Shows
The Dividend Mailbox®Buying in the Storm: How Bear Markets Lead to Higher Dividends and ReturnsMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! Schedule a meeting with us -> Financial Planning & Portfolio Management Almost everyone knows that tariffs and trade wars have sent global markets spiraling, with the Dow down 17% and the S&P 500 down 20% from their highs, based on our recording date. While technically that implies we have entered a bear market, it also means better prices for long-term cash flow. It is human nature to get nervous when markets seem to be on the brink of panic, but dividend growth investors should see times like these as a...2025-04-1537 minThe Dividend Mailbox®EXPRESS MAIL: Williams-Sonoma's Earnings Results and Dividend Increase More on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! Schedule a meeting with us -> Financial Planning & Portfolio Management After Williams Sonoma reported earnings before market open on March 19th, 2025, we saw their results as an excellent example of how to execute a dividend growth strategy on a day-to-day basis. While we have covered $WSM in several previous episodes, it is a case study on dividend growth investing. In what normally takes 10+ years to deliver to investors, Williams Sonoma has provided us with attractive dividend growth and total return in less than 3 years. In t...2025-03-2117 minThe Dividend Mailbox®What Does a 'Fat Pitch' Look Like?More on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! Schedule a meeting with us -> Financial Planning & Portfolio Management While it may be a somewhat misused paraphrase of Warren Buffett's famous baseball analogy, 'fat pitch' is a term often thrown around in investing circles. In most settings, it implies that an investment opportunity is extremely lucrative with a high probability of success—but they are rare. Beyond having the discipline to patiently wait for these opportunities, what does a 'fat pitch' actually look like?In this episode, Greg discusses the concept of 'fat p...2025-03-1533 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Revisiting Hershey: The Market Pays What the Market BearsMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! Schedule a meeting with us -> Financial Planning & Portfolio Management Following brief upward momentum after we first bought Hershey, the stock proceeded to slide downward. Cocoa prices remain elevated, and there is significant uncertainty surrounding the short-term impacts on the company's operations. However, Hershey's recent earnings report shows that the company is more resilient than it may appear.Despite a 20% stock decline, Greg emphasizes that there are still many things to like about Hershey. Simply put, there is much more to t...2025-02-1938 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Predictive Power Lies in Understanding What You OwnMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! Is there anything predictable about the stock market? If so, how much power or truth does it hold? Do sophisticated models and strategies have a predictive edge? Even if you’re an investor with limited experience, the odds are at least one of these questions has piqued your interest at some point in your investing career.In episode 43, Greg discusses predictability in ETF income and dividend growth. He examines various ETFs tracking the S&P 500, such as SPY, IVV, and VOO, highlighting discrepancies in t...2025-01-1841 minThe Dividend Mailbox®You Can’t Pin Down Mr. MarketMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! You, the investor, must choose between investing in two companies based on their financial results over two years. One has steady revenue and earnings growth, alongside decent dividend growth. The other experiences moderate financial decline, but boasts strong dividend growth. Given this information beforehand, which would be the better investment? In our final episode of the year, Greg revives the classic game show Let's Make a Deal to illustrate that even if you know the future, some aspects of investing will always be unknowable. Later, Gr...2024-12-2136 minThe Dividend Mailbox®The S&P 500 Dividend Yield Is Low, but the Next 10 Years Are Simple MathMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! The last time the S&P 500 dividend yield was sitting at 1.17% was in February of 2001. Many investors remember the stretched valuations 23 years ago, and even more so, how the following year proved to correct that exuberance. While stock prices are currently hovering around all-time highs, us dividend growth investors targeting a yield of 2.5-3% may find challenges in this environment.Given this, and the uncertainty surrounding the recent presidential election, Greg spends episode 41 reviewing the foundational pillars behind our investment strategy. Even with low yields, th...2024-11-1938 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Mastering the Corporate Life Cycle and Its Impact on Your InvestmentsMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! The corporate life cycle is an important yet often overlooked factor in investing. Like all things, companies age over time, with each phase having its own pros and cons. In this episode, Greg explores the corporate life cycle's impact on dividend growth investing. Using research from Morgan Stanley and Aswath Damodaran, he covers various stages of a company's life, including startup, young growth, high growth, mature growth, mature stable, and decline— with examples from companies like Rivian, Nvidia, Microsoft, PepsiCo, GE, IBM, Intel, AT&T, and T...2024-10-1938 minThe Dividend Mailbox®With New Leadership, is Starbucks a Solid Dividend Candidate? More on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! When a company’s stock price has struggled for years, a change in management may be just what it needs to get back on track. Even still, new management can’t fix everything. Historically, Starbucks has been an impressive growth story, generating phenomenal wealth for investors. Despite its profitability and strong cash flows, recent challenges have raised questions about whether those days are long gone. In this episode, Greg analyzes the Starbucks story as a potential dividend growth candidate and what the future may hold. He discu...2024-09-1938 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Building Wealth Over 40 Years: Investing Insights With Industry Veteran Kent HughesMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! In our August episode, Greg interviews longtime friend and fellow financial advisor Kent Hughes. Kent has worked in the industry for over 40 years, focusing his investment strategy on quality and market indices. During his career as an advisor, Kent's expertise has earned him placement on both the Forbes and Barron's Top Wealth Advisor lists. Greg and Kent begin the episode by discussing the evolution of the investment industry over the past four decades, the impact of technological advances on market information, and investor behavior. The duo...2024-08-151h 02The Dividend Mailbox®Snap-on: Nearly a Century of Dividend Growth and Tool InnovationMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!In this episode of The Dividend Mailbox, Greg takes an in-depth look at Snap-on (SNA), a company with a rich history of tool innovation and consistent dividend payments since 1939. He discusses the company's evolution from automotive tools to specialized equipment for various industries, its unique franchise model, and its financing arm. By examining Snap-on's business model, financial performance, valuation, management discipline, and potential risks, he makes the case that this seemingly "boring" business checks almost all the boxes and is a compelling investment idea for dividend growth in...2024-07-1634 minThe Dividend Mailbox®The Future of Dividends with Daniel PerisMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! To start our fourth year of The Dividend Mailbox, Greg is joined by Daniel Peris, author of The Ownership Dividend: The Coming Paradigm Shift in the U.S. Stock Market and Head of the Income and Value Group at Federated Hermes. Daniel's deep historical perspective and expertise offer valuable insights into the future of dividend growth strategies and the importance of sustainable dividend investing.Their conversation covers a range of topics including:Historical context and the evolving dynamics of dividend growth investing.Challenges and o...2024-06-1457 minThe Dividend Mailbox®A Dividend Growth Buy, Watch, and SellMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! In today's episode, Greg dives into a practical application of our dividend growth strategy by discussing a recent buy, a watch, and a sell. He starts the episode with Hershey (HSY), exploring why this classic chocolate maker made it into our portfolio despite soaring cocoa prices. Although it may sound like a boring name, companies like this can generate outsized long-term returns. For the watch candidate, Greg turns his attention to CVS Health (CVS). Despite its financial strength and attractive valuation, he discusses CVS's...2024-05-1842 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Cash (Flow) Is KingMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! Between immediate information on the Internet and minute-by-minute stock quotes at your fingertips, investors appear to be more infatuated with price appreciation than anything else. In contrast, prior to the 1990s, investors primarily focused on earning returns through a cash flow of dividends. Even though there has undoubtedly been a shift from cash-focused investing to a market fixated on price performance, cash flows play a critical role in assessing company valuation.In this episode, Greg examines wisdom from "The Ownership Dividend: The Coming Paradigm Shift in...2024-04-1732 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Strategic Dividend Growth Exits: What to ConsiderMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!Check out our Union Pacific Investment ReportIn most cases, holding quality stocks for the long term tends to play out in favor of the investor. However, if a company’s prospects change, there are situations where exiting a position can be warranted. In this episode of The Dividend Mailbox, Greg outlines our decision-making process behind selling off a portion of our IBM position. What started as a turnaround play transformed into a potential value trap. Using IBM as an illustration, Greg provides insight into...2024-03-1528 minThe Dividend Mailbox®How Compounding Can Turn Underperfomers Into Big WinnersMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!Check out our Union Pacific Investment ReportIn this episode, Greg analyzes the wisdom of renowned economist, Jeremey Seigle. Between his investing classic "Stocks for the Long Run," and "The Future for Investors," Siegle maintains that you don't need high growth numbers or a flashy industry, only consistent growth. Although it is seemingly counterintuitive, Seigle presents the power of compounding from a new perspective. Most investors would hope stocks go up, and the quicker the better. But there is an argument for how a stock that g...2024-02-2429 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Dividend Fuel: Chevron and an Ultimately Higher Oil MarketMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!Check out our Union Pacific Investment ReportOver the past decade, the oil industry has become increasingly controversial and subsequently neglected by investors. No one knows when the industry's expiration date will come due, but there are great value and dividend growth investments to be made in the meantime. Even in declining industries, there can still be big winners. For episode 31, Greg focuses on Chevron's resilience in a politically incorrect landscape, including its recent Hess acquisition. He explores the intersection of environmental concerns and th...2024-01-1833 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Are Dysfunctional Dividends Hiding In Your Portfolio?More on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter! Check out our Union Pacific Investment ReportDo you feel confident that the dividends in your portfolio are healthy? What techniques can you use to get a clearer picture of a company's long-term dividend growth prospects? This month, Greg examines a simple 3 decision model from Aswath Damodaran to determine how companies create value for shareholders, and what it means for you as a dividend growth investor. He draws the line between companies that pay a healthy dividend and companies that are in a dysfunctional d...2023-12-2232 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Ignore the Siren Songs of the Market, Tie Yourself to the MastMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!There is a huge difference between understanding compounding and actually understanding the numbers behind it. As a blanket term, compounding is thrown around in the investment arena often, yet few investors are actually patient enough to experience its full potential. Creating real wealth takes time, discipline, and strategy.In this episode, Greg uses our model portfolio to look at a couple of examples that expose just how significant your portfolio income can be when you have the discipline to let it grow. Moreover, he makes t...2023-11-1532 minThe Dividend Mailbox®UNP Deep Dive: A Growing Dividend Is Just Around the BendMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!To most investors, big returns are associated with exciting stories or cutting-edge technology. Since everyone is in the market to make as much money as possible, “boring” companies can be easily dismissed without much second thought. That line of thinking is straightforward enough but it may be misguided. Truthfully, some of the better-performing companies out there are actually pretty boring. When it comes to achieving attractive returns, it is not what a company does that is important, it is how well they do it. In this e...2023-10-1835 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Are You an Intelligent Investor or a Smart Investor?More on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!Is there a difference between being intelligent and being smart? Most people would think of those concepts as one and the same. Although it may be abstract, these are two separate schools of thought entirely. You may go so far as to characterize intelligence as left-brain thinking, and smarts as right-brain reasoning. How does that apply to investing? If you’ve ever regretted an investment decision before, it may have been due to an overreliance on numbers, data, or rules, and not enough on vision.2023-09-2028 minThe Dividend Mailbox®The Formula for Dividend Growth InvestingMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!Do you ever find yourself looking for that one crucial piece that would make you a better investor? Being active in the market naturally drives investors to want to compare notes. When you look at the impressive track record of great investors, it can feel as though they know something you don’t. Is there a formula? What’s the silver bullet? In this episode, Greg reveals seven key factors that he looks for in a good dividend growth story. He explains what they are...2023-08-1734 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Telecom & Tobacco: Analyzing the Legal Liability That Could Limit ReturnsMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!Even though dividend growth stocks typically have a high degree of predictability, that doesn’t mean you can’t end up with surprises. Outside dividend cuts, some of the most significant surprises can come from legal liability - often arising from the distant past. Companies routinely face challenges in the courtroom and are well-equipped to handle their cases, but occasionally they are forced to cut a check with a lot of zeros. The problem for investors is that there is no quantifiable way to know what legal liabi...2023-07-1827 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Discipline Is the Cornerstone of Dividend Growth InvestingMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!If you want to be a successful long-term investor, you must know your discipline and be willing to stick to it. All investing strategies come in and out of favor in the marketplace and they ebb and flow over time. In 2022, we saw high growth and tech companies underperform, while dividend growth companies held up well. So far in 2023, we’re seeing the opposite. However, switching your investment strategy based on short-term performance is almost always ill-advised. Of course, having discipline is easier said than done, but gai...2023-06-2131 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Taking Advantage of UncertaintyMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!By now, almost everyone has heard of the turmoil in the banking sector. The current scenario is much different from that of 2008 yet investors are nonetheless on edge. That has presented the long-term investor with an opportunity to scoop up well-managed banks at an attractive price. But buyer beware, there is a big difference between the haves and the have-nots. Although there may very well be more turbulence in the short term, there are a few candidates worth analyzing. Considering the sell-off in the...2023-05-2340 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Downfalls of a Lottery Ticket Mindset with Jeff Weniger — Head of Equity Strategy at WisdomTreeMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!In this month’s episode, Greg sits down with Jeff Weniger, Head of Equity Strategy at WisdomTree. For the unfamiliar, WisdomTree is a fund and ETF manager with roughly $90 billion in assets under management. What makes WisdomTree’s funds special is that most of them focus on dividend and dividend growth strategies. One of their largest funds is the US Quality Dividend Growth Fund ($DGRW), which incidentally is our largest core position and is one we have mentioned over past episodes. Among their other funds, $DGRW is excep...2023-04-241h 00The Dividend Mailbox®Downfalls of a Lottery Ticket Mindset with Jeff Weniger — Head of Equity Strategy at WisdomTreeIn this month’s episode, Greg sits down with Jeff Weniger, Head of Equity Strategy at WisdomTree. For the unfamiliar, WisdomTree is a fund and ETF manager with roughly $90 billion in assets under management. What makes WisdomTree’s funds special is that most of them focus on dividend and dividend growth strategies. One of their largest funds is the US Quality Dividend Growth Fund ($DGRW), which incidentally is our largest core position and is one we have mentioned over past episodes. Among their other funds, $DGRW is exceptional for gaining exposure to quality dividend growth. Jeff has spent...2023-04-221h 00The Dividend Mailbox®Dividend Cuts Don’t Have to Cut Your IncomeMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!Most of the time, using the screening criteria that are characteristic of good dividend growth companies weeds out the bad apples. When you buy companies that have low debt, attractive yield, high return on invested capital, etc., it can feel like you’ll be cashing those dividends forever. However, companies inevitably run into challenges, and you might get a surprise. If you invest long enough, you’ll eventually find yourself with a dividend that’s been cut and a once attractive investment that has soured. The good news is...2023-03-2245 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Sometimes Value Outweighs Sustainable GrowthMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!When the goal is to compound wealth for decades, there is a significant difference between dividend growth and sustainable dividend growth. While the difference is obvious enough, they are two distinctly different investments and should be treated as such. Although we believe that sustainable dividend growth is ultimately what builds wealth over time, that doesn't mean that other investment ideas should be ignored altogether. When a stock gets cheap enough, even if its dividend is questionable, sometimes you have to jump on it.In this e...2023-02-2240 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Do Dividends Care About Recessions?More on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!Heading into 2023, it seems as though the word recession is on the tip of everyone's tongue. At first thought, a recession might make you grimace, but what do they actually mean in real terms for an investor? Truth be told, you never know you're in a recession until after the fact, but it is essential to understand how they affect the economy. If you're a long-time investor, 2008 and 2001 were painful examples of just how fast your portfolio's value can change. So we know recessions are bad for t...2023-01-2138 minThe Dividend Mailbox®No 7%+ Yields for Us — Here’s WhyMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!If you spend much time managing your own money or researching companies, odds are you have been exposed to high-yielding opportunities. From stocks to bonds to real estate, there are plenty of investments out there that present themselves as quality investments while simultaneously generating large income streams. 7%+ yields seem hard to beat, but there is usually a reason why the yield is so high. In a way, the market is essentially showing the investor a blinking warning light, one that indicates that there is risk b...2022-12-2136 minThe Dividend Mailbox®The Dilemma With Slow GrowthMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!Constructing an attractive yet sustainable dividend growth portfolio is no easy feat, especially one that meets your expectations. As much as you try, you will eventually invest in a company whose dividend growth rate doesn't meet your expectations. For us, we want to attain a dividend growth rate of at least 6% a year on average, and ideally faster than that. Every investor needs a process for evaluating whether a company is a net positive on their portfolio, or if it’s weighing it down. But it’s...2022-11-1830 minThe Dividend Mailbox®When Challenges Arise, the Better Investment Isn't Always ObviousMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our market newsletter!It's safe to say that the stock market faces some daunting problems currently. To some investors, it's enough to make them change their strategy, seek alternate investments, or pull out entirely. Regardless of the negative consequences those actions can have on your portfolio, haven't investors always faced challenges? As Morgan Housel brilliantly states: "Every past market decline looks like an opportunity, and every future decline appears to be a risk." Understandably, if you were to listen to all the noise out there, it'd be hard to...2022-10-2223 minThe Dividend Mailbox®You Don't Need A "Winner" To 10x Your IncomeMore on dividend growth investing -> Join our newsletter!For most investors, if their portfolio went up by X amount in Y years, they'd be satisfied. Yet simultaneously, those same investors secretly hope they bought the next big thing, waiting for the stock's price to grow 10x. In truth, 10x-ing a stock price is challenging. It requires resources, unique ideas, and a willingness to go above and beyond fellow market participants. To the average investor, expecting every investment to go up tenfold might be wishful thinking. But what about growing your portfolio income 10x? Now t...2022-09-1625 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Is Your Goal to Make Money or Build Wealth?More on dividend growth investing -> Join our newsletter!What do you do when one of your investments has rapid success? Do you sell it for a quick gain hoping to buy it back later? Anytime you buy or sell you have to make a decision, and with every decision comes another chance of being wrong. Large jumps in stock prices are tempting, but they put investors at a crossroads. You have to decide if your goal is to make money... or to create wealth.In this month's episode, Greg outlines the best way to ex...2022-08-1626 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Selling Is Easy... But Can You Hold Like Ronald Read?When the only streak in the market seems to be a losing one, it's easy to wonder if you should jump ship. Bear markets test the resolve of even the most seasoned investors. But the investors that achieve next-level success have unwavering faith in their strategy, standing strong regardless of market conditions. One of these exceptional investors is Ronald Read; a simple man, with a simple lifestyle, and a simple strategy. Yet, there was nothing simple about his discipline over the course of more than 70 years of market events.In this month's episode, Greg takes y...2022-07-1527 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Special Interview With Simeon Hyman - Global Investment Strategist at ProSharesIn this month’s special episode, Greg interviews Simeon Hyman, the Global Investment Strategist and Head of Investment Strategy at ProShares. With over $60 billion in managed assets across more than 100 different ETFs and funds, ProShares is a large-scale player in the financial markets. Their second-largest fund, The S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Fund (Ticker: NOBL), is a testament to the power of dividend growth and showcases just how effective compounding returns over time is. During the interview, Greg picks Simeon’s brain about dividend growth investing and how NOBL executes this strategy extremely well. Later...2022-06-1640 minThe Dividend Mailbox®What NOT to Invest in During High Inflation & Other TopicsThere are many factors to blame for the ongoing bear market. While 2022 appears to have never-ending red days, the topic that hits closer to home is red-hot inflation. It may be challenging to invest in an environment like this, but you will undoubtedly lose purchasing power if you don't. It seems investors are between a rock and a hard place.In this episode, Greg eases the dilemma of choosing where to put your assets during high inflation. It shouldn't come as a surprise that a growing income stream of dividends is an excellent place to start. Later...2022-05-1322 minThe Dividend Mailbox®Not Every Stock That Glitters Is Gold, You Have to Dig a Little DeeperOn the surface, a lot of companies may look like they fit the dividend growth model and could be good candidates. But you have to be careful, they could be duds. As with all investment ideas, it's never a bad thing to dig a little bit deeper into the company. At a minimum, you have to get a clear picture of how the company can sustain its operations, margins, and dividends. If it is hard to see how the company gets from point A to point B, that is a red flag. In this episode, Greg uses W...2022-04-1522 min