The S&P 500 is up about 13% so far this year. In the first quarter US equity markets had a smooth sailing. However volatility returned in the second quarter with last week had four down days in a row. Fear of rising interest rates and inflation caused market participants to evaluate the strength of the …
Continue reading ‘Volatility is One Hurdle to Cross to Achieve Long-Term Goals’ »
Dividend yields of equity markets are generally higher in countries of the US. This is true especially in developed Europe where the dividend culture is more traditional and deep-rooted. Some emerging markets also offer attractive dividend yields. For income investors based in the US, the smart strategy is identify these opportunities abroad and spread their …
Continue reading ‘Dividend Yields for Select Countries 2021’ »
One of the factors that investors are having to deal with this year is Inflation. Soaring demand for goods and services as the economy opens up in the US and shortage of select items are driving prices higher. For example, used auto prices have shot up in recent months due to reduced supply of new …
Continue reading ‘Dividend Stocks Are Great To Beat Rising Inflation’ »
One of the simplest and easiest ways to boost returns in the long-term is to invest in dividend-paying stocks and then reinvesting dividends. Automatic buying of additional shares when dividends are received leads to compounding of returns since stock prices usually go higher. During periods of market volatility dividend reinvesting is even better since additional …
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Most US bank stocks are up by double digit percentage points so far this year. The benchmark KBW Bank Index for example has soared by about 34% YTD. With economic recovery forecast to accelerate this year, investors are betting banks stand to gain the most from the upsurge in economic activity. Many of the foreign …
Continue reading ‘Which Foreign Bank Stocks Are Down Year-to-Date?’ »