Industries That Stay on My Wish List

I have both a watch list and a wish list. My watch list is the more practical of the two. It has companies that I’m actively watching for an entry point. There could be a specific catalyst I’m waiting for such as a dividend increase or piece of legislation. Or it might be above my buy-up-to price and I’m waiting for a pullback.

My wish list stocks are just that, and may never end up in my portfolio. I’ll put companies on it that I would like to own but only if their dividend yield was double what it is currently. It also has trends and industries that I would like to have exposure to but can’t find the right stock.

There are two areas on my wish list that I keep circling back to recently, waiting for the right opportunity.

1. Travel and Tourism

It’s no secret that I like to travel. When I have a free day, it’s not uncommon for me to jump in the car and look for a museum or attraction I haven’t seen before. I’m pretty sure I spent over a third of 2025 in hotel rooms.

Global tourism is a massive industry worth over $10 trillion in 2025. Some estimates put the market at $17 trillion by 2035. In the US, those numbers are $2.3 trillion and $3.1 trillion, respectively, more than any other country. This year, those revenues should be supported by both the FIFA World Cup and 250 Years of America celebrations.

The rub is that the cost of travel has risen 23% since 2019, according to the US Travel Association Travel Price Index. Luxury travel and business travel continue to thrive despite rising costs.

I would love to have a solid travel industry dividend payer in my portfolio, but most of the companies continue to face challenges. Major US airlines, in particular, have been prioritizing paying down debt. Delta Airlines (DAL) and Southwest Airlines (LUV) yield just 1.2% and 1.6%, respectively. We can also expect rising fuel costs to eat into 2026 profits.

Cruise lines are in the same boat (pun intended). Royal Caribbean (RCL) yields 1.1%. Debt reduction across this industry is a priority as well.

The big hotel brands don’t pay a decent dividend either. The only options are REITs. As I noted last week, I’m not looking to add more real estate to my portfolio right now.

2. The Future of Automobiles

Dividend investors want a portfolio they can set and forget. At its core, we want goods and services that are integral to life and will continue to be for many years to come. Automobiles are a good example.

There were roughly 298.7 million registered vehicles on US roads in 2025. That number grows at an average annual rate of just under 1%.

Over the past few years, the real question has been what the future of this industry looks like. It seemed like EVs was the answer. However, total EV sales for 2025 were 1.2 million units, down 2% year over year. Tesla still controls nearly half the US EV market, but its sales fell 7%.

Instead, it looks like the market is turning to hybrids. Traditional automakers that poured money into EVs must now backtrack. This is an established industry that is full of uncertainty. I would need a dividend of 5–6% to ride out the storm, but that’s just not available in the industry.

Ford (F) currently pays $0.60 a year for a yield of 4.9%. That would be a decent dividend if it had a clear plan for future growth. Ford had big plans for EVs but is redirecting that capital toward hybrids.

I’m optimistic about its plan to offer a hybrid or multi-energy powertrain choice for nearly every vehicle by 2030. I need to see this plan gain some traction before I add it to my portfolio.  

Unfortunately, these two macro trends continue to sit on my wish list. I think there is good potential for some of these companies to become long-term portfolio holdings—just not yet.

You can bet I will keep an eye on the travel and auto industries through 2026. I’m curious, what trends are you watching but haven’t found the right company?

For more income, now and in the future,

Kelly Green