Market Commentary

Quarterly insights on the market's performance from the perspective of a long-term dividend investor.

When the Weather Changes

Some of you may remember that my dad grew up on a farm in northwestern Minnesota. For newer readers, his father made a living raising crops there a...

Oct 2, 2026 Market Commentary

Everyone Wants to Grow Beets

About 20% of the sugar consumed in America starts out as beets grown in the Red River Valley, a stretch of rich farmland covering eastern North Dak...

Jul 3, 2026 Market Commentary

Plow the Long Row

My late grandfather entered the world in 1902, one year after the first Nobel Prizes were awarded, and one year prior to the founding of Ford Motor...

Apr 3, 2026 Market Commentary

Getting a Little Wiser About Dividend Safety

It was June 2015, and I had just quit my job as an investment analyst. This was four kids and one mortgage ago, so in hindsight, I probably carried...

Jan 9, 2026 Market Commentary

Booms Come, Dividends Endure

AI enthusiasm hit a fever pitch in the third quarter, powering a 17% surge in the so-called Magnificent Seven technology leaders and lifting the S&...

Oct 3, 2025 Market Commentary

Owning the Business Not Just the Bounce

The second quarter provided a reminder not to make hasty decisions in response to market swings. After logging an all-time high in February, the S&...

Jul 7, 2025 Market Commentary

Market Showers Bring Dividend Flowers

Signs of spring have emerged here in central Indiana. Little League bat pings echo through the park. My three little boys are chasing rabbits again...

Apr 4, 2025 Market Commentary

Fight This Feeling a Little More

The S&P 500 soared 25% in 2024, building on a 24% gain in 2023. This marked the market’s strongest two-year streak since the dot-com bubble of the ...

Jan 13, 2025 Market Commentary

Tune Out the Interest-Rate Noise and Find Costco's

The S&P 500 returned 5.8% in the third quarter, stretching its year-to-date gain to 22% (and a whopping 36% over the past year). But the latest jum...

Oct 4, 2024 Market Commentary

Betting on Boring in an AI-Crazed Market

The tale of two markets continued in the second quarter. The S&P 500 returned 4%, driven by a 9% gain in the tech sector. Three stocks – Nvidia, Ap...

Jul 5, 2024 Market Commentary

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