Markus Andrews

The grace period for federal student loan borrowers who graduated in the spring is ending, meaning bills will soon be due.
Here’s what to know about starting the payments.

Chuck Savage | Getty

Millions of federal student loan borrowers who graduated in the spring will need to start repaying their debt for the first time soon.
That’s because the six-month grace period that the Department of Education allows students after they finish school is winding down for May graduates.

“In other words, ‘Happy Thanksgiving!'” said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz. “It’s time to start making payments on your student loans.”
Outstanding federal education debt in the U.S. exceeds $1.6 trillion, and more than 40 million people hold these loans. Between 4 million and 5 million federal student loan borrowers enter repayment each year, mainly during November and December, Kantrowitz said. The typical monthly student loan payment is around $350.

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This year, borrowers begin repayment amid a challenging time for the lending system. More than 5 million people are in default on student loans, and President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” phases out several repayment plans that were intended to make payments more affordable.
Here’s what you need to know about starting repayment on your student debt.

It’s easy to miss your first payment

Student loan borrowers are more likely to miss their first bill than any other payment, Kantrowitz said, because their debt has been “out of sight, out of mind, for six months.” Recent graduates are also often balancing other new expenses, including rent, a car, and new work clothes, Kantrowitz said.

As a result, he said, “I tell students to put a reminder in their calendar two weeks before payments are supposed to start.”
You should get your first bill at least 21 days before your payment is due, according to the Education Department. To avoid being late, borrowers can enroll in automatic payments with their loan servicer.
If you don’t know which company is managing your student loans on behalf of the government, you can find out at Studentaid.gov.

Find a repayment plan you can afford

Before your first bill is due, you’ll want to research your repayment options, experts said. As for the right plan, “there’s no simple answer,” said Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, a nonprofit.
“It can be very borrower-specific,” Mayotte said.

As a result of a lawsuit brought by the American Federation of Teachers against the Trump administration, the Education Department has made available some of the student loan repayment plans it had partially paused.
Those options are: the Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan and the Income-Contingent Repayment Plan.
Both are income-driven repayment plans, which means they set your monthly bill based on income and family size, and lead to debt forgiveness after a certain period, typically 20 years or 25 years. (However, recent legislation will phase out PAYE and ICR as of July 1, 2028.)
Starting July 1, 2026, student loan borrowers will have access to one more option, the “Repayment Assistance Plan,” or RAP. The plan leads to student loan forgiveness after 30 years, compared with the typical 20-year or 25-year timeline on other plans, but will offer the lowest monthly bill for some borrowers.
Meanwhile, the Standard Repayment Plan is a good option for borrowers who are not seeking, or are not eligible for, loan forgiveness and/or can afford the monthly payments, experts say. Under that plan, payments are fixed and borrowers typically make payments for up to 10 years.
There are several tools available online to help you determine how much your monthly bill would be under different plans. Borrowers should also be able to change into a different repayment plan at any time.

There are options if you can’t pay

The start of student loan repayments may cause financial hardship for many borrowers.
Struggling borrowers should first see if they qualify for a deferment, experts say. With a deferment, loans may not accrue interest, whereas they almost always do in a forbearance.
If you’re not working, you can request an unemployment deferment with your servicer. If you’re dealing with another financial challenge, meanwhile, you may be eligible for an economic hardship deferment. Those who qualify for a hardship deferment include people receiving certain types of federal or state aid and anyone volunteering in the Peace Corps, Kantrowitz said.
Other, lesser-known deferments include the graduate fellowship deferment, the military service and post-active-duty deferment and the cancer treatment deferment. More

Many Americans who buy health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace will lose premium tax credits in 2026 unless Congress acts.
The subsidies are expected to expire at the end of the year, the so-called subsidy cliff.
Financial advisors say there are steps households can take this year and next to reduce income and qualify for lower ACA premiums.

Andresr | E+ | Getty Images

The so-called subsidy cliff for Affordable Care Act health insurance premiums is about to return in 2026.
But there are steps households can take to avoid the cliff — and potentially save thousands of dollars on premiums next year, according to financial planners.

The subsidy cliff refers to the strict income threshold households must meet to qualify for premium tax credits. Those tax credits, or subsidies, make monthly insurance premiums more affordable for 22 million Americans who purchase health plans through the ACA marketplace, the vast majority of enrollees.
Before 2021, households with incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty line were eligible for subsidies. Anyone earning more — even $1 more — was ineligible. Those individuals had to pay the full, unsubsidized ACA insurance premium.

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But Congress passed legislation during the Biden administration that made the subsidies more generous and eliminated the subsidy cliff.
But that cliff will come back in January, absent congressional action. Its return could amount to a huge financial shock for households that lose premium tax credits as a result, financial advisors said.
“It’s one of those phantom taxes that has a tremendous impact,” said Tommy Lucas, a certified financial planner and enrolled agent at Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, which was No. 69 on CNBC’s Financial Advisor 100 list for 2025.

About 1.5 million people — roughly 7% of all ACA enrollees — had incomes over 400% of the poverty line in 2024, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Households at risk of losing the subsidies should “do everything to stay as far away from that cliff as possible,” Lucas said. “You don’t want to put your toes up to that cliff and play with it.”

It’s not a foregone conclusion that the cliff will return.
Extending the enhanced subsidies was a key demand for Democrats during the government shutdown.
A group a Senate Democrats broke from their party to help Republicans pass legislation to end the shutdown, without an extension to the enhanced ACA subsidies. However, Republican leaders assured that the Senate would vote on a health care bill drafted by Democrats before the second week of December.
Many observers view its success as a long shot.
“It looks pretty much like a done deal that those subsidies will go away,” Lucas said. “[It’s a] plan-for-the-worst and hope-for-the-best scenario.”

The financial impact of the ACA subsidy cliff

The healthcare.gov website on a laptop arranged in Norfolk, Virginia, US, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025.
Stefani Reynolds | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The income threshold for the subsidy cliff varies by household size.
For example, a one-person household would lose ACA subsidies in 2026 if the individual’s income exceeds $62,600. The threshold is $128,600 for a household of four.
The financial impact of the cliff will vary based on age, geography and income, according to a recent analysis by Shameek Rakshit, a research associate at KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group.

Households just over the threshold — especially older adults, who typically have higher premiums — will generally be the hardest-hit, Rakshit wrote.
For example, a 60-year-old earning $64,000 (409% of the federal poverty line) would pay about $14,900 in annual premiums without a tax credit in 2026, according to Rakshit. Meanwhile, someone of the same age living in the same city, making $62,000 (396% of the poverty line), would receive a tax credit and pay approximately $6,200.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks at a press conference with other members of Senate Democratic leadership following a policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on October 15, 2025.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images

The individual making $62,000 would have a premium capped at 10% of annual income, while the one earning $64,000 would pay the full, uncapped price, likely about a quarter of that person’s income, he wrote.
“Managing income becomes incredibly important,” said Jeffrey Levine, a certified public accountant and certified financial planner based in St. Louis. “The worst thing you could be is $1 over the cliff.”
“If you’re on that border … basically [do] anything to get back under,” said Levine, the chief planning officer at Focus Partners Wealth.

4 ways to lower income to qualify for ACA subsidies

Momo Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images

There are a few financial steps households on the edge of the cliff can take — this year and next — to reduce their income and qualify for subsidies, according to financial advisors.
“A lot of these [strategies] are for people on the fringe,” Lucas said. “If you’re blowing it by $50,000, there’s probably nothing we can do.”
The first thing to know: The key number is the household’s annual “modified adjusted gross income” for 2026.
Enrollees will estimate their MAGI for 2026 when they sign up for health insurance on the ACA marketplace during open enrollment, and will receive premium subsidies based on that estimated income. Households that underestimate their income would need to repay excess subsidies to the federal government.
Financial advisors say there are four ways households can potentially reduce their MAGI and qualify for lower premiums.
1. Roth IRA conversions and withdrawals
A Roth individual retirement account is a type of after-tax account — accounts are funded by after-tax contributions but the balance grows tax-free.
Withdrawals are also tax-free for many people. Importantly, that means withdrawals from a Roth IRA generally don’t count toward adjusted gross income, Lucas said.
Those on the edge of the ACA subsidy cliff might therefore withdraw Roth account money for income in 2026 without raising their annual income and losing their premium tax credits, financial advisors said.
However, Roth IRAs come with rules that could trigger tax penalties for the unwary.

For example, investors must be age 59½ or older to withdraw account earnings free of taxes and penalties. They must also have owned the Roth account for at least five years.
Breaching these rules would mean a withdrawal’s earnings count toward one’s adjusted gross income, and investors would additionally owe a 10% penalty.
By comparison, investors can withdraw any contributions to Roth accounts at any time without penalty.

Those who don’t have ample Roth savings can consider converting pre-tax money currently held in a 401(k)-type plan or IRA to Roth funds, Lucas said.
They would need to do so by the end of 2025, he said. That way, they’d have a larger pool of Roth funds available to them next year, he said.
Investors would owe income tax on the conversion, but it may be worthwhile if they can save thousands of dollars on health premiums next year, Lucas said.
2. Contribute to an IRA, HSA or other tax-advantaged account
Households can also consider contributing to a pre-tax account like an IRA or health savings account in 2026, Lucas said.
Investors generally get an upfront tax break for saving in these accounts, thereby reducing their adjusted gross income.
But again, there are caveats.
For example, the ability to write off IRA contributions depends on factors like income and your workplace retirement plan.

Rostislav_sedlacek | Istock | Getty Images

Further, HSAs are only available to households enrolled in a high-deductible health plan. They’d need to pick that health insurance plan by Dec. 15 for coverage to start at the beginning of 2026.
However, more households likely have health savings accounts available to them through the ACA marketplace due to the “big beautiful bill” passed in July. That law makes anyone covered under a bronze or catastrophic plan — two tiers of plans available on the ACA marketplace — eligible for an HSA.
However, a plan with a high deductible might not make financial sense for a household planning for many costly medical procedures next year, Lucas said.
3. Sell investments at a loss
Investors who own stocks or other investments like bonds in a taxable brokerage account might consider selling those assets for income in 2026 — but generally only if the assets haven’t generated a big profit, or even if they’re in the red, Lucas said.
That’s because only the capital gain — i.e., profit — is counted as part of one’s adjusted gross income. A stock or other asset with a small net gain wouldn’t be expected to significantly raise one’s AGI.

The healthcare.gov website on a laptop arranged in Norfolk, Virginia, US, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025.
Stefani Reynolds | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Further, an investment with a net loss could even help lower an investor’s AGI, Lucas said.
If capital losses exceed capital gains, investors can generally lower their income dollar-for-dollar up to $3,000.
Here’s a simple example: If an investor bought a stock for $9,000 and sold it for $10,000, they would only include the $1,000 gain in their AGI. If they sold the stock for $8,000, it would reduce income by $1,000 without other investing losses, all else equal.
4. Work less
Hourly workers or others who have flexible incomes might simply choose to work less in 2026 to ensure their income is low enough to qualify for a premium tax credit, advisors said.
“If someone is going to end up being $5,000 over the cliff, they should literally just stop working,” said Levine of Focus Partners Wealth. More

The standard Medicare Part B premium will increase to $202.90 per month in 2026, up 9.7% from $185 per month in 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced.
Because those monthly premiums are typically deducted directly from Social Security benefit payments, those rates affect just how much of a cost-of-living increase beneficiaries will see in 2026.
The Social Security Administration has announced a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for 2026.

Momo Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images

The standard Medicare Part B premium will increase to $202.90 per month in 2026, up $17.90, or 9.7%, from $185 per month in 2025, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The increase marks the second-highest Part B premium increase in dollars, according to Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare analyst. The highest increase of $21.60 per month happened in 2022.

Retirees may see this as a “continuation in relentless cost increases,” Johnson said via email.
Medicare Part B is medical insurance that covers both medically necessary and preventive services.
Part B premiums are typically deducted directly from Social Security checks. Any increase to those monthly premium payments affects how much of an increase Social Security beneficiaries may see in their monthly checks in 2026.

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The Social Security Administration has announced a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for 2026, which is expected to add about $56 per month on average to retirement benefits.
The Part B premium for 2026 may be seen by beneficiaries as “taking a significant chunk of or even most of their COLA,” Johnson said.

A hold harmless provision ensures that Social Security benefit payments do not decrease from one year to the next as a result of Medicare Part B premium increases.
That said, other automatic deductions from Social Security checks for premiums tied to private Medicare Advantage insurance plans or Part D prescription drug coverage may reduce benefits, according to Johnson.
The $202.90 standard Part B premium rate will apply to individuals with modified adjusted gross income less than or equal to $109,000, and for married couples who file taxes jointly with modified AGI less than or equal to $218,000.
Approximately 8% of Medicare Part B beneficiaries pay what is called an income-related monthly adjustment amount that is added to their monthly premiums if their incomes are higher, according to CMS.
The annual deductible for Part B will be $283 in 2026, according to the agency, a 10% increase from the $257 annual deductible in effect for 2025.
The increases to both Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles are primarily due to “projected price changes and assumed utilization increases that are consistent with historical experience,” according to the CMS fact sheet on the price changes.
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As the Virtus Terranova U.S. Quality Momentum ETF (JOET) celebrates its five-year anniversary, creator Joe Terranova discussed his strategy for picking stocks.
Terranova also shared his vision of creating a suite of related ETF products.
These other funds would apply his same investing rules to other assets outside of U.S. large caps, such as small-caps and European equities.

Joe Terranova
Scott Mlyn | CNBC

Joe Terranova plans to stick by the winning quantitative approach that’s allowed his Virtus Terranova U.S. Quality Momentum ETF (JOET) to identify stocks like Palantir early before the rest of the market has piled in over the last five years.
The ETF — created by Terranova, chief market strategist for Virtus Investment Partners — has risen 10.9% this year, beating the 6.8% gain in the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP) in that time.

Stock chart icon

JOET, RSP YTD chart

To select the ETF’s holdings, Terranova follows a strict set of rules-based principles. First, he and his team screen the 500 largest U.S. companies for stocks with the highest positive momentum, calculated using their total returns over 12 months. The top 250 stocks are then included in the selection list.
The securities are then graded on three quality factors — return on equity, debt-to-equity ratio and annualized sales growth rate over the past three years. The top 125 stocks with the highest composite scores make up the equal-weighted ETF’s holdings.
Although the fund isn’t actively managed in a traditional sense, it is rebalanced every quarter. Terranova said he doesn’t miss the emotions of actively managing a fund, since his rules-based strategy has helped him capture alpha that he otherwise might have missed.
“In January of ’24, Palantir qualified. Wasn’t in the S&P at this point, because we’re not scanning the S&P,” Terranova said in the “Quality in the Streets, Momentum in the Sheets” episode of The Compound and Friends podcast with fellow CNBC contributor Josh Brown. “I am telling you 100% I would have sold the stock if I had discretion six times over. I would have found six different times to sell that stock, the strategy, the discipline.”
Terranova estimated that he bought into Palantir while it was trading around $16.76. Shares of the analytics tools builder traded around $173 on Monday and have soared 129% in 2025.

The investor also thanked his approach for capturing the market’s “personality” and helping him get in early on other themes, like the current healthcare rally. On the flip side, Terranova’s strategy has also helped him sell out of positions that he otherwise might have grown attached to.
“I have more affection towards the holdings that have been there for multiple quarters,” he told CNBC on the sidelines of the podcast episode recording. “Tesla’s a great example. Tesla’s revenue growth flattened out, and I could see what was coming — that we were going to sell Tesla. And on Halloween, the strategy liquidated Tesla, which looks like a pretty good move.”
Going forward, Terranova intends to build a suite of ETF products that applies his investing rules to other assets outside of U.S. large-cap stocks, such as small-caps and European equities. He believes his strategy will continue to succeed in allowing him to create a core equity holding and shock absorber for investors’ portfolios.
“Momentum is a reflection of technical confidence. Quality is a reflection of fundamental confidence. And you want to invest around the confidence,” Terranova said to CNBC. “To me, that’s where you get the long-term success.”
The JOET fund has an expense ratio of 0.29% and has around $240 million in assets under management. More

For the most part, college costs keep rising, along with the amount students have to borrow to help cover the tab.
But more than half of students earning bachelor’s degrees from public four-year universities graduate with zero student debt, according to newly released data from the College Board.

For the most part, college costs continue to rise, along with the amount students borrow to cover the tab. However, there is an exception.
Overall, college tuition has jumped by 5.6% annually, on average, since 1983, significantly outpacing other household expenses, according to a study by J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

But when broken down by institution type, the differences are striking: For the 2025-26 school year, tuition and fees for four-year private colleges averaged $45,000, according to newly released data from the College Board. At four-year, in-state public colleges, it was $11,950.
Over the decade from 2015-16 to 2025-26, average inflation-adjusted tuition and fees rose by 2% for private nonprofit four-year students and fell by 7% for public four-year in-state students.

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More than half of students earning bachelor’s degrees from public colleges and universities graduate without student debt. The average debt among those who do borrow is $27,420, down nearly 20% over the last decade.
By comparison, bachelor’s degree recipients from private institutions graduate with an average debt of roughly $34,420 per borrower, the College Board found.
“Public universities provide the most affordable path to a high-quality college education,” said Waded Cruzado, the president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. “There has been even more progress on net tuition and fees, what students actually pay,” he said.

In fact, few families pay the school’s sticker cost. Altogether, nearly 75% of all undergraduates receive some type of financial aid, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

‘College affordability is a huge concern’

Still, with the price at some schools nearing six figures a year, cost can be a major deterrent. “College affordability is a huge concern,” said Robert Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review.
For a majority of students and their families, financial aid is the most important factor in decisions about choosing where to attend school and how to pay for it. The amount of aid offered matters, as does the breakdown between grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities and student loans. 
“What matters to parents and students shopping for colleges is the sticker prices of the schools they are considering, not how those prices compare to those of previous years — or even decades ago,” Franek said.

To that end, it may be a mistake to rule out private colleges based on cost alone, according to Franek. 
When it comes to offering aid, private schools typically have more money to spend, and many schools are giving out substantial aid packages — often in the form of merit aid, or “free money,” he said.
At the end of the day, “It’s not the sticker price that matters most but what the family will need to pay, based on — hopefully — the financial aid the student gets.”
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Gold returns are up nearly 50% so far in 2025. That’s about triple the S&P 500 U.S. stock index.
Gold funds, including those backed by physical gold or holding futures contracts, are subject to a top federal tax rate higher than that on traditional assets like stocks.
Physical gold is generally treated as a collectible, with a top long-term capital gains rate of 28%. Gold futures funds generally have a top rate of 26.8%. Meanwhile, stocks are taxed at up to 20%.
“I’ve seen missteps quite a few times, especially this year with the run that gold has had,” said Tommy Lucas, a certified financial planner and enrolled agent at Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, which was No. 69 on the CNBC’s Financial Advisor 100 ranking.

Gold traded below the $4,000-per-ounce mark again on Tuesday as the dollar remained resilient at over three-month highs, while reduced chances of another U.S. interest rate cut in December and easing U.S.-China trade tensions blunted bullion’s demand.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Gold profits are glittering in 2025 — but cashing in may trigger a bigger tax bill than you might think.
The price of gold futures hit $4,000 per ounce in October, for the first time ever. While the precious metal dropped in price on Friday as part of a broader market decline, year-to-date returns still sat at nearly 50%, with a price around $4,100.

Exchange-traded funds backed by physical gold — like SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), iShares Gold Trust (IAU), and abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF (SGOL) — are up by a similar amount.
By comparison, the S&P 500 U.S. stock index is up about 15% in 2025, as of Friday’s close.  
Heady returns in 2025 follow a year in which gold recorded its best annual performance since 2010, about 26%, according to the World Gold Council.
But investment profits from physical gold and funds that track gold are taxed differently from those of traditional assets like stocks and bonds, according to tax experts.

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The upshot is that investors — especially those in the top tax brackets — may pay a higher federal tax rate on gold profits relative to assets like stocks and bonds.

That could leave gold investors with a surprise tax bill.
“I’ve seen missteps quite a few times, especially this year with the run that gold has had,” said Tommy Lucas, a certified financial planner and enrolled agent at Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, which was No. 69 on the CNBC’s Financial Advisor 100 list for 2025.

Not all gold ETFs are taxed the same

“Long-term” tax rates on investment profits — known as capital gains — are preferential relative to the marginal income tax rates that investors might pay on wages and other income, for example.
For example, the top federal rate on long-term capital gains, 20%, is lower than the top marginal income tax rate, 37%.
Long-term capital gains rates apply when an investor has owned an asset for more than one year.
However, physical gold and funds backed by physical gold are treated as collectibles for tax purposes — and collectibles have a top 28% rate on long-term capital gains.
“There’s no getting around that [collectibles rate] just because it’s held in an ETF wrapper,” Lucas said.
This also applies to other precious metals like silver.

Funds that hold gold futures contracts — instead of physical gold — have yet a different tax structure, with a top federal tax rate of 26.8%, said Jeffrey Levine, a certified public accountant and certified financial planner based in St. Louis.
“Just because you have a gold ETF doesn’t mean it’s going to be taxed exactly the same,” said Levine, the chief planning officer at Focus Partners Wealth.
In both cases — collectible and futures — investors in the top tax bracket would pay a higher rate on long-term profits than a traditional asset like a stock, he said.
Of course, this tax discussion only applies to gold held in a taxable brokerage account and sold for a profit. It doesn’t apply to investors who hold gold ETFs in a tax-preferred retirement account, like an IRA.

Breaking down tax on collectibles and futures

There are three long-term capital-gains rates: 0%, 15% and 20%, depending on an investor’s annual income.
Short-term capital gains, which apply to assets held for a year or less, are different. Profit on such sales is taxed at ordinary income tax rates, like those that apply to wages, for example. There are seven marginal tax rates, ranging from 10% up to 37%.
Collectibles are taxed like short-term capital gains but are capped at 28%. That means an investor in the 32%, 35% or 37% income tax brackets wouldn’t own more than 28% in long-term capital gains on collectibles profits.

I’ve seen missteps quite a few times, especially this year with the run that gold has had.

Tommy Lucas
certified financial planner and enrolled agent at Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo

Meanwhile, capital gains for futures contracts are assessed based on a 60/40 tax structure, said Levine. That is, 60% of their profits are taxed as long-term capital gains, and the remaining 40% as short-term capital gains.
In the case of gold futures funds, here’s how the math works for someone in the top tax bracket: 60% of 20%, which is the top long-term rate for capital gains, is 12%; and 40% of 37%, the top marginal income tax rate, is 14.8%.
Added together, that’s a top capital-gains rate of 26.8% for gold futures contracts, Levine said.
While some higher-income investors might think it’s a better idea from a tax perspective to buy gold futures funds, there are also downsides, he said.
For example, such investors would get a K-1 tax form since the funds are often structured as partnerships, Levine said. That could make it more challenging and costly to file an annual tax return, he said. More

Pavlo Gonchar | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

The U.S. stock market continues to be volatile due to concerns about valuations of tech and artificial intelligence stocks and an uncertain macroeconomic backdrop. Given this scenario, investors seeking passive income can add some dividend stocks to their portfolios.
At the same time, investors might find it challenging to pick the right stock from the vast universe of dividend-paying companies. In this regard, recommendations of top Wall Street analysts can help investors select attractive dividend stocks with strong fundamentals. These experts assign their ratings after in-depth analysis of a company’s financials and growth potential.

Here are three dividend-paying stocks, highlighted by Wall Street’s top pros, as tracked by TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance.

Diamondback Energy

First on this week’s list is Diamondback Energy (FANG), an independent energy company focused on onshore oil and natural gas reserves in the Permian Basin in West Texas. The company recently reported better-than-expected third-quarter results. Diamondback returned $892 million of capital to shareholders (50% of adjusted free cash flow) via share repurchases and dividends in the third quarter. It declared a base cash dividend of $1.00 per share for the period, payable on Nov. 20. At an annualized dividend of $4 per share, FANG offers a yield of 2.8%.
In reaction to the third-quarter print, RBC Capital analyst Scott Hanold reiterated a buy rating on Diamondback stock with a price forecast of $173. Interestingly, TipRanks’ AI Analyst is also bullish on FANG stock with an “outperform” rating and a price target of $156.
Hanold continues to view Diamondback as a core long-term holding in the energy space, given that it stands out with one of the top core inventory durations in the Permian Basin and the lowest breakeven levels of $37 to $38 per barrel (WTI, unhedged, and inclusive of capitalized costs).
“FANG remains among the most resilient E&P, with leading edge operational, capital, and production performance,” said Hanold.

The 5-star analyst expects Diamondback to gain from the renewed gas-fired power prospects in the Permian Basin, supported by its strong footprint and natural gas exposure. Hanold noted that FANG is a part of the Competitive Power Ventures project, where the company has agreed to supply 50 million cubic feet per day to a 1,350-megawatt combined cycle gas turbine. He added that management is optimistic about securing more power/data center deals.
Hanold ranks No. 69 among more than 10,000 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 64% of the time, delivering an average return of 26.2%.

Permian Resources

Hanold is also bullish on another dividend-paying energy company, Permian Resources (PR). The independent oil and gas company delivered upbeat earnings for the third quarter, citing its dominance in the Delaware Basin. Permian declared a base dividend of 15 cents per share for the fourth quarter, payable on Dec. 31. At an annualized dividend of 60 cents per share, PR stock offers a yield of 4.5%.
Impressed by the results, Hanold reaffirmed a buy rating on Permian Resources stock with a price target of $18. TipRanks’ AI Analyst has an “outperform” rating on PR stock with a price target of $14.50.
The top-rated analyst stated that continued “proficient operational and financial performance has become a hallmark” for Permian, which he believes the company can continue in the years ahead. Hanold highlighted PR’s robust operational performance that reflected a solid growth in organic production with no increase in spending.
Hanold noted that the implied fourth-quarter oil guidance is up 2% to 3% from the prior consensus forecast. Accordingly, he now expects 188 Mb/d (oil) for the fourth quarter, which is 3% above his previous estimate. The analyst added that management seems confident about keeping capital spending steady at current levels while generating solid free cash flow, with dividend payment supported even at around $40 per barrel.
Additionally, Hanold sees the possibility of an increase in Permian’s fixed dividend in early 2026. He also expects the company to make opportunistic stock buybacks. The analyst expects Permian to use the remaining free cash flow to further bolster an already solid balance sheet (0.8x leverage ratios).

Duke Energy

Finally, let’s look at Duke Energy (DUK), an energy holding company that generates and distributes electricity and natural gas. The company recently reported better-than-anticipated adjusted earnings per share for the third quarter, citing the implementation of new rates and riders, along with increased retail sales volumes.
Last month, Duke Energy declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.065 per share, payable on Dec. 16. At an annualized dividend of $4.26 per share, DUK stock offers a yield of 3.4%.
Noting the third-quarter performance, Evercore analyst Nicholas Amicucci reaffirmed a buy rating on DUK stock with a price target of $143. In comparison, TipRanks’ AI Analyst has a “neutral” rating on Duke Energy stock with a price target of $135.
Amicucci noted Duke Energy’s strong third-quarter results and an early look into its updated capital plan expected to be announced in February 2026. Notably, the company mentioned a $95 billion to $105 billion plan for 2026 to 2030, with an equity funding target of 30% to 50%.
Furthermore, the 5-star analyst highlighted that management sees continued momentum into the next year, expecting to turn large load economic opportunities into tangible projects with signed energy service agreements. Amicucci added that Duke Energy is well-positioned to add at least 8.5 gigawatt of new dispatchable generation across its service areas, including about 1 GW of uprates and 7.5 GW of new natural gas assets.
Overall, Amicucci remains bullish on Duke’s future growth, driven by its premium service areas, solid pipeline of new projects, and the fact that about 90% of its electric capital spending qualifies for efficient-recovery mechanisms, “alleviating seemingly all regulatory lag.”
Amicucci ranks No. 693 among more than 10,000 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been successful 79% of the time, delivering an average return of 48.1 %. More