Is this mortgage REIT a high-yield trap or a hidden gem?When the Federal Reserve hiked its benchmark rates in 2022 and 2023, many income investors dumped their dividend stocks to buy risk-free CDs and T-bills with higher yields. However, the Fed reduced rates three times in 2024, recently executed its first rate cut of 2025, and has penciled in at least two more rate cuts by the end of the year.As interest rates decline, CDs and T-bills will lose their luster as income investors pivot toward high-yield divi ...

Parkev Tatevosian, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Parkev Tatevosian is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through his link, he will earn some extra money that supports his channel. His opinions remain his own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool. ...

This underrated chipmaker is going to benefit from multiple growth drivers over the next five years.Palantir Technologies (PLTR -0.83%) stock has rallied remarkably to become one of the most important companies in the world. It is now the 22nd largest company globally, with a market cap of just under $426 billion as of this writing.Palantir is a great stock, but it may have gotten ahead of itself. That's not surprising considering that its shares have jumped by more than 945% since the beginning of 2024. Pa ...

These stocks have climbed quickly, but they could fall just as quickly.Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have led many businesses to look at how to incorporate the technology into their operations to improve earnings results. Out of the 500 companies in the S&P 500, 287 mentioned AI during their earnings call in the most recent quarter. That's up from less than 100 as of the end of 2022, when OpenAI's ChatGPT first came on the scene.While investor excitement has pushed many AI stocks significa ...

While one forever stock in Buffett's portfolio wins on points, another one arguably wins on potential.I don't know if I could pick just a single Warren Buffett quote as my favorite. There are simply too many great statements he has made through the years. However, one of his most memorable quotes came in his 1988 letter to Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A 0.55%) (BRK.B 1.06%) shareholders: "[W]hen we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favorite holding period is forever." While ...

This AI stock has nearly quadrupled in 2025.What companies come to mind first when you hear the words "artificial intelligence"? I suspect that Nvidia, ChatGPT creator OpenAI, or Google parent Alphabet would rank near the top of the list for many investors.On the other hand, I doubt that Nebius Group (NBIS -0.22%) would be among the most common responses. But maybe it should. This underrated AI stock could be the best growth story of the decade. "Exciting times"Nebius' primary focus is on its AI cloud platf ...

The S&P 500 is still a smart all-around option, but there's good reason to start thinking about other index funds.There's never really a bad time to buy the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO 0.60%). But there are better times than others: It's better to buy on a dip than at a peak, for instance. If your goal is to simply plug into the broad market's long-term performance, though, your best bet is just stepping in whenever you have some otherwise idle cash you're looking to put to work.Every now and then, though, it ...

Shopify is up by nearly 90% over the last year, but a rising valuation could put its growth in jeopardy.At current levels, investors may wonder what to make of Shopify (SHOP -2.25%) stock. It has increased by around 85% over the last year, but more than half of those gains occurred in 2024. More recently, the stock's rise seems to have slowed.Additionally, Shopify is within 15% of its all-time high from 2021, and that has led to an elevated valuation. Knowing that, is the party finally over for Shopify, or ...

High yields are often a red flag, but investors have the green light to grab shares of these juicy dividend stocks.Everyone loves passive income. I mean, who wouldn't enjoy earning money while you sleep?Not literally, of course, but with dividend stocks. These are stocks of companies that distribute some of their profits to shareholders. While higher dividend yields mean more income for your money, it can be a yield trap when stock yields get too high.But not all high-yield stocks pose a danger to your port ...

I've waited years for a timely opportunity such as this.I believe that shares of restaurant chain Wingstop (WING -0.83%) will outperform shares of the world's largest pizza chain, Domino's Pizza (DPZ 3.14%), over the next five years. But give me time to back up this claim.Domino's Pizza is still a great business and it's a stock with a lot to like. As of the second quarter of 2025, it had more than 21,000 locations worldwide, 99% of which are owned by franchisees. This means that the parent company generate ...