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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
These Are the Highest Yielding Dividend Aristocrats Today (Entire List)
Experience is everything and as an investor, I've always been interested in generating multiple streams of passive income. Naturally, dividend stocks, especially high-yielding ones, are alluring. That said, nothing in life is guaranteed, and dividends can get cut at a moment's notice. Companies that pay dividends (without fail) for say 10, 15, or 20 years are likely 'safer' than those simply with the highest yield. But then, we need to ask ourselves: what if the dividend doesn't increase? As inflation erodes our buying power, it also erodes the power of the dividend. Dividend Aristocrats answer that question. The Dividend Aristocrats are an elite group of 69 S&P 500 listed companies that have increased their dividend for at least each of the past 25 years. Let's call them the 'cream of the crop'. They, as a whole, are proven to have weathered pandemics, wars, and pretty much any economic downturn thrown at them- while still increasing their dividend year after year. More News from Barchart Why This 'Strong Buy' Dividend King Is Ready to Soar Stop Missing Market Moves: Get the FREE Barchart Brief – your midday dose of stock movers, trending sectors, and actionable trade ideas, delivered right to your inbox. Sign Up Now! And that leads me to my next thought. If I'm hunting for yield, why not just look for the 'Highest Yielding Dividend Aristocrats?' Not a terrible idea. The only issue with buying a high (or highest) yielding stock is that the yield could be high because the stock was hammered, perhaps due to a fundamental problem. In recent years, for example, Walgreens slashed their dividend at the beginning of 2024, as did 3M, VF Corp, and AT&T - all for different reasons. So, how does one protect oneself from buying companies that could cut their dividend? While we can't entirely eliminate the risk, but, if we combine analyst ratings and technical analysis into the hunt, now we have a clearer picture: a 'buy' or higher consensus on Wall Street helps determine if a company is still worth investing in, while technical analysis tells us if Main Street believes in the narrative. Today, I'm going to use what I've learned over the last 25 years as a trader to generate a list of the highest-yielding Dividend Aristocrats. While I usually cover three companies in my lists, today, I'll take it a step further and cover five - and I'll also list the rest as honorable mentions. How I Came Up With The Following Dividend Stocks To get today's list, I used Barchart's Stock Screener to find companies on my Aristocrats watchlist, with the highest dividend yields. And for each, I'll cover the consensus rating, and Barchart's Opinion - an indication of the stock's short-term direction. Annual Dividend Yield (%): Adding this field so I can use it as my sort column. Watchlists: Dividend Aristocrats I ran the screen and got the following results (arranged by yield, highest to lowest): With that out of the way, here are the 5 highest-yielding Dividend Aristocrats today, what the consensus is, and the stocks' short term direction. I'll also include all the others as honorable mentions to round out the list. Realty Income Corp (O) Realty Income Corp is the landlord to some of the world's largest companies. It specializes in the acquisition and management of commercial units, with a portfolio of 15,600 properties in the U.S., U.K., and Europe. The company's most recent quarterly financials reported sales of $1.38 billion, representing a 9.5% increase over the same quarter last year. Its net income also rose 87.8% to $251.5 million. Realty Income pays a forward annual dividend of $3.228, which translates to a yield of 5.73%, making it the highest-yielding Dividend Aristocrat today. Barchart Opinion has an overall average of 'Hold' for the stock, suggesting a wait-and-see phase before signaling a direction. Barchart Opinion shares the same sentiments as the consensus 'Hold' rating for O. The stock's mean price is $61.18, with a high 52-week target of $68, which is approximately 20.7% above the stock's current trading price. Amcor Plc (AMCR) Amcor provides packaging solutions for the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and other industries. The company has over 400 production facilities and a presence in more than 140 countries. It has two segments: Flexibles, which is the world's largest supplier of plastic, and Rigid Plastics, which comprises operations. Amcor's most recent quarterly financials reported sales of $3.33 billion, 2% lower year-over-year, while net income rose 4.2% to $196 million. Amcor's forward annual dividend is $0.51, translating to a forward yield of 5.36%, second only to Realty Income, which has the highest yield among all Dividend Aristocrats today. Barchart Opinion has an overall average of 24% sell on AMCR, suggesting short-term bearish momentum for the stock. If you believe in 'buy low, sell high', this could be an opportunity! Meanwhile, a consensus among 12 analysts rate Amcor a 'Strong Buy', which is rare for a company near the top of a list of 'highest-yielding' stocks. AMCR's mean price target is $11.39, and a high target price of $13, which is 36.7% away from its current price. Franklin Resources (BEN) The third Dividend Aristocrat on this list today is Franklin Resources, also known as Franklin Templeton, a leader in the investment management industry. The company specializes in fixed income, equities, alternatives, and asset solutions. Franklin's most recent quarterly financials reported operating revenue of $2.1 billion, down 1.9% year-over-year. Meanwhile, net income jumped 21.9% to $151.4 million. Franklin Resources pays a forward annual dividend of $1.28, which translates to a yield of approximately 5.22%, ranking it next to Amcor and third among Dividend Aristocrats with the highest dividend yields. Barchart Opinion has an overall average of 100% Buy, suggesting a potential bullish momentum for the stock. Meanwhile, a consensus among 12 analysts rate the stock a 'Hold', which has been consistent over the past two months. The stock has a mean target price of $23.17, and a high target $31, suggesting as much as 26.4% upside from the stock's current price. T Rowe Price Group (TROW) The next Dividend Aristocrat in this list is in a similar industry to Franklin Resources. T Rowe Price Group is another global asset manager operating with 8,084 associates globally and boasts over $1.6 trillion in assets under management (AUM). The company's most recent financials reported income of $1.76 billion, up 0.8% year-over-year. Meanwhile, net income declined 14.5% from the same quarter last year, to $490.5 million. Rowe pays a forward annual dividend of $5.08, translating to a yield of 4.77%, one of the highest among the Dividend Aristocrats today. Barchart Opinion has an overall average rating of 40% Buy, indicating short-term bullish momentum for the stock. The strength is weak, however, improving. A consensus among 13 analysts rate TROW stock a 'Moderate Sell', consistent over the past three months. The stock's mean target is $98.08, and its high target is $108, which is just 1.5% shy of its current price. If you believe in buy low, sell high, investors might want to wait for a pullback before hitting the buy button. Stanley Black & Decker Inc (SWK) The last Dividend Aristocrat in this list is Stanley Black & Decker, which specializes in tools and engineering fastening systems. The company provides a wide range of equipment products that cater to builders, tradespeople, and DIYers like myself - and operate in two business segments: Industrial and Tools and Storage. Stanley Black & Decker's most recent quarterly financials reported sales of $3.7 billion, down 3.2% year-over-year. Its net income jumped 363.6% to 90.4 million. The company pays a forward annual dividend of $3.28, translating to a forward yield of 4.63%. Barchart Opinion has an overall average of 24% sell, suggesting a short-bearish momentum for the stock. If you believe in Stanley Black & Decker, and in 'Buy low, sell high' this could be your moment. Meanwhile, a consensus among 16 analysts rate the stock a 'Moderate Buy', consistent, yet improving over the past three months. The stock has a mean price of $82.92, with a 52-week high target of $102, which is roughly 44% from its current price. This suggests that there could be significant upside potential from its current position. The Complete List of Dividend Aristocrats, Organized by Yield While the companies above have the highest yields, here's the complete list of Dividend Aristocrats, organized by yield, as of the pre-market on July 18, 2025. Symbol Company Exchange Industry Yield O Realty Income Corp NYSE REIT - Equity Trust Retail 5.61% AMCR Amcor Plc NYSE Containers - Paper Products 5.36% BEN Franklin Resources NYSE Finance - Investment Mgmt 5.22% TROW T Rowe Price Group NASDAQ Finance - Investment Mgmt 4.87% SWK Stanley Black & Decker Inc NYSE Machinery - Tools & Related 4.72% FRT Federal Realty Investment Trust NYSE REIT - Equity Trust Retail 4.66% ES Eversource Energy NYSE Utility - Electric Power 4.53% CVX Chevron Corp NYSE Oil - International Integrated 4.46% TGT Target Corp NYSE Retail - Discount 4.42% PEP Pepsico Inc NASDAQ Beverages - Soft 4.05% SJM J.M. Smucker Company NYSE Food - Misc & Diversified 4.01% KMB Kimberly-Clark Corp NASDAQ Consumer Prdts - Misc Staple 3.89% CLX Clorox Company NYSE Consumer Prdts - Misc Staple 3.85% HRL Hormel Foods Corp NYSE Food - Meat Products 3.85% KVUE Kenvue Inc NYSE Consumer Prdts - Misc Staple 3.75% ADM Archer Daniels Midland NYSE Agriculture Operations 3.74% ESS Essex Property Trust NYSE REIT - Equity Trust Resident 3.51% XOM Exxon Mobil Corp NYSE Oil - International Integrated 3.49% ABBV Abbvie Inc NYSE Large Cap Pharma 3.39% ED Consolidated Edison Company NYSE Utility - Electric Power 3.34% GPC Genuine Parts Company NYSE Retail - Wholesale Auto Parts 3.31% BF.B Brown Forman Inc Cl B NYSE Beverages - Alcohol 3.24% MDT Medtronic Inc NYSE Medical Products 3.13% JNJ Johnson & Johnson NYSE Large Cap Pharma 3.05% NEE Nextera Energy NYSE Utility - Electric Power 2.89% KO Coca-Cola Company NYSE Beverages - Soft 2.87% SYY Sysco Corp NYSE Food - Misc & Diversified 2.68% PG Procter & Gamble Company NYSE Consumer Prdts - Misc Staple 2.65% CHRW C.H. Robinson Ww NASDAQ Transportation - Services 2.53% MKC Mccormick & Company NYSE Food - Misc & Diversified 2.48% APD Air Products and Chemicals NYSE Chemical - Diversified 2.46% IBM Intl Business Machines NYSE Computer - Integrated Systems 2.37% PPG PPG Industries NYSE Chemical - Specialty 2.35% ITW Illinois Tool Works Inc NYSE Machinery - General Industrial 2.34% MCD McDonald's Corp NYSE Retail - Restaurants 2.34% ALB Albemarle Corp NYSE Chemical - Diversified 2.30% CL Colgate-Palmolive Company NYSE Consumer Prdts - Misc Staple 2.30% BDX Becton Dickinson and Company NYSE Medical - Dental Suppliers 2.28% CINF Cincinnati Financial NASDAQ Insurance - Proprty & Casualty 2.27% ATO Atmos Energy Corp NYSE Utility - Gas Distribution 2.21% AFL Aflac Inc NYSE Insurance - Accident & Health 2.13% LOW Lowe's Companies NYSE Retail - Home Furniture 2.12% ADP Automatic Data Processing NASDAQ Internet - Software 2.00% AOS Smith A.O. Corp NYSE Machinery - Electrical 1.97% GD General Dynamics Corp NYSE Aerospace - Defense 1.95% FAST Fastenal Company NASDAQ Industrial Services 1.81% ABT Abbott Laboratories NYSE Medical Products 1.76% NUE Nucor Corp NYSE Steel - Producers 1.59% ERIE Erie Indemnity Company NASDAQ Insurance - Brokers 1.54% EMR Emerson Electric Company NYSE Machinery - Electrical 1.50% NDSN Nordson Corp NASDAQ Machinery - General Industrial 1.46% CAT Caterpillar Inc NYSE Machinery - Construct & Mining 1.37% CB Chubb Ltd NYSE Insurance - Proprty & Casualty 1.33% EXPD Expeditors Intl NYSE Transportation - Services 1.33% CAH Cardinal Health NYSE Medical - Dental Suppliers 1.26% LIN Linde Plc NASDAQ Chemical - Specialty 1.26% CHD Church & Dwight Company NYSE Consumer Prdts - Misc Staple 1.20% DOV Dover Corp NYSE Machinery - General Industrial 1.10% FDS Factset Research Systems Inc NYSE Business Information 0.97% ECL Ecolab Inc NYSE Chemical - Specialty 0.94% WMT Walmart Inc NYSE Retail - Supermarket 0.93% PNR Pentair Ltd NYSE Waste Removal Svcs 0.92% SHW Sherwin-Williams Company NYSE Chemical - Specialty 0.89% GWW W.W. Grainger NYSE Industrial Services 0.81% CTAS Cintas Corp NASDAQ Business Services 0.73% SPGI S&P Global Inc NYSE Securities Exchanges 0.71% ROP Roper Industries NASDAQ IT Services 0.59% BRO Brown & Brown NYSE Insurance - Brokers 0.55% WST West Pharmaceutical Services NYSE Medical - Dental Suppliers 0.37% Final Thoughts So, there you have it: the entire list of Dividend Aristocrats, organized by their dividend yields. I covered the top five, reported the current consensus among analysts, and the potential short-term direction of the stock. While opinions vary, one thing remains consistent: having a portfolio of these companies can deliver an ever-increasing and stable income. On the date of publication, Rick Orford did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. 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Wall Street Journal
04-07-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Brandy Was a Hit Drink. Now It's a Poster Child for the Trade Wars.
If the global trade wars had an official drink, it would be fine French brandy. The preferred quaff of aristocrats and rappers is a key export for European luxury-drink makers, which are fighting tariff assaults from its two biggest markets: China and the U.S.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Overlooked Dividend Aristocrats To Buy in 2025
Income investors have long trusted dividend stocks for their stable payouts. However, the growing popularity of high-risk, high-income alternatives causes some investors to move away from these reliable stocks, but not me. Investors who are obsessed with stability, like myself, find the Dividend Aristocrats to be an ideal choice. These are companies listed in the S&P 500 that have increased their dividends for at least 25 consecutive years, having dealt with even the strongest market headwinds. With Geopolitical Tensions Running Hot, Buy This Dividend Stock 3 Overlooked Dividend Aristocrats To Buy in 2025 Tired of missing midday reversals? The FREE Barchart Brief newsletter keeps you in the know. Sign up now! Today, we're looking at three Dividend Aristocrats that may have flown under the radar but report massive earnings and momentum that can extend well beyond 2025. Using Barchart's Stock Screener, I selected the following filters to get my results: EPS Basic Growth Last Year (%): At least 1%. I'm looking for companies that have achieved high profits compared to their performance in the previous year. More profit equates to more room to increase dividends. Cash Flow Growth Last Year (%): At least 10%. An increase in cash flow reflects the ability to pay liabilities and, most importantly, dividends. Overall Buy/Sell/Hold Signal: Buy. Number of Analysts: At least 12. A high number of analysts shows greater confidence of the signal. Current Analyst Rating: Moderate to Strong Buy. Watchlist: Dividend Aristocrats I ran these filters and got 6 company hits: Then I sorted it based on EPS Basic Growth % to get the top 3 companies that made the biggest profits, starting with number one: Cardinal Health is a company I feature often, so I'll keep the introduction brief. Cardinal Health is a major player in the medical field, providing customized products and services in over 30 countries, including more than 90% of U.S. hospitals. The company's 2024 annual report reported sales of approximately $227 billion, up 10.7% from the same quarter, last year. Net income increased 157.7% year-over-year to $853 million. EPS came in at $3.48 up 174% from 2023. Cardinal Health is a Dividend Aristocrat and has increased its dividends for 29 consecutive years. Today, it pays a forward annual dividend of $2.04, translating to a yield of roughly 1.24%. Barchart Opinion reports a 100% Buy overall average for CAH, with 14 analysts rating the stock a strong buy. The second Dividend Aristocrat on this list is Abbott Laboratories, a company I've also written about several times. Abbott manufactures health-related products and provides healthcare services to over 160 countries, with more than 300 subsidiaries worldwide. The company's 2024 annual report reported sales of ~$42 billion, up 4.6% from the previous year. Net income increased 134.2% to $13.4 billion. EPS was $7.67, also up 133.8% from 2023. Abbott Laboratories has increased its dividends for 53 consecutive years and pays a current forward annual dividend of $2.36, translating to a yield of approximately 1.73%. Barchart Opinion shows a 100% Buy overall average for ABT, with 26 analysts rating the stock a strong buy. The last Dividend Aristocrat that's often overlooked is Ecolab Inc., a company specializing in water, hygiene, and energy technologies. Together with its subsidiaries, it provides services to various industries, including animal and plant production, food and beverage, mining, and power generation. The company has a presence in 40 industries across more than 170 countries. According to the company's 2024 annual report, sales came in at ~$15.7 billion, up 3% from the previous year. Net income increased 54% to $2.1 billion. And EPS was $7.43, also up 54.1% from 2023. Ecolab Inc. is a Dividend Aristocrat that has increased its dividends for 33 consecutive years and pays a current forward annual dividend of $2.60, translating to a yield of approximately 0.95%. Barchart Opinion reports a 100% Buy overall average for ECL, with 24 analysts rating the stock a moderate buy. So, there you have it, the three overlooked Dividend Aristocrats with a strong technicals and financials, making them an attractive addition to your portfolio. Although current ratings and previous performance do not guarantee a win, they are an excellent indicator of stocks that can benefit the most from a bull run. On the date of publication, Rick Orford did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Dirt-Cheap Dividend Aristocrats About to Explode Higher
'Cheap' isn't something you'd normally associate with quality, stable, and mature dividend stocks with solid revenue streams and massive international presences. Indeed, Dividend Aristocrats - companies that have paid increasing dividends for 25 or more years and are typical powerhouses in their sector - and because of it, they usually trade at a premium. But that's not always the case. Seeking Passive Income? This Dividend Stock Yields 9.6%. 3 Safe-Haven Stocks to Buy to Ride Out Market Turmoil 3 Dirt-Cheap Dividend Aristocrats About to Explode Higher Our exclusive Barchart Brief newsletter is your FREE midday guide to what's moving stocks, sectors, and investor sentiment - delivered right when you need the info most. Subscribe today! Sometimes, during or after market volatility, stock prices become silly, and premium stocks dip. This gives income investors like you and me the opportunity to snag these stocks at a discount. It's even better when such stocks are highly rated by Wall Street analysts and are expected to move bullishly based on technical analysis - it gives you more chances of capital appreciation while enjoying stable and increasing dividends. So, today, let's look at the cheapest buy-rated Dividend Aristocrats to add to your long-term portfolio. I used the following filters on Barchart's Stock Screener tool to get my list: Overall Opinion %: 50% or more buy rating. The Overall Opinion % filter is part of Barchart's proprietary Opinion feature, which consolidates the results of 13 popular analytics tools throughout different periods to generate a buy, hold, or sell signal based on the interpreted results. A stock with a 50% or more buy rating indicates that a majority of the results are leaning more towards a bullish price movement in the future. Current Analyst Rating: 4 (Moderate Buy) to 5 (Strong Buy). P/E Ratio TTM: 0.01 (Very Low) to 30 (Medium). We're looking for companies with growing earnings. Watchlists: Dividend Aristocrats With these filters set, I ran the screen and got four results, arranged from lowest to highest TTM P/E: However, upon comparing them to their respective sectors' P/E, only two of the four results are trading below industry averages. So, I decided to remove the stock trading above its sector P/E, with the lowest signal percentage and analyst rating, which is Linde Plc. With that out of the way, let's discuss each company, starting with the cheapest Dividend Aristocrat worth buying: TTM P/E: 20.42 Healthcare Sector P/E: 24.98 Cardinal Health is a major American multinational healthcare services provider that offers a wide range of healthcare services and medical products to over 90% of U.S. hospitals and more than 5 million homebound patients. It also has operations in over 35 countries. CAH stock currently boasts one of the strongest technical strengths across all periods, ranking it among the top 1% in the market. Wall Street analysts rate the stock a 'strong buy,' giving me more reason to like the stock. Cardinal Health pays $0.506 a share quarterly, which translates to an annual rate of $2.024 and a yield of approximately 1.23%. TTM P/E: 21.62 Industrials Sector: 25.09 Pentair is a global water technology company specializing in solutions for residential, commercial, industrial, municipal, infrastructure, agricultural, and pool applications. The company operates in over 130 countries and has a strong focus on water preservation and sustainability practices. Though arguably the weakest of all three stocks in terms of opinion strength, PNR stock nonetheless has a 100% buy rating based on its short-term indicators, suggesting strong recent momentum and favorable technical conditions. Further positive price movement in the short term can improve medium to long-term technicals. The stock also has a consensus strong buy rating from Wall Street, indicating that analysts expect it to remain bullish over the next 12 months. Pentair pays a $1.00 forward annual dividend, which translates to approximately a 1% yield. TTM P/E: 27.28 Healthcare Sector: 24.98 Last on the list of cheap Dividend Aristocrats is Abbott Laboratories, one of the most diversified global healthcare companies in the world, with operations in over 160 countries. The company caters to both professionals and consumer needs; fittingly, it is one of the most recognizable brands in healthcare, medical devices, and nutritional products. Now, as you can see, Abbott's TTM P/E is more than 2 points higher than its sector average, which means it's trading at a premium. Furthermore, its short-term technicals are also relatively weak, based on its 20-day moving average and Trend Seeker®. However, its medium- and long-term technicals are still quite attractive, and given that consensus on Wall Street rates ABT stock a strong buy, I'd say it's still a worthwhile investment, even if it's trading at a modest premium. Abbott Laboratories pays $2.36 per share annually, which translates to an approximate 1.77% yield. Dividend Aristocrats aren't always cheap, but when they are, they present quality opportunities to buy income-generating stocks at a discount. And even if they're trading at a slight premium, solid technicals and a bullish Wall Street outlook can still justify the price for long-term investors. On the date of publication, Rick Orford did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
10 Ways To Build Wealth Fast
Wealth-building is a process that generally takes time. Although the idea of becoming an overnight millionaire is appealing for many, especially for those working on savings plans and retirement accounts, the only real way to get rich overnight is an inheritance or a lottery win. Learn More: For You: Ironically, the best way to build wealth 'fast' is to chart out a prudent path toward long-term gains. The quicker you can start saving and investing, the faster your money will compound, which is the true magic behind growing wealth over time. Here are 10 ways you can grow your net worth, achieve your financial goals and put some extra money in your savings account as rapidly as possible without taking on undue risk. The S&P 500 index doesn't guarantee profits, but it's proven itself time and time again to be a tremendous generator of long-term wealth. In fact, most investors are surprised to learn that the 'risky' stock market has never lost money over any 20-year rolling period. And yet, the long-term average return of the S&P 500 is north of 10%. This means the S&P 500 index has a tremendous risk/reward profile over the long run. Even legendary investor Warren Buffett, the 'Oracle of Omaha' himself, has directed his trustee to keep 90% of his money in an S&P 500 index fund after he passes. Dividend-paying stocks may seem like a slow and boring way to build wealth, but they are one of the best ways to tap into a solid and growing source of income The so-called 'Dividend Aristocrats' are large, well-known companies in the S&P 500 index, like Coca-Cola and McDonald's, that have raised their dividends for at least 25 years in a row. This means that those who bought these companies 25 years ago are earning huge effective yields on their original investment amount. Combined with the potential for capital gains, the Dividend Aristocrats can be a great way to build wealth. As of early 2025, the highest-paying dividend stock is Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (WBA) with a yield of 10.7%. Read Next: One of the key ways to build wealth fast — and over the long term — is to earn passive income. And one of the best ways to generate passive income is to own one (or several) rental properties. With a well-managed rental property, you'll receive a steady stream of income every month, with little additional effort required on your part. While you'll have to find tenants to move in and will have to deal with occasional maintenance issues, your income will essentially be on autopilot. Unlike your mortgage payment, your rents will continue to rise over time, meaning your tenants will be paying some or all of your mortgage while you watch your properties appreciate. The cost of living goes up nearly every year, and so does your experience and value to your company. As such, you shouldn't be afraid to ask for regular raises, both to keep up with the cost of inflation and to be paid what you're truly worth. This doesn't mean you should constantly pester your boss about getting paid more, but you should make the case, when appropriate, that your value should be reflected in your salary. Those who fail to ask for raises tend not to get them, so don't overlook this source of building your wealth. Most of the world's billionaires either inherited their money or started their own businesses. If you're looking to generate a large amount of wealth, starting and growing a successful company is one of the most likely paths. Of course, entrepreneurship is a risky proposition, as many new companies fail in just the first few years. However, if you can create a solid business idea, raise the appropriate funding and get the right people working for you, this high-risk, high-reward path can pave the way to a lifetime of wealth. If you're going to spend your life working for others, you'll have to make yourself as valuable as possible if you want to generate the most wealth. Educating yourself in a wide variety of fields and developing a diverse skill set are some of the best ways to demonstrate your value as an employee. Focus on specialized skill sets that are in high demand, such as those in the high-paying tech and financial industries, to give yourself the best opportunity to grow your wealth rapidly. Swiping your credit card to invest in yourself is money well spent as it comes with high returns. It's hard to generate sizable wealth on a single salary, even if you save a large portion of it. To build wealth fast, set up multiple streams of income. For example, in addition to your day job, pick up a side hustle that matches your talents and abilities. If you're a freelancer, try to find additional clients in a variety of different industries. Not only will this bring you additional income, but it will also help protect you during economic downturns if you happen to lose one of your sources of income. You can't begin any type of wealth-generation plan without having money to invest. As soon as you start drawing an income, make it your top priority to save as much money as you can. One strategy often recommended by advisors is to 'pay yourself first,' meaning put money in savings immediately when you receive your paycheck, even before you pay your bills. This type of 'forced savings' will require you to trim your discretionary spending but will also result in rapidly growing wealth. You'll never generate any wealth at all if you spend more than you earn. To set yourself up for a lifetime of prosperity, it's important to create a strict budget and stick to it. Make sure that in addition to all of your unavoidable expenses, you've got a significant line item for saving and investments. Every month that you can come in under budget, you're adding to your pool of lifetime wealth. Although being too speculative is a surefire way to risk all the savings you've worked for, being too conservative can be equally damaging in terms of limiting your wealth. Taking some risks in your financial life — from investing a bit more aggressively to starting your own business — is a necessary component if you want to generate outsized levels of wealth. Owning some stocks, real estate, your own business or even some cryptocurrencies are way to gain exposure to higher potential returns on your investments. Just understand that while speculation has a role in generating wealth, it also brings additional risk to the table. Caitlyn Moorhead and Brooke Barley contributed to the reporting for this article. More From GOBankingRates Mark Cuban Says Trump's Executive Order To Lower Medication Costs Has a 'Real Shot' -- Here's Why The 5 Car Brands Named the Least Reliable of 2025 This article originally appeared on 10 Ways To Build Wealth Fast
