1 month ago
HDV has outpaced VYM by nearly 9 points year-to-date in 2026 while paying a 3.34% yield versus VYM's 2.20%.
HDV's 75-stock tilt toward energy, healthcare, and staples drives its 2026 edge but can lag equally in growth-led markets.
Taxable investors switching from VYM should redirect new contributions into HDV rather than selling lots with large embedded capital gains.
Two retirees, same $1 million, same 4% rule, buy one finished with $1.4 million, the other hit $0 in 12 years. Our free reader guide explains the flaw that separated them, and the income-first method built to avoid it.
If you own the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (NYSEARCA:VYM), you own it for a good reason. VYM tracks the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index, holds roughly 500 above-average payers, and delivers a broad, cheap slice of dividend-paying American stocks. It is one of the most widely held income ETFs on the market, and for buy-and-hold investors who want a diversified basket of yielders without thinking too hard about it, VYM has done its job. But in 2026, VYM is losing ground to a much smaller, more concentrated peer from BlackRock that pays a higher yield and follows a very different rulebook.
#same
HDV's 75-stock tilt toward energy, healthcare, and staples drives its 2026 edge but can lag equally in growth-led markets.
Taxable investors switching from VYM should redirect new contributions into HDV rather than selling lots with large embedded capital gains.
Two retirees, same $1 million, same 4% rule, buy one finished with $1.4 million, the other hit $0 in 12 years. Our free reader guide explains the flaw that separated them, and the income-first method built to avoid it.
If you own the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (NYSEARCA:VYM), you own it for a good reason. VYM tracks the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index, holds roughly 500 above-average payers, and delivers a broad, cheap slice of dividend-paying American stocks. It is one of the most widely held income ETFs on the market, and for buy-and-hold investors who want a diversified basket of yielders without thinking too hard about it, VYM has done its job. But in 2026, VYM is losing ground to a much smaller, more concentrated peer from BlackRock that pays a higher yield and follows a very different rulebook.
#same
1 month ago
Without a signed, prospective contract, Medicaid treats family caregiver payments as gifts, exposing $60,000 in payments to a six-month nursing home ineligibility penalty.
A defensible care agreement must be signed before services begin, specify duties and market-rate pay, and be backed by time sheets and traceable payments.
At 20 documented hours per week, $2,500 monthly works out to roughly $29 per hour, defensible against the 2025 national median caregiver rate of $35.
Two retirees, same $1 million, same 4% rule, buy one finished with $1.4 million, the other hit $0 in 12 years. Our free reader guide explains the flaw that separated them, and the income-first method built to avoid it.
Picture a widow in her 80s who pays her adult daughter $2,500 a month for two years to handle bathing, meals, medications, driving to appointments, and overnight supervision. The care is real. The daughter cuts back her own job to provide it. One year later, mom breaks a hip, lands in a nursing home, and applies for institutional Medicaid. The caseworker pulls five years of bank statements, spots $60,000 in recurring payments to the daughter, and finds no signed agreement, no time sheets, no invoices. In that state, the agency treats every dollar as an uncompensated transfer, effectively a gift.
#signed #daughter
A defensible care agreement must be signed before services begin, specify duties and market-rate pay, and be backed by time sheets and traceable payments.
At 20 documented hours per week, $2,500 monthly works out to roughly $29 per hour, defensible against the 2025 national median caregiver rate of $35.
Two retirees, same $1 million, same 4% rule, buy one finished with $1.4 million, the other hit $0 in 12 years. Our free reader guide explains the flaw that separated them, and the income-first method built to avoid it.
Picture a widow in her 80s who pays her adult daughter $2,500 a month for two years to handle bathing, meals, medications, driving to appointments, and overnight supervision. The care is real. The daughter cuts back her own job to provide it. One year later, mom breaks a hip, lands in a nursing home, and applies for institutional Medicaid. The caseworker pulls five years of bank statements, spots $60,000 in recurring payments to the daughter, and finds no signed agreement, no time sheets, no invoices. In that state, the agency treats every dollar as an uncompensated transfer, effectively a gift.
#signed #daughter
1 month ago
Apollo Global Management warned Wednesday that credit default swaps on hyperscaler debt are pricing in more risk. Chief economist Torsten Slok tied the shift to weakening credit fundamentals rather than routine bond-dealer hedging.
Hyperscalers are the cloud computing giants, including Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta, that run the infrastructure behind the AI boom. They face a credit default swap (CDS) gap against bank debt, widened to about 60 basis points since October 2025.
Slok made the case in a Wednesday note reported by CNBC.
"What the market is repricing is hyperscaler credit fundamentals, namely a debt-financed AI capex cycle with rising leverage, negative free cash flow and uncertain payback on depreciating ****** ets."
Dan Alpert, founding managing partner of Westwood Capital, compared the setup to the run-up to the 2008 mortgage crisis. He said banks have since built far bigger equity buffers and are more diversified than they were then.
#slok
Hyperscalers are the cloud computing giants, including Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta, that run the infrastructure behind the AI boom. They face a credit default swap (CDS) gap against bank debt, widened to about 60 basis points since October 2025.
Slok made the case in a Wednesday note reported by CNBC.
"What the market is repricing is hyperscaler credit fundamentals, namely a debt-financed AI capex cycle with rising leverage, negative free cash flow and uncertain payback on depreciating ****** ets."
Dan Alpert, founding managing partner of Westwood Capital, compared the setup to the run-up to the 2008 mortgage crisis. He said banks have since built far bigger equity buffers and are more diversified than they were then.
#slok
1 month ago
Answering a caller's query about The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) during the lightning round of the September 10 episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer said:
It's a tough stock. It's a tough stock because they don't have the growth that I want. They do have the 3% yield, but that's not enough. So, I'm going to say, you know, we sold it for the club. Don't look back.
The Procter & Gamble Company's (NYSE:PG) upside relies on elite operational execution and pricing power in high-margin categories. Continuous supply chain savings and an aggressive premiumization push toward items like Tide PODS help protect profitability. Combined with strong free cash flow productivity, management returned roughly $15 billion in FY 2026 through dividends and share buybacks, ensuring a steady earnings floor despite slow top-line growth.
The primary headwind is weak top-line momentum, with organic sales flat in the second quarter as challenging consumer trends, particularly in the U.S., weighed on growth. Foreign exchange friction and cost pressures further cap near-term earnings acceleration. Additionally, while the stock offers a reliable 3% dividend yield, that income profile creates a steep opportunity cost when risk-free ******* ets and higher-growth stocks offer attractive returns. We recently discussed what Cramer thinks is the ideal valuation for a good entry point in our article, "Jim Cramer Discusses Procter & Gamble (PG) Valuation and Growth."
According to Insider Monkey's data, 83 hedge funds had a stake in The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) in Q2 compared to 78 in the prior quarter. Short percentage of the float is 1.21%, showing its status as a defensive holding rather than a short target. While the company provides exceptional balance sheet stability and reliable cash returns for defensive portfolios, its modest top-line growth trajectory and premium valuation continue to test investor patience, validating Cramer's decision to reallocate capital toward faster-moving opportunities.
#company
It's a tough stock. It's a tough stock because they don't have the growth that I want. They do have the 3% yield, but that's not enough. So, I'm going to say, you know, we sold it for the club. Don't look back.
The Procter & Gamble Company's (NYSE:PG) upside relies on elite operational execution and pricing power in high-margin categories. Continuous supply chain savings and an aggressive premiumization push toward items like Tide PODS help protect profitability. Combined with strong free cash flow productivity, management returned roughly $15 billion in FY 2026 through dividends and share buybacks, ensuring a steady earnings floor despite slow top-line growth.
The primary headwind is weak top-line momentum, with organic sales flat in the second quarter as challenging consumer trends, particularly in the U.S., weighed on growth. Foreign exchange friction and cost pressures further cap near-term earnings acceleration. Additionally, while the stock offers a reliable 3% dividend yield, that income profile creates a steep opportunity cost when risk-free ******* ets and higher-growth stocks offer attractive returns. We recently discussed what Cramer thinks is the ideal valuation for a good entry point in our article, "Jim Cramer Discusses Procter & Gamble (PG) Valuation and Growth."
According to Insider Monkey's data, 83 hedge funds had a stake in The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) in Q2 compared to 78 in the prior quarter. Short percentage of the float is 1.21%, showing its status as a defensive holding rather than a short target. While the company provides exceptional balance sheet stability and reliable cash returns for defensive portfolios, its modest top-line growth trajectory and premium valuation continue to test investor patience, validating Cramer's decision to reallocate capital toward faster-moving opportunities.
#company
2 months ago
Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) shares rallied and printed a new 52-week high on Sept. 11 after chief executive Phil Brace said the pending merger with Qorvo has entered its final phases. As investors cheered the disclosure, SWKS's relative strength index (RSI) soared into the early 80s, indicating overbought conditions that often trigger profit-taking in the near term.
Including today's gains, Skyworks stock is up more than 50% versus its low in mid-July.
GME Stock Jumps as GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen Buys $20 Million Worth of Shares
Cathie Wood Just Bet $45 Million on This Beaten-Down ***** e Stock. Wall Street Sees 70% Upside.
Rocket Lab Stock Just Scored a New Bullish Rating
#swks
Including today's gains, Skyworks stock is up more than 50% versus its low in mid-July.
GME Stock Jumps as GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen Buys $20 Million Worth of Shares
Cathie Wood Just Bet $45 Million on This Beaten-Down ***** e Stock. Wall Street Sees 70% Upside.
Rocket Lab Stock Just Scored a New Bullish Rating
#swks
