Been hearing about S&P500 dropping 10-15% due to - Iran tensions, New Fed Chair, GDP-Equity gap, Mid term elections, Oil price hikes - for many weeks now.
Haven't seen anything substantial yet.
Are we going to get this correction this year? Or is this all a fluke?
I've been thinking about this from a portfolio-building angle, not just a yield angle.
If I already own something like $VOO for long-term market exposure, then adding $JEPI or $SPYI only makes sense if the income actually improves the portfolio enough to justify giving up some upside.
That’s the part I’m trying to think through.
My current way of thinking:
I don’t really want to build a portfolio where every position is “high yield” just because it pays more.
I’m more trying to figure out the job of each holding.
For example:
My current takeaway: $VOO, $JEPI, and $SPYI can play different roles, but they’re still mostly S&P 500 / large-cap U.S. equity exposure. So this may solve the “growth vs income” question, but it doesn’t really solve portfolio diversification by itself.
https://www.brixnation.com/roundtable.html
The Round Table is a free investor stock signals tool built by DividendKings.
It applies the investment methodologies of ten of the greatest investors in history to any publicly traded stock.
Works best with stocks because of the increased level of data but will work on ETFs also.
friday's gold move is the bond market talking. gold opened 4652 and closed 4538 on the broker daily candle, low of 4511 intraday. 114 dollar single-day drop. silver collapsed from a weekly high near 88 down to a 75.89 close.
this looks insane when CPI is at 3.8 percent (highest since may 2023) and PPI is at 6 percent with wholesale gasoline up 15.6 percent in a single month. gold is supposed to be the inflation hedge.
the answer is real rates. 30 year treasury yield at the highest level since may 22 2025, approaching territory not seen consistently since before 2008. when nominal yields rise that fast while inflation is sticky, real rates rise. gold pays no yield. bonds now pay more than they have in nearly two decades. opportunity cost of holding gold goes up.
powell's term as fed chair expired friday may 15. kevin warsh confirmed may 13 (54 to 45, narrowest since 1977). warsh told the senate banking committee he wants "regime change" at the fed including changing how the central bank measures inflation. bank of america's aditya bhave (may 8 note) forecasts no cuts until july 2027. jpmorgan's michael feroli forecasts the next move is a 25bp hike in Q3 2027, not a cut.
the trump xi summit ended friday after trump rejected iran's MOU counter-proposal on may 10 and 11 as "garbage." no concrete commitment on hormuz. boeing got 200 jets not 500. nvidia h200 deal is approved by the US but blocked by china pushing domestic huawei ascend. anthropic published "2028: two scenarios for global AI leadership" on may 14 framing this exact dynamic as the global AI inflection point.
hormuz is the root cause of the energy inflation. 11 weeks of strait closure, 20 percent of global oil and LNG normally moves through. until that opens, energy stays elevated. but the bond market does not wait for diplomacy. it prices the inflation and tightens.
gold is caught between inflation (bullish) and rising real rates (bearish). real rates are winning right now.
After ten years of stock investing, I finally built up my portfolio to $1 million. Along the way, I have experienced losses, doubts, and emotional breakdowns.
Now I'm more willing to share my experiences and thoughts, hoping to help those who are still exploring the market avoid some detours.
I will explain my method in the order of the pictures.
1：When prices stabilize above the 50MA/200MA and form a golden cross, it indicates that the market is in a healthy upward cycle, and holding positions in this environment increases the probability of success.
2：Consider entering the market only when the price retraces to a key moving average (such as the 50MA). A pullback with reduced volume and a subsequent rebound indicates that funds are still available, making it a lower-risk entry point.
3：After consolidating at a high level, a breakout with increased volume often signifies that the trend is entering an acceleration phase. In such cases, it is advisable to follow the trend rather than chasing the rally out of fear.
4：We adopt a phased approach, allocating 30% → 30% → 40% in batches. We first test the waters to confirm the trend, and then gradually increase our positions, thereby maximizing profit potential while controlling risk.
5：Profits come from holding the trend; continue holding as long as the price does not fall below key moving averages or structural lows; once it does fall below, implement a 5%–8% stop-loss to avoid drawdowns.
Over the years, I have been constantly trying, revising, and repeatedly verifying my strategies, but each adjustment has given me a deeper understanding of the market and myself.
For me, trading is not just a simple buying and selling, but a long-term, repetitive, and continuously optimized workflow. What truly matters is not predicting the market correctly every single time, but rather consistently and stably executing one's system while keeping risks under control.
I currently hold, from largest to smallest, JEPI, GPIX, JEPQ, SPYI, and QQQI...I can't help but to accept what has been the best performer of the bunch, which is GPIX.
I had comfort going heavy in JEPI early on, with the behemoth of JP Morgan managing it, but being the largest US bank isn't translating to the best performance of their funds.
It's obvious that too much yield can lead to poor performance at times, but with yields being so close in proximity you wouldn't think the results would vary so widely...but they do.
I understand that being diverse in this space is important, but it ultimately equates to a drag on your portfolio with most names following far behind. My plan is to liquidate the bulk of my funds and load up on a select few, namely GPIX and QQQI.
Even with QQQI's higher yield it still beats JEPQ.
Just received my dividends and reinvested everything based on NAV Δ momentum and keeping my portfolio above my target of +2%/month income.
Here’s my current monthly dividend yield based on my basis cost (for Canadian funds I add +15% for tax comparison):
ECHI 1.61% @ $11.08
CCHI 2.33% @ $13.32
QDAY 1.80% @ $26.85
CDAY 1.70% @ $26.46
ENCL 1.73% @ $17.57
OILY 1.54% @ $9.80
UTES 1.82% @ $8.73
BANK 1.80% @ $7.66
YMAX 3.94% @ $8.36
CHPY 4.21% @ $57.19
SDTY 1.88% @ $44.67
GPTY 3.19% @ $41.97
OILK 2.47% @ $55.23
IWMW 1.61% @ $38.20
IVVW 1.36% @ $43.11
FFN 1.61% @ $8.12
DGS 1.50% @ $7.65
LFE 1.67% @ $6.88
DF 1.63% @ $7.06
USOY 3.93% @ $8.82
XQQI 1.76% @ $48.82
CAIQ 1.54% @ $24.55
I will sell my IVVW position cause its monthly dividend yield based on my cost dropped under my 1.5%/month threshold.
Reinvested into these funds with strong NAV Δ momentum:
40% Allocation → GPTY - YieldMax AI & Tech Portfolio Option Income ETF
2.93% monthly yield based on latest dividend
TTM NAV Δ: 9.80%
3M NAV Δ: 14.39%
25% Allocation → OILK - ProShares K-1 Free Crude Oil ETF
2.08% monthly yield based on latest dividend
TTM NAV Δ: 49.35%
3M NAV Δ: 39.87%
15% Allocation → SPCI - Tuttle Capital Space Industry Income Blast ETF
2.20% monthly yield based on latest dividend
3M NAV Δ: 56.46%
TTM NAV Δ unavailable for now
10% Allocation → GIAX - Nicholas Global Equity and Income ETF
1.81% monthly yield based on latest dividend
TTM NAV Δ: -0.96%
3M NAV Δ: 7.94%
10% Allocation → XPAY - Roundhill ETF Trust - Roundhill S&P 500 Target 20 Managed Distribution ETF
1.65% monthly yield based on latest dividend
TTM NAV Δ: 5.34%
3M NAV Δ: 1.49%
Trying to keep the portfolio diversified while focusing on funds with decent NAV Δ trends and keeping the income snowball rolling!
**1. Sherwin-Williams (SHW)**
This is one of the best “compounder” dividend stocks in the market.
Why I like it:
Dominates the paint/coatings industry with huge brand power
Benefits from housing, commercial construction, and renovation cycles
Extremely strong pricing power — can raise prices without losing customers
Long history of dividend growth and buybacks
Why it can appreciate:
SHW historically trades at a premium because investors view it as a high-quality industrial compounder. If housing activity improves over the next few years, earnings growth could accelerate again.
This is more of a “wealth compounder” than a high-yield income stock.
**2. Cintas (CTAS)**
One of the quietest elite businesses in America.
Why I like it:
Provides uniforms, safety products, and workplace services to businesses
Highly recurring revenue
Massive moat from logistics/network scale
Incredible margins and execution
Why it can appreciate:
CTAS has quietly been one of the best-performing dividend stocks of the last decade because it compounds earnings consistently. Even during weaker economies, businesses still need uniforms, safety compliance, and facility services.
Dividend yield is smaller, but dividend growth and stock appreciation have been exceptional.
**3. PepsiCo (PEP)**
Probably the best blend of:
safety
dividend reliability
defensive recession resistance
moderate upside
Why I like it:
Owns dominant global brands
Snacks business is extremely strong
Reliable cash flow machine
50+ years of dividend increases
Why it can appreciate:
PEP has underperformed recently because investors rotated into AI/high-growth names. That may create an opportunity if earnings stabilize and valuation recovers.
You’re getting:
\~3% yield range
defensive business
dividend growth
potential rebound upside
A few honorable mentions:
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) — safer/defensive healthcare exposure
Coca-Cola (KO) — ultra reliable but slower growth
Nucor (NUE) — more cyclical but stronger upside potential
Procter & Gamble (PG) — elite stability
Chevron (CVX) — higher yield with energy upside
