Thursday was a strong day on Wall Street, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average joined other major benchmarks in hitting record highs. Market participants were pleased that the U.S. and China have apparently agreed to a pathway toward reducing tariffs, which would take away a long-held worry among investors. Favorable earnings reports also helped lift sentiment. CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL), Triumph Group (NYSE: TGI), and Keurig Dr Pepper (NYSE: KDP) were among the top performers. Here's why they did so well.
Shares of CenturyLink jumped 11% after the telecom reported solid third-quarter financial results. Revenue was down almost 4% year over year, but CenturyLink did manage to boost its net income slightly from year-ago levels. The company also continued making progress paying down debt from its free cash flow, and that has positive implications for the sustainability of its current dividend. With a nearly 7% yield for the stock, shareholders like CenturyLink's payouts, and the telecom's continued confidence in its financial goals for the rest of the year bodes well for dividend investors.
Image source: CenturyLink.