VOO and SCHD pair a 0.03% expense ratio with reinvested dividends, creating two separate compounding streams from a single $500 monthly deposit.
QQQM's Nasdaq-100 concentration delivered 104% over five years, making it the growth accelerator best suited for investors with longer time horizons.
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A $500 monthly contribution sounds modest until it collides with three or four decades of compounding. That is the mechanism behind every millionaire retirement story built on index funds, and it is why the three-ETF combination of Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:VOO), Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHD), and Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (NASDAQ:QQQM) shows up so often in long-horizon portfolios.
Each fund plays a different role. VOO supplies broad U.S. large-cap exposure at rock-bottom cost. SCHD adds a quality-dividend sleeve that produces reinvestable cash every quarter. QQQM tilts the portfolio toward the mega-cap growth names that have historically produced the highest realized returns among diversified equity baskets. Combining them lets a monthly investor hold a diversified core, an income compounder, and a growth accelerator without stacking overlapping bets.

#schd #NASDAQ #Growth #deposit

Nutrien (NYSE:NTR) held its second-quarter 2026 earnings call on August 6. The headline numbers show a company leaning on its potash strength to offset a ****** pier nitrogen and phosphate picture, while still finding room to raise guidance in one segment and cut spending in another.
Nutrien posted record potash sales volumes in the first half of 2026 and raised the bottom end of its full-year potash sales guidance to a range of 14.2 million to 14.8 million tonnes. Potash generated $658 million in adjusted EBITDA during the quarter, and the company kept controllable cash costs flat year over year while targeting below $60 per tonne for the full year. Automation now covers 53% of ore tonnes mined in the first half, already past the target management set at its 2024 Investor Day. Canpotex is fully committed to third-quarter volumes, and management pointed to a favorable response to its domestic summer fill program.
Beyond the mine, Nutrien trimmed its 2026 capital expenditure guidance by $50 million to a range of $1.95 billion to $2.05 billion, and lifted first-half share repurchases 26% over the prior year, stepping up the pace to roughly $75 million a month in the third quarter. Retail adjusted EBITDA climbed 4% in the first half to $1.24 billion, driven by a 10% jump in proprietary crop nutrients gross margin and sales volumes for certain nutritional products that nearly tenfolded from a year earlier. The company has also generated about $1 billion in gross divestiture proceeds since the fourth quarter of 2024, including roughly $90 million in new agreements since June 2026, and said it received numerous nonbinding bids as it reviews strategic alternatives for its phosphate business.
Nitrogen sales volumes fell from the prior year, with no production from Trinidad or New Madrid, planned maintenance at Carseland, and deferred customer purchases late in the quarter as market volatility picked up. Only about 35% of total nitrogen segment volumes were sold ahead of the onset of the Middle East conflict, leaving more of the book exposed to a choppier pricing environment. Global urea prices dropped in the back half of the second quarter during a seasonal demand lull that geopolitical developments made worse, even as management says trade flow disruptions, production outages, and elevated energy prices firmed up fundamentals again in the third quarter.
Phosphate adjusted EBITDA declined in the quarter because of elevated sulfur costs that Nutrien described as placing unsustainable pressure on producer margins across the industry. Nitrogen segment adjusted EBITDA came in at $635 million for the quarter, and the company still has turnarounds planned at its Lima and Redwater facilities in the third quarter, adding to the operational moving parts already at play from the Carseland work completed earlier in the year.

#year

Brushing up your resume might not be enough in today's job market. Instead, one of the latest job search hacks is about trying to influence the AI reading it.
More and more employers are leaning on artificial intelligence to help them sift through mountains of resumes. According to a 2025 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, about 51% of organizations use AI to support recruiting.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake. Here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP
Millionaires under 43 hold only 25% of their wealth in stocks. Here's where their money is actually going

#wealth #instead #management

A 50/50 blend of SCHD and JEPQ produces a ~5.7% blended yield, requiring roughly $737,000 to generate $42,000 annually.
JEPQ's 8.5% yield ties to volatile Nasdaq option premiums, not growing earnings, making it a poor sole holding over a 25-year retirement.
Hold JEPQ inside an IRA or Roth since its distributions are taxed as ordinary income, while SCHD's qualified dividends face lower rates.
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A 61-year-old aiming to replace roughly $3,500 a month in take-home income is targeting $42,000 a year from a portfolio. That is the classic pre-Social-Security bridge number: enough to cover housing, healthcare premiums, and basic living costs for a household that has already paid down the mortgage. Two ETFs get most of the attention for this job, and the reason is simple: one prioritizes dividend growth, the other prioritizes cash yield today.

#Retirement #advisor #prioritizes

McDonald's Corp (NYSE:MCD, XETRA:MDO) beat Wall Street's profit expectations in the second quarter and named a new leader for its US business, capping a shakeup at the top of the company's largest market.
The fast-food giant posted earnings per share of $3.32, matching estimates and up 6% year-over-year.
Net income came in at $2.36 billion, a 5% increase from the prior year and in line with forecasts. Revenue rose 4% to $7.1 billion, in line with ******* yst estimates of $7.13 billion.
Global comparable sales rose 1.3%, just below the 1.4% growth ******* ysts had expected and down from 3.8% growth in the first quarter, according to Bloomberg consensus data.
In the US, comparable sales grew for a fifth consecutive quarter, rising 0.8%, slightly below the 0.9% growth forecast and well under the 2.5% gain posted in the same period last year. Sales growth in the company's international operated and licensed market segments was roughly in line with expectations.

#line #estimates

Even as one of the greatest investors of all time, Warren Buffett made mistakes and has regrets. One of those regrets involved Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL), which may sound surprising, given that Buffett mostly shied away from tech investments.
Still, he said in an interview with CNBC that he had "made a mistake" by not investing in the tech giant sooner. Based on Greg Abel's moves thus far as the new CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA) (NYSE: BRKB), however, he's making sure Berkshire won't miss out on any future gains from Alphabet.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Berkshire started its Alphabet position in the third quarter of 2025, purchasing roughly 18 million shares. Following that, as the new CEO, Abel added roughly 40 million shares to Berkshire's holdings in the first quarter of 2026. He then scooped up $10 billion worth of stock in a private placement deal in June, purchasing $5 billion in Class A shares and $5 billion in Class C shares.
Berkshire typically doesn't offer much commentary on its moves. But those investments, with Abel as CEO, still offer valuable insights not just about Alphabet but also about investing broadly in artificial intelligence (AI).

#alphabet

Inflation has hit many Americans hard in the post-pandemic era. According to Gallup, almost a third of Americans citing rising prices as a top financial problem. A record 55% of Americans also indicated their finances are getting worse, while the number of Americans working multiple jobs has been steadily on the rise and recently hit the highest level in decades.
For many struggling workers, the challenge extends beyond simply not having enough money. Irregular income can make budgeting difficult.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake. Here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP
Millionaires under 43 hold only 25% of their wealth in stocks. Here's where their money is actually going

#americans #wealth #according #jeff

The U.S. dollar, euro and British pound enter a pivotal week as investors prepare for the Federal Reserve's July 29 to 30 meeting and the ECB's decision last week while new data comes through. Most **** ysts expect that the Fed will leave rates where they are, although the market will be watching out for clues from Chair Jerome Powell given that the latest US data has confirmed the strength of the economy.
June retail sales were up by 0.2% on the month, while the control group increased by 0.4%, and initial claims for unemployment benefits dropped to 208,000, a three-month low, underlining the strength of the consumer and the labour market. This week brings out the second-quarter GDP, the PCE inflation print for June and July non-farm payrolls which could alter thinking around the second half of the year.
The ECB decided to keep its deposit rate at 2.25% as it sees inflation edging toward its 2% target while remaining data-dependent. ECB President Christine Lagarde said growth remains weak, with members continuing to **** s the impact of the economic effect of trade and higher energy costs on the economic environment.
Sterling remains supported by expectations that the Bank of England will proceed cautiously after it kept Bank Rate at 3.75%, and it sees the UK policymakers juggle between curbing inflation and a steady wage-growth and a cooling labour market. UK mortgage approvals, consumer credit and business surveys are released this week as they provide evidence for the economy ahead of the next Bank of England meeting.
The U.S. Dollar Index is maintaining a healthy uptrend after bouncing off support in the 100.50 zone along the uptrend line. Currently, the index trades at 101.28, keeping the 50-day EMA (101.12) and 100-day EMA (101.01) beneath the index level. The RSI is sitting at 53.

#market #inflation #england

During the Tuesday episode of Mad Money, host Jim Cramer discussed the major credit card networks as he noted that consumer spending remains resilient. He began by highlighting the broader economic data and noted that roughly 81% of Americans hold a credit card, averaging three to four cards per consumer, with cardholders using about 29% to 30% of their available balance. Even though the median household holds approximately $8,000 in cash, consumers continue to prefer credit over drawing down savings. Explaining how these consumer habits feed into the major card networks, Cramer noted:
All this is to say that the three big credit card companies, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express have a tremendous read on the state of the economy, and after a very rocky first quarter, these stocks have been steadily chugging higher since April.
Examining the daily chart of market leader Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) with the help of Bob Lang's (founder of Explosive Options) **** ysis, Cramer highlighted how the stock's recent technical breakout contradicts theories of a struggling consumer:
Why don't we start with Visa? That's the most used credit card. 60% of cardholders have one... Check out the daily chart. Visa's been roaring higher on terrific relative strength lately. I mean, this is not what Visa's chart looks like when the consumer's being squeezed. When you look at the moving average convergence divergence, that's the MACD… That's an important momentum indicator that can detect changes in the stock's trajectory before they happen… This isn't a coincidence; this is predictive. It made a bullish crossover mid-June. That's what really got people excited... And it's one of the most positively reliable patterns there is out there. Sure enough, the stock's been on fire ever since the cross...
Cramer also pointed to the volume indicator at the bottom of the chart to highlight the influx of big-money accumulation:

#credit #card #chart #networks

Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD, XETRA:AMD) and Anthropic announced a strategic partnership on Wednesday that includes the deployment of up to 2 gigawatts of AMD's upcoming Instinct MI450 Series GPUs, a multi-year engineering collaboration, and a planned equity investment by AMD of up to $5 billion in the artificial intelligence startup.
Under the agreement, Anthropic plans to deploy up to 2 gigawatts of AMD Helios rack-scale solutions, with the first gigawatt expected to begin deployment in the first half of 2027. The systems will feature AMD Instinct MI455X GPUs, part of the MI450 Series, alongside AMD EPYC "Venice" CPUs, Pensando networking technology and ROCm software.
The deployment expands Anthropic's existing use of AMD Instinct MI355X GPUs as the AI company increases computing capacity to support growing demand for its Claude AI models.
The companies also announced a multi-year engineering collaboration focused on software development. Anthropic's Claude AI ****** istant will be used to optimize workloads for AMD Instinct GPUs and accelerate development of AMD's ROCm software platform. AMD also plans to adopt Claude more broadly across its engineering and product development teams.
In addition, AMD committed to make a strategic equity investment of up to $5 billion in Anthropic in the future.

#anthropic

VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE:VICI) is one of the 8 Worst Blue Chip Stocks to Buy Now.
On July 8, 2026, Morgan Stanley lowered the firm's price target on VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE:VICI) to $31 from $38 and kept an Equal Weight rating on the shares.
On June 25, RBC Capital ****** yst Brad Heffern initiated coverage of VICI Properties with a Sector Perform rating and $29 price target. Heffern said low coverage on the company's Caesars Regional lease makes a rent cut feel likely at some point. Heffern also said VICI's top two tenants potentially going private reduces visibility, while RBC sees a fair valuation at current share levels.
Last month, Club Med and VICI Properties announced the acquisition and planned redevelopment of the iconic Carambola Beach Resort in the U.S. Virgin Islands, marking the return of Club Med to U.S. shores. The company said the future Club Med St. Croix will reinforce the brand's leadership in the premium all-inclusive category while bringing renewed activity to the destination's historic beachfront property.
VICI Properties Inc. (NYSE:VICI) is an S&P 500 real estate investment trust that owns gaming, hospitality, wellness, entertainment, and leisure destinations.

US-based clean energy company Avantus has completed a financing round worth over $525m for the construction of the Aratina 2 solar and battery storage project in eastern Kern County, California.
The package was arranged with CIBC, BBVA and Santander, and comprises construction funding, a tax equity bridge loan and letters of credit.
Aratina 2 is expected to begin operations by the end of 2026.
Once operational, Aratina 2 is set to provide 150MW alternating current (MWac) of solar power generation and 452MW-hours (MWh) of battery storage to the California energy grid.
The project is currently under construction and has entered into 15-year power purchase agreements (PPA) with Southern California Edison.

T-Mobile (TMUS) stock has tumbled 22% over the past 52 weeks and fallen 11% since the beginning of 2026. One of the reasons for this struggle is concern over the competition that T-Mobile could face from satellite companies. Specifically, the satellites of these firms enable them to provide direct-to-device (D2D) voice and data services to unmodified smartphones.
However, many of these D2D providers are actually looking to partner with carriers rather than replace them — and for important logistical reasons, that strategy is unlikely to change for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, T-Mobile aims to have 18 million to 19 million customers for its broadband services by 2030. That said, the company had more than 130 million total customers in the U.S. in mid-2025, meaning mobile services revenue likely makes up the vast majority of its total sales.
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Louisiana-based Entergy Corporation (ETR) is an integrated electric utility that generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to more than 3 million customers across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The company focuses on delivering reliable and affordable power while continuing to modernize its energy infrastructure to meet evolving customer demand. To support long-term growth, Entergy is investing in a more resilient and lower-emission power system, expanding its portfolio of natural gas, nuclear, and renewable energy ******* ets.
Beyond its core utility operations, the company contributes more than $100 million annually in economic benefits to the communities it serves through philanthropic initiatives, employee volunteer programs, and community advocacy efforts. Currently valued at a market capitalization of about $53.74 billion, the utility company plans to lift the curtain on its fiscal 2026 second-quarter earnings report on Wednesday, July 29.
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Joby Aviation, Inc. stock rose Tuesday after the company and Toyota Motor Corporation formed a joint venture to support commercial production and scale-up of Joby's electric air taxi aircraft.
This builds upon a deep, multi-year collaboration and follows Toyota's massive $500 million investment in Joby in late 2024 to fund aircraft certification and early-stage production
The joint venture, Joby Toyota Aero Manufacturing Preparation Company, will manufacture Joby's S4 Series eVTOL aircraft.
Toyota will hold a 51% stake after buying 1.02 million shares for $1.02 million, while Joby will hold 49% after buying 980,000 shares for $980,000.

Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) was among the stocks Jim Cramer commented on as he advised investors on how to take advantage of Wednesday's market rotation. Cramer highlighted the stock's significant gains during the year, as he said:
If you look at the market's best performers year to date, nearly all of them are either companies that sell hardware into the data center or companies that sell hardware to the hardware makers. But there's one solitary exception in the top 15: Moderna, the biotech company best known for its COVID vaccine. Right now, Moderna's the 12th best-performing stock in the S&P 500, up 146% year to date. Now, that is pretty impressive… The truth is, after spending years lost in the post-COVID wilderness, this company's now got a lot going for it. I think the rally's for real. I think the company's for real now…
It's no wonder that Moderna stock has caught fire; think about all these great things they're doing. For the first time in a long time, the company seems like it is something to get excited about in the not too distant future. But, and this is a big but, let's not forget that Moderna's still losing money. In fact, they don't expect to reach cash break-even levels until 2028. Actual earnings per share likely won't turn positive until 2029. But the company is at last beginning to realize its true potential. Plus, while I found Moderna's cancer trials very impressive, these are basically just cancer treatments. They're not the personalized anti-cancer vaccines that management's been talking about for years that got me so excited about the stock…
Let me give you the bottom line on this amazing story that wasn't amazing for a long time: Even though Moderna's still early on its turnaround, it's hard not to be excited about what the company presented just last week. Moderna's got a plethora of thoughtful new products and a clear roadmap to profitability for the first time in such a long time. Honestly, now, look, I am a bit wary of chasing any stock that's up nearly 150%, but the truth is Moderna finally feels investible again. That said, I recommend waiting for a pullback, there probably will be one, before you buy. Take your time. I think Moderna's got a bright future, though. It'll take years to get there… For the first time in ages, I like having a position in Moderna.
Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash

Vltava Fund, a value-focused investment management company, published its investor letter for the second quarter of 2026. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The letter explores the growing role of AI and how certain facets of human intelligence may become less valuable economically, while other skills become more important. The author emphasizes that despite AI's expanding capabilities in information collection and basic modeling, qualities like sound judgment, good taste, patience, original thinking, strategic skepticism, and the ability to recognize significance will continue to hold their value. Despite the excitement around A.I., fundamental investment principles remain unchanged. Please review the Fund's top five holdings to gain insights into their key selections for 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Vltava Fund highlighted Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX). Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) is a leading semiconductor equipment company that supplies semiconductor processing equipment for the fabrication of integrated circuits. On July 2, 2026, Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) closed at $351.41 per share. One-month return of Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) was 15.87%, and its shares gained 255.64% over the past 52 weeks. Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) has a market capitalization of $439.46 billion.
Vltava Fund stated the following regarding Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"During the second quarter, we sold out four stock positions and added two new ones to the portfolio. We sold the troika Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX), Applied Materials, and KLA Corporation, all of which are key suppliers of manufacturing equipment and process control solutions for the semiconductor industry. These are undoubtedly excellent businesses, without which it would be impossible to produce increasingly advanced chips. Nevertheless, once the valuations of even the best companies begin to reach levels of 20× sales and 50× earnings, the balance between quality and price shifts significantly to the investor's disadvantage. In such a situation, it is no longer enough simply to recognize that these are excellent companies. It is also necessary for future growth, margins, and return on capital to remain exceptionally high over the long term and for practically no significant risks to materialize. In our view, this is an overly demanding and speculative combination. Despite the ongoing semiconductor boom, it is still good to remember that this is a pretty cyclical industry. There remained no margin of safety between price and value to speak of, and the high prices were therefore our impetus to sell."

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Keller Cliffton is the founder and CEO of a drone delivery business that operates in Dallas.
He believes there is a huge inefficiency in using cars to deliver food and other household essentials to residents.
He thinks food delivery could grow from roughly 5.5 billion deliveries annually to 55 billion.
Imagine ordering a rack of ribs, a burrito bowl or a gallon of milk and having it arrive from the sky a few minutes later.

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Hightower President Roberto Stewart is stepping down from his role and leaving the organization less than three months after joining the firm.
According to a Hightower spokesperson, Stewart "made the difficult decision to step away from his role for personal reasons," and the firm intends to name his replacement "in the near future."
"He remains committed to Hightower and will work closely with the leadership team to support a smooth transition," the spokesperson said. "We are grateful for his leadership and contributions to the firm and wish him all the best."
Stewart originally joined Hightower as its president and chief business officer in April to lead "enterprise services and support the firm's next phase of growth" by overseeing Hightower One, the firm's newly established back- and middle-office platform.

QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) is one of the safe stocks for beginners to buy in 2026. Reuters reported on June 24 that QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) expects to generate $15 billion in sales from its data center business by 2029, moving beyond its core smartphone chips. Chief Financial Officer Akash Palkhiwala stated in an investor presentation that the data center business will bring in $5 billion for fiscal 2027, with $1 billion coming from the new custom-chip customers. QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) also stated that it anticipates $40 billion in revenue from chips outside its smartphone stronghold by 2029, which is up from previous estimates of $22 billion. By then, handsets would only make up a third of its chip revenue.
In another development, Bloomberg reported on June 22 that according to people familiar with the matter, QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) is in advanced talks to acquire Modular Inc, the AI infrastructure software company, in a transaction valued at around $4 billion. It further reported that a transaction may be announced as soon as the upcoming week. Bloomberg added that the people asked not to be identified since the information is private.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) develops and commercializes foundational technologies for the wireless industry, including 3G, 4G, and 5G wireless connectivity and high-performance and low-power computing, including on-device AI. The company operates across various high-growth markets, including autonomous vehicles and smartphones. QUALCOMM's Snapdragon augmented reality technology is the next generation of mobile computing.
While we acknowledge the potential of QCOM as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
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