This article will focus on mid-cap dividend-paying stocks that were obtained using a stock screener on May 7, 2013. In articles I wrote earlier in the year, I used similar stock screeners to identify opportunities and some of those worked out really well and outperformed the S&P 500. Hopefully we can produce some more winners here, but as always, please conduct your own research and due diligence before investing in any of these stocks. The stock screen was meant to identify companies that are paying out dividends at a sustainable rate, at least at first glance. A payout ratio of below the industry average would give a preliminary indication that the dividends are manageable when compared with other companies with high yields.

I also looked for companies whose price has not changed that much in the past four weeks. This way, we may identify companies that have missed some of the recent run and uncover potentially underpriced stocks. Prospect Capital Corporation was found but I have recently highlighted the stock so I will not duplicate that here. That leaves us with four stocks that we will look at here. Those companies include The Carlyle Group LP (CG), Ares Capital Corporation (ARCC), Alliance Resource Partners LP (ARLP), and Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT). The following is a one-year stock price chart for these companies.

Source: Seeking Alpha

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One of the reasons why some investors turn to hard metals such as silver is because of its perceived safety as an inflation hedge and store of value. In some cases, investors get spooked by the natural volatility inherent in stock market investing, and so they turn to a hard asset such as silver with the aim of smoothing out the ride. One interesting thing worth keeping in mind, though, is the fact that silver can be far more volatile than the prices of most blue-chip stocks, even in the short term.

This is probably the most important thing I have to say about the difference between non-productive assets like silver and something that generates dependable cash like a dividend stock: with a productive asset that pays dividends, you will always be receiving value regardless of the stock price at any point in time. With a non-productive asset like silver, you are solely reliant upon the market price to determine your future returns.

Source: Seeking Alpha

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It comes as no surprise that stocks that pay dividends are the most sought after stocks by investors. Companies try to maintain dividend payments, but in the process, investors sometimes tend to ignore vital parameters like free cash flow and dividend payout ratios. These parameters define the strength of a company, and the ability to continue paying dividends in the long-term. Discussed below are Dow's (DIA) three highest-paying dividend stocks and whether or not they can maintain high dividend payments: AT&T Inc. (T), Intel Corporation (INTC) and Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ).

All three companies seem to be in a safe position… for now. The real question is for how much longer. For each security discussed there are valid risks, which no investor should ignore. For Verizon, the company's excessive debt may hinder its dividend-paying capability in the future. Intel needs to keep its growing CAPEX in check, but this is not guaranteed to happen as the company transitions to smaller devices. AT&T, while investor friendly, needs to find a balance between cash flow and the amount returned to investors in the form of dividends and stock buybacks. The same goes for VZ, since they both have payout ratios in excess of 170%.

Source: Seeking Alpha

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Windows 8 was the revolution that wasn’t. Instead, it’s a product gaffe being likened to the infamously failed “New Coke” launch. But don’t count Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) out just yet. In a lot of ways, the boring, button-down software giant was just a little ahead of its time. After a storm of criticism from frustrated long-time Windows users, Microsoft announced that it would be making significant changes to its Windows 8 operating system. The details have not been released yet, but it’s assumed that the changes will include bringing back the “Start” button that has been a fixture in the lower-left corner since 1995 and giving desktop users the ability to bypass the tiled start screen on system startup.

Is this a failure for Microsoft? In some critical ways, yes. In a classic case of arrogance, Microsoft assumed that, after some initial grumbling, consumers would embrace the Windows style because, frankly, they weren’t given a choice. But here’s the thing. It doesn’t matter. This is why I love Microsoft. It can have a fundamental screw-up like Windows 8 and still keep plugging along. Steve Ballmer called the launching of Windows 8 a “bet the company” moment, but nothing could be further from the truth. Microsoft’s “moats,” or competitive advantages, are so strong that it can survive and thrive even after making a major miscalculation like this.

Source: InvestorPlace

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Standard & Poor’s currently gives United States Treasuries a credit rating of AA+, just below the maximum AAA credit rating (the other two major ratings agencies, Fitch and Moody’s, still give the U.S. their highest rating). Current Treasury yields are quite low, possibly reflecting a market view that U.S. debt has little risk. Meanwhile, some stocks with higher credit ratings pay considerably higher dividend yields and interest rates on their debt.

Here are five stocks that pay dividend yields of 2.5% or higher whose debt is rated at least AA+ by Standard & Poor’s: General Electric (NYSE: GE), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) and Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ: ADP).

Source: Motley Fool

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