About DividendStocks.com

Experience

Chris Markoch has been an editor & contributing writer for DividendStocks.com since 2018.

• Professional Background: Christopher Markoch is a freelance writer and market analyst with over 30 years of experience in marketing communications, including work with financial services firms and banks. His unique blend of communication expertise and market knowledge allows him to break down complex financial topics for individual investors.
• Credentials: He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Organizational Communication from The University of Akron in Akron, Ohio.
• Finance Experience: Chris has been an editor and contributing writer for DividendStocks.com since 2018 and has also written for InvestorPlace. He began writing about finance and investing in 2017, bringing a strong focus on helping readers make confident, informed decisions.
• Writing Focus: He specializes in value investing, dividend-paying stocks, and retirement-focused strategies. His work is geared toward individual investors looking to build stable, income-generating portfolios.
• Investment Approach: Chris emphasizes value and income investing while maintaining a focus on context and clarity. He believes that fundamentals and technicals are important, but they only become truly useful when paired with an understanding of a company’s story. That perspective shapes both his investing decisions and the guidance he offers to readers.
• Inspiration: “The story behind a company or stock is important to me,” Chris says. “The fundamentals or technical action are interesting, but without the why, they lack context for retail investors. That’s what I aim to deliver.”
• Fun Fact: Christopher admires thought leaders like Keith Fitz-Gerald and Shah Gilani for their sharp market insight.
• Areas of Expertise: Value investing, retirement stocks, dividend stocks, individual investing

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Business and Organizational Communication, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio

Past Experience

InvestorPlace

Experience

Thomas Hughes has been a contributing writer for DividendStocks.com since 2019.

• Professional Background: Thomas Hughes is the Managing Partner of Passive Market Intelligence LLC, a market research platform he launched in 2023 with the mission: “We watch the market so you don't have to.” He has worked as a blogger, stock market commentator, and independent analyst since 2010 and has been actively involved in trading and investing since 2005.
• Credentials: He holds an Associate of Arts in Culinary Technology—training that honed his discipline, attention to detail, and ability to anticipate outcomes, all of which carry over into his work as a market analyst.
• Finance Experience: Thomas has been writing about finance and investing since 2011, when he discovered it could be more than a personal passion—it could be a profession. He’s been a contributing writer for DividendStocks.com since 2019.
• Writing Focus: He specializes in the S&P 500, small-cap stocks, dividend and high-yield strategies, consumer staples, retail, technology, oil, and cryptocurrencies. His analysis blends chart-based technical setups with key fundamental insights, helping readers identify actionable trends.
• Investment Approach: Thomas takes a hybrid approach that combines technical analysis with deep fundamental research. He often writes about macroeconomic shifts, earnings trends, and sentiment-based trading signals.
• Inspiration: Thomas first became interested in stocks after attending a seminar on how to buy and sell your own shares. That event opened his eyes to the market's potential and sparked a lifelong interest in investing.
• Fun Fact: Thomas took up model railroading by accident a few years ago—and now he can’t stop running the rails.
• Areas of Expertise: Technical and fundamental analysis, S&P 500, retail and consumer sectors, dividends, market trends

Education

Associate of Arts in Culinary Technology