The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Realty Income (NYSE: O) has done a fantastic job of growing shareholder value over the years. The real estate investment trust (REIT) has produced a 14.1% compound annual total return since its public market listing in 1994. It has delivered that robust return by growing its portfolio, cash flow, and dividend payment. The REIT has grown by investing shareholder capital into income-generating net lease real estate.

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Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)

DECEMBER 7, 2024

By Matt Pais, MDRT senior content specialist If a client offers an objection, sometimes it helps to paint a picture of the future, said William T. Spencer III, CFP, AIF , a 17-year MDRT member from Sudbury, Massachusetts.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Investors have to make trade-offs every time they buy a stock. There's the balance between risk and reward from the specific investment they choose to own. But there's also an opportunity cost, because buying one stock usually means not buying another, perhaps similar, stock. This is where a comparison of Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX) comes in today, with both of these dividend stocks offering yields of roughly 4% right now.

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The Big Picture

DECEMBER 7, 2024

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a mug of Colombia Tolima Los Brasiles Peaberry Organic coffee, grab a seat outside, and get ready for our longer-form weekend reads: Tim Cook Wants Apple to Literally Save Your Life : Much as the CEO seems awestruck by AI and his just-released Apple Intelligence, hes more convinced that the tech giants health apps will define the companys legacy. ( Wired ) The AI We Deserve :: Critiques of artificial intelligence abound.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) has been one of the hottest stocks on the market in recent months. Shares have advanced 320% year to date as of Dec. 5 due to enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). That makes Palantir the best-performing member of the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) this year. The company is currently worth $165 billion, but Dan Ives at Wedbush Securities thinks "Palantir could be the next Oracle.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

The S&P 500 is the most highly regarded stock market index in the U.S., composed of the 500 largest companies in the country. Given the breadth of its constituent companies, it's considered by many investors to be the most reliable measure of overall stock market performance. To become a member of the S&P 500, a company must meet the following criteria: Be based in the U.S.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Billionaire Ken Griffin has made an indelible mark on Wall Street and has been cited as one of the most successful investors of all time. He famously predicted the 1987 stock market crash, known as "Black Monday," shorting stocks ahead of the decline and making a veritable fortune. His hedge fund, Citadel Advisors, generated gains of 15% last year, turning a profit of $7 billion and outperforming many of his peers.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Every decade seems to create a new wave of growth stocks that benefit from the latest trends in the economy. The last 20 years have created tremendous wealth for investors who jumped early on the growth of e-commerce ( Amazon ), streaming video ( Netflix ), and electric cars ( Tesla ). Artificial intelligence (AI) has the makings of the next wealth-building opportunity in the stock market.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Realty Income (NYSE: O) is not going to excite you, but if history is any guide, it will keep paying you well year in and year out. That's the attraction here, a dividend that just keeps chugging higher over time. And given the attractive 5.5% dividend yield right now, this real estate investment trust (REIT) could very well set you up with a lifetime of passive income.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

If you're looking for ways to diversify your crypto portfolio, you might want to look beyond just Bitcoin and Ethereum. While these two cryptocurrencies may get all the attention from investors, there are plenty of under-the-radar cryptocurrencies with the potential to skyrocket in value in 2025. In order to come up with a list of promising investment targets, I established a cut-off line of $5 billion in market cap.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Buying best-in-class but expensive-looking stocks with premium valuations is one of the hardest things to do when investing. It's easy to look at a business trading at three times the market's valuation and go "nope," regardless of the company's promising operations. However, I believe that many of these richly valued stocks (not all, though) trade at lofty valuations for a good reason, as they have the potential for multibagger returns over a decades-long time horizon.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

This has been a great year for cryptocurrencies, especially for those at the smaller, more speculative end of the market. Industry-leader Bitcoin is up more than 130%, while the meme token Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) has soared by more than 180%. However, Shiba Inu is still trading 65% below its all-time high, which was set during 2021. It delivered a spectacular return of 45,278,000% that year, which would have been enough to turn an investment of $3 into more than $1 million.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

The right investment can supercharge your portfolio, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be a simple way to generate wealth with next to no effort. An ETF is a basket of securities grouped into a single fund, meaning you can instantly invest in dozens of stocks with just one investment. Whether you're short on time or are simply looking for a low-maintenance way to invest, opting for ETFs can help build a diversified portfolio with far less effort than buying individual stocks.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

It's been a great year for the S&P 500 , with many top growth stocks and value stocks hitting all-time highs. But because growth stocks like Nvidia make up such a large share of the S&P 500 -- and have produced such strong gains -- exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that don't hold those names would have had a tough time beating the S&P 500 this year.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

The back half of 2024 has been a strong period for speculative high-growth stocks. Like dozens of these companies, Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) is up over 100% in the past month, with its stock boost happening right around the United States presidential election. Archer Aviation is an air taxi company looking to build a network in multiple wealthy cities around the globe with its point-to-point strategy.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are excellent passive investment vehicles. They hold baskets of stocks or other investments, which helps provide diversification and reduce risk. Because of that, you don't have to spend any time managing these investments. Many ETFs are designed to generate income, making them ideal investments for those who want a portfolio that will provide them with reliable passive income.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

When it comes to semiconductor stocks, it's virtually impossible not to think of Nvidia. Over the last two years, the company has become the undisputed leader among chip stocks, and with that, is swiftly emerging at the forefront of the pack among artificial intelligence (AI) companies more broadly. In my eyes, though, investors have been so eager to get in on the action with Nvidia that they've essentially forgotten about other opportunities in the chip realm.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

In Jan. 2023, I wrote about my 10 top stocks to buy for the new year. I ended up pretty proud of my list because if you'd invested $1,000 in each of the 10 stocks the day the article was published, you'd have ended 2023 with $13,301, including dividends. If you'd instead put your $10,000 into an S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) index fund, you would've had just $11,900 at the end of the year.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

When it comes to investing, the power of compounding dividends cannot be denied. Companies' ability to regularly increase their dividend requires growing free cash flow. I love to invest in companies with strong free cash flows. In today's video, I will look closely at the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (NYSEMKT: SCHD) and other dividend-focused ETFs to determine which ETF is set up to perform well heading into 2025.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

The Nasdaq Composite has been on fire over the past couple of years, driven higher by the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), improving economic conditions, an uncontested election, and the Federal Reserve Bank's recent moves to cut interest rates. After returning 43% in 2023, the tech-centric index is up roughly 30% in 2024. History suggests the rally will likely continue into 2025.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Target (NYSE: TGT) missed the mark for shareholders with a disappointing third-quarter earnings report. Comparable sales from the retail giant grew just 0.3% year over year for the period ended Nov. 2, while adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.85 fell well below the company's guidance range of $2.10 to $2.40. At the time of this writing, the stock is down 30% from its 52-week high.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be one of the biggest driving forces in the stock market. While chipmakers and cloud computing companies have been the biggest early beneficiaries, software companies are starting to see nice growth opportunities emerge as well. That said, the semiconductor sector is still one of the best places to find attractively valued stocks tied to AI.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

I'm a huge fan of Roku 's (NASDAQ: ROKU) media-streaming platform and a long-time shareholder. The company is poised for tremendous long-term growth and it's a truly global business opportunity. When I'm asked for a stock recommendation, Roku often rolls off my tongue before any other idea, because the stock isn't getting the market love it deserves.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Retirement accounts like an IRA and 401(k) offer some tremendous advantages when it comes to saving money for retirement. The primary benefit is that contributions are tax deductible, and you won't pay any taxes on your investments in those accounts until you withdraw funds for your retirement. Unfortunately, you can't defer those taxes forever. Eventually the government forces you to start withdrawing funds from your retirement accounts through required minimum distributions , or RMDs.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

It's usually not difficult to find a compelling growth stock to step into. Choosing a growth stock you're confident holding onto for a decade or more, however, is a different story. Some story stocks just don't have enough proven potential for investors to make a long-term commitment to them. Still, investments that fit that bill are out there. If you can stomach the risk, these three stocks have the potential to be monster winners for investors who buy and hold for at least 10 years.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Whenever a company announces plans for a stock split, the market generally cheers the news -- but why? Technically, a stock split only divides shares into smaller ownership stakes of the company -- like a cutting pie into more slices, it doesn't change anything about the overall size of the pie, nor the value of the company. Still, these financial maneuvers can serve a purpose.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Being a successful investor requires just a few skills: knowing when to buy and knowing when to sell. Although it sounds simple, you'll have incredible returns if you're the best at both. There's one popular artificial intelligence (AI) stock that was a buy at the beginning of the year that has now moved into the sell category. That's Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR).

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Warren Buffett has attracted a lot of attention this year thanks to some very big high-profile stock sales. The Oracle of Omaha has sold a total of $133 billion worth of equities from Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio through the first nine months of 2024. Some of the biggest sales include Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) , of which he sold more than two-thirds of Berkshire's stake, and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC).

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

If you are looking for investment ideas, what better place to start than with Warren Buffett, one of the most famous investors of modern times? Dubbed the Oracle of Omaha because of his investment success over time, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway currently has investments in Chevron (NYSE: CVX) , Visa (NYSE: V) , and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO). All three are worth looking at in December.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Every time I look at the stock of Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) , it seems to be at a new record high. The company has been an early winner in the hype cycle for generative artificial intelligence (AI) software. And with shares up 313% year to date at the time of this writing, many investors are wondering how much longer this bull run will last.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

The S&P 500 roared into bull territory this year, and the fantastic pace continues, with the benchmark heading for a 26% gain. The Nasdaq and Dow Jones Industrial Average also have reflected investors' optimism, on track for increases of 29% and 18%, respectively, this year. Against this backdrop, one major theme stood out and grabbed investors' attention: artificial intelligence (AI).

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

It's rare to talk about a Warren Buffett stock being catapulted higher. Most of the Oracle of Omaha's picks for Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) are relatively tame -- even boring -- and not subject to wild swings in either direction. Every now and then, though, even one of Buffett's picks stumbles into an extreme situation that sets the stage for an equally extreme reversal.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

A discounted cash flow valuation of Shopify (NYSE: SHOP) stock suggests this e-commerce enabler is overvalued. *Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of Dec. 3, 2024. The video was published on Dec. 5, 2024. Dont miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks?

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

SoFi (NASDAQ: SOFI) has more than doubled from its 2024 lows, and the company continues to grow at a rapid pace. In this video, longtime Motley Fool contributors Matt Frankel and Tyler Crowe discuss what they think the business will do in 2025 and some big unanswered questions they have as we head into the new year. *Stock prices used were the morning prices of Dec. 5, 2024.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Altria Group (NYSE: MO) has emerged as a surprising stock market winner in 2024, propelled by an impressive earnings rebound. At the time of this writing, its shares had surged by 41% this year to their highest level since 2019. There's a lot for investors to like about this tobacco giant, including the stock's 7% dividend yield as a compelling income opportunity.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR) has become one of the hottest stocks on Wall Street. Its stock has shot up over 300% in 2024, making it one of the best-performing stocks in the market. As a result, many investors are wondering if this is the best AI stock to buy right now. However, I think there's a much more promising AI company out there, and it has far better growth than Palantir.

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The Motley Fool

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Picking the top-performing artificial intelligence (AI) stock a year out isn't easy. In 2023, it ended up being Nvidia. In 2024, all signs are pointing toward Palantir Technologies. This shift from AI hardware to AI application software was predictable because it has to be deployed and become useful at some time for all of the investment dollars in hardware to pay off.

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