#sampp-500

#sampp-500

October was mostly treats instead of tricks for the biggest hedge funds in the industry. Market volatility briefly reached its highest point since the spring rollout of President Donald Trump's tariffs, but investor jitters dissipated quickly as the US and China came to a trade agreement. The biggest players in the $5 trillion hedge fund industry finished October mostly positive, though few were able to match the returns of the S&P 500.

If you have $25,000 in cash, you can start building a smart dividend portfolio right now. It will require some planning, however, to construct a sensible portfolio of dividend-producing stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs). High yields are exciting, but you don't want to blow up your account by taking excessive risks. With that in mind, let's break down what a smart $25,000 dividend portfolio could look like in 2025.

VOO tracks the S&P 500, an index of 500 large-cap U.S. companies across sectors like technology, healthcare, and finance. Giants like Apple ( NASDAQ:AAPL ), Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ), and Amazon ( NASDAQ:AMZN ) dominate its holdings, reflecting the performance of America's biggest firms. VTI, on the other hand, follows the CRSP US Total Market Index, encompassing over 3,600 stocks, including large-, mid-, small-, and micro-cap companies. This broader scope captures nearly the entire U.S. stock market, offering more diversification.

The S&P 500 is wandering into uncharted territory as it looks to wander above the 6,500 mark going into the last four months of the year. It's never been so concentrated at the top, and with valuations on the rise (it may find itself closing in on a 30 times trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple), some wonder if the SPDR S&P 500 ( NYSEARCA:SPY) is overdue for a correction.