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This Telecom Giant Is Building for the Moments That Matter Most

April 05, 2026

When disaster strikes, most networks buckle under pressure just when they are needed most.

This one is being built for those exact moments, and it could quietly become one of the most dependable growth engines in telecom.

Bull Market (Sponsored)

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Corporate

Record Profits, Record Cuts, and a 6 AM Email Nobody Wanted to Open

Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) reportedly laid off up to 30,000 employees on March 31. The notice arrived by email at 6 AM. No warning. No transition period. Today is your last working day. This came after the company posted a 95% increase in quarterly profit.

Let that settle for a moment. Record earnings followed immediately by one of the largest layoffs in tech history.

The Money Is Going Somewhere Else

Oracle is in the middle of a massive and expensive pivot into AI data centers. It signed a $300 billion infrastructure agreement last year. Borrowing costs have doubled as lenders have grown cautious about financing expansion. Cutting thousands of employees could save up to $10 billion.

The math is blunt. Oracle needs cash to fund its AI future and decided the fastest way to find it was inside its own payroll.

AI Eats Its Own

Oracle wants to compete with Amazon in the cloud and power AI for companies building the future. That ambition is expensive. The people who built Oracle into a profitable giant are the ones paying for it.

You can call this transformation or cold calculation. Either way, Oracle just showed the world exactly what happens when a company decides its future matters more than the people who built its past.

ORCL currently trades at $146 and pays a dividend of $2.00 per share, a yield of 1.37%.

Digital Assets

Is BlackRock the Calmest Buyer in the Most Chaotic Market on the Planet?

BlackRock Inc (NYSE: BLK) quietly added $3.1 billion worth of bitcoin and nearly $500 million in ethereum to its holdings since late February. This happened during one of the most turbulent periods in recent memory. Global conflict escalating. Oil prices are spiking. Markets are in panic mode. Crypto sentiment is at historic lows.

While most of the world was selling, BlackRock was buying. Aggressively.

$53 Billion in Bitcoin and Still Adding

BlackRock now holds approximately $53 billion in bitcoin across roughly 783,000 tokens. That position has grown by about 19,000 bitcoin since late February alone. The firm also holds over $6 billion in ethereum. Combined digital asset holdings sit near $59 billion.

You hear constantly that institutional investors are cautious and risk-averse. BlackRock is proving that the biggest institution of them all operates on a completely different wavelength.

Actions Speak Louder Than Annual Letters

BlackRock has talked publicly about bitcoin's potential for years. But talk is cheap in finance. Spending $3 billion during a global crisis is not. That is conviction backed by capital at a scale nobody else in the market can match.

You can debate where crypto goes next. But the world's largest asset manager just told everyone exactly what it thinks by opening its wallet, even as everyone else was slamming theirs shut.

BLK currently trades at $966 and pays a dividend of $22.92 per share, a yield of 2.37%.

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Energy

The Oil Giant That Now Wants to Keep Your Data Center Running

 

Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is negotiating a deal with Microsoft to build a massive natural gas power plant in West Texas designed specifically to fuel a data center campus. The facility could generate 2,500 megawatts of electricity and cost around $7 billion. If completed, it would be one of the largest gas power plants in the country.

Chevron used to sell fuel to drivers. Now it is selling power to machines that think.

Oil Company Meets AI Economy

This is not Chevron's first move into power generation for data centers. The company partnered last year to build scalable gas-powered energy solutions specifically for U.S. data centers. This Texas project takes that strategy to an entirely different scale.

America's power demand is growing faster than it has since the 1990s. AI infrastructure and data centers are the reason. You follow where that electricity demand leads, and it points directly to companies like Chevron that control the fuel supply.

The Quiet Transformation

Chevron keeps adding new chapters. Iraq. Venezuela. Guyana. Automated drilling. And now building power plants for the AI industry. Each move expands the company's operations beyond traditional oil production.

You started this year thinking of Chevron as an oil company. It is ending the year looking more like an energy infrastructure company that pumps crude on the side.

CVX currently trades at $198 and pays a dividend of $7.12 per share, a yield of 3.58%.

Dividend Stocks Worth Watching

Starbucks Corporation (NYSE: SBUX) is putting its frontline staff at the center of its turnaround, introducing quarterly bonuses for baristas and shift supervisors as it looks to rebuild momentum across its stores.

The new incentive program ties payouts to sales, operational performance, and customer service, aligning employee rewards directly with each location's success. Alongside this, Starbucks is rolling out more tipping options and shifting to weekly pay, moves designed to improve morale and retention at a critical moment for the business.

The strategy reflects a broader shift under its current leadership, with a renewed focus on in-store experience and execution. From staffing improvements to small but meaningful touches like personalized drinks, the company is betting that better engagement at the counter will translate into stronger traffic and sales.

For investors, this is about fixing the engine at the store level. If motivated employees lead to better service, higher customer satisfaction, and increased visits, Starbucks can rebuild consistent growth, supporting the steady cash flow that underpins its long-term dividend story. SBUX pays a 62-cent dividend, yielding 2.74%.

American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) is leaning further into experiences, partnering with Chef’s Table and Resy to bring high-end dining into the real world.

The multi-year collaboration will transform the popular series into immersive events, including exclusive chef-led dinners in major cities, a full-scale culinary festival, and a new awards program celebrating top talent. The goal is to connect diners more deeply with food, storytelling, and the chefs behind the experience.

This is about more than food. It is a strategic push to enhance the value of membership, giving cardholders access to curated, hard-to-replicate experiences that go beyond traditional rewards. By blending culture, dining, and entertainment, American Express is strengthening its position in the premium lifestyle space.

For investors, the story is about differentiation. If these experiences continue to deepen customer loyalty and drive higher spending from affluent users, they can reinforce American Express's premium positioning and support the steady, high-quality revenue streams that underpin its dividend. AXP pays a 95-cent dividend, yielding 1.27%. 

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is doubling down on its role as critical infrastructure, committing billions to expand and modernize FirstNet, the dedicated network used by emergency services across the United States.

The investment will focus on rolling out 5G capabilities, improving reliability, and extending coverage into rural and hard-to-reach areas where traditional telecom economics often fall short. Built in partnership with the government, FirstNet has become a cornerstone of national connectivity, supporting millions of first responders who rely on resilient communication during crises.

This next phase is about more than speed. Enhanced capacity will enable data-intensive use cases such as live video, drones, and real-time coordination during emergencies, while broader coverage helps close long-standing gaps in underserved regions. Importantly, much of this infrastructure also strengthens AT&T's broader network, benefiting everyday users and public safety operations alike.

For investors, this is a long-term positioning play. By anchoring itself in essential infrastructure with government backing, AT&T is tying future growth to stable, mission-critical demand. This kind can support predictable cash flows and reinforce its dividend over time. T pays a 28-cent dividend, yielding 3.92%.

Dividend Increases

GBX has increased its dividend to 34 cents, up 6.00%. Its new yield is 2.59%.

OZK has boosted its dividend to 47 cents, up 2.2%. Its new yield is 4.07%. 

CSW has raised its dividend to 30 cents, an increase of 11.1%. Its new yield is 0.46%.

GFL has increased its dividend to 2 cents, up 9.7%. Its new yield is 0.16%.

Smart Move (Sponsored)

Not all investors are reacting to today’s market—some are quietly preparing ahead of it.

While many portfolios remain tied to stocks and bonds, a growing number of Americans are adding physical gold and silver.

Unlike traditional assets, precious metals help preserve value during inflation, reduce overall portfolio risk, and provide stability in uncertain markets.

You can even hold them inside a Gold IRA, keeping tax advantages while diversifying your retirement savings.

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Trivia: Which company introduced the idea of “everyday low pricing” instead of constant discounts?

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Upcoming Dividend Payers

MRK’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 85-cent payment is 04/07/26.

BRKR’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 5-cent payment is 04/07/26.

OTF’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 35-cent payment is 04/07/26.

EMN’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 84-cent payment is 04/08/26.

KRC’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 54-cent payment is 04/08/26.

GPK’s ex-dividend date for the forthcoming 11-cent payment is 04/08/26.

Everything Else

That’s all for today’s edition of the Dividend Brief.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any feedback or dividend stocks you want me to take a look at, just reply to this email!

—Noah Zelvis
DividendBrief.com