
Ghana at Loggerheads With Afreximbank Over $768 Million Debt
Ghana, emerging from a bruising debt restructuring process, faces a dispute with African Export-Import Bank, one of its biggest commercial creditors, over whether it should take losses on a $768.4 million liability.
The finance ministry says the debt must be treated comparably to others it's restructured, from bilateral loans with China to $13 billion in eurobonds. But Afreximbank — which was set up by African countries and private investors more than three decades ago — insists it has preferred creditor status, meaning member states can't force it to take losses.
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Bank of America Stock (BAC) Nears Record High as Pivotal Earnings Report Looms
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It currently trades at 1.66x tangible book value and 12.6x 2025 earnings—a valuation that's lower than peers like JPMorgan Chase (JPM), but still richer than that of many U.S. regional banks. Heading into Q2 2025, Bank of America's provisioning appears notably conservative. The bank's macroeconomic outlook assumes an unemployment rate of just below 5% by the end of 2025, remaining at that level through 2026, which is slightly more pessimistic than the Federal Reserve's projection of 4.5% for both years. Similarly, Bank of America forecasts 1% GDP growth in Q4 2025, undercutting the Fed's more optimistic estimate of 1.4%. In short, Bank of America's current reserves already reflect a cautious economic view, making it unlikely to build a significant provision in Q2 2025. The bank appears to have already accounted for a moderate economic slowdown later this year and into 2026. Analysts expect Bank of America to deliver earnings of $0.90/share in Q2 2025, up 8% year-over-year. 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Based on my projections, Bank of America is on track to deliver earnings of approximately $3.57 per share in 2025, assuming consistent 8% growth in both Q3 and Q4 of 2024. This would translate to a return on tangible book value of around 13% for the year. However, this solid profitability appears to be largely priced in, with BAC stock trading at 1.66x its tangible book value of $27.12 per share. Its 2025 P/E multiple of 12.6x is more attractive than that of large peers like JPMorgan Chase (14.6x), but still above the average for regional banks, which trade closer to 10.7x forward earnings. Looking ahead to 2026, earnings growth is expected to moderate, with no repeat of the Global Markets tailwind and potential pressure from anticipated Fed rate cuts. Given this outlook, I believe a Hold rating is appropriate for BAC at current levels. This cautious stance is also supported by Berkshire Hathaway's ongoing reduction in its BAC stake, despite the stock remaining the firm's fourth-largest holding, which comprises 10.19% of Buffett's portfolio. The limited upside potential suggests it's wise to stay neutral for now. Turning to Wall Street, Bank of America earns a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 18 Buy and 2 Hold ratings over the past three months. Notably, not a single analyst is bearish on Bank of America. The average BAC stock price target is $49.38, implying a 9% potential upside. Bank of America's macroeconomic outlook remains more conservative than the Federal Reserve's, which suggests its earnings are better insulated in the event of a slowdown in U.S. economic activity later in 2025 and into 2026. I expect BAC to slightly beat Q2 2025 earnings estimates, supported by stronger net interest income, continued share repurchases, and a modest profitability boost from the Global Markets division. 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Too many ETFs? Here's how to cut through the noise and start investing
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When it comes to dividend investing, selecting the right stock often means choosing the largest, most consistent, most secure, and most popular companies in their respective fields. I'm talking about the Coca-Colas and the Abbotts of the world - time-tested names that have the balance sheets, brand strength, and operational base to weather economic storms while still paying (and increasing) their dividends. However, more adventurous income investors might want to explore riskier stocks that are often overlooked. Smaller-cap companies, while not household names or industry leaders, may still offer consistent yields at more attractive levels. Such stocks, however, can be a hit or miss - unless you look for the best ones that meet the right criteria. 3 ETFs with Dividend Yields of 12% or Higher for Your Income Portfolio 3 Highly-Rated Dividend Stocks You've Probably Never Heard Of (But Should) Markets move fast. Keep up by reading our FREE midday Barchart Brief newsletter for exclusive charts, analysis, and headlines. So, today, let's explore the lesser-known, Wall-Street-approved dividend stocks in the market to find which ones offer consistent payouts and the best yields. With Barchart's Stock Screener tool, I added the following filters: Number of Analysts: 8 to 12. I'll limit the final list to stocks that Wall Street covers, but not excessively. The 8-12 range is best suited for that situation. Current Analyst Rating: 4.5 to 5 (Strong Buy). I want only the best of the best on this list to improve the chances of success. Dividend Payout Ratio: 25% to 60%. The dividend payout ratio is the portion of the company's earnings that is used to pay dividends. A range of 25% to 60% represents a reasonable balance between relatively high yields and sufficient funds to support business growth and improvement - something that long-term investors would appreciate. Market Cap: $3 billion to $10 billion. This filter limits my search to mid-cap companies, which are often ignored in top dividend stock lists. Annual Dividend Yield: 0.01% and above. With the filters in place, I ran the screen and got the following results: The screen yielded 13 companies. From there, I arranged the results in order from highest to lowest TTM dividend yield, then checked the top ones for dividend consistency. Thankfully, the top three had regular dividend payments, so I chose all of them to discuss today. I've featured Rithm Capital before in a 'highest-yielding dividend stock' analysis, and I'm happy to say that it retains that title. The REIT provides mortgage servicing, asset management, and originations in the US. Its subsidiaries include NewRez, Genesis Capital, Guardian Asset Management, GreenBard, and Sculptor, which round out its expansive investment platform across various businesses. Rithm Capital offers a stable quarterly dividend of 25 cents per share since 2021, which translates to a $1.00 annual rate and an 8.9% yield. Based on its 43.01% dividend payout ratio, the company has sufficient funds to continue paying dividends. RITM stock has an impressive 4.80 average analyst score, indicating a strong buy rating based on 10 individual analyst reviews. It's also trading well below its pre-pandemic price levels, which potentially offers significant growth if it fully recovers. Next on the list is Copa Holdings, a South American airline holding company that operates the Copa Airlines, AeroRepublica, and Wingo brands. The company offers around 375 daily scheduled flights to 32 countries across all of its businesses. It is one of the top airlines in Latin America, and its cheaper offerings through Wingo make it an attractive choice for budget-conscious travelers. According to its latest financials, Copa pays a $1.61 quarterly dividend, which translates to $6.44 per share per year, and translates to a high 6.02% yield. The company has a relatively safe payout ratio of 43.98% and one of the highest analyst scores I've recently seen - 4.91 based on 10 reviews - and an attractive high target price of $190, which represents an 83% potential upside. Last but not least is Nexstar Media Group, one of the largest local TV broadcast groups in the U.S.. The company has a TV station presence in almost all US states, and it also owns The CW Network, the fifth-largest broadcast network in the country and one of the most prolific networks in terms of scripted TV content for younger audiences. I'm willing to bet top dollar that practically everyone in the U.S. reading this has heard of or seen something from The CW. Nexstar Media Group pays $1.86 quarterly, which translates to a $7.44 annual rate and a decent 4.46% yield. NXST stock also maintains a strong buy rating with an average score of 4.75. While I firmly believe that income investors should have some of the top dividend stocks from the Dividend Kings and Aristocrats lists, like KO, ABT, JNJ, and PEP, there's no hard and fast rule against investing in smaller dividend stocks with attractive yields. That said, smaller-cap companies tend to be at a higher risk of experiencing significant price fluctuations. But, if you get lucky, you might just snag a high-yield dividend stock while it's on its way to mega-cap status. On the date of publication, Rick Orford did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Sign in to access your portfolio