Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Income Advisor
Conservative investing. Double-digit income.

April 15, 2025

The market got a reprieve last week. But we’re probably not out of the woods yet.

The S&P 500 came about as close to a bear market as you can get early last week. In fact, it hit the 20% mark down from the high on an intraday basis twice. But it’s not an official bear market until the closing price falls below 20%. The S&P seemed to have one foot on a bear market and the other foot on a banana peel. Then last Wednesday happened.

Download PDF

A Market Turning Event, or a Temporary Reprieve?

The market got a reprieve last week. But we’re probably not out of the woods yet.

The S&P 500 came about as close to a bear market as you can get early last week. In fact, it hit the 20% mark down from the high on an intraday basis twice. But it’s not an official bear market until the closing price falls below 20%. The S&P seemed to have one foot on a bear market and the other foot on a banana peel. Then last Wednesday happened.

The Trump administration announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for most countries while new arrangements are negotiated. The market exploded higher. On April 9th, the S&P closed 9.5% higher for the day. It was tied for the eighth biggest up day in history, dating back to 1928. The market closed significantly higher for the week and moved comfortably away from bear market territory.

We may have seen the low for this cycle. But maybe not. Huge days for the market like last Wednesday don’t have an inspiring history. In fact, several of the best 15 days in market history have occurred in bear markets. This could just be a bear market rally in a market that is headed lower.

On the other hand, there is reason for hope. Approximately 130 nations are willing to negotiate. It seems the most likely outcome at this point is that many countries will reset trade barriers in a way that is more favorable to the U.S. Of course, China is still playing hardball, at least for now. But it is increasingly likely that several months from now this country has more favorable trade arrangements. The market also tends to like tax cuts, deregulation, and ramped-up energy production.

But headlines seem to change every day. A bad headline could easily send the market reeling again. However, it is looking increasingly like we may be past the worst of the tariff uncertainty. While it might be a while before there is sufficient clarity for the market to muster lasting upside traction, a new low in the market seems unlikely unless the tariff situation deteriorates from here.

Past Month’s Activity

March 21

QCOM March 21st $160 call at $11 – Expired

CQP March 21st $60 call at $3.00 – Expired

Cheniere Energy Partners (CQP) – Called

March 25

Sell ABBV June 20th $210 call at $9.50 or better

April 1

Sold ABBV June 20th $210 call at $9.50 or better

April 8

AGNC Investment Corp. (AGNC) – Rating change “BUY” to “HOLD”

Ally Financial Inc. (ALLY) – Rating change “BUY” to “HOLD”

Cheniere Energy Inc. (LNG) – Rating change “BUY” to “HOLD”

ONEOK, Inc. (OKE) – Rating change “BUY” to “HOLD”

Qualcomm Corp. (QCOM) – Rating change “BUY” to “HOLD”

Portfolio Recap

AbbVie Inc. (ABBV)
Yield: 3.7%

There had been reason to be cautious with ABBV. Very often, the stock pulls back after a surge to new highs, and the stock started coming down from its peak in early March. That’s a big part of the reason a call was sold against the stock. But this market took ABBV, along with just about everything else, way down. The recent plunge gets the stock’s habit of pulling back after a surge out of its system. ABBV is at a great price right now. Sure, it could take a hit again if the market panics. But it should move higher after the market stabilizes. Things have improved as the company has moved beyond the Humira patent loss and already replaced the revenues. I like the prospects for the stock for the rest of this year. BUY

AGNC Investment Corp. (AGNC)
Yield: 17.2%

The mortgage REIT hit a 52-week low last week after rallying near the high back in February. The falling 10-year Treasury rate narrows the spread that AGNC earnings. It benefits from lower short-term rates but not the longer-term ones. But the ten-year has moved higher again and the Fed is likely to cut the fed funds rate several times this year, perhaps beginning in June. AGNC can’t stand up to a market like we’ve had recently with indiscriminate selling. But AGNC should come back when the market stabilizes. It has moved nicely off last week’s low already. The mortgage REIT also reports earnings next week. HOLD

Ally Financial Inc. (ALLY)
Yield: 3.8%

This online banker has been bouncing around since late last summer. It had been near the high point of the recent range, but the market took it down this month. If the economy deteriorates toward a recession or close to it, the stock will have more trouble. It deals primarily with auto loans, which are highly cyclical. However, a recession is still unlikely at this point. ALLY was downgraded until this market stabilizes and there is more clarity regarding the economy over the rest of this year. HOLD

Broadcom Inc. (AVGO)
Yield: 1.3%

AVGO had a huge rebound last week. The stock closed Friday over 30% higher than its low point last week. AVGO was on fire last year and early this year. The stock took a huge hit in the ugly market. It has been more volatile to both the upside and downside. It should have a huge upside move when the market finally stabilizes. I can’t say that the selling in the market and the stock is over yet. But I’m highly confident that AVGO will be trading at a price a lot higher than it is now in a few months. BUY

Cheniere Energy Inc. (LNG)
Yield: 0.9%

The LNG exporter stock is looking strong. Like everything else, it plunged earlier this month and then had a big surge last week. But it was doing better than most stocks before all this tariff volatility. LNG still has a positive YTD return and is up over 40% in the past year. The company and the stock should have a bright future as demand for natural gas overseas is likely to remain strong and growing. But it is an exporter at a time when trade war talk dominates the news. The rating was reduced until the market shows more evidence of stabilizing. HOLD

Constellation Energy Corporation (CEG)
Yield: 0.7%

This provider of nuclear electricity had been one of the hottest stocks in the market until late January. The electricity trade unwound after the DeepSeek news, and then all Hell broke loose with the tariffs. CEG soared and crashed. The market overdid it on the buy side and now it’s overdoing it on the sell side. Meanwhile, the company itself is doing great. Electricity demand is sure to grow. The two huge recent deals (the Microsoft (MSFT) deal and the Calpine acquisition) will deliver a high level of earnings growth in the years ahead, and there may be more new deals coming. The market will regain its footing at some point, and CEG can come back fast. HOLD

NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE)
Yield: 3.4%

Even the safe stocks didn’t provide much refuge from the unforgiving market. NEE had been solid until the market really rolled over. When the market selling gets that bad, just about every stock gets punished. But NEE should have less downside than the overall market from here. And it should be a desirable stock when investors come back to buying and demand more safety. NEE has also performed well in strong markets. I think NEE will be higher in the months ahead and should provide a smoother rise than most stocks. BUY

ONEOK, Inc. (OKE)
Yield: 5.0%

OKE tends to be more volatile than the other midstream companies in the portfolio. For much of the past few years, that has been a good thing. Bad lately, it’s been a very bad thing. The stock price declined over 20% in April before recovering some last week. I’m very bullish on midstream energy companies over the longer term, especially the ones that specialize in natural gas. But OKE has shown no resilience in an ugly market that could get worse before it gets better. It was downgraded to HOLD until things turn around. HOLD

Qualcomm Corp. (QCOM)
Yield: 2.4%

Technology has not been a good place to be. QCOM had been holding up okay because it wasn’t riding high before the market rolled over. But this month took no prisoners, and QCOM got whacked. It made a new 52-week low early last week and then had a huge recovery during the market’s epic rally. I like the prospects for the mobile device chipmaker for the rest of this year and beyond. But the next several days and weeks are anybody’s guess. It will be downgraded until the market stabilizes. HOLD

Realty Income Corp. (O)
Yield: 5.8%

This legendary income REIT had been solid and trending higher until the market selling became dramatic earlier this week. It showed strength amid the market selling until things blew up. That should bode well for the future as investors are likely to gravitate toward more defensive plays. The stock should also benefit as interest rates move lower. O had struggled during inflation and rising interest rates. But the benchmark 10-year Treasury rate has fallen significantly so far this year. It’s proving to be a nice holding in a dicey market. HOLD

Toll Brothers, Inc. (TOL)
Yield: 1.1%

The luxury homebuilder stock actually fared alright in the recent market crash. That’s probably because the stock was beaten to a pulp before the tariff selloff. It also actually benefits from the current situation. The benchmark 10-year Treasury fell below 4% for the first time since early October. That means mortgage rates will likely fall, which should improve affordability and home demand. The longer-term supply/demand dynamic is hugely favorable to this company, and it will rebound eventually. HOLD

Existing Call Trades

Sell ABBV June 20th $210 call at $9.50 or better

The target price on this call was hit right before all Hell broke loose in the market and the stock plunged. We secured a strong income to tide us through the volatile market. The prospects for AbbVie are strong for the rest of the year. We’ll see what happens in the near term.

Current Recommendations

Open RecommendationsTicker SymbolEntry DateEntry PriceRecent PriceBuy at or Under PriceYieldTotal Return
AbbVie Inc.ABBV12/17/24$175.05$186.96$200.003.75%0.77%
AGNC Investment CorpAGNC9/24/24$10.47$8.35NA17.25%-13.14%
Ally Financial Inc.ALLY11/26/24$39.42$31.80NA3.77%-18.71%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO1/28/25$207.36$181.94$200.001.30%-11.99%
Cheniere Energy, Inc. LNG2/25/25$216.04$220.31NA0.91%1.98%
Constellation Energy Corp.CEG8/27/24$196.14$208.25NA0.74%6.54%
NextEra Energy, Inc.NEE4/25/23$77.50$65.81$70.003.44%-10.35%
ONEOK, Inc.OKE2/25/25$95.77$82.56NA4.99%-13.79%
Qualcomm Inc. QCOM5/5/21$134.65$139.25NA2.44%12.70%
Realty Income Corp.O6/27/23$60.19$55.22NA5.83%1.70%
Toll Brothers, Inc.TOL10/22/24$148.02$93.62NA1.07%-36.46%
Open RecommendationsTicker SymbolInitial ActionEntry DateEntry PriceRecent Price Sell To Price or betterTotal Return
ABBV June 20th $210 callABBV250620C00210000Sell4/1/25$9.50$1.15$9.505.42%
as of close on 4/11/2025
SOLD STOCKS
XTicker Symbol ActionEntry DateEntry PriceSale DateSale PriceTotal Return
Innovative Industrial Props.IIPRCalled6/2/20$87.829/18/20$100.0015.08%
QualcommQCOMCalled6/24/20$89.149/18/20$95.007.30%
U.S. BancorpUSBCalled 7/22/20$36.269/18/20$383.42%
Brookfield Infras. Ptnrs.BIPCalled6/24/20$41.9210/16/20$458.49%
Starbucks Corp.SBUXCalled8/26/20$82.4110/16/20$886.18%
Visa CorporationVCalled 9/22/20$200.5611/20/20$2000.00%
AbbVie Inc.ABBVCalled6/2/20$91.0412/31/20$10012.43%
Enterprise Prod. Prtnrs.EPDCalled6/24/20$18.141/15/21$2015.16%
Altria GroupMOCalled 6/2/20$39.661/15/21$407.31%
U.S. BancorpUSBCalled 11/25/20$44.681/15/21$451.66%
B&G Foods Inc,BGSCalled10/28/20$26.792/19/21$284.42%
Valero Energy Inc.VLOCalled8/26/20$53.703/26/21$6011.73%
Chevron Corp.CVXCalled12/23/20$85.694/1/21$9612.95%
KKR & Co.KKRCalled3/24/21$47.986/18/21$5514.92%
Digital Realty TrustDLRCalled1/27/21$149.177/16/21$1555.50%
NextEra Energy, Inc.NEECalled2/24/21$73.769/17/21$8010.00%
Brookfield Infras. Ptnrs.BIPCalled1/13/21$50.6310/15/21$5511.65%
AGNC Investment CorpAGNCSold1/13/21$15.521/19/22$155.92%
ONEOK, Inc.OKECalled5/26/21$52.512/18/22$6019.62%
KKR & Co.KKRSold8/25/21$64.522/23/22$58-9.73%
Valero Energy Inc.VLOCalled11/17/21$73.452/25/22$8315.53%
U.S BancorpUSBSold3/24/21$53.474/13/22$51-1.59%
Enterprise Product Ptnrs EPDCalled3/17/21$23.214/14/22$2411.25%
FS KKR Capital Corp. FSKCalled10/27/21$22.014/14/22$2313.58%
Xcel Energy Inc. XELCalled10/12/21$63.005/20/22$7012.66%
Innovative Industrial Props.IIPRSold3/23/22$196.317/20/22$93-51.23%
One Liberty PropertiesOLPSold7/28/21$30.378/24/22$25-12.94%
ONEOK, Inc.OKECalled5/25/22$65.141/20/23$652.66%
Xcel Energy, Inc.XELCalled10/26/22$62.571/20/23$654.67%
Realty Income Corp. OCalled9/28/22$60.372/17/23$635.41%
Medical Properties TrustMPWSold1/24/23$13.223/21/23$8-38.00%
Brookfield Infrastructure Cp.BIPCCalled11/9/22$42.437/21/23$458.72%
Star Bulk Carriers Corp.SBLKSold6/1/22$33.308/8/23$18-31.38%
Visa Inc.VCalled12/22/21$217.168/18/23$2359.16%
Global Ship Lease, Inc.GSLSold2/23/22$24.968/29/23$19-13.82%
ONEOK, Inc.OKECalled3/28/23$60.989/15/23$659.72%
Hess CorporationHESCalled6/6/23$132.2510/20/23$15517.87%
Tractor Supply CompanyTSCOSold9/26/23$203.0311/28/23$200-1.02%
Digital Realty TrustDLRCalled7/18/23$117.311/19/24$13517.16%
Intel CorporationINTCCalled7/27/22$40.181/19/24$439.76%
AbbVie Inc.ABBVCalled7/25/23$141.633/15/24$16015.11%
Marathon Petroleum Corp. MPCCalled10/24/23$149.453/28/24$16512.06%
The Williams Companies, Inc.WMBCalled8/24/22$35.585/17/24$357.14%
Main Street Capital Corp.MAINCalled3/26/24$46.409/20/24$4910.91%
Brookfield Infrastructure Cp.BIPCCalled2/27/24$32.649/20/24$3511.00%
American Tower Corp.AMTCalled1/23/24$202.269/20/24$2105.43%
ONEOK, Inc.OKECalled8/27/24$79.5910/18/24$8811.18%
Alexandria Real Estate Eq.ARESold12/19/23$129.5411/19/24$108-12.82%
FS KKR Capital Corp.FSKCalled4/23/24$19.4212/20/24$2014.06%
Enterpise Product Ptnrs.EPDCalled2/27/24$27.611/17/25$2912.60%
Cheniere Energy Prtns.CQPCalled1/22/25$53.043/21/25$6014.67%
EXPIRED OPTIONS
SecurityIn/out moneySell DateSell PriceExp. Date$ ReturnTotal % Return
IIPR Jul 17 $95 callout-of money6/3/20$3.007/17/20$3.003.40%
MO Jul 31 $42 callout-of-money6/17/20$1.607/31/20$1.604.03%
ABBV Sep 18 $100 callout-of-money7/15/20$4.609/18/20$4.605.05%
IIPR Sep 18 $100 callin-the-money7/22/20$5.009/18/20$5.005.69%
QCOM Sep 18 $95 callin-the-money6/24/20$4.309/18/20$4.304.82%
USB Sep 18 $37.50 callin-the-money7/22/20$2.009/18/20$2.005.52%
BIP Oct 16 $45 callin-the-money9/2/20$1.9510/16/20$1.954.65%
SBUX Oct 16 $87.50 callin-the-money10/16/20$3.3010/16/20$3.304.00%
V Nov 20 $200 callin-the-money9/22/20$10.0011/20/20$10.004.99%
ABBV Dec 31 $100 callin-the-money11/18/20$3.3012/31/20$3.303.62%
EPD Jan 15 $20 callin-the-money11/23/20$0.801/15/21$0.804.41%
MO Jan 15 $40 callin-the-money11/25/20$1.901/15/21$1.904.79%
USB Jan 15 $45 callin-the-money11/25/20$2.001/15/21$2.004.48%
BGS Feb 19 $27.50 callin-the-money12/11/20$2.402/19/21$2.408.96%
VLO Mar 26 $60 callin-the-money2/10/21$6.503/26/21$6.5012.10%
CVX Apr 1 $95.50 callin-the-money2/19/21$4.304/1/21$4.305.02%
AGNC Jun 18 $17 callout-of-money4/13/21$0.506/18/21$0.503.21%
KKR Jun 18 $55 callin-the-money4/28/21$3.006/18/21$3.006.25%
USB Jun 16 $57.50 callout-of-money4/28/21$2.806/18/21$2.805.24%
DLR Jul 16 $155 callin-the-money6/16/21$8.007/16/21$8.005.36%
AGNC Aug 20 $17 callout-of-money6/23/21$0.508/20/21$0.503.00%
OKE Aug 20 $57.50 callout-of-money6/23/21$3.508/20/21$3.506.67%
NEE Sep 17 $80 callin-the-money8/11/21$3.509/17/21$3.504.75%
BIP Oct 15 $55 callin-the-money9/1/21$2.0010/15/21$2.003.95%
USB Nov 19 $60 callout-of-money9/24/21$2.3011/19/21$2.304.30%
OKE Nov 26 $65 callout-of-money10/20/21$2.2511/26/21$2.254.28%
KKR Dec 17 $75 callout-of-money10/26/21$3.5012/17/21$3.505.42%
QCOM Jan 21 $185 Callout-of-money11/30/21$9.651/21/22$9.657.17%
OLP Feb 18 $35 Callout-of-money11/19/21$1.502/18/22$1.504.94%
OKE Feb 18 $60 Callin-the-money1/5/22$2.752/18/22$2.755.24%
USB Feb 25 $61 callout-of-money1/13/22$2.502/25/22$2.504.68%
VLO Feb 25 $83 callin-the-money1/18/22$4.202/25/22$4.206.13%
EPD Apr 14th $24 callin-the-money3/2/22$1.254/14/22$1.255.69%
FSK Apr 14th $22.50 callin-the-money3/10/22$0.904/14/22$0.904.09%
XEL May 20th $70 callin-the-money3/30/22$3.005/20/22$3.004.76%
SBLK July 15th $134 callout-of-money6/1/22$1.607/15/22$1.604.80%
OKE Oct 21st $65 callout-of-money8/24/22$3.4010/21/22$3.405.22%
OKE Jan 20th $65 callIn-the-money11/25/22$3.701/20/23$3.705.68%
XEL Jan 20th $65 callin-the-money11/25/22$5.001/20/23$5.007.99%
O Feb 17th $62.50 callin-the-money12/28/22$3.002/17/23$3.004.97%
QCOM Sep 16th $145 callout-of-money7/20/22$11.759/16/22$11.758.73%
V Mar 17th $220 callout-of-money1/24/23$12.003/17/23$12.005.51%
OKE May 19th $65 callout-of-money4/11/23$2.705/19/23$2.704.43%
V Jun 2 $230 callout-of-money4/21/23$10.506/2/23$10.504.82%
BIPC $45 July 21st callin-the-money5/23/23$3.257/21/23$3.257.66%
V $235 Aug 18th callin-the-money7/11/23$9.008/18/23$9.004.13%
GSL $20 Aug 18th callout-of-money7/11/23$1.258/18/23$1.255.00%
OKE $65 Sep 15 callin-the-money9/15/23$3.207/25/23$3.204.92%
INTC $35 Oct 20th callout-of-money9/8/23$3.7810/20/23$3.789.41%
HES $155 Oct 20th callin-the-money9/8/23$9.0010/20/23$9.006.81%
DLR $135 Jan 19th callin-the-money11/22/23$6.001/19/24$6.005.11%
INTC $42.50 Jan 19th callin-the-money11/29/23$3.501/19/24$3.508.71%
ABBV $160 Mar 15th callin-the-money1/10/24$7.003/15/24$7.004.94%
MPC $165 Mar 28th callin-the-money2/14/23$10.003/28/24$10.006.69%
QCOM $200 July 19th callout-of-money6/5/24$12.007/19/24$12.008.91%
MAIN $49.4 Sep 20th Callin-the-money6/27/24$2.009/20/24$2.004.31%
BIPC $35 Sep 20th Callin-the-money7/16/24$3.009/20/24$3.009.19%
AMT Sep 20 $210 callin-the-money7/30/24$15.009/20/24$15.007.42%
OKE Oct 18 $87.50 callin-the-money8/27/24$3.5010/18/24$3.504.40%
FSK Dec 20 $20 callin-the-money10/25/24$0.9512/20/25$0.954.89%
CEG Dec 29 $260 callout-of-money9/25/24$24.0012/20/24$24.0012.24%
EPD Jan 17 $29 callin-the-money11/12/24$2.001/17/25$2.006.34%
CEG Mar 21 $20 callBuyback1/7/25$20.003/4/25$16.508.41%
CQP Mar 21 $60 callin-the-money1/22/25$3.003/21/25$3.005.66%
QCOM Mar 21 $160 callout-of-money1/7/25$10.003/31/25$11.008.17%


Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved. Copying or electronic transmission of this information without permission is a violation of copyright law. For the protection of our subscribers, copyright violations will result in immediate termination of all subscriptions without refund. Disclosures: Cabot Wealth Network exists to serve you, our readers. We derive 100% of our revenue, or close to it, from selling subscriptions to our publications. Neither Cabot Wealth Network nor our employees are compensated in any way by the companies whose stocks we recommend or providers of associated financial services. Employees of Cabot Wealth Network may own some of the stocks recommended by our advisory services. Disclaimer: Sources of information are believed to be reliable but they are not guaranteed to be complete or error-free. Recommendations, opinions or suggestions are given with the understanding that subscribers acting on information assume all risks involved. Buy/Sell Recommendations: are made in regular issues, updates, or alerts by email and on the private subscriber website. Subscribers agree to adhere to all terms and conditions which can be found on CabotWealth.com and are subject to change. Violations will result in termination of all subscriptions without refund in addition to any civil and criminal penalties available under the law.