I'm Seeking High-Yield Investments -- Can You Recommend Durable Stocks or ETFs That Yield 8% or More?
Ares Capital is an outstanding business development company with an ultra-high dividend yield.
The JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF boosts its income by writing call options on the S&P 500.
The Alerian MLP ETF owns high-yield master limited partnership (MLP) stocks.
10 stocks we like better than Ares Capital ›
As always, The Motley Fool cannot and does not provide personalized investing or financial advice. This information is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional financial advice. Always seek the guidance of a qualified financial advisor for any questions regarding your personal financial situation. If you'd like to submit your question for feedback, you can do so here.
Go big or go home: That's a common mentality in business and sports. It's also a mindset shared by some income investors.
A recent Reddit user asked about durable stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that offer dividend yields of 8% or more. That's a lofty threshold that eliminates many great dividend stocks and funds from contention. However, I can think of three ideas that income investors wanting ultra-high yields might consider.
Looking for high yield 8%+byu/PomegranatePlus6526 individends
Ares Capital (NASDAQ: ARCC) pays an exceptionally juicy forward dividend yield of 8.59%. What's more, the company has either maintained or grown its dividend for 63 consecutive quarters (nearly 16 years).
How can Ares Capital pay such great dividends? First, it's a business development company (BDC). BDCs are required to return at least 90% of profits to shareholders as dividends to be exempt from federal income taxes.
Second, Ares Capital is a truly extraordinary BDC. The company ranks as the largest publicly traded BDC. It has delivered the highest regular dividend growth of any externally managed BDC with a market cap of over $800 million that's traded publicly for the last 10 years.
Ares Capital has generated the highest net asset value per share growth among this group. And it's provided the highest stock-based total returns among its peers, too.
Middle-market businesses with annual revenue of between $10 million and $1 billion have been increasingly turning to BDCs for raising capital in recent years. This trend seems likely to continue. I think Ares Capital will be one of the biggest beneficiaries as the private capital market grows.
If you want turbocharged income, the JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (NYSEMKT: JEPI) could be right up your alley. This ETF pays a mouthwatering 30-day SEC yield of 11.38%. The SEC yield, by the way, is the net investment income earned over a 30-day period on an annualized basis.
As you can guess from its name, this ETF is managed by JPMorgan Chase. The fund invests in stocks based on fundamental research. It boosts income by writing out-of-the-money call options on the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC).
The JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF currently owns 126 stocks. Its holdings include top-tier names such as Visa, Mastercard, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Amazon.
This ETF has only been available since May 2020, so some investors might be skeptical about its durability. However, its portfolio managers have between 10 and 38 years in the financial services industry. Morningstar awarded the fund four out of five stars. I think the JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF could be a great pick for income investors.
The Alerian MLP ETF (NYSEMKT: AMLP) is another good pick for investors seeking high income. This ETF's yield of 8.03% barely tops 8%, but it still clears the bar right now. Over the last 12 months, the fund's yield was 7.94%.
This ETF is managed by SS&C ALPS Advisors, an investment company that focuses on income and alternative growth strategies. The Alerian MLP ETF attempts to track the Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index, which invests in energy infrastructure master limited partnerships (MLPs).
The fund currently owns positions in 13 stocks. Its top holdings include MPLX LP, Energy Transfer LP, Enterprise Products Partners, Western Midstream Partners LP, and Sunoco LP. These five stocks together make up nearly 60% of the ETF's total portfolio.
One downside with this ETF is its relatively high annual expense ratio of 0.85%. However, a positive with investing in the Alerian MLP ETF versus directly buying the MLP stocks it owns is that you can avoid the tax hassles associated with investing in MLPs.
Before you buy stock in Ares Capital, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Ares Capital wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $655,255!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $888,780!*
Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 999% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 174% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join .
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025
JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Keith Speights has positions in Amazon, Ares Capital, Energy Transfer, Enterprise Products Partners, Mastercard, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
I'm Seeking High-Yield Investments -- Can You Recommend Durable Stocks or ETFs That Yield 8% or More? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
3 Economic Events That Could Affect Your Portfolio This Week, June 16-20, 2025
Stocks clocked in weekly losses as Middle East hostilities flared up. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) lost 1.32% for the week, returning to negative territory year-to-date. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 finished down 0.39%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 (NDX) lost 0.60% for the week. Confident Investing Starts Here: The week unfolded positively through Thursday, with stocks lifted by better-than-expected economic data and a strong showing in tech shares. June's University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey showed that households are feeling much less pessimistic about the inflation outlook, with the consumer sentiment index strongly rebounding in its first improvement in six months. Cooler-than-expected consumer and producer inflation reports lifted Fed cut expectations and investor spirits, as the data reflected no visible impact from tariffs on prices. On the trade front, there were no major headlines, with gradual progress seen in U.S.-China trade discussions, and deals with India, Mexico, and Canada progressing in parallel. The 'no scoop' atmosphere around tariff issues supported investor calm. However, after stocks inched up near their record highs, a re-intensification of geopolitical risk – just as U.S.-China trade tensions subsided – pulled markets lower. Global stocks fell and oil prices surged on Friday, as Iran sent missiles into Israeli cities after Israeli airstrikes hit Iran's nuclear and military facilities. Gold and the U.S. dollar rose as investors searched for safe havens. The flare in Middle East tensions is a wild card for the Federal Reserve, which is having its rate policy meeting this week. After several months of oil price declines exerting a disinflationary effect on headline price indexes, this backdrop is about to change. Iran produces about 3.3 million barrels of oil per day, accounting for roughly 3% of global output. A total production shutdown could push global oil prices above $100 per barrel, with worst-case scenarios seeing spikes up to $130 – especially if the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for 20% of global oil shipments, is disrupted. Although a strengthening USD can act as a partial counterweight, dampening inflation through lower import costs, the extent of its effects is limited. The futures markets still foresee no change in Fed rates at the coming meeting, and the chances for a July cut have risen only marginally. However, the central bank's path to interest rate cuts starting in September appears to have widened. Three Economic Events TipRanks Economic Calendar. » May's Retail Sales – Tuesday, 06/17 – This report indicates how much consumers are spending on durable and non-durable goods. Retail Sales is a leading indicator of economic health, offering insight into the current quarter's economic growth and the inflationary pressures stemming from consumer demand. » May's Industrial Production – Tuesday, 06/17 – This report, released by the Federal Reserve, shows the volume of production of U.S. industries like manufacturing, mining, and utilities. Although industrial production accounts for a smaller portion of the economic activity than services, its sensitivity to consumer demand and interest rates makes it a leading indicator of GDP growth and economic performance. » May's Building Permits and Housing Starts – Wednesday, 06/18 – These reports provide valuable insights into the health of the housing market, as well as the overall economy since housing demand correlates with economic growth and consumer sentiment. Both reports are leading indicators, used by economists and analysts, among other data, to measure current demand and to estimate near-term trends in real estate and related industries.


Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
The Week That Was, The Week Ahead: Macro & Markets, June 15, 2025
Everything to Know about Macro and Markets Stocks clocked in weekly losses as Middle East hostilities flared up. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) lost 1.32% for the week, returning to negative territory year-to-date. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 finished down 0.39%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 (NDX) lost 0.60% for the week. Confident Investing Starts Here: Risk On/Off The week unfolded positively through Thursday, with stocks lifted by better-than-expected economic data and a strong showing in tech shares. June's University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey showed that households are feeling much less pessimistic about the inflation outlook, with the consumer sentiment index strongly rebounding in its first improvement in six months. Cooler-than-expected consumer and producer inflation reports lifted Fed cut expectations and investor spirits, as the data reflected no visible impact from tariffs on prices. On the trade front, there were no major headlines, with gradual progress seen in U.S.-China trade discussions, and deals with India, Mexico, and Canada progressing in parallel. The 'no scoop' atmosphere around tariff issues supported investor calm. However, after stocks inched up near their record highs, a re-intensification of geopolitical risk – just as U.S.-China trade tensions subsided – pulled markets lower. Global stocks fell and oil prices surged on Friday, as Iran sent missiles into Israeli cities after Israeli airstrikes hit Iran's nuclear and military facilities. Gold and the U.S. dollar rose as investors searched for safe havens. Fed Ahead The flare in Middle East tensions is a wild card for the Federal Reserve, which is having its rate policy meeting this week. After several months of oil price declines exerting a disinflationary effect on headline price indexes, this backdrop is about to change. Iran produces about 3.3 million barrels of oil per day, accounting for roughly 3% of global output. A total production shutdown could push global oil prices above $100 per barrel, with worst-case scenarios seeing spikes up to $130 – especially if the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for 20% of global oil shipments, is disrupted. Although a strengthening USD can act as a partial counterweight, dampening inflation through lower import costs, the extent of its effects is limited. The futures markets still foresee no change in Fed rates at the coming meeting, and the chances for a July cut have risen only marginally. However, the central bank's path to interest rate cuts starting in September appears to have widened. Stocks That Made the News ▣ Oracle (ORCL) surged over 21% last week, driven by robust fiscal Q4 2025 earnings and a bullish outlook for fiscal 2026. The company reported an 11% year-over-year revenue increase to $15.9 billion, surpassing analyst expectations. Notably, cloud infrastructure revenue soared 52%, reaching $3 billion, positioning it as Oracle's fastest-growing segment. CEO Safra Catz projected cloud infrastructure growth to accelerate from 50% in fiscal 2025 to over 70% in fiscal 2026, with total cloud growth expected to exceed 40%. These optimistic projections prompted several analysts to raise their price targets, with Deutsche Bank describing the results as a 'watershed moment for Oracle's cloud pivot.' ▣ Tesla (TSLA) rose over 4% last week, supported by incremental product news and renewed investor optimism. The company refreshed its Model S and Model X vehicles with several upgrades alongside a $5,000 price hike aimed at lifting margins and reinforcing Tesla's premium market positioning. CEO Elon Musk also announced a tentative June 22 launch date for Tesla's robotaxi reveal in Austin, fueling speculative interest in its autonomous roadmap. Separately, Musk's public softening toward Donald Trump helped ease political risk concerns. The gains capped a bullish week for the stock amid broader market negativity. ▣ Defense and aerospace stocks surged on Friday amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. Investors sought safety in military contractors following Israel's large-scale airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites. Lockheed Martin (LMT), RTX Corp. (RTX), Northrop Grumman (NOC), and L3Harris Technologies (LHX) were among the few bright green spots on the stock performance heatmap on Friday, as the broader market declined on geopolitical fears. ▣ Another notable group in the green was energy stocks, boosted by a jump in crude oil prices as concerns spread about possible supply impacts from the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Shares of refiner Halliburton (HAL) surged by 8.3% over the week, independent producer Diamondback Energy (FANG) added more than 7.6%, and integrated giant Exxon Mobil (XOM) gained 5.3%. ▣ Shares of payment processors, including PayPal (PYPL), Visa (V), and Mastercard (MA), fell by more than 3.5% over the week after a media report indicated that retail giants Walmart (WMT) and Amazon (AMZN) are considering issuing their own stablecoins, a move that could help them avoid the interchange fees charged by credit-card providers. The Q1 2025 earnings season is over, but several notable earnings releases are still scheduled for the next few days. These include Lennar (LEN), Jabil (JBL), Kroger Company (KR), Accenture (ACN), Darden Restaurants (DRI), and CarMax (KMX).
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cathie Wood sells $9.5 million of popular AI stocks after big rally
Cathie Wood sells $9.5 million of popular AI stocks after big rally originally appeared on TheStreet. Cathie Wood is known for making bold bets on the future of technology, and just as known for cashing out when the timing feels right. In the past week, the chief of Ark Investment Management trimmed some high-flying stocks, including one stock that's skyrocketed more than 270% and another that's climbed over 80% year-to-date. 💵💰Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter 💰💵 Wood's funds have been through a volatile ride this year, swinging from strong gains to sharp losses, and now back to outperforming the broader market. In January and February, the Ark funds rallied as investors bet on the Trump administration's potential deregulation that could benefit Wood's tech bets. But the momentum faded in March and April, with the funds trailing the market as top holdings—especially Tesla, her biggest position—slid amid growing concerns over the macroeconomy and trade policies. Now, the fund is regaining momentum. As of June 13, the flagship Ark Innovation ETF () is up 8% year-to-date, outpacing the S&P 500's 1.6% gain. Wood had a remarkable gain of 153% in 2020, which helped build her reputation and attract loyal investors. Still, her long-term performance has made many others skeptical of her aggressive style. As of June 13, Ark Innovation ETF, with $5.5 billion under management, has delivered a five-year annualized return of 0.4%. In comparison, the S&P 500 has an annualized return of 16.2% over the same period. Wood's investment strategy is straightforward: Her Ark ETFs typically buy shares in emerging high-tech companies in fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, biomedical technology, and robotics. Wood says these companies have the potential to reshape industries, but their volatility leads to major fluctuations in Ark funds' Ark Innovation ETF wiped out $7 billion in investor wealth over the 10 years ending in 2024, according to an analysis by Morningstar's analyst Amy Arnott. That made it the third-biggest wealth destroyer among mutual funds and ETFs in Arnott's ranking. Wood recently said the U.S. is coming out of a three-year 'rolling recession' and heading into a productivity-led recovery that could trigger a broader bull market. In a letter to investors published in late April, she dismissed predictions of a recession dragging into 2026, as she expects "more clarity on tariffs, taxes, regulations, and interest rates over the next three to six months." "If the current tariff turmoil results in freer trade, as tariffs and non-tariff barriers come down in tandem with declines in other taxes, regulations, and interest rates, then real GDP growth and productivity should surprise on the high side of expectations at some point during the second half of this year," she wrote. She also struck an optimistic tone for tech stocks. "During the current turbulent transition in the US, we think consumers and businesses are likely to accelerate the shift to technologically enabled innovation platforms including artificial intelligence, robotics, energy storage, blockchain technology, and multiomics sequencing," she said. Investor confidence has wavered. Over the past year, the Ark Innovation ETF saw $2 billion in net outflows, as some investors grew wary of volatility and underperformance. But in a potential sign of renewed interest, the fund brought in $250 million in fresh capital between June 7 and June 12, according to ETF research firm VettaFi. On June 11, Wood's Ark funds sold 55,829 shares of Palantir Technologies () . That chunk of stock was valued at roughly $7.6 million. Palantir is known for providing AI-driven data analytics software to the U.S. government, military, and commercial clients company reported stronger first-quarter revenue in May and raised its full-year outlook as demand for AI tools increased. 'We are delivering the operating system for the modern enterprise in the era of AI,' CEO Alex Karp many tech stocks have struggled this year, Palantir has stood out. Its shares are up 81.7% in 2025 and just hit a record close of $137.40 on June 13. Much of the recent momentum comes from its government work. Back in May 2024, Palantir won a $480 million, five-year U.S. Army contract to build its Maven Smart System, which is a battlefield AI prototype. Last month, the Defense Department modified the contract, increasing the licensing ceiling from $480 million to $1.275 billion. Palantir's Foundry platform has been adopted by at least four federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a New York Times report published May 30. Fannie Mae also announced a partnership with Palantir in May to work on AI-based fraud detection. Palantir remains a core position for Wood even after recent sales. The stock is now the 8th largest holding in the ARK Innovation ETF, accounting for 4.7%. Wood said in February that she's moving away from hardware and infrastructure and doubling down on software, with Palantir as one of her top picks. 'Palantir is a very expensive stock, but there's nothing like it in the software space,' Wood said in a CNBC interview. 'It is, we believe, going to dominate the biggest part of the tech stack when it comes to AI. And that's the platform as a service part of the stack.' Another big trade Wood made on June 11 was selling 12,728 shares of CoreWeave Inc. () , valued at roughly $1.9 million. CoreWeave is a cloud infrastructure company specializing in GPU-accelerated computing for artificial intelligence and machine learning workloads. The company has delivered explosive growth and won support from Nvidia and March 28, CoreWeave launched its initial public offering, which was one of the largest AI-related listings since 2021. Since then, the stock is up more than 277%. That company is now Nvidia's largest holding, making up more than 78% of its disclosed portfolio. In the first quarter this year, Nvidia bought 24,182,460 shares after the IPO, according to data from WhaleWisdom based on 13F filings. On May 14, CoreWeave reported better-than-expected revenue on Wednesday in the company's first earnings release since going public. CoreWeave reported a 420% year-over-year revenue increase to $981.6 million for the first quarter. Despite this growth, the company's net loss widened to $314.6 million from $129.2 million a year earlier, partly driven by $177 million in stock-based compensation linked to its IPO. Bloomberg reporter Ryan Vlastelica commented that CoreWeave and Palantir are drawing comparisons to meme stocks after sharp rallies. But unlike GameStop, both are backed by strong demand. Still, valuations are a concern. Palantir trades at 71 times estimated sales, the highest in the S&P 500. CoreWeave, despite a $315 million loss last quarter, is valued at 10 times projected sales, well above the S&P 500's average of 3, Bloomberg reported. CoreWeave is not in Ark Innovation's top 10 holdings. Wood's recent trades also include buying shares of GitLab () , selling Kratos Defense () and Roblox () .Cathie Wood sells $9.5 million of popular AI stocks after big rally first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 15, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.