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For people with high incomes, Roth IRA’s may be inaccessible. However, there is another option- a backdoor Roth IRA . This TradingSim article will help readers understand how to use backdoor Roth IRAs. In addition, this article will also help investors find the best companies offering alternative retirement accounts in this bull market.

What is a backdoor Roth IRA?

In order to contribute to a Roth IRA in 2020, a person’s income must be below $139,000 if they’re single. Married high-income people must have an income below $203,000. For high-income people, there is the option of a backdoor IRA.

Ajay Sarkaria is a vice president of advanced planning at Fidelity. He noted that the IRS lets high-income people make that conversion.

“The IRS made it pretty explicit that this is a permitted technique, and it is quite commonly utilized by many of our clients,” said Sarkaria.

Christine Russell is the senior manager of retirement and annuities for TD Ameritrade. She notes that high-income investors can save more with backdoor Roth IRAs.

“The backdoor Roth IRA makes it possible for investors to tweak the rules a bit. If you have a traditional IRA, you can convert funds into a Roth IRA, whatever your income level,” said Russell.

Fred Egler is a certified financial planner at Betterment. He says that backdoor IRA’s are a good option for high-income earnings.

“They are a great way for high income individuals to get money into a Roth IRA without contributing directly to one because of the income cap,” says Egler.

Financial IRA expert explains backdoor Roth IRA benefits

IRA expert Ed Slott explained how to open a backdoor IRA.

“You contribute to a traditional non-deductible IRA as long as you have earnings and then convert it to a Roth, since anybody can convert. There is one caveat though, not everybody can contribute to a traditional non-deductable IRA. First, you have to have earnings, and with traditional IRAs you can’t contribute after you are 70 1/2. You can with a Roth but you can’t with a traditional. So, if you are listening to this and you are 75, that tactic won’t work for you,” said Slott.

Slott also explained what to do if a person has extra traditional IRA assets.

“What happens is, if you do a nondeductible, you have to do what’s called, it’s a little technical, a pro-rata calculation. In other words, you can’t just, and this is a question we get a lot so I am glad you asked, some people say well if I do a non-deductible IRA say for $5,000, can I just convert the $5,000 and pay no tax? Not if you have other IRAs because all of your IRAs by tax rules are considered one. So, if $5,000 was only 5% of your whole IRA, only 5% would be tax-free. You have to do a percentage for every dollar you convert,” said Slott.

What do financial experts say about the backdoor IRA?

Victor Carlstrom is CEO of Vinacossa Enterprises Group based in New York. He said that financial advisors in addition to SEP IRAs, they should tell their clients about the backdoor IRA choice.

“Advisors should encourage most of their clients that exceed the contribution income limits to open Roth IRAs through the backdoor process. The benefits of tax-free growth and withdrawals are exceedingly powerful,” said Carlstrom. “And the flexibility that comes with Roth IRAs opens multiple estate planning and retirement pathways,” said Carlstrom.

There are restrictions on Roth IRA contributions and the stretch IRA essentially ended. However, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enables people to make a contribution to a traditional IRA. Then, an account holder can convert the IRA to a Roth.

SEP IRA — Backdoor Roth IRAs can help people save for retirement

“Although an individual with [adjusted growth income] exceeding certain limits is not permitted to make a contribution directly to a Roth IRA, the individual can make a contribution to a traditional IRA and convert the traditional IRA to a Roth IRA,” stated the act.

How does a person know if a backdoor Roth is right for them?

Christine Russell is the senior manager of retirement and annuities for TD Ameritrade. She spoke about which situations may be best to use a backdoor Roth IRA.

“If you expect to owe a little less in taxes for the year, and you can handle the tax bill for a Roth conversion now, it might make sense. You pay taxes now, but later on, if taxes go up or if you’re in a higher bracket, you don’t have to pay taxes on your Roth withdrawals. And you won’t have to take any required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your Roth IRA once you reach age 70 1/2,” said Russell.

“Avoiding RMDs during your lifetime may allow you to leave more assets to your heirs, because they won’t be taxed on the Roth IRA assets that they inherit, either,” added Russell.

What are other advantages to making a backdoor Roth IRA conversion?

For people who are retiring, there is a chance to reap benefits from a Roth conversion. Because of the CARES ACT, there is a change in required minimum distributions. There is a new waiver on the required minimum distributions.

“This year is an unprecedented opportunity,” says Maria Erickson, a financial advisor at Freedom Financial and Business Planning in Tampa, Fla. “The numbers are pretty compelling. You can reduce your tax bill by 30% to 40%.”

Can the CARES Act help people who have retirement funds?

The recent CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act lets people withdraw funds from a backdoor IRA if they lose their jobs because of COVID-19 related reasons. However, not all employer retirement plans will allow the withdrawals. Charlie P. Nelson is the chief executive officer of Retirement and Employee Benefits for Voya Financial, Inc. He explains that there are employers who won’t accept early IRA withdrawals.

“Not all retirement plans will accept the CARES Act provisions for COVID-19 related hardships. The provisions are entirely within the purview of the retirement plan, so participants must check first to see what their plan sponsor offers,” said Nelson.

When is a backdoor Roth conversion a bad idea?

While many high-income people want to make Roth conversions, there may be a downside if a person doesn’t have the extra funds to pay taxes.

Dan Stolfa is the managing director, wealth and fiduciary adviser at Evercore Wealth Management. He said that there can be tax consequences for older high-income people.

“In the year of a Roth IRA conversion, the full amount of the withdrawal is included in taxable income and a large conversion can easily push someone from a lower tax bracket into the highest tax bracket. The break-even point on paying significant taxes can take years or even decades to reach. If that tax burden is paid from IRA assets, it will take even longer,” said Stolfa.

He advised an older client like Lyn not to make the conversion to a backdoor Roth IRA.

“For most people like Lyn who are past RMD age and are using IRA assets to fund living expenses, large-scale conversions don’t make sense,” said Stolfa.

What are other disadvantages to Roth conversions?

When a person is making a conversion to a Roth IRA before converting to a backdoor IRA, there can be disadvantages.

“The shorter the time period, the less advantageous the Roth conversion can be, because the tax-free growth has less time to compound and grow,” said Fred Egler, a financial planner.

“Once you do a Roth conversion, it’s irreversible. If you’re going to do one, you should certainly make sure it’s for you, ” added Egler.

Are there alternatives to backdoor Roth IRAs?

While a backdoor Roth IRA may be a retirement planning strategy for high-income people, Russell says there are alternatives.

“If you want Roth benefits, there are other alternatives,” Russell pointed out. “You might be able to contribute to your workplace 401(k) if it allows Roth contributions, or open an individual/solo 401(k) with Roth contributions if you own your own business—even as a freelancer or side gig,” said Russell.

“There are no income limits on Roth 401(k) eligibility, and the contribution limits are much higher than what you see with IRAs: $19,000 versus $6,000 for 2019,” added Russell.

How does a person open a backdoor Roth?

A person can use a backdoor Roth IRA as a strategy to build for retirement. In a backdoor IRA, a person opens a traditional IRA. After that, a person can make non-tax-deductible contributions to the account. Then, it converts into a Roth IRA. David Desmarais is a certified public accountant. He explained how people can create a backdoor Roth IRA.

“You can make a nondeductible IRA contribution and immediately roll it over into a Roth. The reason why you roll it over immediately is if there are no earnings in the IRA,” said Desmarais.

“Before it is rolled into a Roth, there is no income to pick up on the conversion,” added Desmarais.

What are the step-by-step instructions for a backdoor Roth?

When an account holder wants to make a backdoor Roth conversion, these are the key steps:

An account holder should put after-tax funds into a traditional Roth. If an account holder uses after-tax funds, there will be fewer assets in the IRA to tax.
Then, an account holder can make a non-deductible contribution to a Roth. The contribution limit for 2020 is $6,000 for account holders under 50. For account holders over 50, the limit is $7,000.
Next, keep the account in cash to avoid more taxes.
Wait for a statement from an account holder’s IRA provider.
Then, rollover IRA funds into a Roth before the end of the year.
After that, an account holder has to report the conversion on IRS Form 8606.
Repeat these actions every year.

What are the implications of a Roth IRA conversion?

Nick Defenthaler is a partner at the Center for Financial Planning in Southfield, Michigan. He advises clients to keep their funds in cash if they’re not converting their IRA into a Roth right away “to avoid any earnings on the funds prior to the actual conversion.”

John Knolle is principal at Saranap Wealth Advisors. For existing IRAs with large pretax balances, a conversion to a Roth IRA could bring more expenses. He noted it’s “because after-tax contributions are converted pro-rata to the overall balance.”

How to Invest — Backdoor Roth IRA can have tax consequences

“This is known as the ‘cream in the coffee’ rule,” said Knolle. The “cream in the coffee” or pro rata rule means that before-tax and after-tax funds can’t be separated.

He adds the cream in the coffee rule is “meaning once after-tax dollars are mixed with pretax dollars, it’s impossible to separate the two,” said Knolle.

How do multiple IRAs impact backdoor Roths?

Timothy Wyman is a financial advisor that is a managing partner at Center for Financial Planning. He warns his clients that there can be consequences for retiring clients doing a backdoor conversion in January. If a client retires in July and rolls the 401k into a backdoor IRA, there is an “aggregation rule”. In the aggregation rule, the IRS treats multiple IRA accounts as one.

“That will likely result in tax associated with the backdoor conversion you completed earlier in the year,” said Wyman.

What are the tax implications of a backdoor IRA?

In addition to Wyman, Russell noted that there are taxes that must be paid if there are Roth IRA conversions. While a backdoor Roth IRA may bring benefits, taxes still must be paid.

“If you got a tax deduction for making your traditional IRA contributions, you’ll need to pay taxes on the amount you convert over to the Roth IRA. If your IRA assets originally came from a workplace plan, like a 401(k) or SEP IRA, you have not been taxed on some or all of that money yet, either. So, converting that to a Roth IRA will also require you to pay taxes,” said Russell.

Research key to starting backdoor Roth IRA strategy

Because of the aggregate rule that Wyman noted, Russell also thinks that people should consider the implications of owning multiple IRAs . He said that when they want a backdoor Roth conversion, they should consider their financial situation.

“This is where you really have to think about the situation, because you owe taxes based on your total IRA balances,” said Russell. “You can’t just focus on the IRA that you’re using for the backdoor Roth.”

“Having different types of IRAs can change the equation”, said Russell.

“So, it’s important to talk to a professional before you decide to move forward with a backdoor Roth,” said Russell.

Should an account holder have a traditional and backdoor Roth IRA?

Jason Grantz is the director of Institutional Retirement Counseling at Unified Trust Company. He notes that both accounts may not have one tax advantage over another.

“It hasn’t been proven that tax-deferred growth is better or worse [than tax-free growth]. Only time will tell,” said Grantz.

In addition, Grantz recommends that account holders have a traditional and Roth account so they don’t have to have the same tax liability.

“That basically means building both traditional and Roth accounts over the course of your working years, so you have options to pick from”, said Grantz.

The accounts are “buckets that are treated differently from a tax perspective,” added Grantz.

Financial experts advise people who want to use backdoor Roths

If people want to open a backdoor IRA, Russell also recommends that traditional IRA holders get an IRS form to keep their different IRA accounts organized.

“And get all your records in order, so you reduce surprises. If you do have nondeductible contributions in your traditional IRA, you need to keep track of them on IRS Form 8606. “Otherwise, you may eventually be taxed on money you already paid tax on,” said Russell.

If people want to make a backdoor Roth IRA conversion, Russell has advice for those account holders. She urges them to consult a financial advisor to understand the tax consequences.

“Not everyone is going to benefit from a backdoor Roth IRA,” said Russell. “Before you move forward, make sure you understand the tax consequences and know what you’re getting into. The rules of a backdoor Roth contribution are often oversimplified.”

How long should a person wait to open a backdoor Roth?

While there are different times to wait to use a backdoor Roth IRA strategy, some financial experts say that there is no one special time. Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of finance, said that account holders don’t have to wait too long to have a backdoor Roth IRA.

“But I think that there’s starting to be a consensus view that you don’t have to wait very long at all. In the past, there was some worry that, well, has the IRS really blessed this maneuver,” said Benz.

“But now I think that tax experts such as Ed Slott, for example, who focuses a lot on IRAs, thinks that you can do it pretty quickly, that you don’t have to wait very long,” added Benz.

“And the beauty of that is that you can get the money working in long-term assets,” said Benz.

In addition, Benz notes that “because you are not worried about any capital appreciation and taxes due between the time of funding and conversion.”

How can people open a mega backdoor Roth IRA?

In addition to a backdoor Roth IRA, there is a mega backdoor Roth IRA. That account is like a backdoor Roth on steroids. In a mega backdoor Roth, people who have a 401k that allows after-tax contributions. With a mega backdoor Roth IRA, high-income people can contribute up to $37,000 to a Roth. After an after-tax contribution to a traditional IRA, the IRA can be converted into a backdoor Roth.

However, with a backdoor Roth IRA, an employer’s 401k may have to return the excess contribution. Some employers state that high-income IRA holders can’t save more than lower-income account holders.

Mark Luscombe is a principal analyst with Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting. He explained how Congress made that rule.

“Congress decided that, if they were going to give tax breaks for employer-sponsored retirement plans, those companies could not discriminate against lower-compensated employees,” said Luscombe.

What are the tax implications of a mega backdoor Roth IRA?

Myra Wealth management advises clients on the tax implications of a backdoor Roth IRA.

“If your after-tax contributions have grown before you do the in-service rollover, you will be subject to tax when you roll over those funds. If you are doing the transfers frequently, then your tax bill should not be significant,” said Myra.

“Some companies allow you to roll over as frequently as every pay period. If your employer does not allow in-service withdrawals, you can still do the Mega Backdoor Roth but you will have to do it when you leave the employer, in which case you are likely to have some taxable earnings and possibly a larger tax bill,” added Myra.

How can a person get out of a backdoor IRA?

If a person wants to get out of a backdoor IRA, they can have another option. Morningstar’s Christine Benz explained how to get out of a backdoor IRA.

“They can recharacterize the conversion–that is, switch the newly converted Roth assets back to Traditional IRA status, which effectively undoes the conversion and any tax implications associated with it. After that, they could hang on to the Traditional nondeductible IRA or remove the pretax assets from the IRA kitty by rolling them into an employer’s plan as described above and then have another go at a backdoor Roth IRA,” said Benz.

Benz notes that people should use caution before changing their IRAs.

How do backdoor Roth IRA’s affect families?

If a person wants to make a conversion to a backdoor Roth IRA, there may be an impact on an account holder’s heirs. Dara Luber is the senior manager of retirement product at TD Ameritrade. Luber noted that the recent passage of the SECURE Act have changed how beneficiaries inherit IRA’s.

“A big piece of the SECURE Act is changing how nonspouse beneficiaries inherit IRAs,” said Luber. “Before, you could take distributions over a lifetime, but now you have to do it in 10 years, creating a potentially bigger tax bill for heirs.”

While there are original tax liabilities, there could a lessened burden for an account holder’s beneficiaries.

“The original owner takes the tax hit, but when they pass, the taxes are already paid,” said Luber. “It could be attractive for those who want to get rid of the tax bite on behalf of their children.” The kids must take RMDs but get to skip the taxes.

Financial expert Bill Bishoff noted that the current environment will provide a tax break for some account holder.

“If you do a Roth conversion this year, you will be taxed at today’s “low” rates on the extra income triggered by the conversion. And you will avoid the potential for higher future tax rates (maybe much higher) on all the post-conversion income and gains that accumulate in your new Roth account. That’s because Roth withdrawals taken after age 59½ are totally federal-income-tax-free, as long as you’ve had at least one Roth account open for more than five years when withdrawals are taken,” said Bishoff.

If you leave your Roth IRA to an heir, he or she can take tax-free qualified withdrawals from the inherited account as long as it has been open for more than five years.

How do backdoor Roth IRA’s impact heirs’ taxes?

If an account holder wants to ease their heirs’ burden, a backdoor Roth conversion could be key. David Robinson is the founder of RTS Private Wealth Management. He said that the backdoor Roth IRA can help a person’s beneficiaries.

“A Roth conversion might be a good option, not only to minimize heirs’ tax burden but also to sustain the growth of your retirement nest egg,” said Robinson.

Financial expert Jeff Brown notes that certain considerations must be considered before heirs can inherit an IRA.

“Basically, the decision hinges on the same issue that confronts all TIRA[ traditional IRA] investors: tax brackets now and in the future. Because tax must be paid on converted sums, it boils down To paying tax at today’s rates by converting to a Roth, or paying at a future rate by keeping the TIRA,” said Brown.

He noted that if an heir will earn more than an account holder, then a Roth IRA can make sense.

“If the heir is likely to be in a higher tax bracket than you are today, a conversion could make sense. You’d pay at today’s low rate so your heir would not have to pay at a higher rate later. If the heir’s rate is likely to be lower than yours, it probably would make sense to keep the TIRA,” wrote Brown.

Will there be an increase in backdoor Roth IRA’s?

Ryan P. Costello is a financial expert. He believes that with this economic volatility, many more people will open Roth IRAs.

“The percentage of our clients that do Roth conversions is going to increase dramatically this year,” said Costello.

Certified financial planner David W. Mullins said that Roth IRA’s can help owner make better tax planning.

“What this means to the owner is potentially more efficient tax planning in retirement, more time for the account to keep growing and a larger nest egg to pass on,” said Mullins.

Henry Luong Hoang is a certified financial planner. He suggests that people who want to pass money on to heirs should pick a Roth IRA.

“As a hedge, if you have the ability to pay reasonable tax rates to convert your IRA today, there is a very low chance you will regret future tax-free distributions,” said Hoang.

Which five stocks are best for a backdoor Roth IRA?

If a person wants to invest their backdoor IRA into stocks, there are five stocks that could be a good choice for account holders. Here are some choices for investment.

1. Amazon

Amazon(NASDAQ: AMZN) stock is a golden stock to invest in with a Roth IRA. Amazon had a phenomenal Q2 2020 as many people are ordering more goods online. The online behemoth had a whopping $89 million in revenue in Q2 alone.

“This was another highly unusual quarter, and I couldn’t be more proud of and grateful to our employees around the globe,” said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in a statement.

Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky said the company is still expanding and will increase inventory in the future.

Amazon stock is a top choice for backdoor IRA investment

“As we move into Q3, we need to build more inventory for Q4. We’ve got our hands full on that challenge, but we’ve got a really good team that’s been working very hard probably since late February on this issue,” said Olsavsky.

Amazon is the top stock for people who want to invest their backdoor Roth IRA’s.

2. IBM

In addition to Amazon’s strong showing as a growth stock, IBM(NYSE:IBM) is a strong dividend stock for IRA investment. IBM’s 4% dividend makes it a relatively reliable stock for IRA investment.

IBM’S chief financial officer Jim Kavanaugh spoke about the results.

“Our balance sheet remains strong and we continue to have ample liquidity. The external dynamics we saw in March continued into the second quarter with varied impacts by region and industry. As we discussed in April, we are not immune to the macroeconomic environment. But our client and our portfolio mix provide some stability in our revenue, profit and free cash flow,” said Kavanaugh.

IBM stock good for backdoor Roth IRA investment

IBM’s cloud technology helped the company’s revenue rise 30% in Q2 2020. Kavanaugh spoke about that growth.

“In cloud and data platforms, revenue was up 30%. This reflects the synergy of bringing IBM and Red Hat together as we standardize on Red Hat OpenShift as our hybrid cloud platform and modernize our software portfolio to run on it,” said Kavanaugh.

“This quarter, we had good performance across Red Hat, including amplified bookings growth in the 30 underpenetrated countries where IBM has helped Red Hat expand go-to-market efforts over the last year. And with further cloud pack traction this quarter, clients are embracing a hybrid cloud strategy and increasingly leveraging the OpenShift container platform,” added Kavanaugh.

IBM is a top stock for people who want to delve into IRA investment.

3. AT&T

AT&T(NYSE:T) is another dividend stock that people can invest in to increase their IRA. With a strong 7% dividend yield, AT&T is a good choice for account holders. John Stankey, AT&T’s CEO, spoke about the results.

“Our solid execution and focus in a challenging environment delivered significant progress in the quarter, most notably the successful launch of HBO Max, resilient free cash flow and a strengthened balance sheet,” said Stankey.

AT&T is also a strong stock because of its cash flow.

“Our resilient cash from operations continues to support investments in growth areas, dividend payments and debt retirement. We are aggressively working opportunities to sharpen our focus, transform our operations and continue investing in growth areas, with the customer at the center of everything we do,” said Stankey.

4. Microsoft

With 25 years of being a top stock, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is a stock that many people can choose for their IRA. Microsoft’s Q2 2020 earnings show that the stock is still a solid choice for investors. CEO Satya Nadella spoke about Microsoft’s positive results.

“We are innovating across every layer of our differentiated technology stack and leading in key secular areas that are critical to our customers’ success. Along with our expanding opportunity, we are working to ensure the technology we build is inclusive, trusted and creates a more sustainable world, so every person and every organization can benefit,” said Nadella.

Amy Hood, Microsoft’s chief financial officer said cloud technology helped Microsoft maintain its high revenue.

“Strong execution from our sales teams and partners drove Commercial Cloud revenue to $12.5 billion, up 39% year over year,” said Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Microsoft.

5. Coca-Cola

If investors have a backdoor Roth IRA, Coca-Cola( NYSE: KO) is a top stock as well. Legendary investor Warren Buffett invests in this established company with a 4% yield. While the pandemic shut down Coca-Cola’s profits for a while, the revival of the economy may help Coca-Cola be sold at re-opening restaurants. CEO James Quincey was optimistic about the beverage company’s future.

Coca-Cola stock a good pick for backdoor IRA investment

“In many ways, the future is coming at us faster than ever. We are embracing the changes and pivoting our business to take advantage of new opportunities. We are poised as a system to accelerate our transformation to return to driving growth in years to come,” said Quincey.

Coca-Cola is a robust stock for IRA investment.

Backdoor Roth IRA’s can help people save and grow money

Backdoor IRA’s can be a useful tool for high-income people. The accounts can help people save more and pass on their heirs. If people want to find to find stocks to invest in with their IRA’s, TradingSim can help investors. By practicing stock trades, IRA holders can help find the best stocks for their backdoor Roth IRA’s.

A reverse stock split can benefit a corporation and an investor. This TradingSim article will explain what that action is. In addition, this article will also explain how reverse splits from large corporations benefit new investors. Also, this article helps investors to rebalance their portfolios in this bear market. This article can also help investors improve their trading strategies.

What is a reverse stock split?

A reverse split is a corporation’s decision to reduce the number of its existing shares. With that action, a company splits its stock into fewer shares. Because companies sell fewer shares to investors, they enable certain actions. When a corporation has reverse stock splits, companies make their shares more valuable.

Why do companies reduce shares to sell investors?

When a corporation has a reverse stock split, there are many reasons for that decision. When a corporation’s stock falls, it’s in danger of a delistment from the New York Stock Exchange. If there’s a delistment, a stock becomes a penny stock. To avoid that fate, a company makes fewer shares available to raise the share price. Stockholders vote to approve the measure.

While corporations have reverse stock splits because of negative reasons, there are positive reasons as well. If a corporation plans to have a spinoff company, a company can reverse split its shares to increase share price. Then, a corporation can spin off into another company to gain a higher share price.

What different kinds of reverse splits exist?

Just as stocks have different prices, some reverse stock splits have different ratios. For example, a company has a 100:1 reverse stock split. In that case, every 100 shares a shareholder has converted to one share.

In one example, an investor can have 100 shares of a company at $10 a share. After a reverse stock split, every 100 shares changes to one share.

With 100,000 shares before the stock split, the market capitalization is $1,000,000. With a 100:1 split, there are now 100 outstanding shares.

The calculation is as follows:

1,000,000/100-1,000.

Each share is now worth $1,000.

Does a reverse stock split affect a company’s worth?

While a reverse stock split may change an investor’s perception of a company, it doesn’t affect a company’s overall value.

Ryan Sterling is the founder of Future You Wealth in Manhattan. He noted that a company’s reverse stock split changes “are cosmetic. “They don’t say anything about the fundamentals,” added Sterling.

He also said that any psychological benefit from reverse stock splits is short-lived.

“Any enthusiasm you feel from a stock split, I would take with a whole lot of caution. When you talk about money in the stock market, the biggest eroder of wealth over time is human emotions,” said Sterling.

How is a reverse stock split different from a stock split?

While a reverse split means fewer shares for investors, a “regular” stock split does just the opposite. When a company takes that action, they make more shares available to investors. In a recent example, Apple recently announced it would have a stock split in August. Through a statement, the tech company made the decision to “make the stock more affordable to a broader base of investors”.

In Apple’s 4- for- 1 stock split, four shares sell for the price of one. As a result, if investors buy Apple stock at $ 400 a share. In this new 4-for-1 split, investors can buy one share for about $100.

Is a reverse stock split bad for investors?

Conceptual business illustration with the words stock split

When corporations have reverse stock splits, they sometimes have negative consequences. Financial expert Bill Matthews had one example of a company’s stock falling after having a reverse stock split.

“I was talking with a friend about a stock that he had bought at $1 per share. Shortly after he bought, the price fell to $0.50. A few months later, he received notice that the company was planning to implement a 1-for-10 reverse stock split. He was wondering if that reverse stock split was a good or bad thing,” said Matthews.

“According to the company’s press release, the reverse stock split of 1 for 10 would bring the stock price up to $5 per share, and that would prevent the stock from being delisted from Nasdaq. I ran into my friend a few weeks ago and asked about the stock. The stock, which was selling at $5.00 after the reverse, is now selling at $1.25 and he is down 88%,” added Matthews.

“In this case, the stock moving from $0.50 to $5.00 overnight was just an accounting ploy. The company still had very shaky fundamentals. Savvy institutional investors won’t invest in the stock just because its price suddenly soared, and it will have a hard time raising capital if its balance sheet is poor,” said Matthews.

“Shorters, who follow reverse stock splits and target those stocks, began to put pressure on the stock price, sending it tumbling. As selling pushed the price downward, other investors panicked and sold, causing the price to plummet even lower. As my friend discovered, a reverse stock split is normally not good news for shareholders,” added Matthews.

What should investors do when a company has a reverse stock split?

When a corporation has a reverse stock split, Matthews advises investors to review a company’s balance sheet if it reduces available shares.

“If a stock in your portfolio announces a reverse stock split, take a good look,” said Matthews.

research in dictionary — Investors must conduct research when company has reverse stock split

Matthews notes that if a corporation’s “fundamentals aren’t healthy, you might be better selling your shares. If you really like the stock, chances are good that you can buy back those shares at a much lower price several months down the road.”

However, if a company’s balance sheet and past earnings reports are strong, Matthews notes that investors should hold those stocks.

How does Apple stock split affect investors?

As a result of Apple’s split stock decision, many financial experts see it as a good sign. Caleb Silver is editor-in-chief of Investopedia. After Apple’s announcement, he believes that Apple’s decision will attract more investors to its stock.

“For popular stocks like Apple, the lower share price makes it attractive to investors who couldn’t afford higher share prices but want to own a piece of the company. Stock splits are seen as a sign of confidence from a company,” said Silver.

In addition, he added that Apple’s stock split is “considered a response to more demand for its shares from investors.”

Apple stock has stock split in contrast to reverse stock split — Apple has stock split in contrast to reverse stock split

Sterling doesn’t think that Apple’s stock won’t be affected by the stock split. He believes it “effectively increases demand for people who don’t understand fractional shares,” Sterling said. “If anything, it causes more volatility in the stock.”

Will Apple’s stock split impact the stock market?

While Apple’s stock split is gaining attention, financial experts say it won’t change the company’s value. Max Gokhman is head of asset allocation at Pacific Life Fund Advisors. He doesn’t think that the stock splits will affect its share price.

“To be crystal clear, however, and as proven by grade school algebra, stock splits have no impact on the value of a company,” said Gokhman.

Financial editor Ric Edelman also thinks that Apple’s value won’t be affected by the recent stock split.

“This is not a financial event and has no economy implications or bearing on the value of the investment or the outlook for Apple as a business. It’s a non-event,” said Edelman.

“This is a huge event from a psychological perspective. That’s the reason companies engage in stock splits — they know it plays on the emotions of investors,” added Edelman.

Edelman also advised investors to ignore Apple’s stock split and invest in other assets.

“You should ignore this and instead invest in diversified stock mutual funds,” said Edelman.

Rite Aid stock rises after reverse stock split

Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD) is a company that had a reverse stock split in 2019. The pharmacy chain made the decision to avoid a delisting from the New York Stock Exchange. Rite Aid’s stock was in danger of falling below $1 before the reduction of available shares.

As a result, Rite Aid had a 1-for-20 reverse stock split. Every 20 shares of Rite Aid stock is converted into one share. The share will be 20 times the original price. While the stock briefly rebounded after the split, the coronavirus crisis caused Rite Aid shares to increase.

In addition to being part of a White House COVID-19 response group, Rite Aid is expanding its services. Many pharmacy locations will also be coronavirus testing centers.

While Rite Aid will expand services, the company noted in a statement that its “current supply of generic medications is presently sufficient and the company does not anticipate any significant near-term supply chain disruptions that will affect its ability to fill prescriptions.”

Rite Aid’s Q1 2020 earnings rise above expectations after reverse stock split

Rite Aid’s Q1 2020 earnings report exceeded Wall Street expectations. In the last quarter, revenue was $6.03 billion. That’s an increase from $5.37 billion in Q1 2019. Rite-Aid’s CEO, Heyward Donigan, spoke about the positive results.

“There are certainly challenges brought about by COVID-19, including the decline in acute prescriptions and increased costs incurred to assure the safety of our associates and customers. No matter the challenge, we can execute our strategy and deliver day-to-day operational excellence in the face of a pandemic,” said Donigan.

growth stocks — Rite Aide stock grew after its reverse stock split

“I am amazed by the passion and spirit of our more than 50,000 associates, who have come to work every day driven by a desire to help customers stay healthy and demonstrating the essential role of pharmacy in our communities,” added Donigan.

Donigan also spoke about the importance of Rite-Aid’s pharmacists and new initiatives during the COVID-19 era.

“Thanks to their hard work, the fundamentals of our business are strong, and we are right on track with the launch of our new RxEvolution strategy. I am excited to continue this important work as we look to become a leading mid-market PBM, unlock the value of our pharmacists and revitalize our retail and digital experiences,” said Donigan.

Rite Aid’s reverse stock split ultimately brought the corporation from the brink of bankruptcy.

Booking Holdings survives reverse stock split

Bookings Holdings(NASDAQ:BKNG) is another company that survived after a reverse stock split. When the corporation was still called Priceline, it made a decision to have a 1-for-6 split in 2003.

COVID-19 affects Booking Holdings Q1 2020 earnings

While the online trip booking company rebounded after its reverse stock split, coronavirus disrupted that growth. In its Q1 2020 earnings report, Glenn D. Fogel spoke about Booking Holdings’ disappointing results.

“Revenue declined 84% versus last year, and we recorded an adjusted EBITDA[ earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization] loss of $376 million, the first time we have produced a quarterly EBITDA loss since 2001. We witnessed the greatest negative impact from the virus in April as newly booked room nights in that month declined over 85% year-over-year,” said Fogel.

While travel declined during the worldwide quarantine, Fogel noted that Booking Holdings’ revenue improved slightly. He noted that trip bookings rose after the economy opened up again in late spring.

“After April, room night trends have steadily improved. The improved booking trends were primarily driven by domestic travel, with international trends seeing much more limited improvement,” said Fogel.

“While almost all of our global markets showed improvement through the quarter, Europe and the United States had the highest contribution to the improved domestic booking trends,” added Fogel.

Some financial experts bullish on Booking Holdings after reverse stock split

When the U.S. State Department lifted global restrictions, Booking Holdings stock increased 1.5%. Steve Chiavarone is a portfolio manager and equity strategist and vice president at Federated Hermes. He noted that the Booking Holdings stock bump may not last because Americans are still afraid or unable to travel.

“But you still have restrictions on Americans coming in, and I think ultimately, people aren’t just staying home because of mandates. They’re staying home because they’re worried about their health,” said Chiavarone.

“I think for a lot of reasons, you’re still going to see travel levels down. I think you’re still going to see a preference for domestic travel. But, hey, incrementally, the idea that there are parts of the world that have gotten coronavirus under control enough that we can start to lift restrictions, that’s a good thing,” added Chiavarone.

Some financial experts are bearish on Booking Hearings stock

While some analysts are bearish on Booking Holdings’ stock, Broyhill Asset Management is bullish on the company’s stock. In a letter to clients, Broyhill Asset Management thinks that Booking Holdings will survive the coronavirus-caused decline in trip bookings.

“During the quarter, we also built a position in Bookings (BKNG), which we had been watching long before the crisis began. For the past three years, the stock has been under pressure due increasing concerns about the company’s competitive positioning—in relation to both hotel loyalty programs and Google’s search engine,” said Broyhill.

“And although Bookings will likely suffer in the short term, its more entrenched European business, combined with its strong balance sheet, should make it among the best-positioned companies throughout the travel sector,” added Broyhill.

While Booking Holdings has difficulty now, the reverse stock split ultimately benefited the company.

Grow Capital reduces available shares

Grow Capital(OTCQB:GRWC) is a corporation that incubates fintech companies. The company recently announced that it’s implementing a 1-for-20 reverse stock split.

The company is implementing the reverse stock split to increase its trading price to $4.00. Once the stock price reaches that threshold, it will meet NASDAQ’s required bid price. Grow’s interim CEO Terry Kennedy spoke about the changes in a statement.

“This reverse split will help GRWC normalize trading and better align with our business activity. Our subsidiary is growing and we have new acquisitions on the horizon. Issuing this reverse-split is expected to raise our per-share price and allow for better long-term planning,” said Kennedy.

Grow’s board president James Olson also spoke about the reverse stock split.

“The Board believes it is in the best interests of GRWC and the stockholders to implement the Reverse Stock Split to reduce the number of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock”, said Olson.

discipline — Discipline part of a company’s reverse stock split

Olson spoke about the reverse stock split “thereby increasing the number of shares of common stock available for issuance. We believe it is likely to increase the market price as fewer shares will be outstanding.”

He also noted that “the expected increased market price will encourage interest in the common stock.”

Grow Capital is another company hoping to increase its share price by reducing available shares to investors.

Xerox has reverse stock split

In addition to small companies like Grow Capital, established corporations like Xerox(NYSE:XRX) had a reverse stock split in 2017. Xerox spoke about the 1-for-4 stock split in a statement.

“As a result of the reverse stock split, every four shares of Xerox common stock issued and outstanding or held as treasury shares were automatically combined and reclassified into one share of Xerox common stock. The reverse stock split also affected all outstanding Xerox equity awards and outstanding convertible securities,” said Xerox.

What did financial experts say about Xerox’s stock split?

When Xerox announced its reverse stock split, Ian Wyatt, editor of High Yield Wealth, spoke about the decision.

“So why did Xerox bother with a reverse stock split if investor wealth remains unchanged? Visibility is the answer. Many institutional investors—mutual funds in particular—ignore stocks priced in single digits. Many investment firms ignore these stocks as well. Xerox is trying to raise its profile with its reverse-stock split,” said Wyatt.

Wyatt noted that he and other experts were unsure if the decision would impact Xerox stock.

“We’re agnostic on the reverse stock split. It could raise Xerox’s standing among institutional investors and research analysts. It could also lower Xerox’s standing among other investors. Some investors are repelled by reverse stock split. They view a reverse stock split as an insincere strategy for raising the share price. Financial performance ultimately determines value and price in the long run.”

Xerox revenue falls during COVID-19

While Xerox stock rebounded after the stock split initially, shares tumbled during the coronavirus crisis. The corporation’s Q2 2020 revenue fell to $1.465 billion from $2.263 billion.

“The global COVID-19 pandemic crisis significantly impacted our second quarter 2020 revenues due to business closures and office building capacity restrictions that impacted our customers’ purchasing decisions and caused lower printing volumes on our devices,” said Xerox in a statement.

Xerox is still a viable company after its stock split, but has suffered like man companies in this current economy.

AIG rebounds after reverse stock split

AIG( NYSE:AIG) stock rebounded after collapsing during the 2008 financial crisis. The insurance company tried to recover by having a 1-for-20 reverse stock split.

Cathy Seifert is an insurance analyst with Standard & Poor’s Equity Research. She noted that AIG’s stock split was more about easing investors’ worries than about its bottom line.

“Market psychology probably has something to do with this. The underlying fundamentals haven’t changed but the mechanics have,” said Seifert.

AIG another victim of COVID-19 crisis

Just as with Xerox, AIG’s revenue dropped during the coronavirus crisis.

AIG spoke about the results in a statement.

“Overall, AIG reported adjusted pre-tax income of $803 million and adjusted after-tax income of $571 million or $0.66 per diluted share, compared to $1 — compared to $1.3 billion or $1.43 per share in the second quarter of 2019. The key drivers of the year-over-year reduction were higher catastrophe losses from COVID and civil unrest, along with lower net investment income,” said AIG.

While AIG persevered after 2009, the company’s still struggling during the current volatile economy.

E-trade thrives after reverse stock split

E-Trade( NASDAQ:ETFC) approved a 1-for-10 reverse stock split in 2010. Since then, Etrade stock soared as the trading firm added customers during the COVID-19-caused shutdown. E-Trade’s CEO, Chad Turner, spoke about the company’s positive results.

“We delivered strong financial results on top of continued record-setting operating metrics,” said Chad Turner, Chief Financial Officer. “We generated our highest period ever of revenue from trading-related activity, which more than offset the quarter-over-quarter pressure on net interest income, given the Fed’s recent rate cuts to near zero.

“While we remain prudent on managing expenses as we navigate this low interest rate environment, we continue to opportunistically invest in sales and marketing to maintain the tremendous momentum in growth of accounts, assets, and deposits amid an environment that is particularly ripe for franchise growth,” said Turner.

Turner also spoke about how the increase in traders caused a growth in assets.

“Furthermore, the blistering pace of account and asset growth continued in the second quarter, with $13.6 billion in net new retail assets, and 327,000 net new retail accounts, bringing our year-to-date retail asset flows to $31.9 billion and account growth to 656,000,” added Turner.

E-Trade stock soared after its successful reverse stock split.

Motorola struggles after reverse stock split

Motorola( NYSE:MSI) had a 1-for-7 reverse stock split in 2010 before split into two corporations: Motorola Solutions and Motorola Mobility. The company spoke about the split in a statement.

“Today’s announcement marks another important milestone toward the upcoming separation that is expected to benefit Motorola, its stockholders, as well as each company’s respective customers and employees. We look forward to taking advantage of the opportunities before us as we begin the new year as two independent, publicly traded companies,” said Motorola.

Motorola suffers during global pandemic

Even though the split helped the company after the decline of its Razr phones, the COVID-19 crisis hurt Motorola as well. In its latest Q2 2020 report, the company spoke about its worse-than-expected earnings.

“Q2 results included revenue of $1.6 billion, down 13% from a year ago, including $40 million of revenue from acquisitions and $30 million of currency headwinds. GAAP operating earnings of $218 million and operating margins of 13.5% compared to 18.8% in the year-ago quarter,” said Motorola in a statement.

Despite its reverse stock split, Motorola’s stock stumbled during the COVID-19 crisis.

AT&T profits rise after reverse stock split

AT&T (NYSE:T) stock remained stable after its reverse stock split in 2002. In that split, the corporation had a massive 24,875 for 50,000 stock split.

AT&T stock rose after a reverse stock split

Since that stock split, AT&T stock rose and still had a positive Q2 2020 earnings report. CEO John Stankey spoke about the results.

“Our core subscription businesses proved to be resilient in the face of the economic downturn. Our mobility and business wire line segments performed well, and we grew EBITDA[ earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortization] margins in both areas. EBITDA of $7.8 billion was up year-over-year with both EBITDA margins and service margins expanding, and that’s inclusive of COVID impacts,” said Stankey.

He added that AT&T’s cash flow grew despite the pandemic.

“Cash flow was impressive even during the pandemic. Cash from operations came in at more than $12 billion and free cash flow came in at $7.6 billion,” said Stankey.

Stankey also noted that the quarantine helped AT&T’s cable and HBO Max streaming service grow as well.

“Our software-based entertainment businesses performed well. ATT TV subscriber growth in its first full quarter was better than we expected and it’s our highest performing video product with customer satisfaction, double the level of our legacy TV services,” added Stankey.

AT&T stock and business division rebounded and increased after its reverse stock split almost 20 years ago.

Citigroup

Citigroup (NYSE:C) had a 10-for-1 reverse stock split in 2013. During the split, some shareholders disapproved of the split. One shareholder commented on the split at the time.

“You guys know what the price of the stock is. It is the same price when we did the reverse split. This stock has to reach $600 for me to break even. Bring it down to $4.65 and then maybe it can climb back up to $60,” said the shareholder.

CEO Michael Corbat spoke about the stockholders’ concerns.

“This reverse stock split wasn’t done to engineer the stock price. It was done to reduce volatility and to get shareholders out of the stock who were using it as a trading vehicle, ” said Corbat.

Citigroup has better-than-expected earnings after reverse stock split

Despite the coronavirus crisis, Citigroup exceeded Wall Street expectations. Corbat spoke about the Q2 2020 results.

“While credit costs weighed down our net income, our overall business performance was strong during the quarter, and we have been able to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic reasonably well. The Institutional Clients Group had an exceptional quarter, marked by an increase in Fixed Income of 68%. Global Consumer Banking revenues were down as spending slowed significantly due to the pandemic,” said Corbat.

“We entered this crisis from a position of strength. During the quarter, our regulatory capital increased and our CET1 [common equity tier one capital] ratio improved to 11.5%, comfortably above our new regulatory minimum of 10%. We continued to add to our substantial levels of liquidity and our balance sheet has plenty of capacity to serve our clients,” added Corbat.

Corbat also spoke about how Citigroup was prepared for more volatility in the future.

“With a sharp emphasis on risk management, we are prepared for a variety of scenarios and will continue to operate our institution prudently given this unprecedented situation,” said Corbat.

Citigroup stock flourished after its reverse stock split and help from the Federal Reserve.

Aurora Cannabis latest company to have reverse stock split

In a more current example of a stock split, Aurora Cannabis (NYSE:ACB) is implementing a 1-for-12 reverse stock split. The corporation will reduce its available shares to investors from 1.3 billion to roughly 110 million.

Despite the boom in pot sales during the worldwide quarantine, the marijuana company’s shares have plummeted. Aurora explained its decision in a statement.

Aurora Cannabis stock hope to rise after a reverse stock split — Aurora Cannabis stock hopes to rise after a reverse stock split

“The company intends to use a portion of this available capacity to provide further balance sheet strength and preserve flexibility given macroeconomic uncertainty caused by COVID-19,” said Aurora in a statement.

What do financial experts say about Aurora Cannabis’ reverse stock split?

In response to the announcement, Innovation Shares managing director Matt Markiewicz said that Aurora had no choice but to implement the reverse stock split. Aurora stock plunged to 69 cents a share. With that disappointing share price, the stock’s in danger of being delisted from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

“They had to do this to stay compliant with NYSE rules. They can’t jeopardize the U.S. because of the large shareholder base here. There’s no way the company would risk cutting that conduit,” said Markiewicz.

Jefferies analyst Owen Bennett believes that the reverse stock split will hurt investors’ confidence in the cannabis company’s stock.

“Today’s announcement of a further [at-the-market program], alongside language that suggests [how] this will be used, will be a blow to sentiment,” wrote Bennett in a note to clients.

In contrast, Cowen analyst Vivien Azer notes that Aurora Cannabis’ positive cash flow can help its reverse stock split. However, she said that she had concerns about its overall balance sheet.

She noted that the cash flow is “a positive (particularly in the current environment), but we[Cowen] continue to have concerns on the balance sheet.”

Aurora has positive Q3 2020 earnings

Despite the concerns about Aurora’s reverse stock split, the company had a positive and negative Q3 2020 earnings report. While Aurora still hasn’t turned a profit, the company had an 18% increase in revenue to $78.4 million. CEO Michael Singer spoke about the corporation’s results.

“I am incredibly proud of the Aurora team for working through these challenging times in order to maintain uninterrupted operations at all of our production facilities and ensure we continue to meet the needs of our patients and consumers,” said Singer.

“I am also pleased that our third quarter 2020 financial results were in-line with our expectations, and that we remain firmly on track with the cost-savings and capex[capital expenditure] goals we detailed during our business transformation plan in February 2020,” added Singer.

“As outlined in our press release on Friday, revenue for Q1 2020 was $58.7 million with gross profit at $10.6 million. Both of these metrics are in line with the numbers previously estimated on the year-end call,” concluded Singer.

When Aurora Cannabis has a reverse stock split, it remains to be seen how it will impact investors.

Staffing 360 solutions has reverse stock split

Staffing 360 Solutions is another corporation that had a reverse stock split. The corporation’s stock will be sold in a 1-for-5 split. CEO Brendan Flood spoke about the shareholders’ decision in 2018.

“At a Special Meeting of Stockholders today, the stockholders of Staffing 360 Solutions voted by a large margin (over 74% of outstanding shares) to provide the Board with the authority to effect a reverse stock split at a ratio in the range of 1-for-2 to 1-for-10, such ratio to be determined by the Company’s Board of Directors. After careful consideration, the Board determined the appropriate reverse stock split to be a ratio of 1-for-5,” said Flood.

Staffing 360 Solutions Q1 2020 results mixed

After its reverse stock split, Staffing 360 Solutions had a mixed Q1 2020 revenue report.

While the corporation’s revenue was down, it was still in line with Wall Street expectations. Flood spoke about the Q1 2020 results.

As outlined in our press release on Friday, revenue for Q1 2020 was $58.7 million with gross profit at $10.6 million. Both of these metrics are in line with the numbers previously estimated on the year-end call.

Principal accounting officer Sharnika Viswakula spoke about the results as well.

“For the first quarter of 2020, revenue of $58.7 million reflects a decrease of 20.5% over the prior year of $73.8 million,” said Viswakula.

Staffing 360 Solutions has had mixed results since its reverse stock split.

Reverse stock splits affect investors in may different ways

In reverse stock splits, many corporations have been impacted in many ways. For investors, there are different results that can affect their ability to buy shares of a company’s stock and profit after the stock splits.

If investors want more information about reverse stock splits and how they affect their portfolios, they can practice trading on TradingSim. With research and simulated trades, investors can find the best stocks that can persevere after reverse stock splits.

Though they may seem inconsequential to some investors, dividend stocks are pivotal to building a portfolio to increase wealth despite the previous bear market in this economy changed by the coronavirus. This TradingSim article will help investors find the best dividend stocks of 2020 to buy and hold in order to rebalance their portfolios. This article will also help investors determine the best stocks to help them improve their investment strategies.

What are dividend stocks?

Dividend stocks are shares from corporations that offer extra payouts every quarter to investors. With many dividend stocks, investors can purchase low-risk value stocks. With companies giving dividends, corporations pay investors in shares instead of cash.

How are dividend stocks beneficial to investors?

Because they offer tax benefits, corporations that offer dividends are beneficial to investors. With corporations offering dividends, the IRS doesn’t usually collect capital gains taxes. The IRS doesn’t collect capital gains taxes unless investors sell the shares at a profit. In addition to that tax advantage, corporations with dividends have special tax perks.

If an investor buys stock before the reinvestment date, there is a benefit. That benefit increases if investors keep the stock for 60 days. If an investor holds a stock for two months or longer, the IRS treats the dividend as a qualified dividend. In that case, the IRS taxes the dividends at low tax rates between 5-15%.

If investors are looking for the best stocks that offer dividends, here are 10 of the top choices for investors.

1. AT&T

AT&T is one of the best dividend stocks of 2020

If investors are looking for the best companies offering dividends, AT&T (NYSE:T) is a good choice. Because the company has been around for over a century, AT&T’s dividend yield of 6% is great for investors.

The telecommunication’s stock is a dividend aristocrat. With dividend aristocrats, investors are buying stocks that consistently pay high dividends to investors for at least 25 years. Because AT&T is a dividend aristocrat, the company is a great dividend stock in 2020 and beyond.

AT&T Q2 2020 earnings deliver strong results

In addition to strong dividends, the telecommunications giant also had a robust Q2 earnings report. AT&T reported revenue of $41 billion. In the last quarter, The company’s profits took a hit. AT&T’s revenue slightly dropped because its movie division was stalled during the nationwide quarantine. Even though profits were down, they still beat Wall Street expectations. John Stankey, the company’s CEO, spoke about the results.

The chief executive officer also spoke about AT&T’s positive cash flow.

AT&T chief financial officer John Stephens also touted the success of its HBO Max streaming service.

“One month after launch, HBO Max had about 3 million retail subscribers. 4.1 million subscribers had ‘activated’ their Max account. Of those, more than 1 million are wholesale subscribers through AT&T,” said Stephens.

AT&T stock gets buy ratings from analysts as one of the best dividend stocks of 2020

Even though AT&T’s Q2 2020 revenue beat expectations, two different financial analysts have different takes on the stock. Bernstein analyst Peter Supino said that AT&T stock is a buy because of its increased mobile service during COVID-19.

“Critically, mobility service revenues, adjusted for roaming, grew by more than 1%,” noted Supino.

Morningstar analyst Mike Hodel also rates AT&T as one of the best dividend stocks for 2020 and beyond.

“Looking at AT&T’s businesses individually, we believe the firm still deserves a narrow moat based primarily on cost advantages within the wireless business and intangible assets acquired with Time Warner. These advantages should enable the firm to maintain relationships with customers and increase free cash flow,” said Hodel.

Some analysts see AT&T as a weaker dividend stock

While Peter Supino rates AT&T stock a buy, other analysts are bearish on the telecom company’s site. MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett wrote in a note to clients that he is skeptical that AT&T can compete with other wireless companies.

“Their loss of postpaid phone subscribers owes, in part, to the necessity of prioritizing free cash flow over growth in order to mitigate the weakness in their media and wireline businesses. And, perhaps more importantly, it is unclear whether AT&T has the balance sheet to vigorously compete in the FCC’s upcoming auctions for mid-band spectrum,” wrote Moffett.

Even though analysts are split on whether to buy AT&T stock, the company’s strong dividend makes the stock a good long-term buy for investors.

2. Microsoft

Microsoft stock is one of the best dividend stocks for investors

In addition to AT&T, tech giant Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has one of the best dividend stocks of 2020 for investors. Microsoft’s dividend yield is small at 1%, but offers a robust dividend. In addition to a reliable dividend, Microsoft’s last earnings report was better-than-expected as well.

Microsoft has positive Q3 2020 earnings as one of the best dividend stocks

In its Q3 2020 earnings report, Microsoft had a strong Q3 2020 earnings report. The company’s CEO Satya Nadella, spoke about the positive results.

“We’ve seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months. From remote teamwork and learning to sales and customer service to critical cloud infrastructure and security — we are working alongside customers every day to help them adapt and stay open for business in a world of remote everything. Our durable business model, diversified portfolio, and differentiated technology stack position us well for what’s ahead,” said Nadella in a statement.

Microsoft’s quarterly revenue grew to $35 billion. The corporation’s revenue increased because of “cloud usage increased, particularly in Microsoft 365, including Teams, Azure, Windows Virtual Desktop, advanced security solutions, and Power Platform, as customers shifted to work and learn from home”, noted Microsoft in its earnings report.

Microsoft is a buy for some financial experts

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives noted that Microsoft stock is a buy because of its successful cloud technology. He also thinks that the tech company is benefiting from many workers working more from home.

He also noted “this current remote work from home (WFH) environment is further catalyzing more enterprises to make the strategic cloud shift with Microsoft the main beneficiary as evidenced by the solid results.”

“In a nutshell, Nadella & Co. continue to lead a transformational cloud story narrowing the gap vs. Bezos and AWS into 2021,” added Ives.

Amana Mutual Funds also is bullish on Microsoft stock because of its cloud technology.

“Microsoft has done an excellent job building its Azure cloud services business, while we believe a strong period of semiconductor demand will arrive in the new decade supporting Microchip and Taiwan Semiconductor. Whether the rally starts in 2020 or 2021 remains to be seen but recent signs have been positive.”

Because of Microsoft’s strong Q3 2020 results and bullish analysis from experts, Microsoft has a dividend stock that investors should choose.

3. Johnson & Johnson

Like AT&T, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is another high-yield dividend aristocrat that is a good choice for investors. The company’s dividend yield is a healthy 2.76%.

The healthcare company overcame controversy for allegedly producing toxic baby powder. The corporation is moving beyond that tumultuous period as the corporation develops a COVID-19 vaccine.

Paul Stoffels, M.D., Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer, is supervising the project. He spoke about the potential treatment in a statement.

“We are excited to see these pre-clinical data because they show our SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate generated a strong antibody response and provided protection with a single dose. The findings give us confidence as we progress our vaccine development and upscale manufacturing in parallel, having initiated a Phase 1/2a trial in July with the intention to move into a Phase 3 trial in September,” said Stoffels.

Johnson & Johnson is a top dividend stock in 2020

“Based on the strength of the preclinical data we have seen so far and interactions with the regulatory authorities, we have been able to further accelerate the clinical development of our investigational SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, Ad26.COV2-S, recombinant,” said Stoffels.

“Simultaneously, we are continuing our efforts to build important global partnerships and invest in our vaccine production technology and manufacturing capabilities. Our goal is to ensure we can deliver a vaccine to the world and protect people everywhere from this pandemic,” added Stoffels.

Johnson & Johnson stock rises on promising coronavirus vaccine trial

Mathai Mammen, M.D., Ph.D., is the global head of Janssen Research & Development, LLC at Johnson & Johnson. He noted that the potential for the vaccine can have a great impact on the world.

“As we collectively battle this pandemic, we remain deeply committed to our goal of providing a safe and effective vaccine to the world. Our pre-clinical results give us reason to be optimistic as we initiate our first-in-human clinical trial, and we are excited to enter the next stage in our research and development toward a COVID-19 vaccine,” said Mammen.

“We know that, if successful, this vaccine can be rapidly developed, produced on a large scale and delivered around the world,” added Mammen.

Financial analysts say Johnson & Johnson is one of the best dividend stocks of 2020

CNBC financial analyst Jim Kramer thinks that Johnson & Johnson stock is a buy because of its strong dividend and its vaccine development.

“J&J has the best pipeline of these drug companies,” said Cramer. “Their vaccine could fail and the stock wouldn’t even go down. That’s how cheap this thing is. I think it’s a buy right here,” said Cramer.

In addition to Cramer, Merrill Lynch analyst Bob Hopkins is bullish on Johnson & Johnson stock. He believes that the company can overcome its past troubles if the coronavirus vaccine is effective.

“We continue to like the risk reward in JNJ. While visibility remains low with litigation, Covid’s impact on the economy could well bring names like JNJ back into favor and goodwill from a successful vaccine could limit drug pricing risk,” wrote Hopkins in a note to clients.

Because of its healthy dividend and promising vaccine, investors can pick Johnson & Johnson stock.

4. Altria

While Johnson & Johnson wants to be a dividend stock that promotes health, Altria (NYSE: MO) is a “sin” dividend stock. The tobacco company has an impressive 8% dividend yield. In Altria’s Q2 2020 earnings report, chief financial officer Sal Mancuso spoke about Altria raising its dividend payout.

“We are pleased to announce that yesterday, our board declared the quarterly dividend ahead of our normally scheduled declaration date. The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.86 per share, representing a new annualized dividend rate of $3.44 per share,” said Mancuso.

“This represents an increase of 2.4% from the previous annualized rate of $3.36 per share and marks the 55th dividend increase in the past 51 years. Our balance sheet is strong, and our core tobacco businesses continue to generate significant cash,” added Mancuso.

Altria stock rises as Q2 2020 earnings beat expectations

Despite the slowdown in tobacco sales, the tobacco company had an increased earnings per share in its latest earnings report.

“Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., our employees continue to execute against our 10-year vision with strong focus and commitment,” said Altria in a statement.

“Over the first-half of 2020, we believe Altria showed resilience in volatile market conditions, growing adjusted diluted earnings per share by 8.5%, ” said Altira. The company’s earnings were “driven by the outstanding financial performance of our core tobacco businesses. We’ve also hit key milestones and made steady progress behind our noncombustible product portfolio,” added Altria.

Financial analysts bullish on Altria as one of the best dividend stocks of 2020

Morningstar analyst Phillip Gorham rates Altria as an underrated stock. He notes that the overall robust cigarette industry makes the stock a buy.

“Underlying trends in the U.S. cigarette industry appear to be intact following Altria’s first-quarter results, which included very strong shipment numbers, with comparability affected by a number of technical issues,” he said.

“Aside from adjusting for the timing of some of the company’s shipments that were brought forward into the first quarter, we are making only modest tweaks to our estimates for the remainder of the year and our longer-term outlook is unchanged. We are reiterating our wide-moat rating and $54 fair-value estimate,” added Gorham.

Stifel analyst Christopher Growe noted that Altria had controversy because of its vaping products.

“The tobacco stocks, especially Altria, seem to find controversy at every turn, with investors increasingly focused on the negatives and the risks, which have always been ever-present for this industry, and not rewarding the improvement in the fundamentals,” said Growe.

However, during the pandemic, people have been buying more tobacco products in bulk during the quarantine. Because of an increase in tobacco use, Growe rates Altria one of the best dividend stocks of 2020 to buy.

“We remain confident in Altria’s ability to lead a price increase again this fall, in line with our estimate (+6% price per pack growth this year) supporting the 4% profit growth we estimate for Altria’s Smokeable division,” said Growe.

If investors want to pick a dividend stock with a strong customer base, Altria is a good choice.

5. Exxon

Even though oil prices have dropped, gas giant Exxon (NYSE:XOM) is still one of the best dividend stocks of 2020. In its latest earnings report, Exxon had a decline in revenue, but still maintains its hefty 8.27% dividend yield.

“Second-quarter results included a $1.9 billion noncash benefit from inventory valuation, largely reversing the first-quarter impact due to the improvement in commodity prices relative to the end of March and resulted in a second-quarter U.S. GAAP loss of $1.1 billion,” noted Exxon.

ExxonMobil is one of the best dividend stocks of 2020 to buy and hold

“Excluding identified items, there was a $3 billion loss in the second quarter,” noted Exxon.

The oil giant noted that its revenue was “down $5.3 billion from the first quarter driven by the effects of COVID-19, including the unprecedented decline in oil and product demand, resulting in significant declines in prices.”

ExxonMobil is still one of the best dividend stocks of 2020 despite earnings miss

Because of the global shutdown, many cars stayed off the road and the need for gas declined greatly. As a result, oil company Exxon had a whopping net loss of $1.08 billion in Q2 2020. Exxon chief executive officer Darren Woods explained that the coronavirus caused a decline in the corporation’s profits.

“The global pandemic and oversupply conditions significantly impacted our second quarter financial results with lower prices, margins, and sales volumes,” said Woods.

Exxon vice-president Neil Chapman noted that despite the revenue drop, Exxon remains one of the best dividend stocks.

He noted that the oil company has “a long history of providing a reliable and growing dividend. A large portion of our shareholder base has come to view that dividend as a source of stability in their income,” said Woods.

“We take that very seriously,” added Woods.

Chapman also noted that reducing expenses will help Exxon maintain its high dividend.

“The plans will include further reducing operating expenses and identifying additional opportunities to efficiently defer more capex. Doing so will enable us to maintain the dividend and hold debt at its current level,” said Chapman.

Financial analysts rate ExxonMobil as one of the best dividend stocks of 2020

Because of Exxon’s spending reduction, Cowen & Co. analyst Jason Gabelman rates Exxon as one of the best dividend stocks of 2020. He commented that Exxon’s asset sales could help reduce

“It has fallen a bit behind schedule but there have been reports there are several packages out,” said Gabelman.

“Given the current environment, XOM[Exxon] will likely need to continue defending its long-term view of energy growth that underpins its counter-cyclical capex [capital expenditure] program that could ramp back up next year,” added Gabelman.

Morningstar strategist Allen Good also rates Exxon as one of the best dividend stocks of 2020. He noted the company’s low expenditure costs.

“We[Morningstar] continue to rate Exxon Mobil as one of the higher-quality integrated firms, given its ability to capture economic rents along the oil and gas value chain. While its peers operate a similar business model with the same goal, they fail to do so as successfully, as evidenced in the lower margins and returns. Exxon generates its superior returns from the integration of low-cost assets combined with a low cost of capital; this combination produces excess returns greater than those of its peers,” said Good.

“Additionally, its decision to increase investment relative to peers during the next five years is also likely to narrow the gap in returns with peers,” added Good.

Other financial experts think investors should sell ExxonMobil stock

While some analysts are bullish on Exxon stock, others think that the dividend aristocrat is still a pass for investors. Citi analyst Alistair Syme doubts that the oil corporation can maintain its high dividend with declining oil sales.

“The dividend is undoubtedly the real question, or maybe more correctly the forward scenario that the company is adopting to underpin shareholder returns,” said Symes.

RBC Capital Pavel Molchanov wrote in a note to clients that Exxon’s high dividend yield can withstand extra debt.

“While we see the dividend as safe — if for no other reason than management’s desire to maintain S&P Aristocrat status — the cash flow outspend is colossal under current conditions,” wrote Molchanov.

ExxonMobil is undergoing a lot of turbulence, but is still one of the best dividend stocks of 2020 to buy and hold.

6. Chevron

In addition to ExxonMobil, Chevron is an oil giant that is struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic fallout. Despite diminished sales, Chevron’s dividend yield is still a healthy 6.15%.

Chevron Q2 2020 earnings down because of COVID-19

The oil company had a staggering $8.3 billion loss in the past quarter. Chevron CEO Pierre Breber spoke about the corporation’s disappointing Q2 2020 revenue report.

“Second quarter was a challenging one for the company. Financial results included $4.9 billion in special item net charges and a foreign exchange loss of over $400 million. Excluding special items and FX, the quarter resulted in a $3 billion loss or $1.59 per share,” said Breber.

Crude Oil Futures Price levels 1987 through2017 — Crude Oil Futures Price levels 1987 through 2017 before coronavirus hurt Chevron as a dividend stock

Morningstar rates Chevron as one of the best dividend stocks of 2020

Morningstar analyst Allen Good noted that Chevron is one of the best dividend stocks of 2020 because of its expanded natural gas production.

“Although Chevron is an integrated energy company, its narrow economic moat rests on the quality of its upstream portfolio. Chevron’s upstream segment holds a low-cost position based on an evaluation of its oil- and gas-producing assets, using our exploration and production moat framework. Its greater exposure to liquids and liquids-linked natural gas production has produced peer-leading cash margins during the past five years,” said Good.

Good also noted Chevron’s expanded global oil exploration. The growth makes Chevron stock attractive to the financial expert.

“New production from its LNG projects Gorgon and Wheatstone, offshore oil developments in the Gulf of Mexico and West Africa, and tight oil growth should preserve this exposure. We forecast that Chevron can deliver a midcycle cash operating margin of nearly $30 per barrel of oil equivalent, the highest in its peer group,” said Good.

Some analysts see Chevron stock as a sell despite dividend

While some analysts are bullish on Chevron stock, others are bearish on one of the best dividend stocks of 2020. Goldman Sachs analyst Neil Mehta was pleased with Chevron’s oil production.

“Production came in above our expectations, with volumes primarily beating our estimates on U.S. (both liquids and gas) and International liquids,” wrote Mehta in a note to clients.

While Mehta notes Chevron’s increased oil production as a plus, he thinks Chevron stock isn’t a buy.

“We [Goldman Sachs] see the absolute decline in [the] share price as a function of the collapse in oil demand and oil prices,” said Mehta.

Citi analyst Alistair Syme also doubts that Chevron’s worse-than-expected results mean that the corporation’s stock may tumble.

“2Q results show a picture that is perhaps not as resilient as the market thought it might be,” said Syme.

Chevron stock may be volatile because of COVID-19. However, Chevron is still one of the best dividend stocks of 2020.

7. Pfizer

Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) stock has an impressive dividend of 3.95%. The pharmaceutical company’s stock rose because of a promising COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer’s $11.8 billion revenue beat Wall Street expectations. The company’s CEO, Albert Boula, spoke about the potential coronavirus vaccine.

“We remain fully committed to confronting the public health challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic by collaborating with industry partners and academic institutions to develop potential approaches to prevent and treat COVID-19,” said Boula.

“Our researchers and scientists have made important progress toward developing an effective vaccine though significant additional work remains,” added Boula.

Some financial analysts rate Pfizer as one of the best dividend stocks of 2020

Because of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine and high dividend, some financial experts rate the company’s stock as a buy.

Edward Jones analyst Ashtyn Evans noted that Pfizer’s other successful medications make the stock a buy. She said that Edward Jones’ “positive view of the stock is driven by the company’s extensive pipeline and lower valuation relative to peers.”

Morningstar rates Pfizer stock as a buy

Morningstar director Damien Conover cited Pfizer as one of the best dividend stocks of 2020 because of its impressive cash flow.

“Pfizer’s operating structure allows for cost-cutting following patent losses to reduce the margin pressure from lost high-margin drug sales. Overall, Pfizer’s established product line creates the enormous cash flows needed to fund the average $800 million in development costs per new drug. In addition, the company’s powerful distribution network sets up the company as a strong partner for smaller drug companies,” said Conover.

“Pfizer’s entrenched consumer and vaccine franchises create an added layer of competitive advantage”, added Conover.

Conover also noted that Pfizer is one of the best dividend stocks “stemming from brand power in consumer healthcare and manufacturing cost advantages in the vaccines division. Pfizer recently created a consumer healthcare joint venture with GlaxoSmithKline that could lead to an eventual divestment of the unit.”

Pfizer’s impressive cash flow and potential profits from its COVID-19 vaccine make Pfizer one of the best dividend stocks of 2020 and beyond.

8. Coca-Cola

While Coca-Cola(NYSE:KO) stock dropped because of the coronavirus crisis, the beverage company has one of the best dividend stocks of 2020. Coke’s dividend yield of 3.47% should be impressive to investors.

Coke’s chief financial officer, John Murphy, spoke about Coke’s net profit decline to $1.78 billion.

“Organic revenues declined 26%, driven by a 22% decline in concentrate shipments and a 4% decline in price/mix,” said Murphy.

Financial experts rate Coke stock as a buy

Morningstar analyst Nicholas Johnson believes Coca-Cola can withstand the current economic volatility.

“At a high level, we believe there are characteristics endemic to the nonalcoholic beverage industry more generally, as well as Coca-Cola’s specific positioning within this industry, that result in a competitively advantaged business,” said Johnson.

Coca-Cola stock is one of the best dividend stocks of 2020

“While the company is disproportionately exposed to beverage categories that are in secular decline, we believe it has the brand equity to induce demand for reformulated variants of its most popular trademarks, the resources to reorient its portfolio toward drink categories that are more consistent with the consumer ethos, and the scale to fulfill these endeavors profitably,” added Johnson.

In addition to Morningstar, HSBC analyst Carlos Laboy said that Coke stock is undervalued. He also believes that Coke bottlers are “poised to accelerate their growth contribution [to Coca-Cola’s profits] as they grow into market developers with better tools and a richer service culture.”

Coca-Cola is one of the best dividend stocks of 2020 because of its cash flow and resilience through economic downturns.

9. Home Depot

As the coronavirus pandemic hurt many corporations, Home Depot’s (NYSE:HD) sales rose. The corporation’s stores helped many people who were homebound in the spring. Home Depot’s Q1 2020 revenue jumped 7% to $28.26 billion. The company’s 2.27% dividend yield makes it a good divident stock to buy for investors. Home Depot’s CEO, Craig Menear, spoke about the company’s results.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic evolved, we anchored to the core values of our Company by focusing on two key priorities: working to ensure the safety and well-being of our associates and customers, and providing our customers and communities with essential products,” said Menear in a statement.

“We took early and decisive action to intentionally limit customer traffic in our stores which we believe had a significant impact to sales in many markets,” added Menear.

Home Depot is one of the best dividend stock to financial experts

Brian Nagel is the senior equity research analyst at Oppenheimer. He believes that Home Depot is one of the best dividend stocks of 2020. He thinks that Home Depot benefited from the recent nationwide quarantine.

“I think Home Depot is one of the companies that is benefiting or really capitalizing, performing well through this Covid-19 crisis and is likely to perform well as the crisis headwinds abate,” said Nagel.

“More people are spending more time in their homes, and you’re seeing that increase spend as more people spend more time working on their houses,” added Nagel.

Jefferies equity analyst Jonathan Matuszewski noted that Home Depot should improve in its next earnings report because of Memorial Day sales.

“Given HD’s commentary, it will be key to understand the maintenance or potential loosening of such actions heading into the typically-promotional Memorial Day Weekend,” said Matuszewski.

“If the home improvement centers can constrain incremental expenses to meet outsized traffic while still protecting customers/employees, EPS[earnings per share] should improve,” added Matuszewski.

Home Depot is one of the best dividend stocks of 2020 because of its service to customers through the COVID-19 pandemic.

10. Merck

In addition to Pfizer, Merck is a pharmaceutical company that is one of the best dividend stocks of 2020. Mercks’s dividend yield of 3.16% is impressive to investors.

Merck’s Q2 2020 revenue dropped to $10.87 billion because of the COVID-19 crisis. CEO Ken Frazier spoke about the results.

“As expected, social distancing measures in many regions negatively impacted second-quarter volumes for many of our products. However, customer access to care is steadily improving, including in our portfolio of vaccines, which was hit particularly hard this quarter,” said Frazier.

Merck expects revenue to improve as it develops a COVID-19 vaccine.

“Both vaccine candidates will soon enter the clinic and we have begun investing to facilitate our ability to manufacture hundreds of millions of doses,” said Frazier.

Financial experts say Merck stock is a buy

Morningstar director Damien Conover is bullish on Merck stock. He noted that Merck’s patents make the company one of the best dividend stocks of 2020.

“Patents, economies of scale, and a powerful intellectual base buoy Merck’s business and keep it well shielded from the competition. Patent protection should continue to keep competitors at bay while the company strives to introduce the next generation of drugs,” said Conover.

Conover also commented that Merck’s cash flow makes the pharma company’s stock a buy.

“Further, the company’s enormous cash flows support a powerful salesforce that not only sells currently marketed drugs but also serves as a deterrent,” said Conover.

“As a result, Merck offers a powerful partnership opportunity for externally developed drugs. The cash flows also put the company in the rare position of supporting the approximately $800 million in research and development,” added Conover.

For investors that want a strong pharma stock with good dividends, Merck is an excellent choice.

The best dividend stocks of 2020 show resilience

While 2020 has been a brutal year for many stocks, dividend stocks have proven resilient. With strong cash flows and reliable quarterly payouts, investors can rest assured with these stocks in their portfolios. With TradingSim’s blogs and charts, investors can find the best dividend stocks of 2020 to buy and hold.

Investing for beginners can seem like a daunting task. However, with the proper analysis, new investors can make the best choices to build their portfolios. This TradingSim article will walk beginning investors through how to start building and rebalancing their portfolios. Portfolios are a collection of stocks and other assets. This article will also help investors pick the best stocks for an investment strategy.

Why should people start investing?

There are many reasons why people should start investing and building a portfolio by investing in stocks. Stocks are a piece of a company that helps people feel ownership of a corporation. If stocks are performing well, an investor’s wealth will increase as well.

Many people start short-term investing for a quick profit, like day trading stocks. Some want to invest for long-term goals, like buying a house or for eventual retirement. Regardless of the reason, beginning investors should set some money aside in an investment account to build wealth creation and save for their futures from the returns. Returns are the profits from stocks.

What financial terms should investors know?

Some popular terms are used on Wall Street. Here are some of the most common ones.

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the main stock exchange in the U.S. Many stocks are traded on this platform from 9:30 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST. Many stocks trade under ticker symbols like GM. GM’s symbol is yes, GM. So, if an investor is looking for GM stock on a ticker, the symbol would look like this:(NYSE:GM).
Nasdaq(NASDAQ). Nasdaq is the second-biggest stock exchange in the world. Many large tech companies are traded on this exchange, including Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG).
Value stocks are stable, low-cost stocks that sell below their worth.
Growth stocks are stocks that usually outperform the general stock market. They are often more volatile, but have higher returns, or profits, for investors.
A bull market is when the market is rising by more than 20%. If a financial analyst is bullish on a stock, that means they think the stock is worth buying and its stock price will increase. If a stock’s price increases, that makes it more valuable and gives more returns to investors.
A bear market is when the stock market falls by more than 20%. When a financial analyst is bearish on a stock, that means that they think the stock should be sold and its stock price will fall. When a stock price declines, the profitability decreases and gives fewer returns to new investors.

What platform should beginning investors choose?

Millennial investors who are comfortable with risk should find independent trading apps like Robinhood easier for them to use. However, more risk-averse beginning investors may want more financial education along with their investments. In that case, they may want to use more traditional brokerage firms like TD Ameritrade. Those firms often have zero-commission costs for U.S. stocks. However, there are fees to trade foreign stocks.

Robo-advisors can also be used in investing for beginners. For novice investors who want a hands-off approach, robo-advisors like Ellevest offer investment services through algorithms. They take investors’ financial goals and builds a portfolio based on the information. The robo-advisors’ fees are usually 0.25% of an investor’s portfolio.

How much money is needed for investing for beginners?

While there used to be a certain amount needed to invest with brokers, online trading apps have greatly reduced that number. Some investing apps like Robinhood have zero commission fees. However, they charge a $5 fee for an upgraded membership to have access to invest on margin. Investing on margin means borrowing from a trading platform to invest in stocks. Sounds crazy, but whoever would have thought 20 years ago we would need membership software companies like Wellyx to manage gym members.

Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary notes that investing can be enhanced by setting aside money from income. He suggests beginning investors start putting money into the markets instead of buying unnecessary items. He suggests setting aside $100 a week for investment.

“What I’ve learned to do, and what has really helped me in maintaining growth in my own personal investing is, anytime I pick up something I’m going to buy, I say to myself, ‘Do I really need this?’ Because if I don’t buy it, the money is going to be invested and make money every year for me while I’m sleeping,” said O’Leary.

New investors should always have an emergency fund set aside. When investors have emergency funds for stocks, there isn’t as much of a rush to buy or sell stocks based on rash decisions.

Should investing for beginners follow the stock market?

In a bear market, stock prices plunge by 20%. In a bear market, stocks rise by 20%. While some investing for beginners may involve emotions at first, research is key. Because the stock market has so many ups and downs, new investors should not panic sell their stocks in this current recession.

Despite the COVID-19-caused recession, financial expert Suze Orman says that now may be the best time to invest. She said that the cyclical nature of the stock market means that investors should stay the course.

“You will never, ever, know the bottom. You will never, ever, know the top. Fortunes are going to be made out of this time. So just stay calm. I can guarantee you that if you stay in and you just stick with it, three years from now you will be very, very happy that you did,” said Orman.

While monitoring the stock market is crucial, new investors shouldn’t just buy or sell stocks based only on the way the stock market is moving.

What taxes do investors pay for stocks?

Taxes are due when investors sell their stocks for a profit. Those taxes are capital gains taxes. There are two types of capital gains taxes. Short-term capital gains are taxed at a higher rate than long-term capital gains.

Capital losses are the opposite of capital gains. When investors sell an asset for less than they paid for, they have to pay taxes on those losses. However, reporting the capital losses can help with lowering a tax bill. If an investor sells one stock at a profit, the losses can be subtracted from the gains to lower the tax liability.

What options are best for investing for beginners?

There are many options that new investors can choose other than stocks. Below are some of the most popular ways that they can get started with building their portfolios.

Coca-Cola stock is a top stock for investing for beginners

Bonds often a safer investment for new traders

In addition to stocks, beginning investors can buy bonds through trading apps or brokerage firms. Investors can also purchase bonds through the U.S. Treasury’s website.

When the Treasury issues government bonds, When investors choose bonds, they are giving a loan to the government. The government promises to pay an investor back with interest when the bond matures. There are Treasury bonds that investors can hold for two, five, 10, even 30 years.

If an investor wants to know which bond to buy and when to sell, they should identify their financial goals. Robert Johnson, professor of finance at Creighton University, notes that new investors should only buy two-year bonds if they have short-term goals.

“It’s driven largely by one’s time horizon. For example, if one is accumulating a down payment for a home and plans on accessing the funds in say, two years, one should not invest in a 10-year bond. If you mismatch the maturity and the time horizon, you run the risk of losing money even though Treasury securities are risk- free,” said Johnson.

Corporate and municipal bonds another way to invest

Municipal bonds are another option for investing for beginners. Municipal bonds are government debt securities that are bought by investors. The bonds are loans to the government that are used to fund local roads, bridges, and libraries.

In addition to municipal bonds, new investors can buy corporate bonds. Corporations issue bonds to increase capital to fund expansion. With corporate bonds, there are often higher yields than with bonds or CDs.

However, beginning investors have to watch to ensure that corporate bonds have high credit ratings. If corporate bonds are rated AA or AAA, then they are the safest options for beginning investors.

In addition to stocks, bonds are a safe way to increase wealth. Bonds are much more low-risk than stocks, but the payout isn’t as high as it is with stocks.

Stocks and bonds can lead to diversified portfolio

When investing for beginners, they can buy a mixture of stocks and bonds. The blend of assets can lead to a portfolio that is evenly balanced. If an investment portfolio has too many stocks, investors can lose a lot of money if the stock market tumbles.

The “100 rule” usually informs investors on how much to invest in stocks and bonds. If an investor is 30 years old, subtract 30 from 100. In that instance, a new investor allocate 70% to stocks and 30% to buying bonds. With that balance of stocks and bonds, a beginning investor can build their portfolios.

CD’s another low-risk way to invest

Certificates of deposit (CD’s) are another low-risk way to invest for beginners. These certificates are usually issued by banks and offer higher interest rates than regular savings accounts. Similar to bonds, CD’s are fixed instruments that must be held for a certain amount of time.

For example, a one-year CD at Chase Bank can be purchased at 1.25% interest. If a beginning investor waits a year and redeem the CD, an investor will receive the investment with interest. When an investor makes an early withdrawal, there are usually penalties to pay.

ETFs another option for investing for beginners

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are another investment option for starting investors. The funds are a collection of assets, usually stocks in one specific industry. When trying to decide whether to choose stocks vs. ETFs, diversification is best. Choosing both stocks and ETFs can lead to a more balanced and possibly more profitable portfolio.

401 K’s are common entryway for investing for beginners

For many beginning investors, their employer-based 401K’s are their first introduction to the stock market. With 401K’s, a percentage of an employee’s paycheck is invested in an employer-provided retirement plan. The employee’s contributions are usually invested in mutual funds. Mutual funds are companies that pool money together to buy shares of a collection of stocks and bonds.

Many 401K’s are great ways for investors to save for retirement by delving into the stock market. They are tax-free except if employees make withdrawals from the funds. Beginning investors should ideally invest 10% of their income into 401Ks to increase wealth creation and have more income when they retire.

What criteria should be included for stocks for new investors?

New investors shouldn’t just blindly choose stocks. They should look for certain factors to determine that the stocks they buy are the best to help build income.

High dividends. Dividends are quarterly payments that companies pay to stockholders every quarter. These payments are usually proof that the stock is a reliable one that offers extra income to investors.
Track record of profitability. When investing for beginners, they should pick stocks that have strong profits for many quarters. Checking a company’s earnings report every four months to determine a corporation’s profitability.
Diversity in business. The best stocks for new investors should not just focus on one industry. For example, an investor only has hotel stocks. If the hotel industry falls, then an investor’s portfolio suffers as well. It’s important to pick stocks that have diverse interests that are better able to survive the unpredictability of the stock market. Stocks like Uber(NASDAQ:Uber) that have diverse interests as ride-sharing and food delivery service Uber Eats are better choices for investing for beginners.

If an investor just wants to stick to stocks, here are 10 of the best options for investing for beginners.

1. Berkshire Hathaway is top stock for investing for beginners

Berkshire Hathaway(NYSE:BRK-A) is a dependable stock that can pay off for a new investor. The firm is led by legendary investor Warren Buffett. Berkshire Hathaway has made investments in reliable and profitable stocks.

Berkshire is a company with diverse holdings that are some of the most prominent companies in the world. Coca-Cola, Apple, and American Express are just some of Berkshire’s investments. Buffett himself touted his company’s stock.

“I happen to believe that Berkshire is as about as sound as any single investment can be in terms of earning reasonable returns over time,” said Buffett.

Berkshire itself is a low-cost stock with high value. Many see Buffett’s investments as a sign of how important a company is. Berkshire’s latest investment in the Dominion Energy natural gas company adds to the company’s impressive portfolio.

“We are very proud to be adding such a great portfolio of natural gas assets to our already strong energy business,” said Buffett.

Berkshire Hathaway stock the best stock for investing for beginners

Darren Pollock, a portfolio manager at Cheviot Value Management, invests in Berkshire because he that the investment shows that the company is willing to make investments to build up its weak parts of its portfolio.

“I’m inspired to see that, given that he’s bearish, he’s still willing to make acquisitions where he thinks it makes sense and where it meets Berkshire’s hurdle points,” said Pollack.

Berkshire Hathaway is a buy for financial experts

Berkshire is a buy because of its large cash reserve. Billionaire investor Bill Ackman purchased many shares of Berkshire stock because of its healthy cash reserves. A good cash reserve means that a corporation is profitable and withstand an economic downturn.

“Berkshire’s discounted valuation, large excess cash balances, and substantial margin opportunities at several key operating subsidiaries provided an attractive investment opportunity,” said Ackman.

Ackman also believes that Berkshire can overcome the COVID-19-caused recession.

“We[investors] believe that Berkshire will not be materially negatively impacted as a result of the [coronavirus] crisis. Rather, we believe that Berkshire will emerge from this crisis as a more valuable enterprise as the market decline will enable it to invest a substantial portion of its cash,” said Ackman.

Berkshire Hathaway’s strong record of choosing top holdings to invest in and large cash flow make the company’s stock a great choice for beginning investors.

2. AT&T

AT&T(NYSE:T) is another good stock for investing for beginners. The telecommunications company has been around for over a century. AT&T has evolved to become a communications giant that pays high dividends to investors.

AT&T has high dividend payout to investors

AT&T’s dividend yield each quarter is 6.8%, which makes it a Dividend Aristocrat. That means that the stock is one of THE highest-paying stocks that pay dividends. The dividend yield means that the stock will give reliable extra income to new investors.

AT&T a top stock for investing for beginners

AT&T’s 5G adoption makes it a top stock for new investors

In addtion to its reliable dividend payments, AT&T stock is a good buy for investing for beginners because of its early adoption of new technology. Chris Sambar is executive vice-president of AT&T’s Technology Operations. He noted that the recent quarantine led to the company’s strengthening its 5G network.

“While many of us have been working from home for the past three months, AT&T’s network team continued to build and test our network so that we could emerge from this season with stronger, broader 5G coverage for our customers across the country,” said Sambar.

“Whether it’s getting you back to work, back to school, or back to play, we’ve got you covered with the fastest wireless speeds in the nation,” added Sambar.

With its high-paying dividend and expansion of 5G technology, AT&T stock is a top choice for investing for beginners.

3. Google

Google’s(NASDAQ:GOOG)’s parent Alphabet is another top stock for investing for beginners. The company’s revenue increased 13% during the COVID-19 crisis. Google is the most dominant search engine and its diverse interests in self-driving cars and media ventures like YouTube make the stock one to choose for new investors.

Google is a buy for a top stock for investing for beginners

Many financial experts pick Google as a stock to invest in because of its diversified interests. Giverny Capital Hedge Fund rates Google as a buy, meaning that it encourages investors to purchase Google stock.

“Our largest holding at inception is Alphabet, representing 7.7% of the portfolio. The Google search engine advertising business strikes us as possibly the best business model on the planet. Management has used Google’s enormous profit engine to reinvest in the research and development of artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, cloud computing and other platforms for the future,” said Giverny Capital.

Google stock is key stock for investing for beginners

Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak also is a good stock to add to investors’ portfolios.

“We[Morgan Stanley] are particularly positive on its emerging e-commerce products (shopping listings, virtual show rooms, deep linking, etc), focus on [small and medium-sized businesses], and efforts to drive digital transformation in the healthcare and education industries,” said Nowak.

Google’s investment in varied businesses and stable ad revenue make the stock a good choice for investing for beginners.

4. Apple

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is one of the most valuable companies in the world with its ubiquitous devices. The tech company’s stock is a good investment for beginning investors because of its innovation.

Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan thinks Apple stock is worth buying because the company is making its own chips for its computers. Because Apple is making its own chips for its computers in-house, it saves money and increases the corporations’ profitability.

“Perhaps the biggest takeaway from today’s event was the reassurance that Apple is still driving innovation and new ways to use technology hardware and software,” wrote Mohan in a note to clients.

Apple stock a good stock for investing for beginners

Mohan also thinks Apple is a good buy for investing for beginners because of the increased uses for its devices. He praises Apple’s “AirPods incorporating surround sound and spatial audio, the Watch supporting more health workouts, tracking user dance movements and tracking sleep.”

A Deutsche Bank analyst also thinks Apple is a strong buy for investing for beginners.

“Overall, we feel comfortable that AAPL(Apple) should continue to offer upside for investors,” noted the analyst.

Apple is at the forefront of technology because of its ability to innovate. Beginning investors should add Apple stock if they want to invest in a stock that’s always on the cutting edge.

5. Amazon is key stock for investing for beginners

While Amazon(NASDAQ:AMZN) is a pricey stock, the investment is well worth it for investing for beginners. The e-commerce giant has grown during the nationwide quarantine. Because of its diverse interests in e-commerce, cloud technology, and its Alexa devices, Mark Tepper of Strategic Wealth Partners rates Amazon stock as a buy.

“It’s the best diversified post-COVID play. They’re literally in every single business that’s going to thrive on a going-forward basis. You’ve got e-commerce, cloud, digital advertising, personal assistance,” said Tepper.

Tepper also believes that Amazon’s stock price should stay at its current hefty price because of the Federal Reserve giving money to many troubled banks and businesses.

“Normally, during periods of heavy investment for Amazon like they’re seeing right now, the multiple comes down, but apparently that doesn’t matter anymore when the Fed’s dishing out trillions of dollars like it’s going out of style. So, I think the best pick right here would still be Amazon,” added Tepper.

Amazon stock is a good choice for investing for beginners if they’re able to purchase one high-priced stock for long-term returns.

6. Microsoft

Microsoft stock (NASDAQ:MSFT) is a tech stock that would be good for beginning investors. The corporation has performed well with its Azure cloud technology. Amana Mutual Funds Trust rates Microsoft stock as a buy because of its diverse interests in cloud technology and popular Xbox gaming devices.

“Microsoft led the major technology stocks, enjoying multiple advantages. Strong growth from its Azure Cloud Services business will almost certainly continue as stay-at-home accelerates the transition to buy online. Nor would we rule out a bump in Xbox sales!” said Amana Mutual Funds.

Microsoft stock is robust for investing for beginners

Sextant Capital Corporation also notes that many more retailers will use Microsoft’s Azure Cloud Services as they sell more merchandise online. The upcoming announcement of new Xbox games later this summer may also drive sales of Microsoft hardware and will also help make Microsoft an attractive stock for new investors.

“If the pandemic leads retailers to ramp up their online competency, they will likely require cloud services and will be equally likely to not want to give that business to Amazon. Microsoft’s Azure Cloud Services will happily accommodate. Remote work may be driving software demand higher and it seems likely that hardware demand (read Xbox) increased during the quarter,” said Sextant.

In investing for beginners, Microsoft is a fairly reliable stock.

7. Visa

Visa (NYSE:V) is a relatively stable stock with a high dividend of 0.62% every quarter. The credit card company is part of the movement to a cashless society. Visa could be a good stock for investing for beginners because it’s at the forefront of digital payments. During the coronavirus, many people are using credit cards more.

Chief financial officer Vasant Prabhu noted that many consumers are using digital payments as social distanced shopping increases.

“There is certainly a growing tendency to not want to use cash. And also, of course, not even just a tap your card, the aversion to cash could be persistent, which means that even face-to-face transactions or penetration of digital forms of payment could be growing in a permanent and structural way faster than it might have prior to the crisis,” said Prabhu.

International growth make Visa a top stock for investing for beginners

Chief Product Officer Jack Forestell noted that 13 million Latin American customers used Visa cards for the first time in March.

“We’re seeing a massive acceleration toward e-commerce adoption,” said Forestell.

Visa is also expanded internationally by adding a payment feature to the popular social media network WhatsApp in Brazil. Through its Visa Direct payment system, people can send money to each other through the app. Visa touted the deal in a statement.

“Using our technology to open up avenues like WhatsApp for more people to shop and pay each other digitally is an incredibly powerful proposition that we’re excited to bring to life,” wrote Visa in a press release.

Visa’s international expansion and use of the most current technology makes the stock a top choice for investing for beginners.

8. Disney an established stock for investing for beginners

Disney (NYSE:DIS) is a world-renowned brand that’s a top choice for investing for beginners. While the coronavirus crisis has shut down many Disney theme parks, the slow re-opening of the economies could help Disney rebound. For new investors, Robert Bacarella, the founder of Monetta Financial Services recommends Disney stock because he believes it can recover from recent economic lows.

“Look to companies that provide services and products you use and which you believe should return to normal profitability once this pandemic is behind us. We currently don’t know the extent of the damage, but we do know that people will eventually shop again, go to restaurants, fly and even plan a trip to Disney or go on a cruise,” said Bacarella.

Example of Walt Disney Stock with earnings of $1.62

Bank of America analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich also believes Disney stock is a buy when its theme parks re-open. She also thinks the corporation’s stock is worth purchasing because of its successful Disney Plus streaming service, especially its recent premiere of the Broadway blockbuster Hamilton. Disney also added many more viewers through ESPN’s Last Dance documentary about Michael Jordan and the ’90s Chicago Bulls. (ESPN is a Disney property.)

“Although Covid-19 pressures should continue to weigh on near-term financials, we believe Disney is positioned to grow stronger through the crisis (e.g., a faster Disney+ rollout, better long-term theme park margin potential and improved ESPN programming appeal) and numerous catalysts exist to drive growth higher,” said Reif Ehrlich.

Disney+ makes stock solid choice for new investors

Bob Chapek, Disney’s CEO touted the success of Disney + since it launched last year. The recent quarantine led the service to grow to 50 million subscribers.

“In late March as planned and despite COVID-19, we had an incredibly successful launch of Disney+ in Western Europe, followed by a highly successful launch in India. We announced in early April that in just five months, we had surpassed 50 million subscribers globally, a significant milestone for us. We’ve been quite pleased with the growth that we’ve seen in the four weeks since then and there is more to come,” said Chapek.

The diverse entertainment services that Disney offers Even though Disney’s stock price has fallen, the lower price could make the quality stock a more affordable option for new investors.

9. AbbVie

Pharmaceutical stocks are usually blue-chip stocks for investing for beginners. Blue-chip stocks have steady growth and reliable dividends. AbbVie(NYSE:ABBV) is a drug manufacturer that had sales increase by 10% in the first quarter of 2020.

The blue-chip stock is from a company that manufactures Humira, which treats arthritis. AbbVie’s acquisition of the lucrative Botox maker Allergan should also help AbbVie remain a steady stock for investing for beginners.

Financial analyst Gina Sanchez says Humira’s possible expanded uses and Allergan purchase make AbbVie a good stock for new investors.

“They[AbbVie] have a tremendous ability to potentially expand the uses of existing products that have already been approved, but also the potential for Humira to get expanded uses as well,” she said. “And, of course, the tie-up with Allergan along with other expanded product pipeline[s]. I think all those things, regardless of the politics, are going to be very, very positive for AbbVie,” said Sanchez.

Todd Gordon, managing director at Ascent Wealth Partners, also thinks AbbVie stock is a good buy for investing for beginners. He also thinks that the diversification of revenue will help increase its profits.

“The acquisition of Allergan was a great way to diversify revenue streams. They have large, private cosmetic drugs like Botox. And then European regulators cleared the deal with the U.S.,” said Gordon.

AbbVie’s stock is a good one for new investors because of its widely-used medicines and recent acquisitions that can expand its profits.

10. Clorox a good defensive stock for investing for investors

Clorox(NYSE:CLX) is a defensive stock that’s best for new investors. When investing for beginners, defensive stocks usually are strong regardless of an economic downturn. They usually have items that people will always need, such as Clorox’s cleaning products.

Clorox stock skyrocketed 40% during the COVID-19 crisis as many people were quarantined and throughly disinfecting their homes. Lisah Burhan, the company’s vice-president of investor relations spoke about the company’s positive Q3 (third quarter) 2020 results.

“Sales were up 11% for the quarter driven mainly by 60% volume growth as we saw very high demand from not just our cleaning and disinfecting products, but also our household essential household products. Growth was broad-based with double-digit volume increases in every single region,” noted Burhan.

Financial experts think Clorox is long-term stock for new investors

DA Davidson financial analyst Linda Bolton Weiser says that Clorox will be a good stock for new investors to buy even after the coronavirus crisis subsides.

“Indications are that heightened awareness of the role of disinfecting in public health may be more lasting than following past global health crises,” said Bolton Weiser.

Bolton Weiser also thinks that Clorox stock and sales will continue to rise in 2021.

“We believe habits around disinfecting are changing for the long term, and that Clorox’s sales may NOT decline in the high-single digits in the second half of fiscal 2021 as the consensus is projecting,” said Bolton Weiser.

She also believes that increased demand will continue after the panic buying of the coronavirus ends.

“The majority of the higher demand for disinfecting products is coming from incremental household penetration, not just stockpiling or higher use by existing households,” said Bolton Weiser.

Burhan also agreed that new customers are buying Clorox continuously, not just once.

“While early, we’re encouraged to see from our data that the majority of the higher demand is coming from incremental households rather than just stockpiling or higher usage from existing users. With the pandemic expected to have a sustained positive impact on consumers’ disinfecting and hygiene habits, we’ll invest further in our brands, turn incremental usage into loyalty,” said Burhan.

Clorox is a relatively safe investment for new investors. The company’s products are household staples that people will repeatedly purchase. That stock is a good choice for investing for beginners.

Investing for beginners requires time and research

While investing in the above stocks can be lucrative, it won’t be easy. Investing for beginners requires time and patience. By choosing wisely and conducting research, new investors can pick the best stocks for them. By testing investment strategies and reading financial news blogs on TradingSim, investors can find the top stocks to help them have their best financial futures.

Value stocks can seem like a bargain to investors, but can become a valuable part of an investor’s portfolio. This article will explain what value stocks are, how they differ from growth stocks, and how TradingSim can help investors find the top 10 value stocks to invest in.

What is a value stock?

A value stock is a bit like a stock on sale. Value stocks tend to trade at lower prices than other stocks. In addition to being cheap, value stocks tend to have less-than-average growth than other stocks. They also tend to have low valuations in relation to earnings and cash flow.

Value investing can be a great choice for risk-averse investors who want to slowly wade into the investing waters. Value stocks also tend to have dividend payments to investors every quarter. Also, with the Dow Jones in such volatility, these value stocks could be a safer alternative to faster-paced growth stocks.

How is a value stock different from a growth stock?

Here are some differences between growth stocks and value stocks. The comparison of value stocks versus growth stocks shows vast differences.

Growth stocks usually

have high valuations. Tech stocks, like Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), often have a sky-high valuation in the billions. Amazon has a record-shattering $1 trillion valuation.
have high P/E ratios. Growth stocks usually have a P/E ratio of 16 and higher. Netflix’s ( NASDAQ:NFLX) P/E ratio has skyrocketed to trading for 86 times its earnings.
steadily rising stock prices. Growth stocks like Zoom ( NASDAQ:ZM) have stock prices that surged 200% above its listed IPO price of $ 36 per share.
strong growth rate. Many growth stocks have better-than-average projected future earnings. Growth stocks also tend to outperform the overall S&P 500.
more available cash flow. Easily available cash flow is usually a sign that a company has a growth stock.
don’t pay dividends to investors. Growth stocks from corporations tend to reinvest money back into corporations. They don’t usually offere quarterly dividends to investors.
many growth stocks are in tech or other growing industries. Teledoc (NYSE: TDOC) is a growth stock that rose 18% just over the past month. The telehealth company is successful because of its innovation in medicine. Teledoc’s stock is also performing well because of its timely use by patients during the coronavirus crisis.
riskier for investors. Growth stocks can rise higher than the overall market, but can fall faster into a bull trap when the market declines into a bear market as well.

Value stocks are less volatile than growth stocks

In contrast to growth stocks, value stocks usually

have low price-to-earnings ratios (P/E). Value stocks, like MetLife(NYSE:MET) have a rock-bottom P/E ratio of 5.10. Life insurance stocks often have a low P/E ratio below 16.
have a slower growth rate in more established industries. Growth stocks tend to increase quickly in innovative new fields. Tech stocks, like Tesla (NYSE: TSLA) especially, may have wild swings on the stock market because of production issues ( or Elon Musk’s comments). However, value stocks usually grow at a slower pace and are in industries that have been around for decades. BP(NYSE:BP) is a giant in the oil industry and is a value stock with less drastic change in its stock price.
pays dividends to investors. In addition to BP, another oil stock, Chevron (NYSE: CVX) is a high-paying dividend stock. Chevron pays investors a 7.5% dividend to investors.
are undervalued. Semiconductor maker Qualcomm(NYSE: QCOM) has undervalued stock because it’s overlooked, but will be vital to the future. Even though Qualcomm stock is in the $66 range, the stock should rise soon. Since Qualcomm is making chips that will be used in 5G technology, the corporation’s stock will likely benefit from this in the future.
are less risky than growth stocks. Value stocks are usually less volatile and have steady returns for investors. Even though IBM (NYSE:IBM) stock has dropped, the stock is still a solid value stock. IBM is moving into cloud computing with its acquisition of software company Red Hat. The stock will likely remain a safe bet for investors who are looking for value stocks.

Top 10 Value Stocks for Investors

For investors that want low-risk investing , this value stock list has venerable stocks that have high-yield dividends. Here are 10 stocks that are some of the top value stocks to add to a portfolio.

1. Berkshire Hathaway

Warren Buffett is the OG investor and his Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK-A) and (NYSE:BRK-B) is the top value stock on Wall Street. The Oracle of Omaha has been choosing stocks since the Beatles were a new group. His conglomerate has chosen some of the best value stocks to invest in, and Buffett’s corporation itself is a must-pick stock.

Berkshire Hathaway started in 1929, but didn’t become a viable company until Buffett took over the corporation in 1965. His investment strategy was to buy undervalued companies, then let them grow. As a result of value investing, Buffett’s fortune has grown to almost $70 billion.

Former hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson says Berkshire Hathaway is a top value stock because of Buffett’s wise choices.

“I’m being even more conservative because I’m not factoring in the value Warren Buffett will likely create as he puts his $128 billion cash hoard to work amidst this chaos: buying back his own stock in size, buying other stocks, and negotiating deals with desperate companies,” said Tilson.

“It’s an incredible collection of high-quality businesses… it’s run by the greatest investor of all time… and it has the ultimate, Fort Knox-like balance sheet: $128 billion in cash and short-term investments, $19 billion in bonds, and roughly $200 billion in liquid, blue-chip stocks,” added Tilson.

This TradingSim chart shows Berkshire Hathaway’s trajectory the week of March 19, 2020.

Berkshire Hathaway has a low P/E ratio of 5.46, which makes the company’s undervalued shares a value stock for investors. While most value stocks offer dividends, Berkshire doesn’t. Buffett noted that he’d rather reinvest in his companies to improve the efficiency of his investments. For investors interested in value investing, Berkshire Hathaway is a must.

Buffett only buys stocks he likes for the long haul

Berkshire Hathaway is a value stock because of its investment in other blue-chip stocks. Buffett is known for his quotes about cautious, long-term investing. One quote about long-term investing is especially timely with the stock market slowing down now:“Only buy something that you’d be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years.”

Buffett also loves to quote Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing. “Long ago, Ben Graham taught me that price is what you pay; value is what you get. Whether we’re talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down,” said Buffett.

Buffett doesn’t just chase trading trends. He only invests in companies he believes in for a long time. Even though his stock picks may seem too safe, they pay off in the long run. His recent $549 million investment in Kroger grocery stores in February has been very savvy. The recent run on grocery stores like Kroger during the COVID-19 pandemic has made Berkshire Hathaway’s investment a good buy. Buffett has the Midas touch when it comes to picking stocks. His time-tested value investing in top corporations make Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway a top value stock.

2. Apple

One of the value stocks that Berkshire Hathaway invests in is Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). The tech giant is a value stock because of its lower-than average P/E of 20. For the largest tech company in the world, Apple is ironically undervalued compared to other tech stocks like (NASDAQ:FB). Even though Apple is a tech company, it’s also seen as a hardware company since it produces iPhones and Apple Watches.

The company has a hallmark of a value stock, strong earnings reports. Apple’s last earnings report saw the company earn a record- shattering $91.8 billion. Apple’s ample cash glow gives the stock a characteristic of a growth stock. However, the company’s $58.9 billion in cash flow in fiscal year 2019 helped pay its $14.1 billion dividend payout to investors. That’s an impressive 6.5% yield. Apple is a reliable value stock that investors should add to their portfolio.

Coronavirus will impact Apple, but stock will bounce back

The COVID-19 crisis has hit every corporation, especially Apple. Many Chinese factories that make Apple devices have been shut down in February. However, the pandemic is slowing in China and factories are starting to reopen. Apple is also set to launch its 5G iPhone in the fall, which should help Apple stock recover from its current losses. Apple recently noted that even though iPhone sales are down in China, there is still growth in sales in other countries. This TradingSim chart shows the volatility in Apple’s stock.

“Outside of China, customer demand across our product and service categories has been strong to date and in line with our expectations, ” said Apple.

Wearables make Apple a value stock

Even though Apple stock is currently down, Apple devices are still going strong. Many homebound people are Facetime on their iPhones and iPads to stay connected to each other (and to the games they’re addicted to playing). Apple Watches and other wearable device sales rose 17% in 2019. The ability of Apple to innovate in technology gives value investing in Apple a benefit to investors.

Craig Johnson, chief marketing technician at Piper Sandler, said Apple is still a value stock because of customer loyalty. He noted that even through the last economic downturn 10 years ago, customers still bought iPhones.

“People are still going to step up and they’re going to buy the iPhone. You know, when this gets relaunched and gets released for the 5G iPhone, they’re going step up and buy it. We saw the iPhone get released in 2007 and 2008 in the middle of the crisis there. Consumers still were able to open their wallet and buy these things,” said Johnson.

Apple can withstand the current market volatility and COVID-19 crisis because of its ample cash flow, innovative new products, and a devoted customer base.

3. Coca-Cola

Another value stock Buffett believes in is Coca-Cola( NYSE:KO). Buffett owned the stock since hip-hop was a new category of music. The soft drink company is a value stock because of its high dividend and its steady cash flow. Coca-Cola made billions by selling its soda. Then the corporation pivoted to sales from water and low-calorie drinks and increased sales. The beverage company’s earnings for Q4 2019 were $9.07 billion and the stock rose 22% over the past year. However, CEO James Quincey noted that Coca-Cola has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

“The supply chain is creaking around the world. There are flash points when it’s getting a little harder to get ingredients through, whether it’s delays at the borders, the big changes in channel mix,” said Quincey.

The corporation also noted that the 2020 guidance would be impacted by restaurant closures and sport events cancellations. Coca-Cola sells many of its beverages in dining establishments and during games.

“[S]ince our last guidance update, local market policies and initiatives to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 have significantly increased. These initiatives include the direction to refrain from dining at restaurants,” said Coca-Cola.

However, Quincey noted that Coke’s workers are “doing a great job at adapting” to the changes brought on by COVID-19.

Coca-Cola dividend consistent for investors

The company’s dividend may be small at 3.5%, but it’s very consistent. The dividend has risen for an astonishing 57 straight years. For a value stock that proves that slow and steady investment pays off, investors should choose Coca-Cola.

4. ExxonMobil

In addition to Coca-Cola and Apple, ExxonMobil ( NYSE:XOM) is an established value stock for investors for many reasons. One reason investors can pick ExxonMobil to implement their value investing is its well-paying dividend. ExxonMobil had $6.6 billion in free cash flow last year. The oil corporation paid $14.6 billion in dividends to investors in 2019. Like many value stocks, ExxonMobil is an undervalued stock that has a high-yield dividend of $3.48 per share. That’s an impressive 9% dividend for investors.

ExxonMobil will survive oil crisis

ExxonMobil has been hit by two crises. The ups and downs of the stock market has affected the Dow Jones overall. However, oil companies have been rocked by the decline in oil prices. Saudi Arabia is overproducing oil to drive down prices and spite rival producer Russia.

As a result, the volatility of the stock market and oil prices have dropped to about $30 a barrel. ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods announced that ExxonMobil will reduce capital expenditures to reserve its cash flow.

“Based on this unprecedented environment, we are evaluating all appropriate steps to significantly reduce capital and operating expenses in the near term. We will outline plans when they are finalized,” said Woods. This TradingSim chart shows ExxonMobil’s stock trajectory over the past few weeks.

Despite the reduction in spending, Woods said ExxonMobil will survive the current uncertainty in the oil industry. With refinery expansion around the world, ExxonMobil is poised to recover from this current setback.

“We are confident that we will manage through these challenging times by taking deliberate action to keep our people safe, our environment protected and our company strong,” said Woods.

ExxonMobil is a value stock before oil companies recover

ExxonMobil is a bargain value stock for investment. Investors could buy the stock while the oil industry is in turmoil. Then they could reap the benefits when the economy and oil industry recovers. Oil will likely bounce back above $30 a barrel if Saudi Arabia compromises with Russia and other oil-producing countries in OPEC ( Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries) to reduce its oil output. If the economy recovers, the oil company will rebound and ExxonMobil will remain a value stock.

5. Johnson & Johnson

Just as ExxonMobil has been an established stock for almost a century, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is another value stock with longevity. The multinational corporation has been around for a century and has been a reliable stock for value investors. The company’s stock pays a healthy 2.6% dividend and increases every year. The corporation has survived a scandal about asbestos in their talcum powder to remain a value stock. For investors that want a safe value stock, Johnson & Johnson is a safe pick-especially in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Johnson & Johnson stock rises on coronavirus vaccine hopes

The world’s biggest healthcare product producer is racing to create a vaccine for COVID-19. The company has signed a $1 billion deal with the U.S. government to create 1 billion doses of a possible vaccine for the respiratory disease. Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky expressed optimism that the company can create an effective vaccine to slow the disease.

“We have very good early indicators that not only can we depend on this to be a safe vaccine base but also one that will ultimately be effective based on all the early testing and modeling we’ve been doing. This is a bit of a moonshot for J&J going forward, but it’s one we feel is very, very important for use to be doing at this period in time,” said Gorsky.

Johnson & Johnson stock the week of March 19

Johnson & Johnson said in a statement that it “is committed to bringing an affordable vaccine to the public on a not-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use.”

The hope of a vaccine has raised investors’ confidence in the stock. Johnson & Johnson stock has jumped 8% as a result of the news. Johnson & Johnson’s stock shows that an established company can weather any storm and persevere. By providing medical devices and other badly needed products during this health crisis, Johnson & Johnson has proven to be a value stock that will withstand Wall Street volatility.

6. JP Morgan Chase

Just as Johnson & Johnson is a health product institution, JP Morgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) is a banking institution that has a value stock. Chase’s P/E ratio is 8.68, making it an undervalued stock that’s perfect for value investing. Chase had a positive earnings report in Q4 2019 with profits of $8.52 billion. CEO Jamie Dimon said in a statement that the company can withstand Wall Street’s ups and downs.

“While we face a continued high level of complex geopolitical issues, global growth stabilized, albeit at a lower level, and resolution of some trade issues helped support client and market activity towards the end of the year,” said Dimon. This TradingSim chart shows the volatility of Chase stock during the week of March 19.

Chase stock has also been helped by the Federal Reserve injecting $1 billion into banks as part of the Fed trying to revive the economy. With that security, Chase can loan more to customers. Customers themselves will need to take out loans more than ever with the struggling economy. Before the coronavirus crisis, Chase was opening more branches and investing more in banking apps. Now the bank can be an option for consumers during this time of economic uncertainty. Chase is a top value stock for investors looking for a solid bank stock to add to their portfolios.

7. Walmart

While many banks have value stocks, the nation’s biggest retailer also has a reliable value stock. Walmart(NYSE:WMT) has succeeded by selling many essential products and become a value stock because of its strength during the COVID-19 crisis. The nation’s largest big-box store was a top stock to financial experts like Jefferies analyst Christopher Mandeville. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, Mandeville praised Walmart for its financial strength.

“WMT[Walmart] exhibited just how well the company is leveraging its physical scale/digital presence and financial stamina to push the boundaries of retail, using innovative tech and learnings from abroad. With clear momentum in grocery and a sustainable productivity loop in place, WMT[Walmart] now pivots to better general merchandise, one item alongside enhanced fulfillment practices that is critical to long-term e-com success,” said Mandeville.

Walmart thrives during COVID-19 outbreak

After the COVID-19 outbreak,Walmart has become an essential resource by staying open during the pandemic.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon noted that the corporation has seen e-commerce sales grow by 35% over the last few months.

“We continue to see good traffic in our stores. We’re growing market share in key food and consumables categories, especially with its online grocery delivery service. including fresh,” said McMillon.

Goldman Sachs analyst Kate McShane noted that Walmart will help customers by keeping stores open and by delivering groceries as well.

“In the short term, we expect demand to remain robust, even if panicked buying subsides, given the companies’ mix of essential/grocery. Further, these stores will likely remain open (versus over half of retail in the U.S. that is currently closed), even in states that have “shelter in place” rules,” said McShane.

Walmart dividend makes stock attractive to investors

Like many value stocks, Walmart has a well-paying dividend for investors. Walmart’s payout to investors tops 2% and has steadily increased for an impressive 47 years. Walmart’s consistent dividend payouts make the retailer’s stock a stable value stock for investors.

8. AT&T

AT&T(NYSE:T) is another top pick for value investors. The telecommunications company has been a great value stock. The corporation is a “dividend aristocrat” that consistently raises dividend for investors every year. The current yearly payout to investors is a hefty 6.5%.

AT&T also will keep many of its stores open during the coronavirus pandemic. The corporation said that it’s critical for customers to stay connected during the quarantine orders nationwide.

“Connectivity is always essential to our customers — doctors and nurses, first responders, governments, banks, grocery stores, pharmacies, and others delivering vital services.”It’s even more critical during a public health crisis that’s challenging everyone. In fact, as a critical infrastructure provider, AT&T views it as our civic duty to step up and keep our customers and communities connected,” said AT&T.

5G technology and streaming could help AT&T stock

The lastest Wi-fi technology could also help boost AT&T stock. 5G technology will soon come to many phone customers that subscribe to T-Mobile ( which is owned by AT&T) could benefit from having 5G devices. With faster streaming on devices, AT&T could have a lock on the 5G market once the technology takes off.

In addition to 5G technology, AT&T stock could rise once it enters the streaming wars. The corporation plans to launch HBO Max, which will fan favorites like Friends and The Boondocks. When the service debuts in May, HBO Max could help AT&T stock grow if gains a lot of viewers. AT&T stock could rise after launching the streaming service. AT&T stock could be ideal for value investors looking for a long-established stock pick.

9. Disney

Just at AT&T is evolving to meet new communications needs, Disney is adapting to new forms of entertainment. The entertainment conglomerate has been struggling during the COVID-19 crisis because of the closure of its theme parks. However, Disney+has been a bright spot for the corporation. The streaming service has attracted 28.6 million subscribers since its launch in November. The international expansion of Disney+ in Europe should help the corporation’s earnings in the long run. Minal Modha, consumer research lead at Ampere Analysis, noted that Disney has to appeal to kids that love Frozen 2 and adults who want to binge watch Star Wars: The Mandalorian.

“It will now be key for Disney to ensure it retains these customers with a mix of new Disney Plus originals and new release movie titles,” Modha said in a statement. “Furthermore, while there is still room for growth among both the two core demographic groups, it will be imperative for Disney Plus in the longer term to broaden out its content offering to appeal to a wider audience.”

Hulu, another Disney-owned streaming service, is also an area of growth for the company with 30 million subscribers. Even though many sports events are canceled, ESPN+ still has 6 million subscribers. With many people being quarantined, Disney’s popular movies can enjoy a greater audience and possibly increase its stock price.

Disney dividend is no Mickey Mouse amount

Disney can be a daily stock pick for investors because of its ability to withstand the current Wall Street volatility. The corporation’s dividend payout is consistent for investors. Because Disney’s net income grew to $10 billion in 2019, its dividend payout to investors is 1.8%. While that figure is smaller than other companies’ yields, it’s still a steady increase year after year. Disney stock is a top stock pick for value investing.

10. Weight Watchers

Another value stock may be the least likely. Weight Watchers(NYSE:WW) isn’t just for your fluffy Aunt Margaret anymore. The company has grown from a weight-loss company predominately for women to a wellness company for all genders. Since Oprah purchased 5 million shares of Weight Watchers, the company has added 6 million more subscribers. “The Oprah effect” of her magic touch helping businesses has helped Weight Watchers.

Weight Watchers has also evolved because of its new marketing campaigns to reach more male customers. DJ Khaled has become a spokesperson and another one- big male superstar, that is- is aligning with the brand. The Rock joined Oprah on her Weight Watchers tour to promote the rebranding of the corporation. The revamp to focus more on holistic health instead of weight loss appears to have worked. Chief Financial Officer Nick Hotchkin, said that tour helped drive Weight Watchers awareness up with potential customers. The success also drove the corporation’s earnings up to $29 million in its last earnings report.

“We believe this high visibility has had a halo effect well beyond those who are in the audience.In addition, the tour helped reinforce our brand transformation, showing how WW is your partner in both weight loss and wellness. Member recruitment so far in 2020 has been well above the prior year, as expected, and is reflected in revenue and earnings growth guidance for full year 2020,” said Hotchkin.

Weight Watchers may benefit after quarantine

With many people cooped up inside and stress eating during the quarantine, Weight Watchers could benefit after the nationwide quarantine ends. When the COVID-19 crisis passes, people will be eager to be more active and become healthier. Morgan Stanley analyst Lauren Cassel says that Weight Watchers could add more subscribers after the end of the nationwide quarantine.

“Once the ‘cocoon’ phase ends and shelter in place measures are raised, we[Morgan Stanley] see WW as a potential beneficiary of changes in consumer behavior. We anticipate a heightened focus on health, wellness, and weight loss after weeks of gym closures, stress eating, and limited physical activity.”

In addition, Cassel said that “the extent to which existing subscribers are currently showing greater interest and spending more time engaging with the app during the cocoon phase could lead to better retention curves for these subscribers over the medium term, which we incorporate into our $47 Bull case valuation. Bottom line, we think WW’s value proposition is actually stronger post-COVID-19 than it was before,” Cassel said.

“WW’s value proposition is actually stronger post virus than it was before”, said Cassel.

Weight Watchers stock the week of March 19

The wellness company has had its stock rise 17% last week while the S&P only gained 11%. Weight Watchers can be an affordable option for investors who want to cash in on wellness.

Weight Watchers stock is a bargain for investors

The wellness company is undervalued and is selling for only 8 times its earnings. The stock will likely continue to rebound and be a great pick for value investing. Unlike other value stocks, Weight Watchers stock doesn’t pay a dividend. However, Weight Watchers stock is a value stock that investors can choose if they want a stock that is capitalizing on the wellness trend.

Value stocks are safe stocks in volatile stock market

Value investing may seem boring, but can pay off in the long run. In this time of economic instability, value investing can be a great way for investors to build a slow and steady growth in their portfolios. Growth stocks and cryptocurrencies may get more attention, but value stocks can stand the test of time. For investors taking a long-term view and that can exercise patience, value stocks are a safer option.

Diversification is key in value investing

Even though many value stocks are in similar established fields, there is still room for diversification. Value investing can consist of investing in life insurance stocks, bank stocks, and even tobacco stocks. Altria (NYSE:MO) is a long-established stock that offers a strong dividend. By diversifying a value stock portfolio, investors can get bigger returns in their investments. If the bank industry is struggling, diversification in another field can help create a healthier portfolio.

Conduct research before investing in value stocks

Research is important to find the best stock for investors. By using TradingSim’s analysis and trading simulations, investors can find the best value stocks for them. Investors can take advice from Warren Buffett, but ultimately have to decide for themselves what value stocks are best for them. With TradingSim’s charts and guidance, value investing can be rewarding- and maybe even profitable.

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