🚀 Easy Peasy #56: Plug-and-Play Dividend Income — No Guesswork Needed

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

MaxDividends Mission: Helping people build growing passive income, retire early, and live 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 stocks rip higher on court win for Google and Apple, oil drags Energy

• Dow: -24.95 (-0.06%) → 45,270

• S&P 500: +32.74 (+0.51%) → 6,448

• Nasdaq: +218.10 (+1.02%) → 21,497

• Russell 2000: -2.23 (-0.09%) → 2,349

Tech powered the rebound as GOOGL surged +9% to all-time highs and AAPL jumped +3% after a judge ruled Google can keep Chrome, Android, and its $20B Apple search deal — but must end exclusivity and share data. XLK and XLC led the S&P, while Energy (XLE) sank over -2% on reports that OPEC+ may hike output again in October. Eyes were also on CRM ahead of earnings tonight.

Rate cut bets firmed up after the JOLTS report showed job openings fell to 7.181M, below the 7.378M estimate and down from 7.357M in June — a sign the labor market is cooling. That’s exactly what Powell flagged at Jackson Hole as a deciding factor for the Sept 17 Fed meeting.

Treasury yields pulled back after touching key levels: the 30Y briefly hit 5% (first time since July 18) before sliding to 4.89%; the 10Y eased to 4.21%.

Meanwhile, gold stole the spotlight, breaking out to new records at $3,635.30/oz, now up 44% from the 52-week low of $2,493.40 hit in Sept 2024 — logging gains in 7 of the last 8 sessions.

September lived up to its reputation, too: historically the worst month for equities, with the S&P 500 averaging -1.5% since 2000 (per LSEG). Conferences also dominated the day, with more coming tomorrow.

📊 Economic Data

• JOLTS Job Openings (July)7.181M vs consensus 7.378M, prior 7.357M – Weaker labor demand

• Factory Orders (July)-1.3% vs consensus -1.4%, prior -4.8% – Smaller drop

• Factory Orders ex-Transportation (July)+0.6% vs prior +0.4% – Strength in core orders

• Factory Orders ex-Defense (July)-1.1% vs prior -4.7% – Still weak

• Durables Orders (July)-2.8% unrevised – Soft demand

• Nondefense Cap Orders ex-Aircraft (July)+1.1% unrevised – Solid investment trend

• Shipments (July)+0.7% unrevised – Modest growth

💰 Commodities, Currencies & Treasuries

• WTI Crude-1.62 to $63.97 – Slid on OPEC+ supply boost chatter

• Brent-1.54 to $67.60 – Followed crude lower

• Gold+43.30 to $3,635.30 – New record high on Fed cut bets, safe-haven demand

• EUR/USD+0.0021 to 1.1659 – Euro firmed

• JPY/USD-0.29 to 148.01 – Yen strengthened

• 10Y Yield-0.062 to 4.215% – Eased after jobs data

🔩 Autos

• F August U.S. sales 190,206 units (+3.9% YoY); EV sales +19.3% to 10,671, hybrids +14.5% to 18,773, SUVs +6.2%, trucks +2.4%; Lincoln sales -14.9%

• PRKS to replace FL in S&P SmallCap 600; DKS acquiring FL soon

🛒 Retail, Consumer Staples & Restaurants

• M raised annual sales outlook to $21.15B–$21.45B and EPS to $1.70–$2.05; best comps in 12 quarters

• DLTR fell despite Q2 beat; Q3 profit guide flat; Q2 cost of sales $3B vs $2.67B y/y

• CPB Q4 sales $2.32B (+1% YoY), below est. $2.33B; weak snacks demand; FY guide cut

• SFD filed for 16M share offering

• ASO downgraded at Citi to Neutral, PT $50 from $55 on margin concerns

• PM, MO slipped after India minister proposed 40% tax on cigarettes/tobacco/sugary drinks

🎰 Leisure, Gaming & Lodging

• WYNN upgraded to Buy at Argus, PT $145; optimism on Vegas resorts

• DKNG, FLUT favored by Stifel for long-term gaming scale benefits

• H, HST, MAR PTs raised by Truist; ABNB, SHO PTs lowered

⚡ Energy, Industrials & Materials

• COP, CVX, XOM, FANG weak on oil slump; OPEC+ may hike October quotas

• BP upgraded to Equal Weight at MS; EQNR downgraded to Underweight

• COP to cut 20–25% of workforce by end-2025 (~11,800 employees in 2024)

• SMR rallied; Canaccord PT raised to $60 on TVA deal for 6GW reactors

• VLO upgraded to Buy at BofA, PT $179; PSX downgraded to Neutral

• REVG Q3 sales $644.9M vs est. $630.9M; FY NI $95–108M vs prior $88–107M

• CMI, PCAR active after July Class 8 truck orders 13,172 (-2.1% YoY)

🏦 Banks & 💳 FinTech

• CME reported August ADV 28.1M, 2nd highest ever (record was 31.7M in 2024)

• AON to sell majority of NFP wealth business to MDP for $2.7B

• TRU upgraded to Buy at Needham, PT $115; sees strength with FinTech, India, mortgages

🏥 Healthcare

• IONS upgraded to Outperform at BMO, PT $70 from $40 on Olezarsen data

• WVE fell on interim data for WVE-006 in AAT deficiency

• BNTX, PFE, MRNA active after Florida moves to ban all vaccine mandates

• HQY Q2 revenue $325.8M (+9% YoY), EPS $1.08, EBITDA $151.1M (+18% YoY)

• ISRG slumped after CFO flagged higher 2026 tariff impacts at conference

• ERAS double downgraded to Underperform at BofA, PT $1 from $4

• TECH upgraded to Outperform at RBC, PT $73

• BRKR fell after $600M mandatory convertible preferred stock offering

🚂 Transports

Airlines (ULCC, UAL, JBLU) higher as TSA 7-day screenings +1.7% YoY; lower oil also supportive

📰 Internet, Media & Telecom

• GOOGL jumped after court ruling let it keep Chrome, Android, and $20B Apple search deal; exclusivity barred but rev sharing continues

• AAPL rose as ruling favors its ad business; Google TAC payments still flow, worth ~$20B

• RDDT, OPRA gained on news of Google data-sharing

• ZS Q4 billings beat by $57M, ARR +22% YoY; guided inline

• HUBS upgraded to Outperform at Bernstein, PT $606

• CRM reports earnings after close

• GLW, LITE, CIEN, FN slipped after China anti-dumping duties on U.S. optical fiber (21–46% tariffs)

🧠 What’s Next?

Eyes on ADP jobs data tomorrow and Friday’s payrolls. Gold’s breakout past $3,600 and Tech’s surge set the tone, while Energy’s weakness highlights OPEC+ risks heading into the weekend.

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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 💪.