Today I’m doing something a little different and giving all Investing Daily readers a rare behind-the-scenes look at my screening system that produced some big winners of 2025… and a sneak peek at 5 of my top stock picks for 2026.

The Thinking Behind the Strategy

I learned the power of compounding back in ninth grade, when a math teacher took a detour through an algebra lesson on exponential growth. The idea that small, steady gains can snowball into life-changing returns stuck with me, and it has shaped every investment system I’ve built since.

Time, patience, and compounding are the true engines of wealth, and even modest improvements in annual returns can translate into hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime.

Over decades I’ve refined strategies that squeeze out every bit of return possible without taking reckless risk. Dividend-paying stocks have always been at the center of that philosophy: they tend to outperform non-payers over the long haul, hold up better in bear markets, and deliver superior risk-adjusted returns. Reinvested dividends account for the majority of long-term market gains, and when you combine that with disciplined income strategies, the compounding effect becomes extraordinary.

Where Utility Forecaster Fits In

Many readers first discover my work through Utility Forecaster, which focuses on income-generating stocks like regulated utilities, midstream energy, and essential service companies. These businesses tend to share several defining characteristics:

• Lower volatility than the S&P 500 Index
• Stable, predictable cash flows
• Reliable dividends
• Long-term rate base growth tied to infrastructure spending

Click here to find out more about Utility Forecaster.

While Utility Forecaster is designed for investors who want steady income with less drama, strict sector and volatility limits mean that a number of attractive income opportunities — particularly higher-beta or cyclical names — fall outside its scope.

That’s where my other publications come in, like Rapier’s Income Accelerator which offers strategies proven to outperform traditional buy-and-hold in choppy markets and Income Forecaster which targets high-yields across all sectors with strict financial filters to reduce risk.

But even with these three distinct approaches, there’s still a universe of stocks that fall outside their parameters — names with lower yields, higher volatility, or exposure to sectors not covered by those mandates — yet they still offer compelling income and total return potential. That’s where the Platinum Income Alliance screen comes in.

What the Platinum Income Alliance Screen Does

Each month I run a screen designed to identify the strongest candidates based on criteria like valuation, momentum, cash flow, and forward earnings power. From that screen, only five names make the final cut.

The screen’s proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

In January 2025, I made five Platinum Income Alliance picks. Those picks and their returns over the rest of that year were:

• Amkor Technology (NSDQ: AMKR): +103%
• Commercial Metals Company (NYSE: CMC): +51%
• Gap (NYSE: GAP): +20%
• General Motors (NYSE: GM): +66%
• GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK): +54%

By comparison, the S&P 500 returned 16.4% in 2025, meaning these Platinum Alliance picks not only outpaced the market, they dramatically outperformed it.

Today I’m sharing with readers a bit of my philosophy, as well as five current Platinum Income Alliance candidates that passed every hurdle on my most recent screen. They didn’t make the final five this month but are still compelling opportunities. And below I’ll reveal how you can get instant access to my final five Platinum Income Alliance picks.

1. REV Group (NYSE: REVG)

REV Group manufactures specialty vehicles including fire trucks, ambulances, and commercial buses — end markets with steady, non-discretionary demand. The company has been benefiting from:

• A strong order backlog
• Margin expansion as supply chain pressures ease
• Improving free cash flow
• A Very Bullish consensus analyst rating — the highest in the entire screen

Revenue grew 13% year over year in the most recent quarter, while operating income improved meaningfully. The dividend yield is modest, but the stock’s volatility makes it a strong candidate for income enhancement through covered calls — an approach I regularly employ in Rapier’s Income Accelerator.

2. Bank OZK (NSDQ: OZK)

Bank OZK is a regional bank with a long record of conservative underwriting and disciplined growth. Key metrics include:

• Nearly 4% dividend yield
• A Very Bullish consensus analyst rating
• Return on equity above 14%
• Non-performing loans at historically low levels

With expectations for rate cuts later this year, well-capitalized regional banks are positioned to benefit from improving credit conditions and renewed loan demand. OZK screened exceptionally well across valuation, momentum, and balance-sheet quality.

3. Himax Technologies (NSDQ: HIMX)

Himax Technologies designs display drivers, imaging sensors, and semiconductor components used in smartphones, automotive systems, and emerging AI-driven devices. Recent tailwinds include:

• Growing demand for AI-enabled edge devices
• Automotive sensor revenue up double digits year over year
• Valuation below 10× forward earnings
• Bullish sentiment scores and improving analyst revisions

For investors comfortable with technology cyclicality, HIMX offers exposure to a critical but often overlooked segment of the AI hardware ecosystem.

4. Sensata Technologies Holding (NYSE: ST)

Sensata Technologies specializes in sensors, power management components, and electrification systems used in electric vehicles, industrial automation, robotics, and grid-connected equipment.

This makes ST a natural fit for the AI-energy theme. AI-driven automation and electrification require:

• More sensors
• More power-management hardware
• More high-precision industrial components

Key metrics include:

• Dividend yield around 1% (low, but easily enhanced with covered calls)
• A Bullish consensus analyst rating
• Electrification revenue growing at a mid-teens rate
• Strong free cash flow conversion

Sensata provides exposure to the “picks and shovels” behind the AI energy buildout — the infrastructure enabling AI, not just the software headlines.

5. T. Rowe Price Group (NSDQ: TROW)

T. Rowe Price Group is a well-established asset manager with a shareholder-friendly track record, including:

• Nearly 5% dividend yield
• A Bullish consensus analyst rating
• Zero long-term debt
• A 36-year streak of dividend increases

As markets stabilize and investor inflows improve, asset managers stand to benefit from rising assets under management and higher fee revenue. TROW offers a compelling blend of yield, balance-sheet strength, and long-term dividend growth.

A Final Note

If you like the stocks above, they’re just a sample of what the Platinum Income Alliance screen uncovers each month.

The five Platinum Income Alliance picks for January 2026 have already been selected — and if last year’s gains are any indication, this year’s lineup could be just as powerful.

Get instant access to the full list with a Platinum Income Alliance membership.