Goldman Sachs has offered CEO David Solomon a lucrative compensation package to secure his leadership for the next five years. A Friday regulatory filing revealed the investment bank granted Solomon an $80 million retention bonus in restricted stock units that will vest by January 2030, contingent on his continuous service, Business Insider reported. His total compensation for 2024 rose 26% to $39 million, which includes a $2 million base salary, an $8.33 million cash bonus, $25.9 million in performance stock units and $2.78 million in a new incentive program. The retention bonus signals the company’s strong commitment to Solomon’s leadership…

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are making a comeback from their post-pandemic downturn—and with the sector still lagging the stock market, we’ve got a chance to buy at attractive discounts. And we’re well set up to add some 7%+ dividend yields—that have started to grow lately—as we do, not in REITs directly, but in REIT-focused closed-end funds (CEFs). REITs’ Lag Has Been Dramatic, But the Winds Are Shifting While the S&P 500 has enjoyed a 14.0% annualized return over the last five years, as of this writing, REITs, as measured by the performance of the benchmark SPDR Dow Jones REIT…

By Nabeel Bukhari Summary Microsoft reported Q1 FY25 revenues of $65.6 billion, up 16% YOY, fueled by strong performance across key segments and strategic investments in artificial intelligence and innovation. Azure’s AI-driven growth positions it as Microsoft’s key profit engine, with management forecasting sustained high growth as AI infrastructure scales and adoption accelerates. Despite trading at premium valuations (33x earnings), Microsoft’s strong balance sheet, high margins, and AI-focused growth strategies justify its long-term investment appeal. While risks like competition and regulatory challenges exist, Microsoft’s leadership in AI and cloud positions it well for continued growth, making it a compelling long-term…

How are we feeling about the stock market, my fellow contrarian? More importantly, should we have an opinion on the market-at-large at all? I don’t think so. Trump 2.0 will create a “market barbell” of big winners and sad losers. Let’s focus on the dividend payers that will be propelled higher—and step over the laggards. There are some dandy dividends ready to dart higher. Today they sit in the bargain bin thanks to investor reservations about the Federal Reserve. When Chairman Jay Powell took the stage in December, he delivered a sober discourse to investors: Don’t expect as many rate…

On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration banned Red No. 3 from all foods, beverages, and ingested drugs. Companies must remove Red No. 3 from their products by January 2027. While this is a step in the right direction, there are still eight artificial dyes approved for human consumption. What are they, which foods contain them, and what are the health risks to humans? Which companies use or make these harmful additives? Will a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmation bring more scrutiny to America’s food supply? Food Dye Background For decades, food companies have added synthetic dyes to their products…

The mooted Honda/Nissan merger and the fallout from the change of leadership at Stellantis suggests the auto industry must brace itself for a period of turmoil, where size is seen as a necessity for survival. This will add to European investors’ concerns for 2025 as they brace themselves for economic weakness and political turmoil, a possible President Trump-initiated tariff war, China’s expansion, autonomous vehicles, the uncertain future for electric vehicles, and a mounting controversy over the European Union’s CO2 regime. Some analysts expect a mega-merger between healthy Honda and troubled Nissan plus Mitsubishi to trigger more acquisition action by competitors.…

Trump 2.0 is now only a bit less than a week off, and things are moving fast. Here’s one thing I can tell you: While everyone’s talking about tariffs, Greenland and the Panama Canal, what investors—particularly dividend investors—should be talking about is way more “boring”: The yield on the 10-year Treasury note. Because when the rubber really hits the road on the new administration, it’s the 10-year, more than anything else, that’s going to call the tune here. And the next move I see it making, which we’ll get into below, is poised to benefit some of our favorite income…

Donald Trump will shortly be sworn in as the 47th President of the United Stares, and financial markets are pivoting their focus to the anticipated policies of the incoming administration. Historically, U.S. stock markets have delivered strong performance regardless of the party in power. However, investor sentiment often reflects policy expectations, with current optimism centered around potential tax cuts (or at least not increases) and deregulation, while the threat of tariffs and trade wars casts a pessimistic shadow. Needless to say, there is plenty of uncertainty These measures could have a big impact on corporate profits, economic growth and market…

Consider this dilemma: someone has an old home in a high-price area and is considering adding a bathroom to the home. However, she does not have very much in the way of savings or investments and is worried that using some of her investments on upgrading her home may be a mistake. If you’re facing a similar decision, here is how you can weigh the decision of whether to upgrade your home or invest your money in financial markets. Home Improvements There are several positive reasons to consider improving your home, including: Increased Property Value Certain home renovations, like the…

These five stocks may deliver big dividend raises. I’m talking potential payout hikes starting at 20%. It’s possible that one of these firms doubles their dividend because, heck, they did that one year ago! How do I know? Gaudy dividend growth numbers are especially attractive because they often lead to big price gains. I call this dynamic the “dividend magnet.” The “magnet” effect is pretty straightforward: When a company not only grows its profits, but shares gobs of those earnings with stockholders as dividends, investors on the outside see both a sign of quality and the potential for income and…