This Was the Only Stock to Pass Every Test

📅 Where this week's dividend checks land  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

August 17, 2026   |   Read online     This Was the Only Stock to Pass Every Test I screened more than 23,000 publicly traded companies looking for one exceptional opportunity. Only one qualified. It combines powerful fundamentals, dividend growth, a compelling valuation, and an AI catalyst—all while remaining largely overlooked by the public. See why this company was the only stock to make my list. Get the name and ticker here >>     📅 Where this week's dividend checks land A quiet Monday, a bigger Wednesday, and one utility whose payment schedule started when Harry Truman was president.     🌙 TONIGHT'S NUMBERS $0.76 — Southern Company's quarterly dividend, ex today, payable September 8. 4.69% — yield on the 10-year Treasury at Monday's close, one hundredth of a point below Friday. Fortress balance sheets and long dividend histories — MarketBeat's seven buy-and-hold candidates. (From MarketBeat)     Good evening. Here is the income calendar for the week ahead, laid out the way I read it: quiet on the front end, a small cluster on Wednesday, and nothing on the back end that requires you to do anything at all. That last part is the point of the lens tonight. The dividend calendar is one of the few schedules where the best week is a week where you already made the decision months ago and simply let it run without a second look. Monday belongs to Southern Company. It goes ex-dividend today at $0.76 a share, holds the check it declared July 20, and pays September 8. That is the second quarter at $0.76 since the April raise from $0.74 — a 2.7% increase, small but on schedule, and the 25th year the company has extended its raise streak if the pattern holds through October. The number that matters here is not the yield of the day. It is the fact that Southern has paid a quarterly dividend without interruption since 1948, which makes today's ex-date roughly the 312th of them in a row. That is a long run of arithmetic, tied to regulated rate cases and to demand that grows slowly with the population. Wednesday is the busier day. Chevron goes ex-dividend at $1.78, payable September 10, on the raise it announced with the February declaration. Caterpillar's payment lands the same morning — $1.63 a share, up from $1.51 with its June increase, and this is the first payable date at the new rate. Thursday and Friday are quiet on the watchlist. Nothing about that requires a portfolio move, and nothing about a quiet Thursday says the plan is broken. It is a week to let the mail carry itself and to spend the freed attention on what the payout ratios say about the next few quarters rather than the next few days.     ADVERTISEMENT (From MarketBeat) The picks-and-shovels layer of the AI build Memory. Networking. Storage. Power. MarketBeat's current list gathers ten names sitting between the chip designers and the hyperscalers, where the capital expense actually clears. See the ten names     Here is the same week set out cleanly, straight from each company's declared schedule.     💵 INCOME WATCH Declared: 3M declared its September 11 payment on Friday, August 14, at $0.78 a share — the third quarter at that rate after the February raise from $0.73. Ex-dates ahead this week: Southern Company today at $0.76; Chevron on Wednesday, August 19, at $1.78. Neither raised this cycle. Both are on the same schedule they were on last August. Yield check: SCHD carries a forward yield near 3.03% into the week; the 10-year Treasury sits at 4.69%. The gap has not moved meaningfully since June, and no auction on the calendar is likely to close it this week.     And the portrait for the ticker on the ex-date list.     🧺 THE STEADY — SOUTHERN COMPANY (SO) The Atlanta-based utility has paid a quarterly dividend without interruption since 1948 and raised it every year since 2002. The current payment is $0.76 a share, or $3.04 a year on the forward rate. The last raise, in April 2026, moved it two cents from $0.74. Shares have traded between $83.80 and $100.84 over the past 52 weeks. Payout ratio sits near 54% of earnings, in the middle of the utility band. It is a slow, regulated, capital-heavy business, and the check has arrived on schedule for 78 straight years.         📅 TOMORROW'S CALENDAR • 8:30 a.m. ET — July housing starts and building permits. • Before the open — Home Depot Q2 earnings and holiday guidance. • Reminder — FOMC minutes from the July 28-29 meeting land Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. ET.     Set the reinvestment the way you want it, note the two ex-dates on the calendar, and let the week come to you. Do you circle dividend dates on your own calendar, or do you let the brokerage app tell you when they land? Reply and let me know. — Randy Cole, Editor Want the income week in one text before Wednesday's ex-date wave? The Early Bird SMS carries the dates. Free, two to three texts a week, opt out anytime. P.S. The OpenAI story moved again this month — our note on the 72-hour window lays out the sequence and what the private valuation implies. (House) Your interaction with our content, in any format, is appreciated. We value your time and the trust you place in our communications. Thank you for being an active member of our community, and we look forward to continued exchanges in the future. Privacy Policy The Money Memo ("the Company") values the privacy of visitors to the The Money Memo site and users of our services. This notice explains how we collect, use, and protect information. Why You're Receiving This Email You're receiving this email because at some point, you opted in to receive updates, news, or information on a specific topic we've previously discussed or shared. Whether it was through a subscription, a form submission, or another form of communication, your information was shared willingly, and we respect your decision to connect with us. Thank you for taking the time to read this email. This message is part of an ongoing conversation between us, and I want to take a moment to ensure you have full transparency about why you received this message, how your information is handled, and what to expect from future emails. If you're wondering about the nature of our correspondence, rest assured that we aim to keep all emails relevant, timely, and from unnecessary clutter. This includes respecting your inbox and refraining from sending irrelevant messages. A Commitment to Non-Intrusive Emails We aim to create a non-intrusive communication experience. This means we won't overwhelm your inbox with excessive messages, and we work hard to ensure our content remains clear and concise. The purpose of this email is to stay connected with you and provide updates or information that we believe is meaningful. If we ever fail to meet these standards, we encourage you to let us know. Feedback, whether positive or constructive, is always appreciated. Your thoughts help us understand how we can do better and improve our communication approach. While we cannot promise every suggestion will be implemented, we will take the time to carefully review and consider your input. Accessibility and Communication If you have any trouble accessing the unsubscribe page, managing preferences, or understanding why you're receiving this email, you can reach out directly to our support team. We aim to provide a response within a reasonable time frame and address your concerns effectively. Our communication is designed to be as inclusive as possible, but we know there's always room for improvement. If you have any feedback on how we can make our emails more accessible or relevant, please don't hesitate to share. Your Privacy is Important We value your trust and take your privacy very seriously. The information you provide is securely stored and never shared, sold, or used outside the purpose for which you provided it. This privacy policy describes how we collect, use, and protect your information. We collect information you voluntarily provide, such as your name, email address, or phone number. We may also collect technical data from your visit, including browser type, operating system, and your IP address. We use this information to respond to your inquiries, provide access to services, and improve our communications. We do not share your information with unrelated third parties. Some of our services may use third-party tools that store or process data on our behalf. These tools are selected with care and are expected to maintain data responsibly. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. If we discover that such information was provided without parental consent, we will delete it promptly. You can request to update or delete your personal information by contacting us. We may update this privacy policy occasionally. Changes will be reflected on the page. Orders with The Money Memo are handled using secure processes. If there is a need to update delivery details, someone from our team may contact you. Please note, we do not ask for personal payment information by email. You can enable extra sign-in protection and use strong security to help keep you safe. We regularly review our systems and follow best practices to help protect your information. If you notice anything unusual, it may be helpful to review your settings. Transparency is our priority, and we're happy to address any questions you might have. How to Unsubscribe or Manage Your Preferences We understand that everyone's inbox is different. If you ever find our emails no longer relevant, there's no hard feelings. You can easily manage your email preferences or unsubscribe using the link provided below. By clicking the unsubscribe link, you'll be taken to a page where you can either adjust your communication preferences (such as receiving fewer emails or only on specific topics) or completely remove yourself from our list. The process is straightforward, and any changes will take effect promptly. We don't use tricks or gimmicks to keep you subscribed. Our priority is to ensure that our emails add value to your day, and if they don't, we respect your decision to part ways. Legal Information We comply with all applicable laws and regulations regarding email communication. This includes adhering to laws and maintaining the highest standards for consent-based communication. Your trust matters, and we work diligently to ensure every email you receive meets these requirements. If you need further clarification on our compliance policies or legal obligations, please ask. Transparency and accountability are central to our communication strategy, and we're happy to provide additional details if needed. Contact Information We strive to ensure all communication channels are open and readily available to you. Whether it's a question, comment, or concern, our team is ready to assist. For assistance, please contact our team via email by replying to this email. A Final Note Emails are one of the many ways we stay connected, but we understand they aren't perfect for everyone. If there's another way you'd prefer to communicate or stay updated, let us know. Whether it's through social media, a direct call, or another channel, we're open to finding the most effective way to share information with you. We want to emphasize that our goal is never to disrupt or clutter your inbox. Every email sent is intended to provide value, and we genuinely appreciate your time and attention. This footer was designed to ensure transparency, provide essential information, and give you full control over your communication preferences. We hope it meets your expectations, but if there's anything you'd like to see improved, we're always here to listen. Best regards, The Money Memo This email may contain paid advertisements and affiliate links. Guardian Financial Publishing may receive compensation if you click a link or make a purchase. The Money Memo is a publication of Guardian Financial Publishing (D/B/A) Stable Financial Publishing | Privacy Policy | Terms | Disclaimer   Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Stable Financial Publications 1013 Centre Road Suite 403-D Wilmington, DE 19805, United States Powered by beehiiv