We have reached the final weeks of 2011. At this time, the S&P500 (SPY) shows a loss of 1.1% for the year and the 10-year treasury bond yield is 1.86% (144 basis point loss for the year). It has not been a great year for stocks globally, especially with the European Credit Crisis. On a positive note, the US Congress agreed to a 2-month extension of payroll tax cuts and avoided another shutdown. Now that Christmas is upon us, it is time to look forward to the New Year!

This week I have selected 2 dividend growth stocks in the transportation industry. This is the first sector to come out of the trough of the business cycle and these stocks should perform well in 2012. My third stock selection is in the technology sector, which faces many headwinds in 2012, including the downtrend in the semiconductor cycle, flood damage in Thailand to hard drive plants, and a recession in Europe. 1. # United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS), 2. Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) and 3. Intel Corporation (INTC).

Source: Related Articles:
- Auto Pilot Engaged, Sir!
- 21 Suggestions for Success
- Winners Never Quit and Quitters Never Win
- Who is Charles Mangum and Why Should We Listen to Him?
- Asset Allocation Model
- Harvest the Fruit

Read More...

Summary only...

So where does an investor stand who wants to invest in oil without taking too many risks? The answer lies in dividend stocks. A steady stream of income is a time-tested way of getting the better of volatility in the markets and uncertainty in returns.

Here are four dividend stocks you should be looking into and that I believe should help you beat the markets in the long run: 1. Seadrill (NYSE: SDRL), 2. Cheniere Energy Partners (AMEX: CQP), 3. Enerplus (NYSE: ERF) and 4. Penn West Petroleum (NYSE: PWE).

Source: Motley Fool

Related Articles:
- Measuring Asset Allocation Across Your Entire Portfolio
- Turbo Charge Your Portfolio With Reinvested Dividends
- Hey, You Invest Like a Girl!
- You Can't Spend Earnings
- Dividend ETFs Feel The Pain

Read More...

Summary only...

Dividend yield is the most important factor to use when evaluating investment opportunities, says London-based portfolio manager Job Curtis. In today’s interview, he describes some of his investment ideas, and details why dividends are so crucial. We invest in equity income as far as stocks, so we’re investing in companies with above-average dividend yield.

The aim of the fund is to really produce a good return for investors, but probably we have more efforts on the income side than the capital side, unlike many funds, and we invest globally. Although we have at any point somewhere between 15% to 25%, roughly, in the US equity market, currently it is around 20%. We do invest overseas, predominantly. We have currently about 80% in overseas equities, and we are often able to find better yields overseas than are available in the US.

Source: MoneyShow.com

Related Articles:
- Tools To Calculate Investment Returns
- How To Increase Your Portfolio's Return
- Dividends Are Gold in a Down Market
- On The Shelf
- A Strong Bias for Action

Read More...

Summary only...

It's amazing how contradictory individuals can be when it comes to matters of money. Ask someone why they have a savings account and the likely answer is to have that money earn interest over the long term. Ask someone why they invest in stocks and the likely answer is something similar. So why don't people treat these two types of investment in a similar way? In fact, if you invest prudently, both a savings account and a stocks account can be used the same way - the only difference is that you're likely to get a much better return with stocks.

Of course, to invest in stocks for the long term and to treat them like your long-term savings account, you need to invest your money in quality companies at attractive prices. Fortunately for investors, doing so hasn't been this easy in a long time. Today, some of the best value-to-price gaps exists within the best blue chip type businesses. While they have done well, they have not responded to the rally like the stock prices of inferior businesses that have weaker balance sheets and an inconsistent history of profitability. And since many of these names today pay out unbelievable dividends, the annual returns should be very attractive over the next several years.

Source: Investopedia

Related Articles:
- Time is My Friend
- My Top 3 Investing Mistakes
- MMA Rates are Falling, What are You Going to Do?
- Tracking Yield On Cost
- Investment Dating Before Marriage

Read More...

Summary only...

Since the financial crisis, money managers had flocked to high-paying dividend stocks, lured by one of the only bright spots in the volatile U.S. equity market. Not anymore. Investors — especially retirees and those close to retirement — are desperate for income in a market where Treasuries are yielding close to nothing. Dividend-yielding stocks, generally low-risk and with a track record of providing solid streams of incomes over time, have been a favorite of money managers.

But now, T. Rowe Price Associates, Bank of New York Mellon Corp and AllianceBernstein LP are part of a growing group of asset managers dumping some of these stocks because they believe they are too expensive. Managers are moving money out of utilities, telecom stocks and, in some cases, master limited partnerships. They say that these stocks — traditionally resilient in market downturns — are so pricey that they may not rebound if markets decline.

Source: Financial Post

Related Articles:
- Rev-up Your Portfolio With Asset Allocation
- Charlie Munger's 10 Rules for Investment Success
- Passing the Torch - Part 2 of 2
- Passing the Torch - Part 1 of 2
- Tech Stocks in a Dividend Portfolio?!

Read More...

Summary only...

While most funds have struggled lately, Federated Strategic Value Dividend (SVAAX) has soared. Federated returned 11.9% in the past year, topping 99% of large value funds and surpassing the S&P 500 by 11 percentage points, according to Morningstar. The winning streak occurred because Federated focuses on one of the market's hottest segments: blue-chip dividend stocks. The portfolio is full of such familiar names as H.J. Heinz (HNZ) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), rock-solid companies that have appealed to nervous investors.

Portfolio manager Daniel Peris follows a disciplined strategy that he describes in a recent book, The Strategic Dividend Investor. The book makes the case for buying stocks that have yields ranging from about 3% to 8%. "We are trying to offer our clients consistent income that will grow modestly over time," Peris says.

Source: The Street

Related Articles:
- Pre-Screening Dividend Stocks - Part III
- Pre-Screening Dividend Stocks - Part II
- Pre-Screening Dividend Stocks - Part I
- Sometimes Being Right Is Just Wrong
- When Is A Lot of Cash A Bad Thing?

Read More...

Summary only...

In the tough year 2011 has been for investors, one segment of the stock market has started to garner a lot of attention. Larger companies which pay dividends have been endorsed by many recently as the key to your investment future. There is some sound basis for this conclusion, a basis we have used for many years, not just due to recent popularity. When reviewing potential candidates for your portfolio it’s easy to be attracted to those companies which sport the highest yields, which are often 5 percent or more.

However, we have found two types of companies tend to reside in this group. The first are those which pay a high dividend yield because they are in a stagnant or mature industry and they have nothing better to do with their profits, such as to reinvest them in the business. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, but may result in a portfolio which has a good cash flow from dividends now, but one which doesn’t grow much over time. The other type of company in the higher yielding group can be an outright problem.

Source: Bradenton.com

Related Articles:
- The Best Dividend Stocks In The World Are Found Here
- A Roadmap To Build Wealth With Dividend Stocks
- 12 Blue Chip Dividend Stocks For When the Chips Are Down
- Spanning the World For The Best Dividend Stocks
- My Five Top And Bottom Performing Dividend Stocks

Read More...

Summary only...

As investors ponder what in the world constitutes a reasonable investment decision these days, staid old dividend-paying stocks have been getting the sort of attention they haven’t received in decades. The dividends on such stocks can exceed the yield on bonds offered by the same company, and the stock price can appreciate as well, offering a seemingly ideal set-up at a time when 10-year Treasury yields keep bobbing around 2%.

Not so fast. While dividend-paying stocks have been one of the most sought-after investments this year, they bear risks, notably that they will again fall behind if the rest of the stock market finally rallies. Still, the market is likely to continue to see support from retiring baby boomers in search of steady income, and proponents point out that if stock markets start on another bull run people will be too busy celebrating their broader portfolio gains to begrudge dividend-paying stocks for underperforming a bit.

Source: Baron's

Related Articles:
- 10 Dividend Stocks Beating the S&P With Positive Returns
- 5 Higher-Yielding Healthcare Stocks With Increasing Dividends
- 7 High Quality, Low Beta Dividend Stocks
- 5 Dividend Stocks With Yields In The Sweet Spot
- How To Manage Your Dividend Portfolio In A Downturn

Read More...

Summary only...

Forget High Yield CDs, they only offer up 1% at best for a year. Go with our dividend stock picks. Fellow Masters, the best 'high yield CD' you can buy will only give you 1 to 1.2% yield that locks your money away for an entire year.

We would rather buy a high yield dividend stocks that pay a 8% to %13 dividend yield plus whatever the stock gains in 2012. Making the cut are New York Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYMT), CenturyLink, Inc. (CTL) and Vale (VALE).

Source: TheStockMasters.com

Related Articles:
- The Current Financial Situation Should Concern Us All
- Finding The Perfect Dividend Stock
- The Greatest Asset For Building Wealth
- 10 Stocks With A Strong Cash To Dividend Coverage
- 15 Dividend Stocks Trading Below Their Calculated Fair Value

Read More...

Summary only...

A solid dividend is enough to make almost any stock at least appealing. Return on investment that’s independent of fluctuations in share price can help to ease an investor through trying times while buoying gains during the good. And, of course, the bigger the dividend yield the better, right?

Well, while the bigger the yield the better the chance that the company offering it may have to alter its policy at some point, it’s still wonderful to dream. So, without further ado, here are the five biggest dividend yields for publicly traded companies. 1. Alaska Communications Systems Group (ALSK), 2. Arlington Asset Investment Corp. (AI), 3. Frontier Communications Corp (FTR), 4. Niska Gas Storage Partners LLC (NKA) and 5. Knightsbridge Tankers Limited (VLCCF).

Source: equities.com

Related Articles:
- The Most Important Thing To Consider When Selecting A Dividend Stock
- 3 Powerful Concepts for Compounding Wealth with Dividend Stocks
- 11 Higher Yielding, Lower Risk Stocks To Perk Up Your Dividend Income
- 4 Secrets To Finding The Best Dividend Stocks
- 7 Undervalued, Big-Name Stocks To Consider For Your Dividend Portfolio

Read More...

Summary only...

In an earlier article about defensive stocks I provided a description of what makes a stock a defensive holding. I won’t go into that longer, detailed discussion here. I’d rather keep it simple. An ideal defensive stock is a company that provides a service or product we can’t live without. So, I thought we could get right down to the basics with food, water and air (or in this case oxygen). It doesn’t get any more straightforward than that.

Let’s start with water. How many of us are really going to drink less water or bath less (maybe I don’t want responses to this one) during a recession? We use water for so many things every day that we tend to take it for granted until it begins to run out. My favorite water utility is American Water Works (AWK), with operation in Canada and over 30 states in the U.S. New Jersey is its biggest market accounting for about 19 percent of revenue.

Source: Seeking Alpha

Related Articles:
- 5 Dividend Stocks In Need Of A Market Correction
- My Top And Bottom Performing Dividend Growth Stocks
- How To Build A Sustainable High Yield Portfolio
- 10 Stocks That Have Paid Dividends Since The 1800s
- 7 Exceptional Dividend Growth Stocks With Quality Financials

Read More...

Summary only...

A simple look at the three different investment strategies reveals that investors have been willing to pay up for higher yielding stocks. What are we to glean from these data? The obvious and most simple answer is that in this very low interest rate environment (10-year US Treasury Bonds are yielding under 2.0%), investors have been willing to pay up for higher dividend yield, while dividend growth is being discounted, if not ignored.

While the data clearly show the attraction of high dividend yields, history reveals that over longer periods companies with higher dividend growth normally outperform slower growing companies. In short, companies that can increase their dividends at low to mid-double digit rates fall in and out of favor, but the long-term trend line of their total return growth is higher than the trend growth of slower growing companies.

Source: Rising Dividend Iinvesting

Related Articles:
- 3 Dividend Stocks That I Will NEVER Lose Money On
- List of 195 Dividend Stocks Every Income Investor Should Know About
- These 11 Dividend Stocks Could Make You Wealthy
- 13 Dividend Stocks Headed In The Right Direction
- 12 Industrial Strength Dividend Stocks

Read More...

Summary only...

It’s the most popular high-yielding stock owned by members of Congress. And they might be on to something. Right now this stock yields 5.9%… and it’s one of the most stable dividend-payers in the United States. During the recession, dividends stayed steady, but in the past five years, investors have enjoyed five annual dividend increases. At last count, 57 members of Congress — 20 Democrats and 37 Republicans — owned shares of this company. Insider-trading is legal for members of Congress and many of their high-ranking aides. They can trade based on the information they encounter in their day-to-day work, even it if it is nonpublic information.

Meanwhile, according to a Barron’s story, members of Congress outperform your typical investor by an extra 6.8 percentage points each year. We’re not suggesting Congress has inside information on AT&T (NYSE: T) — the high-yielding stock that’s owned by nearly 60 members of Congress (that makes it the most popular income stock owned by our representatives). However, when dozens of millionaires with a history of beating average investors year after year own a particular stock, we think it’s smart to pay attention.

Source: Traders-Blog.com

Related Articles:
- 10 Financial Services Dividend Stocks To Boost Your Yield
- Building Yield: 15 Consumer Goods Dividend Stocks
- 10 Higher Yield Dividend Stocks
- Who Owns The Top Dividend Stocks?
- Who Owns The Top Dividend Stocks?

Read More...

Summary only...

Why settle for a 1% or 2% return for a bank holding your money for a year or more when you can get a better return from a decent dividend stock? The best a high yield CD can pay you is 1% a year. Mastery would rather invest in 6% to 13% high yield dividend stocks.

The term 'high yield cd' means nothing in 2011 - 2012, you have to turn to high yield securities, and that means dividend stocks. Mastery turns to New York Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYMT), CenturyLink, Inc. (CTL) and Vale (VALE).

Source: TheStockMasters.com

Related Articles:
- Top 10 Articles For 2010
- Dividend Stocks vs. a Safe Distribution Rate
- Best Stocks for 2011
- The 2011 Dividend Aristocrats
- 13 Dividend Stocks With A Good Yield/Growth Mix

Read More...

Summary only...

In these volatile times many investors are taking solace in dividend stocks. But if the overall market turns, you'd probably prefer not have a deeply indebted company in your portfolio. That's why it's a good idea to dig a little deeper when you're confronted with dividend ideas. Of course, debt financing isn't always a bad thing.

Most companies use some form of debt to finance their day-to-day operations. By doing so, a company can invest in new business opportunities without asking its shareholders for money.Although there are many exceptions to the rule, it's usually the case that lower-debt companies are less risky than high-debt companies. And when the market starts drifting lower, it's always good to have a couple of low-debt names among your holdings.

Source: Motley Fool

Related Articles:
- 11 Higher-Quality, High-Yield Dividend Stocks
- 6 Dividend Stocks That Will Make You Smile
- Dividend Stocks vs. Dividend ETFs
- If Only I Had Known About These Dividend Stocks...
- 13 Dividend Stocks and 3 ETFs To Balance Your Asset Allocation

Read More...

Summary only...

Here is an actual sheet of stocks from the consumer goods sector with a market capitalization of more than USD2 billion, a positive dividend yield as well as a P/B ratio of less than one. Ten stocks fulfilled these criteria of which two are yielding above 3 percent.

Here are the three top dividend stocks by market capitalization:
- Toyota Motor Corp. (TM)- Yield: 1.89%
- HONDA MOTOR (HMC) - Yield: 2.43%
- Panasonic Corp. (PC) - Yield: 1.42%

Source: Guru Focus

Related Articles:
- 17 Stocks With Room To Grow Their Dividend
- We Were Dividends, Before Dividends Were Cool
- 12 Dividend Stocks Delivering The Secret To Success
- 12 Dividend Stocks For A Rainy Day
- 9 High-Yield Managed Distribution Policy Funds

Read More...

Summary only...

Dividend stocks can make or break an investor’s monthly income stream. Investors have to be attentive to buying the right stock at the right price. My dividend investment philosophy is to pick the best dividend stocks and ensure the price per share is appropriate. I will highlight 7 stocks with appropriate entry points. The goal is to preserve capital while building a dividend income producing portfolio.

The discussion of dividend stocks needs to be placed in context of the European sovereign debt crisis, as this issue is not going away anytime soon. The media likes to hype rumors of a new solution. There isn’t a solution that doesn’t incur financial pain. Europe is an aging region and has fewer young workers entering the employment ranks. The revenues are not meeting the expenditures. Fewer workers in Europe will only decrease tax receipts in future years. Dividend investors must focus upon business models which should thrive despite the known global problems. Many companies will continue to outperform.

Source: Seeking Alpha

Related Articles:
- The Elite Dividend Stocks List
- Dividend Stocks Poised To Beat Inflation
- Is It Time To Sell Long-Bonds?
- Stocks That Pay Monthly Dividends
- When To Sell A Dividend Stock

Read More...

Summary only...

David Tepper is the founder of Appaloosa Management hedge fund. Since its inception, Tepper has been able to generate enormous returns. He has always been characterized for his clever investments. Indeed, they have made him rather unique because his strategy is based on investing in distressed companies. In a nutshell, great but underpriced businesses. That is how his company has been able to reach two-digit gains. Of course his form of investing is quite risky and he has made mistakes too.

But it is worth noting that he has always looked at troubled companies that have slumped due to market crashes. Tepper always thinks that upon their recovery, he will receive important gains. Jonathan Kolatch, a former colleague, clarifies the situation: "He takes a macro perspective on something, for instance this European sovereign crisis, which is that ‘it’s not going to be that bad. And then he takes that and applies it to a micro idea, a particular stock, as opposed to saying I’m going to do this with the currency or do this with the interest rate, which is kind of what the macro guys do. He’ll buy these particular three stocks that will reflect this macro idea."

Source: Guru Focus

Related Articles:
- Managing Risk With Dividend Stocks
- 9 Stocks With a Sustainable Dividend
- 11 Low Beta, High Quality Dividend Stocks
- Five Dividend Stocks To Buy On A Dip
- The Secret To Finding The Best Dividend Stocks

Read More...

Summary only...

For those investors who think stocks are no longer a quality source of income, the opposite is true today. Stocks, at this juncture, may offer the best opportunity for income relative to any other asset class. And the idea that stocks are too risky is not necessarily correct if you think rationally.

Companies with a long history of dividends have been very rewarding to investors over a period of many years. Anyone with a multi-year holding period can earn significant annual income along with principal appreciation from stocks today. Patience, indeed a virtue, pays well in the stock market.

Source: Investopedia

Related Articles:
- 20 Dividend Stocks With A 20% Yield In 20 Years
- Seven Dividend Stocks Trading Below Fair Value
- How To Buy Dividend Stocks At The Bottom
- Four Dividend Stocks Stepping Up In The Downturn
- Increasing Dividend Yield Part VI: Time

Read More...

Summary only...

Here is a current sheet of large-capitalized stocks with a dividend yield of more than 5 percent (high yield) that are close to their 52-week highs. Despite the crises there are still companies at all-time highs and with good dividends. Twelve large capitalized stocks fulfilled these criteria of which two are mega caps with a market capitalization of more than USD100 billion.

Here are the three biggest stocks by market capitalization:
Vodafone Group (VOD) - Yield: 5.40
Verizon Communications (VZ) - Yield: 5.20
Altria Group Inc. (MO) - Yield: 5.70

Source: Guru Focus

Related Articles:
- Increasing Dividend Yield Part V: MLPs
- Increasing Dividend Yield Part IV: Bonds
- Increasing Dividend Yield Part III: Preferred Stock
- Increasing Dividend Yield Part II: REITs
- 11 Dividend Stocks Providing Positive Feedback

Read More...

Summary only...

Here's a litmus test for stocks that I picked up from a Warren Buffett quote. Say you knew that the day after you bought shares of a company, the stock market would close for five years, so no matter what happens, you're stuck. Would you still invest?

While I think this test applies to all stocks, I find it especially useful when seeking out dividends. If you're relying on dividend reinvestment to boost your returns then you want to find companies that will keep paying for years to come -- preferably decades -- so compound interest will have time to work its magic.

Source: Motley Fool

Related Articles:
- Top 10 Articles For 2010
- Dividend Stocks vs. a Safe Distribution Rate
- Best Stocks for 2011
- The 2011 Dividend Aristocrats
- 13 Dividend Stocks With A Good Yield/Growth Mix

Read More...

Summary only...

So why on Earth would anyone looking for safety in income buy a bond when they could a blue chip company with an even higher yield instead? "There's a lot of risk in longer-term bonds. Treasuries will only do well if the world comes to an end," said Rex Macey, chief investment officer with Wilmington Trust in Atlanta. "You can't buy a 10-year with the yield at 2% and expect a real return. Quality dividend stocks are bargains compared to Treasuries."

Experts said dividend stocks should continue to do relatively well as nervous investors look for any way they can to squeeze out a decent yield in this low-rate environment. Smith, who only will invest in stocks that pay dividends, said he's hopeful that more tech companies with tons of cash and little debt will follow Cisco's lead and start issuing dividends.

Source: CNN Money

Related Articles:
- 5 Dividend Stocks Trading Below Fair Value
- 8 Dividend Stocks Covering Their Dividend
- 7 Low-Debt High-Rated Dividend Stocks
- 3 Styles Of Sucessful Dividend Investing
- 9 Small/Mid-Cap Dividend Stocks Answering The Call

Read More...

Summary only...

Why do I care about buying defensive stocks right now? I believe it is prudent to take a more defensive position when there is so much uncertainty in the economy. Plain and simple, we do not know how much collateral damage may occur to U.S. financial institutions or to the global economy if the problems of Europe swell and become unmanageable.

In the case of one sovereign default, the impact may be muted. If the European banks are in as bad shape as some suggest, the need to support the banks may bring additional nations’ sovereign debt issues under greater scrutiny (more downgrades) and raise the cost of financing to unsustainable levels causing more defaults.

Source: Seeking Alpha

Related Articles:
- 7 Dividend Stocks To Take The Emotion Out Of Investing
- A Winning Investment Strategy
- 7 Dividend Stocks To Slay The Wall Street Giants
- Dividend Stocks: A Disciplined Approach
- 3 High-Yield Telecom Dividend Stocks

Read More...

Summary only...

Seth Klarman is one of the world’s most successful and well-regarded value investors. He invests with an eye to the medium to long term (three to five years), and looks for a significant margin of safety on undervalued companies. On a recent interview with Charlie Rose, he quipped that he is still in Warren Buffett’s first stage of investing – looking for “cigar-butts.”

Klarman has chosen several high-yielding stocks for his portfolio, some of which account for large percentages of his portfolio. The highest yielding are: PDL BioPharma Inc. (PDLI), BreitBurn Energy Partners L.P. (BBEP), Ituran Location and Control Ltd. (ITRN) and BP PLC ADS (BP).

Source: Guru Focus

Related Articles:
- My Top 6 Performing Dividend Stocks Just Might Surprise You
- 10 Stocks With Sustainable Dividend Growth
- Income Annuities vs. Dividend Stocks
- 10 Dividend Stocks Delivering A Quick Payback
- Where To Find Great Dividend Stocks

Read More...

Summary only...

Josh Brown of The Reformed Broker named income worship as one of his dominant investing themes of 2012. "I believe that the big lesson of the past year is that market timing, for most investors, was a fools game," he writes. "With almost daily 200-point swings in both directions, many investors who chose to get in and out ended up doing little more than whipsawing themselves in the end." Dividend stocks aren't the only way in here. There are also cash distributions from master limited partnerships, which are structured to avoid paying corporate income tax

But let's get back to dividend stocks. A number of websites have listed the best dividend stocks around. I'll summarize them below: DuPont (DD), Veolia (VE), Waste Management (WM), Kraft (KFT) and Royal Bank of Canada (RY).

Source: MSN Money

Related Articles:
- 8 Dividend Stocks With The Right Stuff
- International Diversification Begins At Home
- Dividend Payout vs. Free Cash Flow Payout
- High-Yield Dividend Stocks: A Safer Approach
- 10 Best U.S. Dividend Stocks

Read More...

Summary only...

Dividend stocks have many benefits. One of them is the empirical evidence linking payout with higher earnings growth which in turn translates into stronger returns. In addition, higher-yielding stocks tend to be less volatile in uncertain markets like today. However, when I look for dividend stock ideas I am not just looking for a high yield, I am looking for companies whose dividend is steadily growing and who are not spending all their money on their dividends as they also need to growth their business!

In order to identify dividend growth candidates, I usually start by looking for companies with the following characteristics:
- Dividend yield in excess of 2%: I’m investing in dividend stocks to get some yield!
- Payout ratio below 50% to make sure the company has enough money to reinvest in growth.
- Positive free cash flow: to make sure the company has the cash to continue paying its dividends in the short term.
- A debt to equity ratio of less than 50% to avoid companies with too much leverage.
- Growing year over year dividends for the last seven years.
- A dividend growth rate of 5% on average or more per year over the last seven years.

Source: Guru Focus

Related Articles:
- Three Dividend Stocks With A Perfect Risk Score
- Protecting Your Dollars With Foreign Currency
- How To Maximize Your Dividend Stocks' Earnings
- High Yield, High Risk Dividend Stocks
- How Much Money Will You Need For Retirement?

Read More...

Summary only...

The percentage of dividend-paying firms in the S&P 500 index fell to 75 percent in 2010, from 94 percent in 1980. The dividend decline is beginning to reverse, however. The percentage of payers hit 78 percent in 2011. Still, some companies can afford to pay much more: S&P 500 companies distribute barely one-third of their operating profits as dividends their stingiest amount ever. Nonfinancial companies in the index hold more than $1 trillion in cash.

Companies in the best position to supply boomers with steadily rising dividends in coming decades will be rewarded with plenty of demand for their shares, says Subramanian. She recommends a could-would-should strategy for investors looking for such firms. Companies that could raise payments include those with plenty of cash and modest debt. Firms that should are those with high returns on equity and stable earnings despite slow growth. And companies that would are those that most likely already are.

Source: SmartMoney

Related Articles:
- 38 Dividend Securities For A Well-Rounded Asset Allocation
- Five High-Yield Positive Return Investments
- Dividend Stocks: Three Keys For Successful Investing
- 10 Stocks With 100+ Years of Dividend Payments
- 10 Dividend Stocks With Above Target Returns

Read More...

Summary only...

Roughly 20 years ago, investors started focusing on the " Dogs of the Dow ." These are the 10 highest-yielding stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and their above-average yield is often a sign of recent distress for the company involved. In theory, these high-yielders have been oversold (as the share price falls, the dividend yield goes up) and are most likely to outperform the rest of the Dow stocks in the next 12 months.

A clear pattern is emerging. The Dogs of the Dow outperformed the market in the first half of the 1990s and the first half of the last decade as well. Yet it underperformed in the second half of each decade. As we move through a fresh decade, that trend is intact.

Source: The Street

Related Articles:
- Finding Dividend Stock Gems In An Overbought Market
- Dividend Stocks Are My Conviction
- The Dividend Freeze
- Seeding A Forest Of Dividend Stocks
- Dividend Stocks Are Getting Expensive

Read More...

Summary only...

At first glance, it can be easy to overlook dividend yields when making investment decisions. For example, seeing a 2% yield on a stock may seem minuscule, but consider this; a portfolio with a baseline investment of $100,000, earning an average 2% annually off of dividends will appreciate to approximately $122,000 in 10 years, and nearly $150,000 in 20 years, assuming the gains are re-invested and no appreciation in stock price. In fact, a recent study conducted by Standard & Poor’s revealed that dividend components were responsible for 44% of the total return in the last 80 years of the S&P 500′s history. From 1950 until 2010, an investment of one dollar with dividends and reinvestment would have performed eight times better than a dollar invested in a non-dividend security; that dividend invested dollar would be worth roughly $500 today.

Dividends can also be used as a partial hedge in bear markets. For instance, the last 10 year have been coined “The Lost Decade” for the U.S. stocks, as equities finished lower at the end of 2009 than they began in 2000. The S&P 500 returned -2.7% in the 2000′s, the worst decade in over 50 years. But, the average dividend distribution for the 2000′s was 1.8%, cutting losses from -2.7% to just -0.9%. And in decades where average stock prices rose (which is every decade from 1950 until 2000), gains are only furthered by strong dividends. Simply put, dividends provide stability even when markets stumble.

Source: ETF Daily News

Related Articles:
- Never Fall In Love With A Stock
- Seven Stingy Dividend Stocks
- 4 Dividend Stocks For The Social Security Blues
- Industrial Strength Dividends
- Six Great Dividend Stocks, But...

Read More...

Summary only...

Building and managing a dividend portfolio starts with setting objectives for yield and growth, finding securities that meet your objectives, tracking your progress, and pruning and improving your portfolio as conditions warrant. Peters: “More dividend yield typically means less dividend growth, but I do not settle for anything less than inflation.”

When should a dividend investor buy or sell stocks? One should sell when the dividend looks shaky and the risk is not yet fully discounted in the price of the stock, when the dividend growth repeatedly trails ones expectations, or when the stock price goes so high that the dividend can not be expected to drive a good total return from that point forward. An opportunity to buy is when a new stock offers more yield than an existing holding with the same dividend growth, more dividend growth with the same yield, or better fundamental quality with similar total-return prospects.

Source: Morningstar

Related Articles:
- Are REITs and Utilities Good Dividend Investments?
- Market Timing vs. Buy And Hold
- Should You Still Buy-And-Hold Stocks?
- Bonds: The Next Bubble to Burst?
- Never Confuse Desires With Goals

Read More...

Summary only...

If you haven't read What Works on Wall Street: A Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time by James P. O'Shaughnessy, you should. Using 45 years of S&P Compustat market data and a systematic, fundamental approach, O'Shaughnessy researched the performance of many different investment strategies and concluded that some produced greater returns than the S&P 500 while others produced less.

This type of analysis may sound anything but groundbreaking in our current, digital trading universe but very few studies, if any, have been executed so thoroughly, with such vast data, and with such attention to detail. The two top performing strategies in this book, considered by many as the Bible of investing, are O'Shaughnessy's Cornerstone Growth and Cornerstone Value strategies. These two strategies have consistently yielded strong returns and, not surprisingly, have been used by investment firms, mutual funds, and portfolio managers around the world.

Source: Seeking Alpha

Related Articles:
- Focus On Stocks, Not The Market
- 7 Investor Traits to Achieve Success
- Dividend Stocks Secret Ingredient
- Five Dividend Stocks With Different Reasons Not To Buy
- Has The Insurance Industry Finally Turned The Corner?

Read More...

Summary only...

In last week’s article, we showed that the Industrial sector has the 2nd best record for beating & meeting 3rd quarter earnings estimates. It also has the 2nd highest EPS growth estimate for the next fiscal year, trailing only Tech. This week we searched for additional attractive dividend paying stocks in the Industrials sector, focusing on finding the best stocks to buy for growth, valuation, financial metrics, and high options yields:

Covered Calls: Although these aren’t high dividend stocks, you can easily earn a much higher overall yield from them, by combining their dividends with high call options yields. The Static Yield refers to the combination of the call option and dividend yields, which represents your total income if the underlying stock isn’t If the stock doesn’t rise above the call strike price at or near expiration. The Total Potential Yield includes the potential price gain that you’ll realize if the stock’s price does rise above the call strike price. For example, for ETN, you’d receive an additional $1.07/share, if the stock rises above $45.oo and gets assigned/sold away from you at expiration.

Source: ForexPros

Related Articles:
- Retirement Planning With A Defined-Benefit Pension
- 12 Dividend Stocks With A 5-Star Strong Buy Rating
- Optimizing Your Asset Allocation
- Four Stocks With Strong Dividend Growth Metrics
- Warren Buffett's Dividend Stocks

Read More...

Summary only...

Last month, the dividend yields on American AAA corporations moved above the yield on 30-year Treasury bonds! That had never happened before. Even after last week’s stock market rally (which pushed dividend yields lower), the stocks of America’s four AAA companies still yield about 3%, on average, which is not quite as high as the yield on 30-year Treasury bonds, but still much higher than the yield on every Treasury bond of 24 years or less.

So you’ve got an opportunity here to forgo the dubious promise of a bankrupt nation and to invest, instead, in some of the strongest companies on the planet — those that are most capable of expanding, those that are most able to respond to government caprice and move operations wherever they need to move them, those with the most cash on their balance sheets. These are the companies that are going to lead the global economy for the next 10, 20, 30 years.

Source: Forbes

Related Articles:
- Are Defense Stocks Good Defensive Stocks?
- All Investing Involves Risk
- Is Now The Right Time To Start Investing?
- News of the U.S.'s Demise May Be Premature
- Dividend Investing in a Bear Market

Read More...

Summary only...

If you're interested in stocks paying dividend income but don't know where to start searching, one idea is to look at what the "big money" is buying. Big money investors, or institutional investors, include hedge fund managers, mutual fund managers, and pension managers, among others. These investors have access to sophisticated research and often have a lot of experience in investing. For these reasons, the market closely watches which stocks they decide to purchase.

We ran a screen on high dividend yield stocks, with dividend yields between 4%-7%. We then screened for payout ratios under 50%. Lastly, we screened for stocks seeing significant net institutional buying over the current quarter, expressed as a percent of share float. List sorted by net institutional purchases as a percent of share float:
1. SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM)
2. TIM Participacoes (NYSE: TSU)
3. Ternium (NYSE: TX)
4. Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR)
5. Communications Systems (NYSE: JCS)

Source: Motley Fool

Related Articles:
- In Dividend Investing, Cash Is King
- Should You Sell A Dividend Stock After A Dividend Freeze?
- Warren Buffett Quotes
- Utilities For A Well-Rounded Dividend Investment Portfolio
- Financial Crisis: Can You Spare A Dime For My Wealthy Friend?

Read More...

Summary only...

Anyone who has been investing for any length of time knows that buying stocks that pay reliable dividends can be a key component in a long-term investing strategy when those dividends are reinvested. For short term traders, the benefits of dividend-paying stocks - and ETFs that consist of dividend-paying stocks - are more muted. Holding a position for three, five or eight days often means that the trader will not be in possession of the stock or fund when dividend payout time comes around.

This, by the way, is important whether you are buying the dividend paying stock - and expecting a dividend payout - or selling the dividend paying stock short - and providing a dividend payout. But just because dividend paying equities provide their greatest advantage to longer term holders doesn't mean that they can't play a role in a short-term trading strategy, especially when these funds are among the few trading in oversold territory above the 200-day moving average.

Source: NASDAQ

Related Articles:
- Ten Dividend Stocks With 50+ Years of Consecutive Increases
- Wells Fargo: Things May Not Be Well at Wells
- The Best Dividend Stocks In The World
- Do As I Say, Not As I Do
- The Dividend Stock Life Cycle

Read More...

Summary only...

UBS Wealth Management Research tells investors they’ll need to stay defensive, focus on income, and be prepared to use volatility to their advantage next year, predicting that geopolitical risks will persist and global earnings growth will stall. Some tips from UBS’s 2012 outlook report:

1. Focus on income-generating investments, but look beyond traditional sources of income, mainly toward dividend-paying stocks, which offer “a healthy combination of defensive characteristics, growth prospects and income generation.” 2. Prefer U.S. fixed income to non-U.S. fixed income, and look to domestic credit markets, particularly high-yield bonds; lower-tier investment-grade bond sectors including managed-care, mining, oil and gas, and communications; as well as senior unsecured debt of diversified U.S. banks and select insurance companies.

Source: Baron's

Related Articles:
- Stock Analysis: Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW)
- Dividend Stocks: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
- Dividend Stocks Role In The Future Recovery
- Refining Risk Measurement Of Dividend Stocks
- Managing The Risk Of A Dividend Cut With Allocations

Read More...

Summary only...

High yield investing is very popular especially in times of low interest rates. The royal class of high yield investing is to trade stocks with very high yields (double digit yields). But the risks (e.g. dividend cut) are not to underestimate. For a margin trader it is still an attractive opportunity especially short-term before the next ex-dividend date. If you own a stock before this date, you get the next dividend payment. In the case of a double digit annual yield, you should earn at least 2.5 percent for a very short period of investing. I screened my database by stocks with a very high yield (more than 10 percent) as well as an ex-dividend date within the upcoming week (December 12 – 18). Exact 8 stocks fulfilled these criteria. These are the results:

1. ARMOUR Residential REIT (ARR)
2. CYS Investments Inc (CYS)
3. Apollo Investment Corp. (AINV)
4. MCG Capital Corporation (MCGC)
5. TICC Capital (TICC)
6. Otelco (OTT)
7. Solar Capita (SLRC)

Source: Guru Focus

Related Articles:
- High-Quality Low-Risk Dividend Stocks
- Are ETFs and CEFs Good Income Investments?
- Underfunded Pension Plans: The Next Shoe To Drop?
- Elite Dividend Stocks
- Buy-And-Hold Under Attack

Read More...

Summary only...

The trickle of dividend-payers is continuing in December. All told, 17 stocks with a market cap of over $1-billion announced dividend increases in the last week. That's the same number of stocks as we saw in the previous week -- a good sign that dividend hikes aren't completely dropping off.

Historically, dividend stocks have been a good bet. Over the last 36 years, dividend stocks have outperformed the rest of the S&P 500 by 2.5 per cent annually, and they outperformed nonpayers by nearly 8 per cent every year, all while paying out cash to their shareholders, according to data compiled by Ned Davis Research. The numbers are even more compelling when looking at companies that consistently increase their payouts.

Source: Globe and Mail

Related Articles:
- American Safari: Stalking Three Great Dividend Stocks
- Five Stocks For Any Economic Situation
- Dividend Investing vs. S&P Index Fund
- Five Dividend Stocks To Watch
- Does This Market Have A Bottom?

Read More...

Summary only...

Bob Shearer, portfolio manager of the BlackRock Equity Dividend Income Fund (MDDVX), urges income investors to look at dividend-paying stocks, which he says offer income that’s competitive with bonds plus growth bonds can’t offer, along with lower volatility than the broader stock market and attractive valuations. Here’s Shearer:

Our advice is to search for companies with solid franchises that are in a position to meet real, growing demand for their services. By focusing on companies with healthy balance sheets and a commitment to increasing their dividends, you can sleep a little better at night as an investor, while also collecting a growing stream of income — and that’s during a time when income is increasingly difficult to come by.

Source: Baron's

Related Articles:
- Is The Financial Crisis Getting the Best of Warren Buffett?
- Stock Screen For Improving Dividends
- Measuring Dividend Stocks Investment Risk Profile
- Searching the World For The Best Dividend Stocks
- How Is Your Portfolio Doing This Year?

Read More...

Summary only...

The financial crisis and the very weak global economy has created lower prices or deflation in many asset classes. It's also created very low interest rates thanks to central bankers who seem to be willing to do anything to pump up the economy. With the European debt crisis growing in size, it looks like those leaders will follow the path taken by the Federal Reserve which was to lower rates, and more or less, print money. Historically, debtor nations have printed money in order to climb their way out of what some may call insolvency. Eventually, this should all catch up with us in the future.

Based on the currently low rates available in money market accounts and certificates of deposits, many investors are turning to dividend stocks. Forward looking investors should be looking for companies that have high yields and/or pricing power so that price increases can be passed onto consumers once inflation hits. Another hedge is to own oil stocks since hard assets like oil tend to rise and even create inflationary pressures.

Source: Seeking Alpha

Related Articles:
- High-Quality Low-Risk Dividend Stocks
- Are ETFs and CEFs Good Income Investments?
- Underfunded Pension Plans: The Next Shoe To Drop?
- Elite Dividend Stocks
- Buy-And-Hold Under Attack

Read More...

Summary only...

I counted twice, just to be sure… $41,513.18. That’s the amount in “daily paychecks” — more commonly known as dividends — I’ve received from my investment portfolio in 2011. This total comes to $124.29 for each day of the year. Cash. What I like best is that it’s the easiest way to invest you can imagine. Once you get started, it runs on autopilot. Of course, you’ll make a few portfolio adjustments now and then, but you won’t have to anxiously watch your holdings every day.

Now it’s time to come clean. If you start this strategy tomorrow, then it’s unlikely you’ll be earning $124 a day by the weekend. I’ve been fortunate to start with a healthy-sized portfolio. And as I said, I’ve enjoyed the benefits of implementing the “Daily Paycheck” strategy for a few years now, so my payments have grown much larger than when I started.

Source: Traders-Blog

Related Articles:
- There is Value to be Found in the P/B Ratio
- The Perfect Dividend Stock
- Your Greatest Wealth Building Asset
- All Intelligent Investing IS Value Investing
- Which International Income ETF to Buy?

Read More...

Summary only...

Dividend-stock guru Jeremy Siegel, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, has calculated that dividends, assuming they are reinvested in the stock, account for 97% of historical stock market returns. If you're at or near retirement, dividends offer you a stream of recurring income without tapping into your principal.

Many companies paying dividends are large-cap high-quality concerns, such as utilities and consumer product companies. That makes them simpler for individuals to understand than high-flying growth companies. "It's much easier for an ordinary investor to figure out what's going on with a utility than a biotech company," says Josh Peters, director of equity income strategy for Morningstar research firm in Chicago.

Source: Fox Business

Related Articles:
- Dividend Investing + Value Investing = Superior Returns
- Interest Rates: Things Are Not Always As They Have Been
- Who is David Dodd and Why Should We Listen to Him
- International ETF Dividend Investing
- The Dark Side of Dividends

Read More...

Summary only...

Investors have been told to seek the safety of boring U.S. stocks with predictable businesses and attractive dividends to protect their money from Europe's debt meltdown and slowing U.S. economic growth. That strategy isn't bulletproof. DuPont(DD_), the U.S. chemical maker that's a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, saw its shares plummet as much as 7% today after the company cut its full-year profit forecast.

Job Curtis, manager of the Henderson Global Equity Income Fund(HFQAX_), understands why risk-averse investors have been brainwashed into believing U.S. large-cap stocks with big dividends are the best place to be. "Investors tend to favor their own markets, and the U.S. has loads of good companies," Curtis says from his London office. "But even the large U.S. companies are multinationals. You can find comparable companies in global markets."

Source: The Street

Related Articles:
- Dividend Stocks in Today's Market
- What To Do With A Dividend Freeze?
- Don't Fall Into A Dividend Trap
- Change, the Only Constant
- What Would Warren Buffett Do?

Read More...

Summary only...

It has been a particularly fun investing environment lately, as every day seems to bring another headline predicting either fire and brimstone or financial Nirvana. While it may be tempting to focus on the crisis du jour, investors would be wise to ignore the wild market gyrations and focus on what really matters: earnings. Companies that are growing their earnings and boosting their dividends will be rewarded for their profitability – eventually. In the meantime, enjoy the juicy yields.

So, for dividend investors with a calm hand, cool head and long-term focus, I present the following list of five high-yield stocks with strong projected earnings growth: Eagle Rock Energy Partners LP (EROC), Southern Copper Company Co (SCCO), Nucor Corp (NUE), Seagate Technologies (STX) and CTC Media (CTCC).

Source: Seeking Alpha

Related Articles:
- When Is Enough, Enough
- The First Steps To Investing
- The Power of 5/15 in Dividend Investing
- Who is Jeremy J. Siegel and Why Should We Listen to Him?
- Seven Important Reasons for Dividend Investing

Read More...

Summary only...

McLean & Partners, which manages portfolios for high-net-worth individuals, focuses on global companies with a market capitalization of at least $1 billion and a track record of increasing dividends. It invests in nondividend stocks, too, but dividend growers account for about 70% of the equity component of the portfolios it manages.

"We prefer companies that can pay a decent dividend now and preferably grow it," said Tyler Simms, an investment associate with the Calgary-based firm. "Long term, you’ve seen that style of investing proving time and time again to outperform." Generally speaking, the lower the payout ratio, the safer the dividend. A high dividend growth rate is also a plus, as is a low P/E, although these are just guidelines and each stock should be judged on its own merits.

Source: Minyanville

Related Articles:
- To Infinity and Beyond!
- Rising Dividends = Rising Returns
- Stock Dividends - The Gift of Nothing
- What's Your Retirement Vision?
- What's More Powerful Than Compound Interest?

Read More...

Summary only...

This article is not going to be another of those “dividends are wonderful” pieces. In fact, I’d like to share a dividend investing horror stories with you so that you understand the down side to this popular trend. Keep in mind, I have invested through the late 1990’s and into the dot com bubble of the early 2000’s when dividends were slammed and capital gains were king. Any one talking about “yield” was considered a fool when stocks were growing 15-30% annually!

Nokia was over taken by the higher margin smart phones. Those phones grew rapidly in popularity and Nokia was slow to adopt. Now, the company is playing catch up and partnering with Microsoft to gain a presence in the smart phone landscape. Meanwhile, they continue to lose market share. It is uncertain whether Nokia will ever regain its market dominance. As this story illustrates, there’s more to investing than finding a great yield. You must research the growth drivers of the company, the competitive landscape, and be vigilant in monitoring your shares. A great dividend is no reward if the share prices tank. This was definitely a net loss situation.

Source: Free Money Finance

Related Articles:
- Life is a Choice
- The Will to Win
- Who is Ben Grossbaum and Why Should We Listen to Him?
- Discounted Cash Flow Model (DCF)
- John D. Rockefeller Quotes
- This Sword Has Two Edges!

Read More...

Summary only...

Here is a current table of stocks from the machine tools and accessories industry, a part of the industrial goods sector. Here are the three top dividend stocks by market capitalization:

CompX International (CIX) Dividend Yield: 3.31%
Kaydon Corporation (KDN) Dividend Yield: 2.62%
Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) Dividend Yield: 2.46%

Source: Guru Focus

Related Articles:
- Are There Cracks in Your Foundation?
- The Most Dangerous Investment
- The Magnificent Marvelous Money Machine
- Would You Call Genghis Khan a Ruthless Warrior?
- Measure What's Important

Read More...

Summary only...

Dividend investing is popular again. Investors have taken to heart Jeremy Siegel's studies showing that higher-yielding stocks tend to offer greater returns over time than low- or no-yield stocksdo. One particular area that has garnered interest over the years is master limited partnerships. Investors are drawn to MLPs for their high yields and tax deferment. MLPs don't pay taxes at the corporate level, so the tax burden then gets passed to the investor.

Without getting into too much detail, because of the structure of the partnerships and the distributions, investors are entitled to a serious tax deferral. Investors should fully understand what they are in for before buying MLPs, but for those willing to do the research, it can be very profitable. Certain types of companies, such as MLPs, have to pay out most of their cash flow as distributions, so their yields will be higher than "normal."

Source: Motley Fool

Related Articles:
- Auto Pilot Engaged, Sir!
- 21 Suggestions for Success
- Winners Never Quit and Quitters Never Win
- Who is Charles Mangum and Why Should We Listen to Him?
- Asset Allocation Model

Read More...

Summary only...

Dividend income is a necessary cash flow for retirees. Many baby boomers are entering the retirement years, and need a high-quality source of income. A traditional source of income, Treasury bonds, does not pay a sufficient interest rate to support monthly living expenses. Inflation is rising at a faster rate than Social Security income. In this article I will provide 7 stock ideas which provide reliable dividends.

Many roads lead to a successful retirement income. Investors need to take it upon themselves and identify their income needs and their risk tolerance. Just like a snowflake, retirees all have different personalities and dividend income needs. Choose wisely and become engaged in the decision process. You have the ultimate responsibility of developing adequate income for your golden years.

Source: Seeking Alpha

Related Articles:
- Harvest the Fruit
- Measuring Asset Allocation Across Your Entire Portfolio
- Turbo Charge Your Portfolio With Reinvested Dividends
- Hey, You Invest Like a Girl!
- You Can't Spend Earnings

Read More...

Summary only...

Here is a current table of stocks from the technology sector with a dividend yield of more than 3% as well as an expected earnings per share growth for the next five years of at least 15% yearly. Here are the three top dividend stocks by market capitalization:

Maxim Integrated Products (MXIM)
Seagate Technology (STX)
STMicroelectronics N.V (STM)

Source: Guru Focus

Related Articles:
- What's More Powerful Than Compound Interest?
- Are There Cracks in Your Foundation?
- The Most Dangerous Investment
- The Magnificent Marvelous Money Machine
- Would You Call Genghis Khan a Ruthless Warrior?

Read More...

Summary only...

You have to be careful with dividend-paying stocks. Sometimes the yield is so high that one wonders if the dividend is sustainable. Other times, the dividend might look just fine, but if it’s a relatively new payout, then it might not be sustainable either. That’s why you always want to check to see if your stock of choice has not only been steadily paying dividends, but that the company has been increasing it over the years.

If the company is, it means it has been so efficient in deploying its capital that free cash flow has been rising, so it can afford to return increasing dividends to shareholders. Here are four such stocks that make a habit of increasing dividends: Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Leggett & Platt (NYSE:LEG) and Cincinnati Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:CINF).


Source: Investor Place

Related Articles:
- Measure What's Important
- Auto Pilot Engaged, Sir!
- 21 Suggestions for Success
- Winners Never Quit and Quitters Never Win
- Who is Charles Mangum and Why Should We Listen to Him?

Read More...

Summary only...

David R. Fried, a Cornell University graduate, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Fried Asset Management, Inc. In 1989, his company was listed in Inc. magazine's annual "Inc. 500" list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies. Mr. Fried also is the Editor and Publisher of The Buyback Letter, an investment newsletter devoted to finding opportunities among companies that repurchase their stock. Mr. Fried has been a guest on Bloomberg Television and CNBC's "The Money Club," as well as "Squawk Box" and "Market Wrap" with Bill Bresnan in New York City.

For income, with interest rates being so low today, we started a dividend portfolio. It's simply buying companies that pay outsized dividends and seem to have good businesses as well. We've done pretty well with that over time as well. We also have an audited track record there that has returned 133% since inception through the end of last year versus a return of about 40% for the S&P.

Source: TWST.com

Related Articles:
- The Best Dividend Stocks In The World Are Found Here
- A Roadmap To Build Wealth With Dividend Stocks
- 12 Blue Chip Dividend Stocks For When the Chips Are Down
- Spanning the World For The Best Dividend Stocks
- My Five Top And Bottom Performing Dividend Stocks

Read More...

Summary only...

When you're looking at dividend stocks, one of the first criteria you want to look at is a stock's dividend history. One of the hardest things for a company to do is to maintain stable dividends. Think about it: With most industries going through cyclical ups and downs that have a direct impact on their income and available cash flow, it can be challenging for a company to make sure it always has the cash on hand to pay its shareholders. From the market meltdown back in 2008 and early 2009, we know all too well how easy it is for seemingly solid dividend payers to have to reverse course and reduce or eliminate their payouts due to financial difficulties.

So if merely sustaining a dividend payout over the decades is hard, think how much harder it is to consistently increase those dividends year in and year out. Through good times and bad, finding more money every year to pay investors is something that few companies have managed to achieve, even among the largest, most successful stocks in the entire market. But a handful of companies have managed to put together impressive track records. Those that are in the S&P 500 index and have increased their dividends every year for at least 25 years qualify as Dividend Aristocrats under S&P's definition.

Source: Motley Fool

Related Articles:
- 7 Dividend Stocks To Build Your Future Security
- How To Know When To Sell A Dividend Stock
- 7 Dividend Stocks Delivering The Secret To Successful Investing
- 7 High-Yield Dividend Achievers With 25 Years of Increases
- There's Gold In Them Thar Dividend Stocks

Read More...

Summary only...

If you are doubting the recent rebound in stocks, you’re not alone. It’s hard to imagine everything is smooth sailing from here on out — even if the unemployment rate does start with an 8 and even if headlines seem to be optimistic about the euro zone. There still are serious macroeconomic problems that will take time to resolve, and the recovery (if this can be called one) is very fragile indeed.

But if you’re tired of sitting on the sidelines and missing out on the profits, a good compromise is to find shelter in safe-haven dividend stocks that could rally as the market continues to show strength — and provide a good hedge against any future slide with their strong balance sheets and regular dividend payments.

Source: Investor Place

Related Articles:
- 6 Tech Stocks With A History of Growing Their Dividends
- Buy And Hold Is Not Buy And Forget
- 6 Higher-Yielding Consumer Stocks With A History of Rising Dividends
- 9 Dividend Stocks With A Low P/B Ratio
- 7 Small-Cap Dividend Stocks For Yield And Growth

Read More...

Summary only...

These high-dividend stocks have been an oasis throughout the market volatility of 2011, and they will continue to offer a place where investors entering into the market can feel secure. New money flowing into stocks will head for the safest stocks with the highest and most reliable dividends. Here are six trustworthy dividend stocks to buy now:

Altria Group Inc. (NYSE:MO)
Companhia de Bebidas das Americas (Ambev) (NYSE:ABV)
Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE:DPS)
McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE:MCD)
Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM)
Reynolds American Inc. (NYSE:RAI)

Source: InvestorPlace

Related Articles:
- The Most Important Thing To Consider When Selecting A Dividend Stock
- 3 Powerful Concepts for Compounding Wealth with Dividend Stocks
- 11 Higher Yielding, Lower Risk Stocks To Perk Up Your Dividend Income
- 4 Secrets To Finding The Best Dividend Stocks
- 7 Undervalued, Big-Name Stocks To Consider For Your Dividend Portfolio

Read More...

Summary only...