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Monthly Archives: January 2025

The Power of Dividends

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The Power of Dividends

The markets kicked off the week of January 27–31 on shaky ground, with the Nasdaq sliding more than 3% on Monday. As I’ve said before, markets don’t like surprises—and Monday morning delivered a big one. A Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company announced that its AI assistant could match the performance of major American AI bots while using a fraction of the resources—cheaper chips and smaller data sets. This sent shockwaves through the market, raising doubts about whether the massive spending on AI by heavyweight tech companies will generate the returns many are banking on. AI-driven stocks took a hit, dragging the broader market down with them.

With volatility back in the spotlight, now is a great time to talk about a strategy that can help weather these ups and downs: dividend investing. While stock prices fluctuate, dividends provide a steady stream of income—helping investors stay grounded when markets get choppy.

Weekly Update for the week ending January 24, 2025

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Dividend Fallacy
When a friend told me they were choosing stocks based on dividend yields, it got me thinking—how many of us have fallen into this same trap? High dividend yields can feel like a golden ticket, but are they always as good as they seem? Let’s look at two common pitfalls: the “dividend fallacy” and the “dividend trap.”

Weekly Update for the week ending January 17, 2025

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With the start of another earnings season, I thought it’d be a great time to talk about earnings reports. These reports can seem a bit intimidating, but they’re one of the most important tools for assessing how a company is performing.

Understanding Earnings Reports: What New Investors Should Know

Earnings reports are like a company’s report card, showing how well they’ve performed over a specific period – usually a quarter or a year. They provide key details like revenue, profits, expenses, and earnings per share (EPS), helping investors gauge how a business is doing. For example, steadily growing revenue signals a thriving business, while shrinking profits may raise concerns. Earnings reports also offer management insights about the industry and plans for the future, giving a clearer picture of what’s ahead.

2024 Fourth Quarter Review

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Fourth Quarter Market Recap: A Look Back at the Markets and Portfolios Performance As we say goodbye to 2024 and step into the new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how the North American markets closed out the year. After an impressive third quarter, I was hopeful that the momentum would carry into […]

Weekly Update for the week ending January 3, 2025

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Many professional investors took a break for the Christmas holidays, leading to light trading in the Canadian and American markets. I also stepped back from closely tracking daily market moves, but one thing stood out—the absence of a Santa Claus rally this year. As a result, three of the four major indexes, with only the Nasdaq Composite Index (Nasdaq) spared, and all three of my portfolios posted losses for December, though they still managed gains for the year overall.