consumer Staples. The Dividend Aristocrats Index is tilted toward Consumer Staples and Industrials relative to the S&P 500.

These 2 sectors make up over 40% of the Dividend Aristocrats Index, but less than 20% of the S&P 500.

The Dividend Aristocrats Index is also significantly underweight the Information Technology sector, with a ~3.5% allocation compared with over 20% allocation within the S&P 500.

The following 10 Dividend Aristocrats have strong business models, durable competitive advantages, and long-term dividend growth potential.

High Growth Dividend Aristocrat #10: Genuine Parts Co. (GPC)

Genuine Parts has the world’s largest global auto parts network, with more than 10,800 locations worldwide. As a major distributor of automotive and industrial parts, Genuine Parts generates annual revenue of nearly $24 billion.

Source: Investor Presentation

It operates two segments, which are automotive (includes the NAPA brand) and the industrial parts group which sells industrial replacement parts to MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) and OEM (original equipment manufacturer) customers.

Customers are derived from a wide range of segments, including food and beverage, metals and mining, oil and gas, and health care.

Genuine Parts posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on February 18th, 2025, and results were better than expected on both the top and bottom lines. Adjusted earnings-per-share came to $1.61, which was six cents ahead of estimates.

Revenue was up 3.3% year-over-year to $5.8 billion, beating estimates by $90 million. The company noted acquisitions added 3.2% to sales, forex translation added 0.6%, and comparable sales fell 0.5%.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on GPC (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Growth Dividend Aristocrat #9: Lowe’s Companies (LOW)

Lowe’s Companies is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the US (after Home Depot). It operates or services more than 1,700 home improvement and hardware stores in the U.S.

Lowe’s reported fourth quarter 2024 results on February 26th, 2025. Total sales came in at $18.60 billion compared to $18.55 billion in the same quarter a year ago.

Comparable sales increased by 0.2%, while net earnings-per-share of $1.99 compared to $1.77 in fourth quarter 2023.

Adjusted EPS was lower at $1.93. Lowe’s continues to be negatively impacted from a reduction in DIY discretionary spending.

The company repurchased 5.5 million shares in the quarter for $1.4 billion. Additionally, it paid out $650 million in dividends.

Lowe’s initiated its fiscal 2025 outlook and expects to earn diluted EPS of $12.15 to $12.40 on total sales of $83.5 to $84.5 billion.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on LOW (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Growth Dividend Aristocrat #8: Emerson Electric Co. (EMR)

Emerson Electric is a diversified global leader in technology and engineering. Its global customer base and diverse product and service offerings afford it more than $17 billion in annual revenue.

Emerson posted first quarter earnings on February 5th, 2025, and results were mixed. Adjusted earnings-per-share came to $1.38, which was a dime ahead of estimates. Revenue was up 1.5% year-over-year to $4.18 billion, but missed estimates by $40 million.

Underlying sales rose 2%, and adjusted segment EBITDA margin was 28% of revenue, a 340-basis point improvement from the year-ago period. Gross profit reached a record level of 53.5% of revenue, supported by operational efficiencies, cost controls, and acquisition synergies.

Free cash flow was $694 million, up 89% year-over-year, with working capital improvements being the primary driver. Emerson’s backlog rose to $7.3 billion, excluding forex translation impacts.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on EMR (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Growth Dividend Aristocrat #7: Ecolab, Inc. (ECL)

Ecolab Inc. is the global leader in water, hygiene, and energy technologies and services, with a presence in more than 170 countries.

The company operates in four major business segments: Global Industrial, Global Institutional, Global Healthcare and Global Pest Elimination.

Source: Investor Presentation

In mid-February, Ecolab reported (2/11/25) financial results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024. Organic sales grew 4% over the prior year’s quarter, primarily thanks to accelerated growth in the Industrial and Healthcare segments.

Thanks to higher volumes, material price hikes and lower supply chain costs, adjusted earnings-per-share grew 17%, from $1.55 to $1.81, and exceeded the analysts’ consensus by $0.01.

Moreover, thanks to robust pricing and new business wins, management provided strong guidance for 2025. It expects earnings-per-share of $7.42-$7.62, implying 13% growth over the prior year at the mid-point.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on ECL (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Growth Dividend Aristocrat #6: Roper Technologies Inc. (ROP)

Roper Technologies is a specialized industrial company that manufactures products such as medical and scientific imaging equipment, pumps, and material analysis equipment.

Roper Technologies also develops software solutions for the healthcare, transportation, food, energy, and water industries. The company was founded in 1981, generates  around $5.4 billion in annual revenues, and is based in Sarasota, Florida.

On January 30th, 2025, Roper posted its Q4 and full-year results for the period ending December 31st, 2024. Quarterly revenues and adjusted EPS were $1.88 billion and $4.81, indicating up 16% and 10% year-over-year, respectively.

Source: Investor Presentation

The company’s momentum during the quarter remained strong, with organic growth coming in at 7% and acquisitions driven growth coming in at 9%.

Organic growth was once again driven by broad-based strength across its portfolio of niche leading businesses. For the year, adjusted EPS grew by almost 10% to $18.31.

Backed by Roper’s growth momentum, balance sheet strength, and a large pipeline of quality acquisition opportunities, management believes Roper is well positioned for continued double-digit cash flow growth.

Further, Roper introduced its adjusted EPS guidance for FY2025, expecting it to land between $19.75 and $20.00.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on ROP (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Growth Dividend Aristocrat #5: W.W. Grainger (GWW)

W.W. Grainger, headquartered in Lake Forest, IL, is one of the world’s largest business-to-business distributors of maintenance, repair, and operations (“MRO”) supplies.

Grainger has more than 4.5 million active customers, with more than 30 million products offered globally.

On January 31st, 2025, W.W. Grainger posted its Q4 and full-year results. For the quarter, revenues were $4.23 billion, up 5.9% on a reported basis and up 4.7% on a daily, constant currency basis compared to last year.

Results were driven by solid performance across the board. The High-Touch Solutions segment achieved sales growth of 4.0% due to volume growth in all geographies.

Source: Investor Presentation

In the Endless Assortment segment, sales were up 15.1%. Revenue growth for the segment was driven by core B2B customers across the segment as well as enterprise customer growth at MonotaRO.

Net income equaled $475 million, up 20.2% compared to Q4-2023. Net income was boosted by a 110 basis point expansion in the operating margin to 15.0%.

Earnings-per-share came in at $9.74, 22.8% higher year-over-year, and were further aided by stock buybacks. For the year, EPS reached a record $38.71.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on GWW (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Growth Dividend Aristocrat #4: Nordson Corp. (NDSN)

Nordson was founded in 1954 in Amherst, Ohio by brothers Eric and Evan Nord, but the company can trace its roots back to 1909 with the U.S. Automatic Company.

Today the company has operations in over 35 countries and engineers, manufactures, and markets products used for dispensing adhesives, coatings, sealants, biomaterials, plastics, and other materials, with applications ranging from diapers and straws to cell phones and aerospace.

Source: Investor Presentation

On February 19th, 2025, Nordson reported first quarter results for the period ending January 31, 2025. For the quarter, the company reported sales of $615 million, 3% lower compared to $633 million in Q1 2024, which was driven by organic sales decrease of 9%, partly offset by a positive acquisition impact.

Medical and Fluid Solutions saw sales increase by 21%, while the Industrial Precision Solutions and Advanced Technology Solutions segments both had sales decreases of 11%. The company generated adjusted earnings per share of $2.06, a 7% decrease compared to the same prior year period.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on NDSN (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Growth Dividend Aristocrat #3: Walmart Inc. (WMT)

Walmart traces its roots back to 1945 when Sam Walton opened his first discount store. The company has since grown into one of the largest retailers in the world, serving over 230 million customers each week.

Revenue will likely be around $600 billion this year.

Walmart posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on February 20th, 2025, and results for Q4 were strong. Adjusted earnings-per-share came to 66 cents, which was a penny ahead of estimates for Q4.

Revenue was up 4.2% year-over-year to $180.6 billion, which beat estimates by $1.6 billion. Global ecommerce sales were up 16%, led by store-fulfilled pickup and delivery, as well as US marketplace.

The timing of Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sales event negatively impacted sales. The global advertising business grew 29%, with the US segment growing 24%.

Comparable sales excluding fuel were up 4.6% year-over-year, with transactions rising 2.8%, and average ticket rising 1.8%.

Online sales rose 20%, which contributed 2.9% of the overall 4.6% gain. Sam’s Club saw comparable sales rise 5.7%, and up 7.1% excluding fuel sales.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on Walmart (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Growth Dividend Aristocrat #2: S&P Global Inc. (SPGI)

S&P Global is a worldwide provider of financial services and business information and revenue of over $13 billion.

Through its various segments, it provides credit ratings, benchmarks and indices, analytics, and other data to commodity market participants, capital markets, and automotive markets.

S&P Global has paid dividends continuously since 1937 and has increased its payout for 51 consecutive years.

S&P posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on February 11th, 2025, and results were much better than expected on both the top and bottom lines.

Adjusted earnings-per-share came to $3.77, which was a staggering 30 cents ahead of estimates. Earnings rose from $3.13 a year ago.

Revenue was up 14% year-over-year to $3.59 billion, beating estimates by $90 million. The company posted revenue growth in all of its operating segments, in addition to strong operating margin expansion.

Operating expenses rose slightly from $2.26 billion to $2.33 billion year-over-year. That led to operating profit of $1.68 billion, sharply higher from $1.39 billion a year ago.

With dividend growth above 10%, SPGI is one of the rock solid dividend stocks.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SPGI (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Growth Dividend Aristocrat #1: Nucor Corp. (NUE)

Nucor is the largest publicly traded US-based steel corporation based on its market capitalization. The steel industry is notoriously cyclical, which makes Nucor’s streak of 52 consecutive years of dividend increases even more remarkable.

Nucor Corporation reported its fourth-quarter 2024 earnings on January 28, 2025, highlighting strong operational performance despite ongoing challenges in the steel industry.

The company posted net earnings of $287 million, or $1.22 per share, and $8.46 per share for the full year. EBITDA reached $751 million for the quarter and nearly $4.4 billion for the year.

Source: Investor Presentation

Nucor ended 2024 with $4.1 billion in cash, reflecting its robust financial position.

As a commodity producer, Nucor is vulnerable to fluctuations in the price of steel. Steel demand is tied to construction and the overall economy.

Investors should be aware of the significant downside risk of Nucor as it is likely to perform poorly in a protracted recession.

That said, Nucor has raised its base dividend for 52 straight years. This indicates the strength of its business model and management team.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on NUE (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Additional Reading

The Dividend Aristocrats are among the best dividend growth stocks to buy and hold for the long run. But the Dividend Aristocrats list is not the only way to quickly screen for stocks that regularly pay rising dividends.

We have compiled a reading list for additional dividend growth stock investing ideas:

If you’ve felt confused, frustrated, or downright sick to your stomach watching the stock market this year, you’re not alone. This has been one of the ugliest, most volatile, and whiplash-inducing starts to a year that Wall Street has ever seen…

Indeed, since January, we’ve endured:

• A 10% correction in the S&P 500 within 20 trading days (between February and March)
• An even more violent 10% drop in just two days in early April – something that’s only happened five other times in the past 100 years, all during moments of crisis like the Great Depression, Black Monday, and 2008’s Great Recession
• One of the biggest single-day rallies ever when markets exploded higher on a hint of tariff relief
  • On April 10, the Dow Jones Industrial Average popped 7.9%, its biggest single-day gain since March 2020. The S&P 500 surged 9.5%, its biggest single-day gain since 2008. And the Nasdaq soared 12.2%, notching its second-best day ever.
• A post-winning-streak slump to begin the first-quarter earnings season, with all three major indices closing in the red.
• And most recently, the market soared in one of the most impressive upward thrusts in history. After closing higher for the fourth straight day, the Nasdaq was up 6.7%, the S&P popped 4.6%, and the Dow rose 2.5%, triggering some ultra-rare and ultra-bullish technical buy signals…

In fact, while the market recovered over the past few trading days, just last week, it was tracking for its third-worst year on record after dropping more than 12% in the first 74 trading days. 

The only years that had worse starts? 1932 and ‘39 – when the U.S. was crawling through the Great Depression. 

Things got that bad this year.

And if you’re wondering what caused this mess in the first place, well, you probably already know the answer…

“Liberation Day.”

How ‘Liberation Day’ Unleashed Stock Market Mayhem

It may have a positive implication, but “Liberation Day” offered no reason to celebrate.

That was the day that U.S. President Trump detonated an economic bomb of sorts, igniting one of the most aggressive, sweeping trade wars in our history. 

He enforced tariffs on nearly every U.S. trading partner that were so big, many thought they would completely freeze global trade. 

Consumer confidence cratered. Treasury yields surged. Widespread panic ran rampant on Wall Street. 

Since then, chaos has been the norm:

• China fired back, imposing tariffs on 128 products it imports from America, including a 25% tariff to aluminum, airplanes, cars, pork, and soybeans, as well as a 15% tariff to fruit, nuts, and steel piping
• Trump responded by hiking tariffs on China even more to 125%
• Then the White House paused tariffs levied against our trading partners – excluding China – while still hiking Chinese tariffs even more
• The U.S. then exempted electronics from those ultra-high China tariffs, with talk of possible auto part exemptions as well
• All the while, the White House claims that the U.S. is having great talks with other trading partners but without any tangible trade deals to show for it
• And while trade tensions do seem to be simmering down, the White House is apparently opening probes to potentially launch a new set of tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals

It feels more like we’re watching a political soap opera instead of a functioning market.

Everyone – from billion-dollar hedge fund managers to Main Street investors – is flying blind.

But here’s the thing…

As painful as it’s been… and as confusing and volatile as it still is…

This may be nothing compared to what’s coming.

Loan Type	New Purchase Rates	Daily Change
30-Year Fixed	6.92%	-0.07
FHA 30-Year Fixed	7.37%	No Change
VA 30-Year Fixed	6.51%	-0.13
20-Year Fixed	6.66%	-0.15
15-Year Fixed	6.00%	-0.09
FHA 15-Year Fixed	6.82%	No Change
10-Year Fixed	5.81%	-0.24
7/6 ARM	7.41%	-0.03
5/6 ARM	7.40%	-0.05
Jumbo 30-Year Fixed	6.91%	-0.13
Jumbo 15-Year Fixed	6.85%	-0.14
Jumbo 7/6 ARM	7.21%	+0.17
Jumbo 5/6 ARM	7.48%	+0.05
Provided via the Zillow Mortgage API

The Weekly Freddie Mac Average

Every Thursday, Freddie Mac, a government-sponsored buyer of mortgage loans, publishes a weekly average of 30-year mortgage rates. Last week’s reading dipped 2 basis points to 6.81%. Last September, the average sank as far as 6.08%. But back in October 2023, Freddie Mac’s average saw a historic rise, surging to a 23-year peak of 7.79%.

Freddie Mac’s average differs from what we report for 30-year rates because Freddie Mac calculates a weekly average that blends five previous days of rates. In contrast, our Investopedia 30-year average is a daily reading, offering a more precise and timely indicator of rate movement. In addition, the criteria for included loans (e.g., amount of down payment, credit score, inclusion of discount points) varies between Freddie Mac’s methodology and our own.

Calculate monthly payments for different loan scenarios with our Mortgage Calculator.

What Causes Mortgage Rates to Rise or Fall?

Mortgage rates are determined by a complex interaction of macroeconomic and industry factors, such as:

• The level and direction of the bond market, especially 10-year Treasury yields
• The Federal Reserve’s current monetary policy, especially as it relates to bond buying and funding government-backed mortgages
• Competition between mortgage lenders and across loan types

Because any number of these can cause fluctuations simultaneously, it’s generally difficult to attribute the change to any one factor.

Macroeconomic factors kept the mortgage market relatively low for much of 2021. In particular, the Federal Reserve had been buying billions of dollars of bonds in response to the pandemic’s economic pressures. This bond-buying policy is a major influencer of mortgage rates.

But starting in November 2021, the Fed began tapering its bond purchases downward, making sizable reductions each month until reaching net zero in March 2022.

Between that time and July 2023, the Fed aggressively raised the federal funds rate to fight decades-high inflation. While the fed funds rate can influence mortgage rates, it doesn’t directly do so. In fact, the fed funds rate and mortgage rates can move in opposite directions.

But given the historic speed and magnitude of the Fed’s 2022 and 2023 rate increases—raising the benchmark rate 5.25 percentage points over 16 months—even the indirect influence of the fed funds rate has resulted in a dramatic upward impact on mortgage rates over the last two years.

The Fed maintained the federal funds rate at its peak level for almost 14 months, beginning in July 2023. But in September, the central bank announced a first rate cut of 0.50 percentage points, and then followed that with quarter-point reductions in November and December.

For its second meeting of 2025, however, the Fed opted to hold rates steady—and it’s possible the central bank may not make another rate cut for months. At their March 19 meeting, the Fed released its quarterly rate forecast, which showed that, at that time, the central bankers’ median expectation for the rest of the year was just two quarter-point rate cuts. With a total of eight rate-setting meetings scheduled per year, that means we could see multiple rate-hold announcements in 2025.

How We Track Mortgage Rates

The national and state averages cited above are provided as is via the Zillow Mortgage API, assuming a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of 80% (i.e., a down payment of at least 20%) and an applicant credit score in the 680–739 range. The resulting rates represent what borrowers should expect when receiving quotes from lenders based on their qualifications, which may vary from advertised teaser rates. © Zillow, Inc., 2025. Use is subject to the Zillow Terms of Use.

During these busy times, it pays to stay on top of the latest profit opportunities. And today’s blog post should be a great place to start. After taking a close look at the latest data on institutional buying pressure and each company’s fundamental health, I decided to revise my Stock Grader recommendations for 113 big blue chips. Chances are that you have at least one of these stocks in your portfolio, so you may want to give this list a skim and act accordingly.

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Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/market360/2025/04/20250428-blue-chip-upgrades-downgrades/.

©2025 InvestorPlace Media, LLC

Shares of Deliveroo soared in London trading Monday after the British food delivery firm said it had received an “indicative proposal” from DoorDash (DASH) to be acquired for 180 pence ($2.40) a share, or roughly 2.72 billion pounds ($3.63 billion).

Deliveroo shares surged 17% in London to 171.9 pence. Shares of DoorDash, which has until 5 p.m. London time May 23 to “announce a firm intention to make an offer,” are little changed in premarket trading.

Deliveroo said it received the proposal on April 5 and that its board indicated to the U.S. company that “should a firm offer be made” at those terms, it “would be minded to recommend such an offer to Deliveroo shareholders.”

Citi analysts on Monday affirmed their “buy” rating on DoorDash stock after the proposed takeover of Deliveroo, saying that the U.K. firm “meets several of DASH’s M&A criteria,” including expanding its geographic reach as well as total addressable market. The U.S. company would need time if it were to expand organically while delivering long-term free cash flow, they said.

Deliveroo, which was established in 2013 and is headquartered in London, operates across nine markets, including France, Ireland, and Singapore.