We were sitting around the clubhouse after golf, drinking tea (it used to be beer but everything changes as you get older). The topic of conversation was Europe. The election of a Socialist president in France and the collapse of the Greek coalition had once again roiled world stock markets and everyone was worried. "I don't have a clue where to put my money," one of my friends said, to nods of agreement from the others. "Dividend-paying stocks," suggested a retired executive. "They're safe."

At that point, everyone looked at me in anticipation. I took a sip of tea and thought about it a moment. "Not necessarily," I said finally. "There are dividend stocks and dividend stocks. Some are much more risky than others." I went on to point out that during the crash of 2008-09, even dividend stocks that had been thought to be rock solid were battered. Canadian banks, none of which was ever in serious trouble, were classic examples. Royal Bank (RY) lost almost half its market value, dropping from over $51 a share in September 2008 to $27 in mid-February 2009. Bank of Montreal (BMO) fared even worse. In May 2007, it was trading at over $71; by February 2009 it was down to $24.66, a loss of about two-thirds of its value. It has never regained its 2007 high. And the banks were thought to be safe!

Source: Guru Focus

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Many conservative, long-term investors know the most stable stocks on Wall Street tend to be big blue chips with massive brand recognition and a hefty dividend yield. While there are a lot of sexy names getting press right now — like Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) and its massive IPO on May 18 — there is nothing wrong with a slow trickle of income and a stable blue-chip company that will ride out any rough going this summer.

It’s the classic tortoise vs. the hare scenario. You can flail around banking on sector rotation or a rebound in gold or the next high-growth small-cap stock that will deliver big gains before flaming out — or, you can steadily grow your retirement funds in tortoise-like blue chips that plod along slowly and safely retreat into their shell when times are tough.

Source: InvestorPlace

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Dividend stocks are everywhere, but many just downright stink. In some cases, the business model is in serious jeopardy, or the dividend itself isn't sustainable. In others, the dividend is so low it's not even worth the paper your dividend check is printed on. A solid dividend strikes the right balance of growth, value, and sustainability.

Today, and one day each week for the rest of the year, we're going to look at one dividend-paying company that you can put in your portfolio for the long term without too much concern. This isn't to say these stocks don't share the same macro risks that other companies have, but they are a step above your common grade of dividend stock. Here's last week's selection. This week, I want to take a step back from our discussion last week of dividend aristocrats and again point out an up-and-coming dividend powerhouse in the technology sector: Applied Materials (Nasdaq: AMAT).

Source: Motley Fool

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Summary only...

The S&P 500 has pulled back approx. 4% since its early April highs, which begs the question, are there any dividend paying stocks that have beaten the market since then? We took 3 dividend stocks from our High Dividend Stocks By Sector tables, and researched how they’ve done in all of the various rallies and pullbacks since last summer.

These 3 stocks have all held up better than the market in pullbacks, and have also participated in rallies. Not surprisingly, these defensive dividend stocks hail from the Healthcare and Utilities sectors: NextEra Energy, (NEE), Xcel Energy, (XEL), and Eli Lilly Co., (LLY).

Source: ForexPros

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Summary only...

Renewable energy is energy from sources which never run out. But there is something greener than renewable energy: using less energy. Investors who apply “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” to their portfolios are not only less likely to see those portfolios reduced, they could be recycling dividends for a long time to come. Recent economic turbulence has brought down stock prices of several “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” companies to the point where they have yields well over 4%, backed by reliable earnings.

These four are high yield and have the financial muscle to keep paying even if the economic climate takes a turn for the worse. In order of increasing yield: #1 ABB Limited (NYSE:ABB), #2 Waste Management(NYSE:WM), #3 Waterfurnace Renewable Energy (TSX:WFI, OTC:WFIFF) and #4 New Flyer Industries (TSX:NFI, OTC:NFYEF).

Source: Forbes

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