As I look ahead to 2026 and search for compelling investment opportunities, one productive place to focus is on stocks that lagged during an otherwise strong year for U.S. equities. The broader market notched its third consecutive double-digit gain, yet beneath the surface, performance was far from uniform.
Source: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/2811011/3-beaten-down-stock…
While it may not be anything like the 7% to 8% inflation rate of 2022 and 2023, the consensus view is that inflation will remain above the Federal Reserve’s preferred 2% target for some time to come. That makes dividend stocks more attractive, particularly those with yields that outpace the rate of inflation.
Growing dividends on a regular basis can be a strong sign of a company’s fundamental health. In addition to winning a progressively larger passive income payment the longer that they hold shares of a dividend growth stock, investors can be reassured that they’re exposed to a firm that is managing its cash soundly.
CWBC and BVN made it to the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) income stocks list on January 28th, 2026.
