Five New Stocks for 2025

by: M.V.C – The Home&Pocket Team

January 8, 2025

As we await the first Federal Reserve rate cut of 2025, investors are re-evaluating where to put their money.

• Review my Stock Sales in 2024
• Early 2025 Dividend stock purchases
• Update before the first potential 2025 FED Rate Cut
• Look at new 2025 Additions

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Interest rates have risen over the past two years. This change reshaped markets. Dividend stocks, energy giants, and consumer staples are now in the spotlight.

Back in January, we identified five must-own stocks for 2025. These companies were chosen for their strong dividends and balance sheets. They also have long-term growth potential.

Now, with rate cuts on the horizon and market conditions shifting, it’s time to revisit these stock picks.

We should see if they lived up to expectations. We also need to assess whether they remain the best dividend and growth stocks to buy in 2025.

For those of you that read –

my 2024 annual Dividend Report, you would know that I sold stocks for the first time in years. 

I didn’t just sell stocks I cleared my complete positions of: 

• Franklin Resources (BEN)
•  Genuine Parts (GPC)
• Johnson Controls (JCI)
• The Wendy’s Company (WEN). 

Don’t go crazy and sell everything you have in those, I’m not overly against any of these companies (not really).

But they were all on my naughty list for liquidation and I unfortunately needed the money for a rental property –

like I said, 2025 is the year to get into real estate if you missed the 2020 “Pandemic” crash!

So, that left me with 49 Dividend Paying Stocks – “I hate Odd numbers”  and It’s a far cry from my 100 Stock Goal. 

Well good news – I had FIVE Stocks in the wing ready to be purchased and I started off the new year with a late Christmas Present. 

Please welcome the newest additions to the Freedom Fund:

• The Hershey Company (HSY)
• NextEra Energy (NEE)
• Restaurant Brands International (QSR)
• Shell (SHEL)
• Chevron Corporation (CVX)

Now, just like I teach and preach, I only purchased ONE (1) Share of each stock to initiate my position. 

I do this for TWO reasons. 

1. It’s cheaper and I can buy more of other stocks (Diversification)
2. I don’t have a magic crystal ball (YET) to know what is a good price point. (and yes, i know how to read and analyze a stock). 

By purchasing only a single share of each, I can enter the stock market. I can evaluate the conditions as time goes along.

One of the best things you can do is double down on a “Good Investment.” and remember, I have over 50 other stocks that need my attention too. 

Now let’s look at each one of these stocks and why I bought them: 

• The Hershey Company (HSY)
  • I purchased 1 share at $147.61
  • Current Dividend: 3.29%
  • Annual Payout: $5.48

• Reason: add to my food/ consumer area. HSY has been paying a dividend for over 20 years
• Plus: international company with a diversified portfolio outside of just candy. And like I’ve always heard, candy/chocolate is recession proof!
• UPDATE
  • As of 16SEP, The Hershey Company (HSY) now trades at $193. That’s a 32% increase from when I purchased only nine months ago!

• NextEra Energy (NEE)
  • I purchased 1 share at $72.47
  • Current Dividend: 2.89%
  • Annual Payout: $2.06
  • Reason: add to my energy section of the portfolio, plus with most of its holdings in the Southeast U.S. an area seeing strong growth, i expect continued expansion
  • Plus: Energy will never go out of style, utilities are a great dividend due to monthly dues.
  • UPDATE:
    • NEE now trades at $70.00 today, down about 2% but with one of the strongest dividends in the group at 3.2%

• Restaurant Brands International (QSR)
  • I purchased 1 share at $67.55
  • Current Dividend: 3.63%
  • Annual Payout: $2.32

• Reason: I’ve been looking to diversify my fast food / food stocks. I wanted something outside of just McDonald’s. I just sold Wendy’s. It’s hard to find another McDonald’s – because there isn’t one. However, QSR gives you that portfolio of brands in one stock – diversification = safety in my books. 
• UPDATE:
  • This stock is now trading 4% below where I bought it but was a trade I was willing to make in-lieu-of owning Wendy’s (WEN).

• Shell (SHEL)
  • I purchased 1 share at $61.78
  • Current Dividend: 4.25%
  • Annual Payout: $2.75
  • Reason: add to my energy section of the portfolio. With the new administration coming in, the rupture to American energy is a priority. I believe all Oil/energy companies will benefit. 
  • Plus: Energy will never go out of style
  • UPDATE:
    • SHEL has risen over 18% since January, mixed with it’s strong 4% dividend – this was a great buy!

• Chevron Corporation (CVX)
  • I purchased 1 share at $147.61
  • Current Dividend: 4.43%
  • Annual Payout: $6.52
  • Reason: pretty much the same as Shell – not looking to miss the pay day with these two stocks. 
  • Plus: Energy will never go out of style
  • UPDATE:
    • This was another great buy. Up almost 10% with another massive 4.2% dividend – this is another long hold for the portfolio!

The big takeaway is this: I am up significantly on three of the five picks. Additionally, every single one of them is putting cash back in my pocket through dividends.

Just one share of each adds $19.13 a year to my passive income stream. That may not sound like much today, but it’s nearly twenty dollars a year for doing nothing more than owning the stocks.

Add it all up, and my estimated annual dividend income has climbed to now over $2,300. It keeps growing with every smart pick.

But here’s the real question: would I buy all of these stocks again today, and are there new opportunities worth adding to the watchlist?

The Answer is YES to both

Here are a few to get into before the years over:

Railroads: UNP, NSC, CNI – I wrote extensively about this early this year. Warren Buffett doubled down on his railroad investment. He merged the North American Lines together. Read more Here

Additionally, I’ve been doubling down on my utility sectors. not because of growth but to add more staple dividend to an under utilized sector of my portfolio:

American Electric Partners (AEP)

and

American States Water (AWR)

All of these can be found and tracked in my Freedom Fund and monthly dividend reports!

As always – thanks for reading and supporting!

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