A higher potential return often comes with higher risk, and electric vehicle stocks just demonstrated that point again.
Tesla enjoyed an enormous rally over the last few years. But the pullbacks can also be substantial: Over just the past month, shares fell by about 20% at one point.
Then there’s Rivian, which went public last month at an IPO price of $78 per share. The stock shot to over $170 in mid-November before losing its momentum and has been trading at around $96.
If you don’t like the roller coaster ride happening with some EV stocks, remember there are more stable ways to play the automotive sector.
For instance, some companies are providing increasing dividends to investors. These cash returns don’t depend on what the stock market is doing: If a company decides to pay a dividend, shareholders will get paid.
So here’s a look at two players in the automotive arena that are returning meaningful cash to investors today. One — or both — could be worth pouncing on with some of your extra cash.
Magna International (MGA)
Headquartered in Aurora, Ontario, Canada, Magna International is one of the world’s leading automotive suppliers.
Sure, the name may not sound as familiar as Ford, General Motors or Toyota, but Magna supplies all three. Its customers include EV players like Rivian, Lucid and Nio.
And if you want to collect dividends from the automotive sector, Magna is a name that simply can’t be ignored.
Consider this: In 2016, Magna paid $1 per share in dividends to shareholders. This year, it is paying $1.72 per share. That’s a 72% increase.
Of course, the automotive sector has experienced production disruptions due to the continued semiconductor chip shortage. And Magna’s numbers were impacted too.
In Q3, the company generated $7.9 billion in sales, 13% lower compared to a year ago.
Management expects full-year 2021 sales to be in the range of $35.4 billion to $36.4 billion. In 2020, sales totaled $32.6 billion.
Magna shares have fallen 16% over the past six months and now offer an annual dividend yield of 2.2%. The average yield of the S&P 500 is a measly 1.3% at the moment.
If you don’t want to pick individual winners and losers, remember you can always build a diversified passive income portfolio just by using your spare change.
Genuine Parts Co. (GPC)
Genuine Parts Co. does not make any cars. It doesn’t even make parts. Instead, the company focuses solely on the distribution of automotive and industrial replacement parts.
GPC was founded in 1928 and now has a network of over 10,000 locations in 14 countries. The company owns the NAPA Auto Parts brand.
The automotive sector is known for being cyclical, but GPC managed to deliver sales growth in 87 of its 93 years in business. In Q3, sales increased 10.3% year over year to $4.8 billion.
The most impressive part, though, is the dividend. In February 2021, GPC announced a 3% increase to its quarterly dividend rate to 81.5 cents per share, marking its 65th consecutive annual dividend hike.
At the recent share price, the company provides an annual dividend yield of 2.4%.
To be sure, after a 36% rally year to date, GPC shares trade at about $134 apiece. But remember, you don’t have to start big — a popular investing app allows you to buy fractions of shares with as much money as you are willing to spend.
Earn big returns outside the stock market?
Ultimately, don’t forget that stocks tend to correlate with each other. While these two companies are not as volatile as the EV plays, they are not immune to market downturns.
In other words, diversification is key — and you don’t have to stay in the stock market to get it.
If you want to invest in something with high return potential that’s insulated from the stock market’s violent swings, consider this overlooked asset: fine art.
According to Deloitte’s latest Art & Finance Report, 85% of wealth managers today say that wealth management services should include art.
Contemporary artwork has outperformed the S&P 500 by a commanding 174% over the past 25 years, according to the Citi Global Art Market chart. And on a scale of -1 to +1 (with 0 representing no link at all), their correlation was just 0.12 over the past 25 years.
Investing in art by the likes of Banksy and Andy Warhol used to be an option only for the ultrarich. But with a new investing platform, you can invest in iconic artworks too, just like Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates do.
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.