Latest news with #DollarGeneral
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
VOO Is a Great Choice for Most, but I Like RSP ETF Better
The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF tracks the performance of the most popular stock market benchmark. It has minimal expenses and has historically been a great way to build wealth over long periods. The S&P 500 has become a little top-heavy, so I prefer an equal-weight approach. 10 stocks we like better than Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF › The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO), also known by its ticker symbol VOO, is one of the most popular funds in the world. Including Vanguard's mutual fund version of the same index fund, investors have $1.4 trillion in assets invested in it. As the name suggests, this is an index fund that tracks the benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) over time. In other words, if the S&P 500 produces a 20% total return for investors over the next two years, this ETF should do the same, net of fees. Speaking of fees, as a Vanguard ETF, the investment expenses of this index fund are extremely low. It has an expense ratio of just 0.03%, which means that for every $1,000 in assets, your annual investment cost will be just $0.30, which will be reflected in the fund's performance over time. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is generally thought of as an excellent "core" investment for a stock portfolio. And in full disclosure, I own shares of it in my own retirement portfolio. But if I were to put new money to work today, I may choose to go in a slightly different direction and buy shares of a similar ETF that has one big difference. To be clear, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is a great index fund. If you're simply looking for a low-cost way to match the stock market's performance over time, it could be an excellent addition to your portfolio. My biggest issue with investing in the S&P 500 is that it has become rather top-heavy in recent years. With the emergence of trillion-dollar tech companies, the S&P 500 is weighted so that well over one-third of its performance is derived from the 10 largest components. In a nutshell, an S&P 500 index fund has increasingly become a bet on the largest few dozen U.S. companies, and has become less of a broad, diversified way of getting stock market exposure. If I were putting new money to work today, I would take a closer look at the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (NYSEMKT: RSP). It invests in the same 500 companies you'll find in the portfolio of the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, but with one key difference. Instead of allocating assets based on the size of each component, it invests an equal amount in all 500 companies. Of course, there are day-to-day fluctuations, but there's about 0.2% of the fund's assets invested at any given time. This means that smaller components of the S&P 500 like Dollar General carry the same weight as megacaps like Microsoft. The equal-weight fund does have a somewhat higher 0.20% expense ratio, but this is still on the lower end for a unique ETF. As mentioned, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a traditional S&P 500 index fund. But if you're not too much of a fan of having your investment's performance largely dependent on just a few companies, this equal-weight counterpart could be worth a closer look. Before you buy stock in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $659,171!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $891,722!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 995% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Matt Frankel has positions in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Microsoft and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. VOO Is a Great Choice for Most, but I Like RSP ETF Better was originally published by The Motley Fool
Politico
a day ago
- Business
- Politico
Black church leaders pressure companies over Trump's anti-DEI push
Black church leaders are ramping up the pressure on corporate America as companies continue to roll back their diversity, equity and inclusion policies, trying to serve as a counterbalance to President Donald Trump's aggressive push to end DEI initiatives across the country. The pressure comes as liberals are still trying to figure out how to respond to Trump's culture war — and as the Democratic Party grapples with Trump's improvement among Black and Latino voters in the 2024 election. 'Diversity, equity and inclusion is not charity. It's not a handout and the African American community is a valuable partner,' said Jamal Bryant, a Georgia-based pastor who masterminded a boycott of Target after the retailer curtailed its DEI initiatives in January. 'So we want to know: If you can take our dollars, how come you won't stand with us?' Shortly after Trump's election, major companies like Meta and Google rolled back their DEI commitments made in the wake of the 2020 murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Within his first week of returning to office, Trump signed an executive order eliminating DEI practices in the federal workplace. He called such programs 'dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences.' 'President Trump is bringing back common sense by eliminating DEI policies and making merit the standard once again,' White House Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston said in a statement. 'Performance-driven companies see the value in President Trump's policies and are following his lead.' But Black church leaders see these boycotts — Bryant announced in May that Dollar General would be the next target — as a way to push back against the Trump-fueled wave and hold companies accountable. Bryant says his movement has garnered the support of 2,000 other churches and over 200,000 people signed his pledge to boycott Target. Frederick Haynes, the pastor of the 13,000-member Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, said joining the movement reflected how he was raised, influenced by the values of the Civil Rights Movement. Companies, he said, must recognize that they have 'a moral responsibility' to profiting. 'They have a responsibility to morally go inward and check themselves and recognize that you don't have a United States without diversity, without equity, without being inclusive,' Haynes said. In a statement to POLITICO, Dollar General said 'our mission is not 'Serving Some Others' — it is simply 'Serving Others.'' The company added that it serves millions of Americans 'from all backgrounds and walks of life' in more than 20,500 stores. 'As we have since our founding, we continuously evolve our programs in support of the long-term interests of all stakeholders.' Rev. Al Sharpton — the civil rights leader who supported Bryant's Target boycott — said the company boycotts are one of the most effective ways to push back against the rollback. 'The success of the Montgomery boycott is that it changed the law,' said Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, referencing the famous mid-1950s bus boycott to protest segregation. 'We can't just do things as a grievance, we must go for their bottom line.' It is hard to tell exactly how much boycotts are hurting companies' bottom lines. But Target's CEO Brian Cornell in May acknowledged that at least some of its sales drop, including a quarterly sales decrease by 2.8 percent, was due to 'headwinds' including 'the reaction to the updates we shared on Belonging in January,' referring to the company's announcement to end their DEI programs, along with consumer confidence and concerns around tariffs. A spokesperson for Target told POLITICO that the company is 'absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone — our team members, our guests and our supply partners.' 'Today, we are proud of the progress we've made since 2020 and believe it has allowed us to better serve the needs of our customers,' the spokesperson said in a statement. But Sharpton said the boycott is still a powerful tool. 'The power the Black church has is that the people that attend church are your major consumers,' said Sharpton. 'You go to a Black church that has 2,000 people and 1,900 of them are the ones that shop.' Sharpton has his own demonstration planned for this summer — a rally on Wall Street on Aug. 28, the 62nd anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his renowned 'I Have a Dream' speech. Sharpton said he chose the date for the rally on Wall Street intentionally. 'I wanted this year to show the pressure that we're putting on these companies with DEI, to go right to the bastion of industry and right where the stock exchange is and say to them that if you do not want to have diversity — in your boardroom, with your contracts and your employment — then you will not have diversity in your consumer base,' said Sharpton. But the boycotts do present challenges for church leaders. In some cases, Sharpton said, congregants have forgotten the boycotts are still on — and he says Trump is in part to blame for this. 'One of the things that I learned during the Civil Rights Movement from [Rev. Jesse Jackson] and others is, you have to keep people's attention,' said Sharpton. 'But there's so much going on now, Trump and them are so good at flooding the zone. You've got to make sure people don't forget, 'I'm not supposed to be shopping at that store.' Keeping public attention is a challenge.' But even with congregants who are engaged in the battle to retain diversity commitments across the country, Adam Clark, associate professor of theology at Xavier University, said the church cannot carry the burden alone, especially when the president has taken a stance. 'The attack on DEI is so much broader than the specific companies,' said Clark. 'Trump is the culmination of all this type of white aggression against DEI. He has the authority to implement what's been going on in certain parts of the country and he makes it federal law, and I don't think the church by itself has the capacity to just overturn everything that's happening.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Analyst Says Dollar General Is Winning Tariff War — Should You Invest?
Many retail stocks have been battered this year because of worries over how President Donald Trump's tariff plans will impact the sector. But there have been some exceptions — including Dollar General, which has bucked the trend by producing strong financials and a surging stock price so far in 2025. I'm a Self-Made Millionaire: Consider This: If you're thinking about investing in the Tennessee-based discount chain, read on to learn if this is a good time. One analyst who's bullish on Dollar General is BMO Capital Markets' Kelly Bania. Earlier this month, she raised her price target to $115 from $90 while maintaining a 'market perform' rating on the stock. That move came after Dollar General beat quarterly estimates for both revenue and earnings, and raised its sales and profit forecasts for the year. Why has Dollar General outperformed expectations when so many other retailers have struggled to find their footing? 'They are just executing better,' Bania said in comments reported by ModernRetail. 'When you go into stores, the in-store experience is better.' Explore More: Dollar General's better execution is reflected in its financial results. It logged fiscal first-quarter earnings of $1.78 a share, up from $1.65 the previous year and well ahead of analyst views for $1.48, CNBC reported. Revenue gained 5.3% to $10.44 billion, topping estimates for $10.31 billion. Same-store sales rose 2.4%. Following its earnings report, Dollar General raised its outlook for earnings, net sales growth and same-store sales growth. Meanwhile, its stock price was up by about 49% year-to-date through June 17, 2025, closing the day at $113.32 per share. That far outpaces the performances of both the S&P 500 (up 1.7%) and the Dow (down 0.77%). As CNBC noted, Dollar General's outlook stands in stark contrast to retailers like Best Buy, Macy's and Abercrombie & Fitch, which have cut their profit outlooks due to tariffs. Even Walmart has said it will raise prices due to tariffs, despite pushback from Trump. One of Dollar General's strategies has been to reduce its exposure to China so it can limit its price hikes, CEO Todd Vasos said in a Q1 conference call. 'While the tariff landscape remains dynamic and uncertain, we expect tariffs to result in some price increases as a last resort, though we intend to work to minimize them as much as possible,' Vanos said. How does Dollar General compare with other discount retailers? Here's a look at how other stocks have performed during the first half of 2025: : up 31.2% through June 17 : up 18% : up 4.3% : down 29.7% As these performances show that fellow deep-discount chains Dollar Tree and Five Below have also produced decent stock gains in a challenging environment — but Dollar General's increase is nearly twice as much as the next-closest rival. As for whether you should invest in Dollar General, most Wall Street analysts expect its stock price to keep inching higher, but only by a little. As of June 17, the average recommendation of 33 analysts cited by MarketWatch was 'overweight.' The average price target was $113.50 per share, which represented a premium of about 3% over its June 17 closing price. More From GOBankingRates Mark Cuban Warns of 'Red Rural Recession' -- 4 States That Could Get Hit Hard Mark Cuban Says Trump's Executive Order To Lower Medication Costs Has a 'Real Shot' -- Here's Why Here's the Minimum Salary Required To Be Considered Upper Class in 2025 This article originally appeared on Analyst Says Dollar General Is Winning Tariff War — Should You Invest? Error al recuperar los datos Inicia sesión para acceder a tu cartera de valores Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
If You Want Monthly Income, This Dividend Stock Is for You
Realty Income's dividend yield over the past decade has been around 4.5%. The total returns of the real estate investment trust (REIT) since its inception are around four times that of the S&P 500 over that span. Dividends paid out from REITs are taxed as ordinary income and don't get the preferential treatment that qualified dividends do. 10 stocks we like better than Realty Income › The beauty of investing is that you don't always need stock prices to rise to make money. Of course, it's great when they do, but dividends are a way for companies to reward investors for simply holding their stock. You can't predict how stock prices will move, but you can count on your dividends if you're investing in high-quality stocks. Most dividend stocks pay quarterly dividends, but some do it monthly. This could be beneficial for people who need extra monthly income for bills, want to reinvest dividends more often, or prefer a more frequent cash flow. If you're looking for monthly dividend income, look no further than Realty Income (NYSE: O). Realty Income is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in single-unit freestanding commercial properties, including grocery stores, convenience stores, dollar stores, drugstores, and more. Its top three clients are 7-Eleven, Dollar General, and Walgreens. Realty Income buys properties, charges rent to tenants (which also cover expenses like property taxes and maintenance), and pays its shareholders from the rental income. In the first quarter, it earned close to $250 million in net income that was available to its shareholders. Unlike traditional stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), REITs are required to distribute 90% of their taxable income to shareholders. That's why they're known for their high dividend yields and are a top choice for income-seeking investors. Realty Income is one of the more established REITs, having been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1994. It's now the seventh-largest REIT in the world, with around $59 billion in real estate as of March 31. Since 1992, its properties have consistently maintained an occupancy rate above 96%, ensuring that investors receive steady and reliable income. Higher occupancy means more rent, which means higher payouts for investors. A stock that pays an attractive dividend is a good thing, but it only truly matters if it can sustain it. With Realty Income, you don't have to worry about that. The company has declared a monthly dividend for 659 consecutive months, including increasing the payout for the past 110 quarters. The monthly dividend is $0.2685 with a yield of around 5.6% as of June 9, which is a bit higher than its average for the past decade. Yields fluctuate in the opposite direction to stock prices, so they will inevitably change. However, if we assume it remains at 5.6% for the sake of illustration, every $10,000 invested could pay $560 annually, or around $46 monthly. The above payout isn't enough to begin Lamborghini shopping, but Realty Income can be a solid income source after consistently buying shares through the years. It's also worth noting that dividend payouts from REITs are taxed like regular income and don't receive the preferential rate that qualified dividends from traditional stocks or ETFs receive. Since Realty Income hit the market in 1994, its stock price has outperformed the S&P 500 by around 1,250% to 1,180%. However, when you take dividends into account, its gains have far exceeded the S&P 500's returns by roughly 8,490% to 2,170%. For perspective, here's how much a $10,000 investment in each during that time would be worth now, assuming you reinvested dividends: Past results don't guarantee future performance, so I wouldn't invest in Realty Income expecting the same over the next 30 years. But maintaining an annual average growth rate above 12% since 1994 is impressive and shows just how lucrative an investment it can be. Before you buy stock in Realty Income, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Realty Income wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $657,871!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $875,479!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 998% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 174% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Stefon Walters has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Realty Income. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. If You Want Monthly Income, This Dividend Stock Is for You was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Men armed with machete barged into Dollar General, but got away with empty bags, Gwinnett police say
Gwinnett County police are searching for two men who robbed a Dollar General last month, but they didn't actually get away with any money. Police say two men, one of whom had a machete, walked into the store on Lawrenceville Suwanee Road near Dean Road on May 19. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] According to the police report, both of the store's employees said they were held down. One of the employees said she was walked over to the safe and ordered to hand over the money inside. She told police that she handed them three red deposit bags, and they ran out of the store, got into a white Jeep Wrangler and drove off. TRENDING STORIES: Body found in a pond identified as Morehouse student who disappeared after crash Family kills woman's husband in self-defense at Buckhead apartment, police say Air India flight crashes moments after takeoff, more than 240 on board She told police that the bags were empty because they had already made their deposits for the day. She says the men never checked them before leaving. Police say anyone who recognizes the suspects should contact investigators at 770-513-5300. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
