You know that creepy scene in The Sixth Sense where the kid whispers "I see dead people"?

I had an experience in Las Vegas after midnight I gotta tell you about.

It's hard to make out, but I have photographic evidence:

See it? It's a digital billboard owned by Lamar (LAMR)!

Spooky, right?!

I think investors develop a sixth sense. Except instead of seeing dead people, we see investment opportunities everywhere. And once you develop it, you can't turn it off.

Here's what happened:

We're in Vegas celebrating my daughter's 18th birthday (she just saw her favorite band, Panic at the Disco, live for the first time - totally worth it). Standing in the airport parking garage waiting for our Uber (UBER) around midnight, I glance up at this teal billboard: "Welcome to Las Vegas! FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES."

Bottom corner had the name: "Lamar."

My brain instantly clicks: "Wait, Lamar is publicly traded. LAMR. That's not just a billboard... that's an investment opportunity staring at me."

Nobody else saw it that way. To them, it was just a sign.

So I pulled out my phone while we waited and did a quick dive. Lamar owns over 350,000 billboards across America. They're a REIT paying 5.21% yield.

But then I saw the red flags: debt levels higher than I like, share count creeping up (wrong direction), sales slowing to 3%, and they're paying out 85% of free cash flow. Plus they cut their dividend during the pandemic.

Would I buy it? Probably not. But it was a fun 3-minute rabbit hole.

Then I looked around...

Guy to my right leaning on a Pepsi (PEP) machine, smoking a Marlboro (MO), wearing Nikes (NKE). I'm wearing Adidas (ADDYY). Snack machine full of Frito-Lay (PEP) and General Mills (GIS). The Boeing (BA) plane that brought us here running on Exxon (XOM) jet fuel. My Apple (AAPL) phone connected to a Verizon (VZ) tower.

In 5 minutes, I counted almost a dozen publicly traded companies (most paying a dividend) just standing there.

Peter Lynch was right. The best investment ideas come from paying attention to what you and everyone around you actually use every day. A few for him were Taco Bell (later bought by PepsiCo then spun off), Hanes (HBI) which owned L'eggs pantyhose until 2023, Home Depot (HD) and Toys 'R Us.

But here's the important part - you can't just buy what you see. You need to do the work. At minimum, spend as much time researching a stock as you would researching a refrigerator, he says.

Some of these companies make great dividend investments. Some don't. The difference is in the details.

My friend Kelly Green just wrote about "investing like a gangster" and analyzed VICI Properties (VICI) - the company that owns much of the real estate under Vegas casinos. It's a perfect example of how to properly dig into a dividend stock instead of just buying what catches your eye.

If you want more help building a solid dividend portfolio, Kelly's hosting a free live event this Tuesday, October 22 at 2pm ET called "Boring Is Better: The Power of Dividends At All Life Stages."

She's going to walk through actual portfolio examples for different ages and leave time for Q&A. You can join on Zoom or YouTube. Even if you can't make it live, register and they'll send the replay.

You should also know that when you buy stock, you're buying real ownership in an actual company making the world work. The best ones solve migraine level problems and make life easier.

Once you develop that investor sixth sense, you'll see opportunities everywhere. Just remember - seeing them and buying them are two different things.

What dividend-paying companies do you use most often? Have you looked at them as investments? Hit reply - I'd love to hear what's on your radar.

P.S. - That Uber that showed up? Still doesn't pay a dividend. Maybe someday...

Disclaimer: This is not investment advice, just one person's opinion that may be incorrect. Do your own research before making any investment decisions.

😁THANK YOU to all who responded to the last newsletter!!

Check out the portfolio on Blossom, the podcast, or see what’s cooking on YouTube.

And now, here is this week's portfolio activity...

Dividends Received This Week ~$97.90

Agree Realty (ADC) | $59.65
Main Street Capital (MAIN) | $38.25

Dividends Received Year to Date (Schwab Only)~

$4,756.28

Stocks Sold (AVERAGE)

None

Stocks Bought (AVERAGE)

1 iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) | $100.57
100 Portillo's (PTLO) | $5.85

10/20 WD-40 Company (WDFC), 1.93% | 75S
10/22 Clorox (CLX), 4.14% | 70S
10/22 Lowe's (LOW), 1.96% | 93VS
10/24 Procter & Gamble (PG), 2.79% | 99VS

🎙️Podcast of the week🎙️

Amphenol: The Nervous System...

Oct 15 · Business Breakdowns

54:48

Amphenol (APH) is a stock I've had on my watchlist for over a year, but have never looked into the business. Too bad, because after listening to this podcast, it's a company I am considering owning as a "behind the scenes" AI company with a long history.

🎦If you missed it, we're talking about 3 dividend growth stocks that might be cheaper than you think.

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