Worried about the ups and downs of the stock market so far in 2025? If so, you’re not alone. Not since 2008/2009 can I recall daily moves approaching or exceeding 10% on any of the major indexes. Personally, I am not overly concerned as I’ve been trading stocks and options since 1999 - and have seen enough bear markets and corrections to sleep well enough knowing that yes, this too shall pass. If anything, the recent volatility is shaping up to be more of a buying opportunity than anything else. But what should we buy?
While I love (and own) tech, there’s something to be said about reliable income stocks. The boring names that provide increases each and every year, making it far easier to prevent myself from hitting the sell button. One group that I love to write about is the Dividend Kings: companies that have increased their dividends for at least each of the last 50 consecutive years. Unlike the Dividend Aristocrats, Kings don’t need to be listed on the S&P 500 index.
