Easy Peasy #48: Build Your Dividend Portfolio & Live Off Dividends with Pre-Selected Stock Sets

Dividend Growing Stock Sets – Start with $300, $500, or $1,000 Weekly

MaxDividends Mission: Helping & Supporting Everyone in Building a Growing Passive Income, Retiring Early, and Living Off Dividends.

In this section, we share ready-made sets of promising dividend growth stocks with strong future dividend potential.

We also track performance and provide portfolio links for each set, so you can monitor past results and real-time updates.

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Intro

Tech Pops, Tariffs Rise, Bitcoin Mooned — Another Day, Another Trillion

The Dow rose +217.54 to 44,458 (+0.49%), the S&P 500 gained +37.74 to 6,263 (+0.61%), and the Nasdaq jumped +192.87 to 20,611 (+0.94%). The Russell 2000 outperformed again, up +23.75 to 2,252 (+1.07%). Markets climbed steadily as a strong 10Y Treasury auction sent yields lower, easing macro pressure. Nvidia cracked the $4 trillion cap first, even with semis mixed. Trump hit again with new tariffs on 21 countries starting Aug 1. Luxury retail soared, energy dragged, and Prime Day fizzled. Bitcoin spiked late, pushing to new ATHs.

📈 Economic Data

• Wholesale Inventories (May): -0.3%, in line

• Wholesale Sales (May): -0.3%, below April flat

• Mortgage Market Index: +9.4% to 281.6, apps rebound post-holiday

• Avg 30-Year Mortgage Rate: 6.77%, down 2bps

• China CPI (YoY, Jun): +0.1%, first pos. in 4 months; core CPI hits +0.7%

💰 Commodities, Currencies & Treasuries

• Gold rose +$4.10 to $3,321.00, bouncing off 1-week low.

• WTI crude up +$0.05 to $68.38, Brent up +$0.04 to $70.19 despite big inventory build.

• 10Y yield dropped -7.7 bps to 4.34%, strongest auction in weeks.

• EUR/USD slipped to 1.1704, JPY firmer at 146.35.

• Bitcoin surged +2.8% to $111,750, Ethereum +7% to $2,785.

🔧 Autos

• TSLA EV buyers warned $7.5K tax credit ends Sept 30. Urgency rising as Congress ends credit.

• APTV, DAN, GM liked into Q2 by RBC.

🍒 Retail, Consumer Staples & Restaurants

• PVH downgraded to Hold at TD Cowen, tgt to $74 on inventory/tariff/wholesale risk.

• RL, TPR hit 52-wk highs. Zelman cuts consumer to Market Weight.

• AMZN Prime Day sales fell -41% on day 1 of 4-day event (Bloomberg).

• MNST downgraded at Redburn over aluminum tariff squeeze.

• TAP, SAM targets cut at Bernstein on beer macro drag.

🎠 Leisure, Gaming & Lodging

• RCL tgt to $400 from $310 at Stifel; cruise demand strong.

• NCLH seen lagging by Barclays.

• WYNN, LVS, MLCO, MGM extended Macau rally; Citi hiked tgts on Q2 GGR beat.

• MLCO opened on 30-day upside watch.

⚡ Energy, Industrials & Materials

• AES popped on PE buyout rumors (Bloomberg).

• BE upgraded at JPM on clean electricity credit win.

• ENPH, SEDG downgraded at GS post-budget solar changes.

• RUN upgraded at Jefferies as IRA tailwind preserved.

• EOG cut at Roth; oil seen near top. Gas plunged to 6-wk low $3.214/mmBtu.

🏦 Banks & 💳 FinTech

• MA, V, FI seen as defensive into Q2 prints per RBC.

• AFRM, GPN, PYPL tagged with upside bias.

• FLYW, LSPD, PSFE, WU seen vulnerable.

• ACGL, RNR downgraded at KBW on underwriting & catastrophe risk.

• FICO hit again post-GSE credit model update. VS 4.0 gaining traction.

🏥 Healthcare

• MRK to acquire VRNA for $10B ($107/ADS), bulking up COPD drug pipeline.

• JSPR slashes workforce, cost cuts underway.

• RYTM obesity drug shows 55% drop in antibodies.

• GEHC, ISRG flagged with upside catalysts at Citi.

• TMO downgraded at UBS on R&D headwinds.

• CRL, HOLX upgraded; ILMN cut to Sell.

• RXST sank -30% on weak Q2 guide.

• DOCS upgraded at Evercore, tgt to $70.

• UNH under DOJ Medicare billing probe (WSJ).

🚂 Transports

• XPO, NSC downgraded at Citi post-run.

• Citi prefers KNX, CSX, UPS, SAIA, TFII.

• BALL, SLGN, OI, GEF downgraded at BofA in containers.

• AVY remains BofA top pick on macro recovery.

• CAT upgraded at Melius, tgt to $500 on data center-driven demand.

• FCX, SCCO, TECK soared on Trump copper tariff talk.

• CC, DOW, OLN, LYB rose on EPA rollback news.

📰 Internet, Media & Telecom

• WMG upgraded at BofA after DSP deals.

• FOXA upgraded at Wolfe on ad optimism.

• TMUS downgraded at KeyBanc on fiber lag.

• WPP cut guidance; stock dropped on lower margin/outlook.

• GOOGL slipped on report OpenAI will launch AI browser to rival Chrome.

🔌 Semiconductors, Hardware & Software

• MSFT upgraded to Outperform at Oppenheimer, tgt $600 on AI upside.

• NVDA became first $4T company, still rallying on AI flow.

• SMCI initiated Underperform at BofA on margin risk.

• MBLY filed 45M share offering.

🧐 What’s Next?

PPI, CPI, and initial jobless claims are up next. Watch Fed speakers and bond action after that monster 10Y auction. Bitcoin's breakout could push risk-on, but geopolitics and tariffs might spoil the party. Eyes on Friday.

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But none of this news really matters to MaxDividends members. We're focused on growing the cash flow that lands in your pocket every month—not stressing over price swings or stock market noise.

At MaxDividends, we focus on a dividend growth strategy, perfect for investors seeking capital appreciation, solid safety, and a steadily growing income.

A rising dividend is a strong sign that a company is thriving—and wants its shareholders to thrive with it.

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This week, we’ve rolled out a fresh batch of ready-to-go Stock Sets 💪.

Easy Peasy #48: Pre-Selected Dividend Growth Stock Sets