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Easy Peasy #38: Build Your Dividend Portfolio & Live Off Dividends with Pre-Selected Stock Sets

Dividend Growing Stock Sets – Start with $300, $500, or $1,000 Weekly

Author

Max Dividends
May 08, 2025

MaxDividends Mission: Helping & Supporting 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.

Top Stuff is Going On Inside. Check Your Status & Upgrade to Paid to Join the movement.

Intro

Tech-Led Rebound on Fed Day: AI Chip Hopes Lift Markets Late

AI Rewrites the Close — Fed, Tariffs & Chip Rumors Stir the Pot

The S&P 500 snapped back with a modest gain after a volatile Fed day and last-minute Bloomberg bombshell. The S&P 500 added 24.36 (+0.43%) to 5,631, the Dow jumped 284.97 (+0.70%) to 41,113, the Nasdaq rose 48.50 (+0.27%) to 17,738, and the Russell 2000 ticked up 6.46 (+0.33%) to 1,989. Stocks were coasting until the final 15 minutes when reports hit that Trump plans to scrap Biden-era AI chip export rules. That lit a fire under tech and semis.

Powell and the Fed did what everyone expected—nothing. Rates held steady, but Powell gave us plenty of “we’ll see” around inflation vs labor priorities. Trade tensions remain high, with Trump taking jabs at China and Canada, but hints of potential deals also floated. Meanwhile, sentiment’s heating up: CNN’s Fear & Greed Index sits at 57 (Greed), way up from 4 just a month ago.

📊 Economic Data

  • No major data reported today, but job displacement chatter rose.

  • @GlobalMktObserv flagged 2.6M involuntary job losses in April, a 4-year high.

  • Sell-side upgrade/downgrade ratio sits at ~39% this week vs 56.3% in March.

  • @bespokeinvest: S&P has sold off in the last hour on 8 straight Fed days… but not today.

💰 Commodities, Currencies & Treasuries

  • Gold pulled back $30.90 (-0.90%) to $3,391.90 after three-day surge.

  • WTI Crude fell $1.02 (-1.73%) to $58.07, as traders doubted demand.

  • Brent dropped $1.03 (-1.65%) to $61.12.

  • 10Y Yield eased 4.1bps to 4.277% post-Fed.

  • USD/JPY rose to 143.69; EUR/USD dipped to 1.1321.

🔩 Autos

Tesla (TSLA) April China deliveries fell 6% y/y, and -25.8% vs March.

Rivian (RIVN) beat Q1, but cut FY delivery outlook to 40K–46K (from 46K–51K).

Lucid (LCID) reaffirmed FY25 production of 20,000 vehicles; FY24 came in at 10,241 delivered.

Zeekr (ZK) popped after Geely offered $25.66/ADS, valuing it at $6.52B.

Uber (UBER) missed on Q1 bookings ($42.82B vs est. $43.14B) and Q1 revenue ($11.53B vs est. $11.61B); guided Q2 bookings $45.75B–$47.25B.

BorgWarner (BWA) raised its annual sales forecast.

🛒 Retail, Consumer Staples & Restaurants

Albertsons (ACI) upgraded to Outperform at BMO; GO traffic led Q1 beat.

Bunge (BG) Q1 EPS $1.81 vs est. $1.30, helped by tariff-driven demand.

Hain Celestial (HAIN) slumped on strategic review, CEO exit, and FY sales outlook cut to -5% to -6%.

Constellation Brands (STZ) upgraded at Truist, sentiment bottom call.

Performance Food (PFGC) missed EPS ($0.79 vs est. $0.87) and trimmed FY revenue outlook.

iRobot (IRBT) missed on revenue ($101.6M vs est. $131.5M); exploring strategic options.

Revolve (RVLV) missed on revs, better on EBITDA; called out tariff impact.

Coty (COTY) missed EPS (-$0.01 vs est. $0.05) and posted -3% organic growth.

Edgewell (EPC) slashed FY EPS to $2.85–$3.05 (from $3.15–$3.35).

🎰 Leisure, Gaming & Lodging

Wynn (WYNN) Q1 EPS $1.07 missed (est. $1.24); Macau weakness offset Vegas/Boston. Still got upgraded at BofA.

⚡ Energy, Industrials & Materials

Devon (DVN) beat Q1, cut capex by $100M.

Delek (DK) beat on EBITDA, reaffirmed FY guide.

Par Pacific (PARR) posted wider Q1 loss.

Civitas (CIVI) and Ovintiv (OVV) beat on earnings; OVV kept production and spending steady.

Sunoco (SUN) acquisition of Parkland still in play.

Celanese (CE) crushed Q1 and raised Q2 guide.

Chemours (CC) missed EPS and cut dividend 65%.

🏦 Banks & 💳 FinTech

Avidxchange (AVDX) going private at $10.00/share, a 22% premium.

Flywire (FLYW) beat revs, guided in line.

Redfin (RDFN) in-line Q1, soft guide.

Upstart (UPST) beat Q1, weak Q2 outlook.

Jack Henry (JKHY) missed revenue, cut FY guide.

🏥 Healthcare

LivaNova (LIVN) raised constant-currency revenue guide to +6–7%.

Masimo (MASI) beat Q1, but warned on tariffs hitting margins.

Myriad (MYGN) cut FY25 revenue view to $807M–$823M from $840M–$860M.

Oscar Health (OSCR) jumped after strong Q1.

🧪 Biotech & Life Sciences

Amylyx (AMLX) upgraded at Leerink on GLP-1 potential.

Apellis (APLS) Syfovre sales $130.2M, well below estimates.

Charles River (CRL) raised FY profit forecast to $9.30–$9.80.

Denali (DNLI) submitted BLA for Hunter syndrome drug.

Elanco (ELAN) Q1 rev $1.19B, raised FY outlook to $4.51B–$4.58B.

Halozyme (HALO) beat on revs ($265M vs est. $230M), upped guide.

Jazz (JAZZ) missed Q1 revs -9%, trimmed FY guide 2%.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) beat Q1 but cut FY guide due to compounding GLP-1s.

PTC (PTCT) Q1 revenue $190M vs est. $171M; upgraded at Citi.

Sarepta (SRPT) slashed FY rev guide to $2.3B–$2.6B (from $2.9B–$3.1B).

Teva (TEVA) beat EPS $0.52 vs est. $0.46; revs $3.89B.

🚂 Transports

Emerson (EMR) beat Q2, cut FY EPS view to $4.05–$4.20 (from $4.42–$4.62).

Honeywell (HON) upgraded at BofA — earnings stabilizing.

Illinois Tool Works (ITW) downgraded at BofA.

Rockwell (ROK) beat Q2, raised FY EPS to $9.20–$10.20.

📰 Internet, Media & Telecom

Disney (DIS) Q2 EPS $1.45 vs est. $1.20; revs $23.6B vs est. $23.14B; added 1.4M Disney+ subs.

Lionsgate (LGF) completed split; new ticker LION.

Live Nation (LYV) under DOJ probe over anticompetitive concert practices.

Google (GOOGL) slid after Apple exec said AI hurting search traffic.

Chinese tech (BABA, BIDU, NTES, PDD) stayed weak despite fresh China stimulus.

🔌 Semiconductors, Hardware & Software

AMD Q1 revs $7.4B, EPS $0.96, Data Center +57% y/y; guided Q2 $7.1B–$7.7B.

Cirrus Logic (CRUS) Q4 revs beat by 12%, EPS +42%; guided Q1 soft.

Entegris (ENTG) guided Q2 EPS $0.60–$0.67 vs est. $0.71.

Marvell (MRVL) narrowed Q1 rev guide to $1.875B ±2%; postponed Investor Day.

Supermicro (SMCI) hit high end of revs $4.6B, cut FY revs to $21.8B–$22.6B (from $23.5B–$25B).

Arista (ANET) beat Q1 but guided margins lower.

Unity (U) beat Q1 revs $435M vs est. $415.7M, guided Q2 light.

EA crushed Q4 bookings, guided FY above consensus.

Crowdstrike (CRWD) to cut 5% of staff, expects $36M–$56M in charges.

🧠 What’s Next?

1️⃣ Trade rules on AI chips could flip — markets watching May 15.

2️⃣ CPI and PPI next week — big for Fed watchers.

3️⃣ Biden/Trump tariff volley continues — Canada and China in focus.

4️⃣ Earnings still rolling — 81% of S&P 500 has reported.

5️⃣ Sentiment: Fear & Greed Index at 57 (Greed) — getting frothy?

--

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.

Top Stuff is Going On Inside. Check Your Status & Upgrade to Paid to Join the movement.

This week, we’ve rolled out a fresh batch of ready-to-go Stock Sets 💪.

Easy Peasy #38: Pre-Selected Dividend Growth Stock Sets

⭐️ $300 per Week – Week 38

  • Today's Investment: ~ $264.18

  • Total Invested: ~ $11,506.16

  • Portfolio Dividend Yield On Cost: ~ 4.00%

  • Current Dividends: ~ $457.07 → $462.68 

$ 264.18 / 300.00

Texas Instruments Incorporated | Shares: 1 Price: 162.44

NIKE Inc | Shares: 1 Price: 57.31

Robert Half International Inc | Shares: 1 Price: 44.43

Modeled Portfolio: $300 Weekly Investing. With $300 invested each week, the projected monthly income from this portfolio in 10 years is $145.96, which represents a ~13% Dividend Yield on Cost.

Stock News in the Portfolio

💣 MCHP Microchip Technology Incorporated shows good dynamics over the past week. The growth was +19.5%

  • LRCX Lam Research Corporation shows good dynamics over the past week. The growth was +13.64%

  • UVV Universal Corporation shows good dynamics over the past week. The growth was +11.39%

Dividend Hikes Q2

  • Best Buy Co increased its dividend payments by +1.06%

  • Pepsico boosted its dividend payments by +4.50%

  • Genuine Parts Company hiked its dividend payments by +3.00%

  • T Row Price increased its dividend payments by +2.40%

⭐️ $500 per Week - Week 38

  • Today's investment: ~ $427.29

  • Total Invested: ~ $19,397.20

  • Portfolio Dividend Yield On Cost: ~ 4.31%

  • Current Dividends: ~ $814.04 → $836.18 

$ 427.29 / 500.00

Tractor Supply Co | Shares: 6 Price: 294.00

Robert Half International Inc | Shares: 3 Price: 133.29

Modeled Portfolio: $500 Weekly Investing. With $500 invested each week, the projected monthly income from this portfolio in 10 years is $315.25, which represents a ~13% Dividend Yield on Cost.

Stock News in the Portfolio

🚀 LRCX Lam Research Corporation shows good dynamics over the past week. The growth was +13.64%

  • Central Pacific Financial Corp showed profitability +22.15%

  • Magic Software Enterprises Ltd showed profitability +22.99%

Dividend Hikes Q2

  • Best Buy Co increased its dividend payments by +1.06%

  • Genuine Parts Company hiked its dividend payments by +3.00%

  • T Row Price increased its dividend payments by +2.40%

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 38

  • Today's investment: ~ $856.85

  • Total Invested: ~ $39,748.67

  • Portfolio Dividend Yield On Cost: ~ 4.00%

  • Current Dividends: ~ $1,540.38 → $1,557.22 

$ 856.85 / 1,000.00

Texas Instruments Incorporated | Shares: 1 Price: 162.44

PepsiCo, Inc | Shares: 2 Price: 267.52

The Hershey Company | Shares: 1 Price: 163.06

Primerica Inc | Shares: 1 Price: 263.83

Modeled Portfolio: $1,000 Weekly Investing. With $1,000 invested each week, the projected monthly income from this portfolio in 10 years is $487.81, which represents a ~12% Dividend Yield on Cost.

Stock News in the Portfolio

💣 MCHP Microchip Technology Incorporated shows good dynamics over the past week. The growth was +19.5%

  • Starbucks Corporation showed profitability +11.32%

  • Abbott Laboratories showed profitability +12.42%

Dividend Hikes Q2

  • Best Buy Co increased its dividend payments by +1.06%

  • Pepsico boosted its dividend payments by +4.50%

  • Genuine Parts Company hiked its dividend payments by +3.00%

  • T Row Price increased its dividend payments by +2.40%

Max’s Comments

This week is packed with quarterly earnings reports, and some companies are even closing out their fiscal year. Times like these often present great opportunities to invest in strong businesses that happen to fall short of market expectations in the short term.

Personally, I see a few such opportunities right now and took advantage of them—adding some of my favorite brands to the portfolio at a discount, thanks to lowered expectations.

Overall, I’m happy with how things are progressing. My passive income keeps growing, and next week it's time to reinvest my April dividends. What does that mean? You got it—more dividends!

Dividends are my go-to strategy for a reason. They’re like the tortoise in the race—slow, steady, and always winning in the long run.

The power of compounding is gaining momentum. My dividend snowball keeps growing.

Ready to Give It a Try?

Check Your Subsription Status & Upgrade to Premium.

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:

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

Ready to Give It a Try?

Check Your Subsription Status & Upgrade to Premium.

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

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.

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 → $6,650.10

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: $26,330.18 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

Top Secret Stuff Going On Inside. Check Your Status & Upgrade to Paid to Join the movement.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at: [email protected]

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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