Easy Peasy #27: Build Your Dividend Portfolio & Live Off Dividends with Pre-Selected Stock Sets
Dividend Growing Stock Sets – Start with $300, $500, or $1,000 Weekly
MaxDividends Mission: To help and support everyone in building a growing passive income, retiring early, and living off dividends.
In this section, we share ready-made sets of promising dividend growth stocks with strong future dividend potential.
We also track performance and provide portfolio links for each set, so you can monitor past results and real-time updates.
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Intro
Markets Surge as Yields Plunge, Semiconductors Rally
Small-Caps Lead the Way as Treasury Yields Hit 2025 Lows
U.S. markets closed at session highs as investors piled into small caps, interest-rate-sensitive sectors, and semiconductors, while the 10-year Treasury yield fell to its lowest level in 2025.
The S&P 500 gained 0.39% (+23.60) to 6,061, the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 0.71% (+317.48) to 44,873, and the Russell 2000 soared 1.14% (+26.03) to 2,316. Tech stocks struggled despite a strong rally in semiconductors, with the Nasdaq adding just 0.19% (+38.32) to 19,692.
Tariff concerns took a backseat today as markets focused on a mix of strong private payrolls data and a sharp decline in services sector growth. The ADP report showed 183K private jobs added in January, beating estimates of 150K, while the ISM services PMI slipped to 52.8, missing the expected 54.3.
Meanwhile, the U.S. trade deficit widened to $98.4B, a 25% jump from November, driven by a surge in imports.
A massive capital expenditure plan from Google lifted semiconductor stocks, offsetting weak earnings from AMD, while gold hit a new all-time high as investors sought inflation hedges.
Economic Data Recap
ADP private payrolls: +183K vs. +150K expected
ISM services PMI: 52.8 (vs. 54.3 expected, 54.0 prior)
U.S. trade deficit: $98.4B (vs. $96.8B expected, $78.2B prior)
Mortgage rates: 30-year average fell 5bps to 6.97%
China Caixin Services PMI: 51.1, a 4-month low
Commodities, Currencies & Treasuries
Gold hit a record high of $2,906 before settling at $2,893 (+$17.20), fueled by central bank buying and inflation fears.
WTI crude oil dropped 2.3% to $71.03, as U.S. crude inventories surged 8.7M barrels, far above expectations.
10-year Treasury yield plunged to 4.42%, its lowest level of 2025.
U.S. dollar index (DXY) fell 0.5% to 107.50, as investors braced for a potential Bank of England rate cut.
Sector Highlights
Autos
Toyota (TM) raised its full-year operating profit forecast by 9% to 4.7 trillion yen ($30.7B), while Q4 profit fell 28% YoY to 1.22 trillion yen.
Goodyear (GT) announced 850 job cuts at its Virginia facility.
Nissan (NSANY) plans to reject Honda’s merger proposal, per WSJ.
Retail & Consumer
Mondelez (MDLZ) met Q4 estimates but warned of profit pressure from soaring cocoa prices, dragging Hershey (HSY) lower.
Mattel (MAT) surged after posting positive sales growth for the first time in 10 quarters.
Capri Holdings (CPRI) missed Q3 earnings estimates and lowered full-year guidance.
Restaurants
Chipotle (CMG) posted Q4 EPS of $0.25, slightly beating estimates, but provided a disappointing 2025 comp-sales forecast.
Starbucks (SBUX) hit a 52-week high, extending gains post-earnings.
Semiconductors
AMD tumbled after posting weak data center revenue, despite a 24% YoY revenue increase to $7.7B.
Google's (GOOGL) massive $75B capex plan lifted Nvidia (NVDA), Broadcom (AVGO), and Arm (ARM).
NXP (NXPI) raised to Neutral at Citigroup after mixed Q4 earnings.
Energy & Industrials
U.S. oil inventories surged far beyond expectations, pressuring WTI crude to $71.03.
Enphase Energy (ENPH) beat Q4 earnings estimates, but warned of weaker solar demand in 2025.
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) beat earnings, while RXO reported a wider-than-expected loss.
Financials & Real Estate
Prudential (PRU) slid after missing Q4 EPS estimates ($2.96 vs. $3.26 expected).
BlackRock (BLK) under pressure as Vanguard cut ETF fees on 87 funds, impacting fee-based revenue.
American Tower (AMT) and Simon Property Group (SPG) rallied as REITs surged on falling bond yields.
Healthcare & Biotech
Amgen (AMGN) beat Q4 EPS estimates ($5.31 vs. $5.08) but faces an FDA hold on its early-stage obesity drug.
Novo Nordisk (NVO) reported surging demand for Wegovy and Ozempic, crushing expectations.
Boston Scientific (BSX) raised 2025 revenue guidance, expecting 12.5%-14.5% YoY growth.
Technology & Media
Google (GOOGL) earnings disappointed, with weaker cloud revenue and a $75B capex forecast that rattled investors.
Snap (SNAP) surged on strong ad revenue, while Match (MTCH) fell on weak forward guidance.
Disney (DIS) beat EPS estimates ($1.76 vs. $1.42 expected), but Disney+ lost 1% of subscribers.
Key Takeaways
Google’s capex boost lifted AI-related chipmakers, but AMD’s weak data center performance weighed on sentiment.
Gold hit an all-time high, while oil slumped on rising U.S. inventories.
Investors are watching the Bank of England rate decision tomorrow, with a 25bps cut expected.
Markets remain on edge with tariffs, earnings, and macro data driving volatility. With the January jobs report looming on Friday, expect more turbulence ahead.
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But none of this news really matters to MaxDividends members. We're focused on growing the cash flow that lands in your pocket every month—not stressing over price swings or stock market noise.
At MaxDividends, we focus on a dividend growth strategy, perfect for investors seeking capital appreciation, solid safety, and a steadily growing income.
A rising dividend is a strong sign that a company is thriving—and wants its shareholders to thrive with it.
This week, we’ve rolled out a fresh batch of ready-to-go Stock Sets 💪.
Easy Peasy #27: Pre-Selected Dividend Growth Stock Sets
⭐️ $300 per Week – Week 27
👉 Link to the Real-Time MaxDividends $300/Weekly Portfolio
Today's Investment: ~ $390.48
Total Invested: ~ $8,452.22
Portfolio Dividend Yield On Cost: ~ 4.38% | Current Dividends: ~ $369.40
$ 390.48 / 300.00
Brown-Forman | Shares: 2 Price: 31.32
Williams-Sonoma | Shares: 1 Price: 210.65
UFP Industries | Shares: 1 Price: 117.20
Stock News in the Portfolio
🏆 Cisco Systems, Inc showed profitability with a +21.95% increase.
Starbucks Corporation has demonstrated strong performance over the past week, with a +7.66% rise.
CompX International Inc has also had a positive week, up by +4.12%.
⭐️ $500 per Week - Week 27
👉 Link to the Real-Time MaxDividends $500/Weekly Portfolio
Today's investment: ~ $603.66
Total Invested: ~ $14,149.66
Portfolio Dividend Yield On Cost: ~ 4.51% | Current Dividends: ~ $634.54
$ 603.66 / 500.00
Medtronic | Shares: 2 Price: 91.62
Brown-Forman | Shares: 3 Price: 31.32
Illinois Tool Works | Shares: 1 Price: 253.84
Lam Research Corp | Shares: 2 Price: 82.13
Stock News in the Portfolio
🏆 Central Pacific Financial Corp showed impressive profitability, with a +44.68% increase.
Lam Research Corporation has demonstrated strong growth over the past week, rising +7.17%.
CompX International Inc continues its positive trend, with a +4.12% increase this past week.
Real-Time Investing with $500: Take a Look at Goals, Progress, and Vision
How to Get Started: Roadmap and Tools to Live Off Dividends (Weekly Updates)
⭐️ $1,000 per Week - Week 27
👉 Link to the Real-Time MaxDividends $1,000/Weekly Portfolio
Today's investment: ~ $1,032.12
Total Invested: ~ $29,004.41
Portfolio Dividend Yield On Cost: ~ 4.33% | Current Dividends: ~ $1,258.51
$ 1,032.12 / 1,000.00
Brown-Forman | Shares: 8 Price: 31.32
Medtronic | Shares: 2 Price: 91.57
D.R. Horton | Shares: 1 Price: 139.50
Lam Research Corp | Shares: 3 Price: 82.13
Williams-Sonoma | Shares: 1 Price: 212.58
Stock News in the Portfolio
🏆 Starbucks Corporation showed profitability with a +48.51% increase.
Starbucks Corporation continues its strong performance over the past week, up by +7.66%.
Ethan Allen Interiors Inc also demonstrated positive momentum, rising +7.41% this past week.
Max’s Comments
The companies we select for the Easy-Peasy Section are exceptional compounders with double-digit dividend yield potential over the next 10-12 years.
The Easy-Peasy Portfolios are built using MaxDividends Tools, which include:
MaxDividends App - Real-Time Portfolio Tracking
MaxDividends Assistant - Dividend Ideas - Dividend Yield Maximization
Dividend Eagles List of Stocks- Pre-Selected Dividend Growth Stock Sets
Investing in dividend growth stocks allows you to generate growing passive income over time. By using ready-made dividend stock sets, you can see exactly how this strategy works in action and how your portfolio can steadily build income through reinvested dividends and consistent growth.
It’s a powerful, simple approach to achieving financial freedom and living off dividends!
Anyone can follow the MaxDividends Concept
We’ve gathered a variety of tools for investors to make dividend growth investing easier and more effective. We’re proud to be the largest dividend community on Earth, united by a shared goal: living off dividends.
Our community doesn’t just dream about financial freedom—we’re actively building it, one dividend at a time.
For Dividend Beginners
Start with the ready-to-go MaxDividends Assistant to kickstart your journey toward building growing passive income, retiring early, and living off dividends.
For Experienced Dividend Investors
List of Top Dividend Stocks for your own due diligence, Top Ideas Weekly to keep you informed about the best opportunities, In-Depth Reports on the most undervalued, high-potential dividend companies, and much more…
For All Dreamers Who Want to Live Off Dividends
Join the most dividend-focused community on Earth, where you'll receive:
Personal support from Max and the MaxDividends Team
Access to powerful dividend tools to enjoy the journey
A network of like-minded investors committed to financial freedom
👉 Join the MaxDividends Community Chat
MaxDividends App
We’re building the best app in the world for dividend investors—designed to help everyone retire early, live off dividends, and build a growing passive income.
With MaxDividends, you’ll have everything you need to track your investments, manage your dividend portfolio, and stay on track to financial freedom—all in one place.
MaxDividends Idea
👉 My Own High-Yield Dividend Growth Story
Retire early and live off dividends. $12,000 monthly for 120 months. No one wants to work forever—make it happen! If you have any questions, feel free to message me.
Stay updated on the stocks I’m keeping an eye on.
👉 My Portfolio with All Updates and Ideas
Follow along with my real-time portfolio updates and investment ideas.
Check out my most recent stock purchases and the reasoning behind them.
MaxDividends Key Concept
At MaxDividends, we focus on dividend growth investing—a strategy that helps you build a growing stream of passive income over time. We believe in predictability and peace of mind, which is why we prioritize investing in companies with a proven track record of sustainable, growing dividends.
Why Dividend Growth Investing?
Capital Appreciation & Growing Income: You can enjoy both capital growth and increasing income as dividends rise over time.
Consistency: By investing in companies that have been paying and increasing dividends for decades, you can count on a reliable and growing income stream.
Long-Term Success: The power of compounding dividends allows you to build wealth over time and ultimately live off dividends.
MaxDividends Strategy
We aim to maximize dividend yields and income growth by carefully selecting the best dividend stocks, tracking performance, and offering tools to help you manage your investments effectively.
Our goal is to help you achieve financial freedom through dividend growth investing and create a life where you can live off your dividends, retire early, and focus on what matters most to you.
Look at This Magic ✨
September 2024 – $1,814
Thursday, September 26 – $1,827
Friday, September 27 – $1,834
November 2024 → Today – $2,043 → $5,020.17
Just a few days in the life of a dividend investor. These are my monthly dividends from my total investments for now.
MaxDividends Premium Partners already know the magic formula: Each dividend increase puts more money into our pocket.
Remember, dividends are deposited as cash into your trading account. You can either spend the money or reinvest it to keep growing your passive income!
My dividend income just keeps growing. Almost every day. Always upward.
As my income increases, everyday expenses like coffee and lunch get easier to afford, and life just keeps getting brighter.
My Projected MONTHLY Income in 10 Years:
October’24: $10,393.59 → Today: $17,173.28 per month
It’s all about consistent growth and the power of dividends!
Enjoy the Dividend Idea?
Join me on this journey and let’s move forward together toward financial freedom and a life where you can live off dividends
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