More Big Tech Stocks Are Paying Dividends: What This Means for Investors

Plus: Top-performing TIPS funds, 5 takeaways from earnings, what higher inflation means for correlations. [Morningstar](?utm_source=eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_smartinvestor&utm_content=54157&elqTrackId=e42a9b3e600841fd8f697ff2932fee25&elq=4cf873e88c424593be21d6f128bf6e35&elqaid=54157&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=27506) [Smart Investor] Smart Investor [Tom Lauricella, chief markets editor]( Connect with Tom on [LinkedIn]( [Tom Lauricella] this week's newsletter: - [Tech Stock Dividends Are Changing the Face of Dividend Growth Investing]( - [6 Top-Performing TIPS Funds]( - [What Higher Inflation Means for Stock/Bond Correlations]( - [5 Things We Learned from Q1 Earnings Season]( - [What’s Happening In the Markets This Week]( With Federal Reserve interest rate cuts off the table for the near term, the stock market needed a solid round of first-quarter earnings to provide some relief. And it looks like bulls got what they wanted. As Sarah Hansen writes, the news has been pretty good for first-quarter earnings. She digs into the details and has [five key takeaways for investors](. One of the surprises this earnings season came with the [Alphabet’s announcement]( that it would begin paying dividends. This followed news earlier this year that [Meta Platforms]( would start returning cash to shareholders through dividends. As Big Tech companies enter the ranks of income-paying stocks, they join a growing number of tech companies more broadly that offer dividends, and in the process, they’re changing the complexion of dividend growth strategies. In [this great read]( Bella Albrecht looks under the hood of this trend and what it means for dividend growth investing. Elsewhere this week, Amy Arnott takes a deep dive into an important question for portfolios: [What does higher inflation mean for stock and bond market correlations]( The implications higher inflation has for asset allocation come from Morningstar’s recently published 2024 Diversification Landscape report, which you can [download here](. With inflation back on the forefront of many investor’s minds, [our fund screen this week]( combs the ranks of inflation-protected bond funds for the top performers. You can find our list here, featuring names from iShares, Pimco, and Vanguard. That’s it for this week! As always, check out our [Markets page]( for our latest coverage, live stock market updates, and [our weekly calendar]( of key upcoming data and events. [Tech Stock Dividends Are Changing the Face of Dividend Growth Investing]( [Tech Stock Dividends Are Changing the Face of Dividend Growth Investing]( With Alphabet, Meta, and Salesforce paying dividends, what does this mean for investors? Bella Albrecht [Read More]( Share: [facebook]( [twitter]( [linkedin]( ADVERTISEMENT [media]( [media] Markets and the Economy [5 Things We Learned from the Q1 Earnings Season]( [5 Things We Learned from the Q1 Earnings Season]( Investors are optimistic, thanks to strong profits and encouraging guidance. Sarah Hansen [6 Top-Performing TIPS Funds]( [6 Top-Performing TIPS Funds]( Funds from iShares, Pimco, and Vanguard lead the inflation-protected bonds category Frank Lee [What Higher Inflation Means for Stock/Bond Correlations]( [What Higher Inflation Means for Stock/Bond Correlations]( The two assets usually move more in tandem during inflationary periods. Amy Arnott [What’s Happening In the Markets This Week]( [What’s Happening In the Markets This Week]( CPI, PPI, and Alibaba earnings ahead. Bella Albrecht [2 Great Large-Cap ETFs]( [2 Great Large-Cap ETFs]( Both of these funds are excellent portfolio building blocks. Russel Kinnel [We Expect GDP Growth to Weaken Until Fed Starts Cutting Interest Rates]( [We Expect GDP Growth to Weaken Until Fed Starts Cutting Interest Rates]( Our economic forecast is optimistic in the long run thanks to labor supply and productivity expansion. Preston Caldwell [Going Into Earnings, Is Home Depot Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [Going Into Earnings, Is Home Depot Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( With a focus on cost containment, here’s what we’ll be watching in Home Depot’s earnings report. Grace Na [After Earnings, Is Apple Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [After Earnings, Is Apple Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( With an improved outlook for iPhone sales, here’s what we think of Apple stock. William Kerwin [After Earnings, Is Albemarle Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [After Earnings, Is Albemarle Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( With high volatility in lithium prices and high unit production costs, here’s what we think of Albemarle’s stock. Seth Goldstein [Is ServiceNow Stock a Buy After Earnings and Its Investor Day?]( [Is ServiceNow Stock a Buy After Earnings and Its Investor Day?]( With strong margins and continued adoption of AI, here’s what we think of ServiceNow’s stock. Dan Romanoff [After Earnings, Is Palantir Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [After Earnings, Is Palantir Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( With continued demand for commercial software solutions, here’s what we think of Palantir stock. Malik Ahmed Khan [After Earnings, Is Amazon Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [After Earnings, Is Amazon Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( With improvement in AWS and big AI opportunities, here’s what we think of Amazon stock. Dan Romanoff [After Earnings, Is Coinbase Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [After Earnings, Is Coinbase Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( With higher cryptocurrency prices driving earnings, here’s what we think of Coinbase stock. Michael Miller [After Earnings, Is Coke Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( [After Earnings, Is Coke Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?]( With increased sales and revenues, here’s what we think of Coke’s stock. Dan Su [3 Stocks to Buy and 3 Stocks to Sell After Earnings]( [3 Stocks to Buy and 3 Stocks to Sell After Earnings]( Plus takeaways from Berkshire’s annual meeting and new research on Apple and Amazon. David Sekera, Susan Dziubinski [A Deep Dive Into Active Equity ETFs]( [A Deep Dive Into Active Equity ETFs]( All things equal, investors tend to be better off in an ETF. Except when all things are not equal. Stephen Welch [40 of the Best Investment Picks]( [40 of the Best Investment Picks]( We celebrate Morningstar’s 40th anniversary with some of our favorite stock, ETF, and mutual fund picks. Susan Dziubinski [The Best Healthcare Stocks to Buy]( [The Best Healthcare Stocks to Buy]( These 10 undervalued healthcare stocks provide cheap entry points into a diverse industry. Tori Brovet [Where to Stash Your Cash]( [Where to Stash Your Cash]( Should you put money in a CD, a high-yield savings account, or a money market mutual fund? Margaret Giles Chart of the Week [Bond Investors Have New Options for High Yields]( [Bond Investors Have New Options for High Yields]( The ‘income’ is back in fixed income. Where should investors start? Max Curtin [Learn More]( Share: [facebook]( [twitter]( [linkedin]( Recent Earnings [Roblox: Weakening Engagement Has Weighed On Growth]( [Occidental: CrownRock Transaction Should Still Close, but Not Until the Third Quarter]( [Uber: Network Effect Continues to Drive Profitable Growth for Uber]( [Disney: Improved Streaming Results Come at the Expense of Continued Linear Weakness]( [Apple: We Expect New Models and New Chip to Spur Return to iPad Growth]( [Palantir: AI Platform Drives Strong Start to 2024]( [Arm: Shares Fall as 2025 Guidance Disappoints Investors]( [Berkshire Hathaway: Strong Insurance Results Continue to Lift Revenue and Profitability]( [Energy Transfer: M&A Drives Guidance Increase In Solid Quarter]( [Morningstar Company Reports]( Get Top Stock Picks and Market Insights Every Week on The Morning Filter. Every Monday morning, Susan Dziubinski sits down with Morningstar Chief U.S. markets strategist Dave Sekera to discuss what's on his radar, new Morningstar research, and stock picks or plans for the week ahead. [Watch Now.](morningstar/streams?utm_source=eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_smartinvestor&utm_content=54157) Stay connected: [twitter]( [facebook]( [linkedin]( [instagram]( [YouTube]( [Apple News]( [View online]( | [See all newsletters]( | [Share your feedback]( [Unsubscribe]( from this newsletter. Or update your [email preferences](. © 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 22 W. Washington St. Chicago, IL 60602