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A drilling crew in Beaver County, Utah punched through 15,765 feet of solid granite.
Nearly three miles straight down.
The Department of Energy said it should take 64 days.
They did it in 16.
They hit the DOE’s 2035 performance targets twelve years early. Costs were cut in half in 18 months.
24 days later, the President signed a law that killed tax credits for solar and wind, but preserved full credits for this energy source through 2033.
The Energy Secretary who championed it? He invented the technology behind the shale revolution.
One company has been building this for sixty years. The smart money is already in. The August 18th catalyst is just weeks away.
See the company at the center of Project FORGE >>
“The Buck Stops Here,”
Kelly Maguire
Behind the Markets
3 Big Banks Plan Double Digit Dividend Increases After Passing Fed Stress Test
Author: Leo Miller. Published: 7/1/2026.
Key Points
- Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup all passed the Fed's 2026 stress tests and plan meaningful dividend increases as a result.
- Goldman intends to raise its dividend from $4.50 to $5 per share, Wells Fargo plans an 11% increase, and Citigroup a 12% increase.
- Analysts see the most upside in Wells Fargo, with a consensus price target near $98 implying gains of more than 15% from current levels.
- Special Report: SpaceX is offering you shares. Don't take them.
Not long ago, the Federal Reserve completed its stress tests on the country’s largest banks, and many firms announced large dividend increases afterward. The Fed’s stress tests gauge how well these large financial institutions can weather a recession. They were introduced in response to the Great Financial Crisis, which showed that bank failures could have systemic negative effects on the broader economy.
The Fed’s 2026 stress tests analyzed the impact that a severe hypothetical recession would have on 32 banks. All 32 passed, indicating that their assets would be sufficient to cover loan losses in a severe downturn. On that basis, several banks moved ahead with dividend increases, since they had extra capital to distribute to shareholders.
Google signed. Gates wrote a 100 million dollar check. Here's why. (Ad)
A drilling crew in rural Utah was handed a 64-day timeline to bore through nearly three miles of solid granite. They finished in 16 days - twelve years ahead of the DOE's own performance projections.
Drilling costs were cut in half in 18 months. Google signed a 15-year contract. Bill Gates reversed his position and committed $100 million. When Congress rewrote energy tax credits, this was the one source that kept them through 2033. The company behind it has been operating for sixty years.
See the company that just rewrote the DOE's timelineThe common equity tier 1 capital ratio (CET1) is the key metric tested. The ratio must stay above a minimum requirement of 4.5% to pass. In doing so, the bank shows it has the capital needed to absorb substantial loan losses.
After passing the tests, these three banking giants plan to add juice to their dividends.
Goldman Plans to Continue Strong Dividend Growth
First up is The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS). During the forecast period, Goldman’s CET1 ratio started at 14.3% and fell as low as 11.4%, easily clearing the 4.5% threshold.
In response, the company said it “intends” to increase its common dividend from $4.50 to $5 per share. It uses the word “intends” because the increase is not official until approved at the Board of Directors’ next meeting, but with the stress test results already in hand, that approval is largely a formality. Since the dividend is not yet official, the record and payment dates are still unknown.
Currently, Goldman’s yield sits near 1.8%. After the planned increase, the stock’s indicated yield would rise to around 2%. Excluding this planned increase, Goldman has grown its dividend by a very strong 22.87% annually over the past five years.
Overall, Goldman has demonstrated its ability to hold up during a recession while also offering investors a solid and rapidly growing dividend.
Wells Fargo Plans Over 10% Dividend Increase Upon Passing Fed’s Test
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) also demonstrated its ability to withstand a severe economic downturn during the Fed’s stress tests. During the test, the firm’s CET1 ratio started at 10.6% and dropped to 9.2%, remaining well above the required hurdle.
Similar to Goldman, Wells Fargo announced that it “expects” to increase its dividend. During Q3 2026, the company plans to boost its dividend from 45 cents to 50 cents per share, or an 11% increase.
Currently, Wells Fargo’s indicated yield is approximately 2.15%. After the expected increase, that figure would move up significantly to just below 2.4%.
Excluding this planned increase, its five-year annualized dividend growth rate is 6.86%. That is somewhat underwhelming, given the firm's significant 2020 dividend cut to 10 cents. Since then, however, its dividend has increased dramatically.
According to the Fed’s testing, Wells Fargo is in a solid position to weather the worst of a recession. Meanwhile, the company offers a meaningful dividend yield, along with recovering dividend growth.
Citigroup Plans Sizeable Dividend Increase, Yield to Approach 2%
Last up is Citigroup (NYSE: C). The company began the stress test period with a CET1 ratio of 13.2%. During the test, its ratio fell to 10.3%, solidly surpassing the 4.5% minimum. Now, Citigroup plans to increase its dividend by 12% from 60 cents per share to 67 cents per share.
Currently, the firm has an annualized dividend of $2.40, equating to a yield of just under 1.7%. The company’s planned dividend increase would bring the figure to just under 1.9%.
Notably, Citi has grown its dividend at a very slow rate in recent years. The company’s five-year dividend growth rate is only 2.61%, excluding this planned increase. This follows an over four-year period from 2019 to 2023 when Citi did not increase its dividend at all. However, Citi has been turning around its business, with the firm posting record revenues across all five of its main divisions in 2025.
This has allowed the company to resume dividend increases more recently.
Citi’s strong performance during the Fed's stress test demonstrates its financial resilience and gives it the ability to continue returning significant capital.
Analysts Forecast Gains in Wells Fargo After Meager Performance
Overall, Goldman, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup all easily passed the Fed’s stress test, staying well above the minimum requirement. Beyond capital returns, Wall Street analysts are forecasting the most upside in Wells Fargo among this group. The MarketBeat consensus price target on Wells Fargo sits near $98, implying gains of more than 15%.
This is partly because Wells Fargo has underperformed, while Goldman and Citigroup have already gone on strong runs. Since the beginning of 2025, Citigroup is up more than 100%, Goldman is up more than 75%, and Wells Fargo’s return is less than 30%.
Southwest MAX Incident Revives Headline Risk for Boeing and Airline Stocks
Author: Chris Markoch. Published: 7/9/2026.
Key Points
- Two Southwest Airlines 737 MAX 8 flights diverted due to mechanical issues in early July 2026, though both landed safely without injuries.
- Boeing continues a credible production ramp toward 52 monthly 737 deliveries, but wiring rework, 787 delays, and Spirit AeroSystems integration costs still pose execution risks.
- Rising jet fuel prices, tied partly to renewed U.S.-Iran tensions, add pressure to airline stocks even as analysts raise price targets for Southwest.
- Special Report: SpaceX is offering you shares. Don't take them.
Two recent incidents involving a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft have put Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) stock back in the spotlight, and not in a good way. Both incidents occurred on Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) jets. The timing is notable, landing just as Boeing works to reassure investors that its production and quality-control issues are behind it.
The first incident occurred on Southwest Flight WN139, which made an emergency return to Maui. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was en route from Kahului to Las Vegas on July 5, 2026, when the crew reported a mechanical issue. Rather than continuing toward the mainland, the flight diverted to Honolulu.
Google signed. Gates wrote a 100 million dollar check. Here's why. (Ad)
A drilling crew in rural Utah was handed a 64-day timeline to bore through nearly three miles of solid granite. They finished in 16 days - twelve years ahead of the DOE's own performance projections.
Drilling costs were cut in half in 18 months. Google signed a 15-year contract. Bill Gates reversed his position and committed $100 million. When Congress rewrote energy tax credits, this was the one source that kept them through 2033. The company behind it has been operating for sixty years.
See the company that just rewrote the DOE's timelinePassengers described a tense but orderly return, and the aircraft landed safely with no reported injuries. Southwest confirmed the diversion as a precaution, and the plane was inspected before returning to service.
A second, less-reported incident also involved a Southwest MAX 8. That flight, traveling between Denver and Dallas, diverted after the crew flagged a technical issue mid-flight. Details remain limited, with little official confirmation so far. Together, the two incidents highlight how quickly minor mechanical alerts can draw scrutiny, especially with a model still shadowed by its troubled history.
737 MAX Incidents Put Boeing Stock Back Under the Microscope
The company faced intense scrutiny after two fatal crashes involving the 737 MAX in 2018 and 2019, which led to a worldwide grounding of the aircraft. There's no indication that either recent event involved MCAS, the flight-control system tied to that earlier crisis.
This hasn’t turned into a sell-the-news event. BA is down only about 0.67% over the five days ending July 8. LUV is down about 3.01% over the same period. These new incidents, however, remind investors of the inherent risk in this sector.
One of those risks is the price of jet fuel, which is moving higher as U.S. President Donald Trump recently announced the U.S.-Iran ceasefire is over. For investors tracking BA and LUV, these incidents add a fresh variable to an already complex earnings picture heading into the back half of 2026.
Boeing's Production Recovery Still Faces Execution Risks
Boeing's latest earnings paint a picture of a company gaining operational footing while still carrying real risk. Production discipline is the headline: 737 output has stabilized at 42 jets monthly, with plans to reach 47 this summer and eventually 52 once the new Everett North Line comes online.
Certification progress reinforces that momentum, with the 737-7/737-10 nearing final approval, the 777-9 advancing through FAA testing, and a supplier engine issue reportedly identified and being resolved. Higher MTOW approval on the 787-9/787-10 adds further flexibility.
Still, execution risk hasn't disappeared. A wiring nonconformance forced rework on 25 737s, pushing some deliveries into Q2. The 787 program faces its own delays, tied to seat certification and engine timing. Meanwhile, the Spirit AeroSystems integration remains a financial drag, expected to cost roughly $1 billion in cash this year.
Taken together, the stakes center on execution consistency. Boeing has a credible production ramp and certification runway ahead. That’s why the company can ill afford recurring quality lapses, particularly while integration costs threaten to undercut that progress. Investors will be watching whether operational discipline can outpace recurring one-off setbacks that still weigh on delivery timelines and cash flow.
Higher Fuel Prices Add Pressure to Airline Stocks
The risk to Southwest and other airlines is not direct, but it is nonetheless real.
Buyer behavior matters. Anecdotal evidence showed consumers actively sought out airlines and flights that didn’t use the 737 MAX after the 2018-2019 crashes. Southwest uses the 737 MAX extensively in its fleet, so the operational risk is real, albeit hard to quantify.
That risk comes at a time when energy prices are on the rise, which means higher jet fuel prices at a time when the consumer is weak. Overall travel demand, including airline demand, has remained solid so far, despite sticky inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates that affect consumers at multiple levels.
Airlines such as Delta (NYSE: DAL), which cater to a premium consumer, may not feel the impact as much as Southwest, which relies on a more budget-conscious customer base. That said, while consumers have options, Southwest has significant equity built with its customer base.
Energy prices will be the bigger short-term story for all airline stocks, including Southwest. And due to the FIFA World Cup, Southwest and other airlines are likely to post good numbers this earnings season. Adding to the bull case, analysts have been raising their price targets for LUV despite the incidents.
If the investigation doesn’t reveal a systemic issue with the 737 Max, investors can remove that risk from their assessments of Southwest and Boeing. But in two sectors where the margin of error is slim, investors may want to exercise caution in the short term.
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