Investing in companies that distribute a portion of their earnings—dividends, they are called—offers a slight refinement to this rather crude calculation. These payouts, reinvested, have historically outperformed their more austere counterparts. Let us consider, then, two such concerns, Bristol Myers Squibb and Amgen, and examine their prospects for survival—and, if fortune smiles, modest prosperity—over the coming decade.
The basic idea is they own properties – shopping centers, data centers, casinos, the works – and rent them out. They’re legally obliged to hand most of their profits back to us investors as dividends. It’s almost…generous. Almost. Of course, there’s always a catch. Interest rates, naturally. 2022 and 2023 were…challenging. Higher rates meant it cost more to buy new properties, and tenants were feeling the pinch. The dividends suddenly didn’t seem so attractive when you could get a decent return from just…putting your money in a bank. The sheer mundanity of it all!
The market capitalization now hovers around $8.4 billion. Forty-nine times this year’s expected sales, if one believes the forecasts. A valuation that suggests Rigetti isn’t merely building computers; they’re minting gold from thin air. One is reminded of a certain swindler who once attempted to sell the Eiffel Tower – repeatedly. Is this a genuine leader of the quantum revolution, or a particularly polished illusion?
The so-called “experts” are droning on about “growth catalysts.” Catalysts? This isn’t chemistry class, it’s a feeding frenzy. Brookfield isn’t waiting for trends, it’s creating them. AI infrastructure? Seven TRILLION dollars, they say? Good. Let the silicon barons gorge themselves. Brookfield will be there, collecting the scraps… and building the damn servers in the first place. Aging populations needing wealth products? Don’t think of it as a demographic shift, think of it as a FLOOD of capital desperate for a safe harbor. And real estate? Forget the doom-and-gloom. Falling interest rates are a life raft for the property market, and Brookfield has enough assets under management to build an ARK. Over $272 BILLION. Let that sink in.
Let us consider two such enterprises, not as mere stocks to be traded, but as complex organisms, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and inherent contradictions. To understand their potential, we must delve beyond the superficial metrics of yield and valuation, and examine the character of those who guide them, and the forces that shape their destiny.
Thirty-five percent. That’s what we’re talking about. From $260 to $350. Not insignificant, obviously. But Apple’s track record… it’s almost irritatingly consistent. They’ve had some stellar years – 34% in ’21, a frankly ridiculous 48% in ’23, and a respectable 30% this year. Over the decade? A 942% climb. I’m starting to feel inadequate with my own portfolio. A 26.4% CAGR… it’s almost unfair. It makes you wonder if they’re rigging the market. (I’m joking. Mostly.) And right now? It’s down 9% from its peak. A little dip. A buying opportunity? Maybe. Or maybe it’s just the universe reminding us that nothing gold can stay.
There is a prevailing notion, fueled by the relentless expansion of a certain online retailer, that the established carriers are destined to be swept aside. This, however, is a simplification. Demand for delivery services, while evolving, remains robust. The true challenge for UPS lies not in securing volume, but in extracting a reasonable return from each parcel entrusted to its care. It is a matter of refinement, of pruning the unprofitable branches to nourish the more promising shoots.
Which brings us, rather reluctantly, to Six Flags Entertainment (FUN +4.34%). The share price has enjoyed a fleeting, almost pathetic, rally to start 2026. A mere six percent. One is tempted to dismiss it as a mirage, and frankly, one suspects one would be correct. The stock has shed two-thirds of its value in the last twelve months, and a business so utterly dependent on discretionary spending is hardly a comforting prospect when consumers are displaying a distinct lack of… enthusiasm.
I’ve been told to identify three “no-brainer” growth stocks. The phrase feels…aggressive. Like I’m supposed to be shouting from a rooftop. I’m more of a quiet, indoor person. But, okay. Here are three, along with my increasingly anxious thoughts about them.
We have, in prior examinations, traced the genesis of Tradeweb, observed its initial forays into the electronic realm. Now, we turn to its prospective trajectory, a task not of simple forecasting, but of discerning whether this enterprise merits the allocation of capital within the framework of the Voyager Portfolio. A portfolio, it must be remembered, is not a collection of symbols, but a repository of trust, a testament to the enduring hope for rational investment.