Early Retirement Portfolio: Top 15 Stock Picks

In this article, we will take a look at the Top 15 Stock Picks for an Early Retirement Portfolio.

This week, Federal Reserve officials have the opportunity to discuss their views on interest rate trends, the effects of tariffs, and the economic effects of the Middle East crisis.

The Fed predicted two-quarter-percentage-point decreases this year at its most recent statement in March, which is consistent with current market pricing. However, the median projection would have dropped to one cut if only two participants had adjusted their strategy.

With President Donald Trump’s tariffs having had little effect on inflation thus far and an uncertain future, the meeting takes place against a complex geopolitical backdrop. Meanwhile, the President and other administration officials have increased their calls for the Fed to cut interest rates.

According to Bank of America, the Fed will primarily convey that it is still “comfortably in wait-and-see mode” at its June meeting on June 25. The bank further stated:

“For 2025, we think growth will likely be marked down and inflation will likely be revised up. Given elevated uncertainty, we don’t expect forecast changes for 2026 and beyond. Investors should focus on Powell’s take on the softening labor data, the recent benign inflation prints and the risks of persistent tariff-driven inflation.”

In an unpredictable environment, individuals who are saving for retirement frequently see dividend-paying stocks as reliable choices, as they can lower the risk of depleting their savings by relying on monthly dividend payments instead of capital gains from stock sales.

Image by coombesy from Pixabay

Our Methodology

We employed a screener to select dividend stocks for this list that are suitable for an early retirement stock portfolio, as they are diversified across multiple industries and have demonstrated robust and consistent payout policies. The stocks are ranked according to hedge funds having stakes in them as per Insider Monkey’s Q1 2025.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

15. Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB)

Dividend Yield: 6.01%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 34

Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB) ranks among the top stocks for an early retirement portfolio. UBS analysts maintained their price target for Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB) at Cdn$75 and reaffirmed their Neutral rating on the company’s shares on June 5. The decision comes after several operational updates were discussed at a recent meeting with Enbridge management in New York City.

Concerns over fire hazards, particularly in the Christina Lake area, were part of the discussion. While there was a considerable risk at first, recent rain without lightning has significantly decreased the threat. Additionally, management observed that producers have improved their risk management over time.

The Rio Bravo pipeline project by Enbridge, which is positioned to facilitate future expansions at the Rio Grande LNG facility, was a key topic of discussion. Over the last two years, the company has committed between $2 billion and $2.5 billion in investments to increase its involvement in Permian gas expansion projects.

Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB) is a midstream energy company that specializes in the distribution and transportation of natural gas, oil, and natural gas liquids.