Post title

A list of authors whose posts do not appear in your feed

Blocked authors

 Outstanding nominal value as of the current date

Average price of a bond, in % of face value

The current yield indicates the ratio of the accrued coupon to the current market price of the bond. It can be used in cases where attachments are considered for a short period of time. In this situation, the change in the market price can sometimes be neglected.

Bond duration is a way of measuring how much bond prices are likely to change if and when interest rates move.

Effective yield to maturity. It considers both coupon income and profit/loss due to the difference between the purchase price and the repayment price. Effective yield shows the investor the return on invested funds with reinvested coupons and depreciation.

Listing level — stock exchange assessment of securities reliability.

The ratio of the annual coupon to the "dirty" price of the bond, including the accrued interest. This type of yield can be used in the case of short-term investments, when the investment horizon is within one coupon period.

Average purchase price of a bond, in % of face value

Up to 2 years - short-term, up to 5 years - mid-term, more than 5 years - long-term

Bond type - goverment, municipal or corporate

Coupon yield % per annum of nominal value (coupon amount per year/nominal value)

 Simple yield to maturity. It considers both coupon income and profit/loss due to the difference between the purchase price and the repayment price. Simple yield shows the investor the return on invested funds without reinvested coupons.

Stay updated with the latest market trends and discover new growth opportunities with our blog.

New and interesting articles

The fund expense ratio is the annual fee expressed as a percentage of a mutual fund or ETF's average assets, covering management, administrative, and other operational costs. It directly reduces investors' returns.

10 years

12 trailing months

1 day

1 month

1 year

3 months

5 years

6 months

1 week

all time

Choose a period

year to date

When it comes to diversification, one of my rules of thumb is to try and avoid letting any individual position make up more than 10% of my portfolio. This doesn’t include ETFs, of course.

For the most part, I’ve done a good job of sticking to that over the years, but I am cutting it close with a few of my holdings right now.

In fact, my top five positions make up about 40% of my portfolio’s total value. In this newsletter, I’m going to walk you through exactly what these holdings are, why I own them, and how much dividend income they’re bringing in for me every year.

) is one of the most reliable consumer staples companies in the world. I bet you could look around your house right now and find at least a handful of PG products.

Their lineup is full of household essentials—everything from Tide laundry detergent to Pampers diapers to Crest toothpaste—which creates consistent demand no matter what’s happening in the economy. After all, people are always going to brush their teeth and wash their clothes, and babies are always going to need diapers.

PG is also a dividend king that has been growing its dividend for over 65 consecutive years, making it one of the safest sleep-well-at-night (SWAN) stocks you can own. I’m happy to have it as one of my largest positions.

) is the world leader in animal health, and the newest addition to my portfolio.

They make health care and pharmaceutical products for the pets we own (cats and dogs) and the animals we eat (poultry, livestock, and fish). Zoetis spun off from Pfizer back in 2013, and is in an industry that’s continues to expand as pet ownership and the demand for protein continues to grow.

The share price has been pretty flat since I started buying it a few months ago, but the business itself has historically been a strong grower. And the dividend has followed suit, with a 5-year dividend growth CAGR of over 20%.

), which is a company that needs no introduction. I think Visa is the gold standard of stocks, and I can’t think of a more financially perfect company.

Visa is a free cash-flow printing machine, and even though it’s my largest individual stock position (but not by much), I wish I owned twice as many shares. This is one stock I’d definitely break my 10% rule of thumb for.

 as much as my individual stock positions, but this ETF has been a cornerstone of my portfolio and offers something I don’t get from my individual stocks.

With just this one ETF, I get exposure to 500 of the largest U.S. companies—which gives me the opportunity to buy into (and benefit from) the entire American economy.

The yield isn’t huge at around 1.2%, but between share price appreciation and steady dividend growth, VOO makes for a great foundation in the portfolio.

#1 — Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD)

 has been the largest position in my portfolio for a while now, and despite the negative sentiment currently surrounding the fund, I still consider it to be the Holy Grail of Dividend ETFs.

With SCHD, you’re not getting sketchy stocks with no proven track record. You’re buying into high-quality, recognizable companies with strong financials and a history of consistently growing their dividends like 

—along with 100 other dividend-paying companies.

With a double-digit dividend growth rate, a solid yield, and a focus on high-quality businesses, it’s been the perfect holding for my dividend portfolio, and it pairs really well with VOO.

Overall, I’m really happy with my top five, and now I’d love to hear from you: What are your top 5 largest positions? Let me know in the comments below!

And if you want to learn about a few stocks that I think are ALMOST PERFECT, check out this video 

These 5 Stocks Make Up 40% of My Portfolio

Normally, high-yield income funds are expected to underperform their benchmark index. The trade-off is simple: you give up some growth potential for a steady stream of income. But what if you could have both? I recently gave the Amplify CWP Growth & Income ETF, or QDVO, an honorable mention, and since then, its performance has only become more impressive. This fund, which yields approximately 8%, has delivered a higher total return than the NASDAQ 100 itself over the past year. Now that it’s celebrated its first birthday, it’s time for a deeper look inside.

So, what is QDVO and how does it manage this? The fund is actively managed by Capital Wealth Planning. Its strategy is two-fold: first, it actively selects a concentrated portfolio of growth stocks, typically between 20 and 40 holdings. While its top names look a lot like the largest NASDAQ 100 stocks, it's not a pure index fund. For example, it includes companies like Visa and Home Depot, which aren't in the NASDAQ 100, and it weights its holdings differently. The second part of its strategy is to generate income by selling covered calls, a core component of its distributions.

The key to its success seems to be its option strategy. Unlike funds that sell calls on their entire portfolio, QDVO’s approach appears to give up less of the upside. We saw this during the "tariff chaos" market correction in April, where QDVO’s total return dropped significantly less than half that of the NASDAQ 100. Its call options have a shorter duration—less than four weeks—and it sells calls on individual stocks, not just the overall index. This dynamic strategy seems to have allowed it to capture more of the market’s upside, which is why it has outperformed the NASDAQ 100 over the past year.

As for taxes and fees, there's a notable difference compared to some other popular funds. While some competitors are known for distributing a high percentage of tax-advantaged return of capital, the evidence for QDVO suggests its distributions are largely ordinary income. This is a key consideration for investors. However, its expense ratio is slightly lower than some competitors, which is a small plus.

My take is that QDVO offers an intriguing blend of growth and income. Its ability to outperform the NASDAQ while providing an 8% yield is a rare find. My portfolio is mostly optimized for income, but I'm excited by the prospect of this fund's income stream growing as it continues to perform. While I remain cautious due to its short history, I plan to start a small position and add to it slowly as long as its strong performance continues. After all, the evidence so far suggests that for an income investor, this one is a serious contender.

This 8% Yielder is Outperforming the NASDAQ!

Let’s be honest, one of the first things all of us dividend investors look at is the yield. We try to fight it, we try to deny it, but the higher the yield, the more tempting the stock becomes.

With that said, a dividend yield that looks too good to be true tends to come with more of a story. And right now, the situation with UPS—a company that needs no introduction—is definitely a story worth telling.

Over the past year, the share price has dropped about 30%, and if you zoom out over the past five years, the stock is still down roughly 35%.

That’s pretty poor performance, no doubt, but that decline has pushed the dividend yield up to 7.65%—which is more than double the company’s five-year average of just 3.3%.

Typically, when a stock’s dividend yield moves up above the historical average, that makes it look like a bargain (since dividend yields tend to stay within a certain historical range).

In the case of UPS, that makes it look pretty attractively valued. But the real question is whether this is a golden opportunity for income-seeking investors, or a warning sign that something is wrong with the company.

Now UPS is one of those companies we all interact with—probably some more regularly than others. The company delivers millions of packages every day, which undoubtedly makes it an essential part of global commerce.

What makes a company like UPS tough to compete with is the combination of its global scale, distribution network, and unmistakable brand. You can’t just wake up one day and build out the fully-functioning network of planes, trucks, warehouses, delivery routes, and technology that UPS has spent over 100 years putting together (the company was 

The problem is that after hitting record highs in 2021 and 2022—when sales, earnings per share, and free cash flow were at all-time highs—UPS has taken an undeniable step backward.

As we can see from the charts above, earnings and free cash flow in particular have been moving in the wrong direction, which is a big red flag for dividend investors. Lower earnings and free cash flow mean less dividend coverage, which can call into question the safety of the dividend.

Fortunately, the company is still generating plenty of revenue, but it hasn’t been able to turn that into consistent bottom-line growth. One of the biggest reasons is higher labor costs.

 with the Teamsters union, which secured major pay increases and benefits for roughly 340,000 employees. While that was a big win for workers, it’s also a heavier cost burden for the company moving forward.

Another detriment to the financials is declining package volumes. Domestic demand has been trending down over the last few years, and UPS isn’t the only company feeling the impact.

Other shipping and logistics companies, like Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL), have also reported weaker shipping volumes. Subsequently, their share price has also taken a pretty big hit.

This suggests that the slowdown isn’t entirely UPS’s fault. Some of the blame can be passed on to the broader economy.

In addition to declining earnings and free cash flow, there are some other cracks starting to show.

Debt, for example, doesn’t look terrible at first glance. Net debt to free cash flow is sitting at about 3.9x on a trailing twelve-month basis, which is manageable. The issue here, though, is the interest coverage ratio.

Back in 2021, UPS could cover its interest more than 25 times over. Today, that figure has fallen to just 7.5—slightly below where I’d like to see it (my threshold is about 8.0).

The dividend tells a similar story. The current 7.65% yield is undoubtedly hard to ignore, but the payout ratios are looking a bit too questionable for my liking.

In 2021, UPS was paying out just 26% of earnings and 33% of free cash flow as dividends. While the company was generating peak profits during this time, both of these numbers still left plenty of wiggle room for the dividend.

Fast forward to today, and the earnings payout ratio has shot up to 97%, while the free cash flow payout ratio has exploded to more than 158%. That’s certainly not sustainable.

Part of the reason these payout ratios shot up so much has to do with the declining earnings and free cash flow, but it didn’t help that UPS raised its dividend by nearly 50% back in 2022.

Once again, these were peak profit years, so they were likely riding high off of that. But now the fundamentals haven’t kept up, and that’s exactly why I’m so concerned that the company may have no other option than to cut the dividend.

All in all, I don’t own any shares of UPS, and at this point, I’m not interested in buying it. The financials have been moving in the wrong direction, and the dividend coverage (or lack thereof) is a major red flag for me.

If I wanted exposure to shipping and logistics, I’d rather look at companies like Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) or even FedEx (FDX).

Both companies have much lower starting yields, but the fundamentals are stronger and the long-term dividend growth potential looks better. To me, those are better options than chasing yield with UPS right now.

Having said all of that, I’d love to hear from you. Do you own any shares of UPS, or are you thinking about buying at these levels? Let me know in the comments below!

And if you want to learn about a few stocks that, like UPS, I think could be next to cut their dividends, check out this video 

UPS Is DIRT CHEAP With a 7.65% Yield — Bargain or Dividend Trap?

 and flows to China, Simandou equates to 

 of activity (assumes ~200kt cargoes, realistic speeds/port times).

Illustrative one-way distances to Qingdao (China):

 Australia, multiplying ton-miles for any given tonnage.

(Actuals vary with routing, speeds, weather, waiting times, and discharge ports.)

4) Ship classes most used for iron-ore transport (quick guide)

5) Supply side: why this setup is interesting for dry bulk

 across dry bulk names if 2026+ demand improves while supply stays tight. The case for 

 strengthens if Simandou ton-miles arrive broadly on schedule.

Capesize / Newcastlemax heavy exposure (most direct to Simandou ton-miles)

Diversified dry bulk (benefit from a tight supply backdrop)

Mid-size specialists (spillover via minor bulks/bauxite & West Africa logistics)

 have the most torque. As rates tighten, the effect typically 

Simandou (Guinea) → first cargo ~Nov-2025; ramp to system-wide ~120 Mtpa.

 keep effective supply tight. If the project delivers, it lands into 

 investment advice or a solicitation to buy/sell any security. Figures may include estimates and are subject to change. Always 

 and consider your objectives and risk tolerance. I may hold, plan to initiate, or have exited positions in some of the securities mentioned.

Simandou & Dry Bulk: Why This Project Could Move Capesize Demand

Hafnia (HAFNI.OL / HAFN), one of the largest owners/operators of product tankers, announced a 

 of TORM (TRMD-A.CO / TRMD) from Oaktree at 

not expected to affect near-term dividends

Hafnia’s move into TORM reinforces the consolidation trend in product tankers. If fundamentals hold, 

segment could have something going for it

informational and educational purposes only

 constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. The views expressed are personal opinions and may change without notice. Information may include estimates and third-party assumptions and could be incomplete or inaccurate. 

 and consider your objectives and risk tolerance before investing. I may hold, plan to initiate, or have already exited positions in any securities mentioned.