Masco Corp. (MAS) Declares $0.075 Quarterly Dividend; 2.6% Yield

Masco Corporation (NYSE: MAS) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.075 per common share, or $0.30 annualized. The dividend is payable on August 9, 2010, to shareholders of record on July 9, 2010. The ex-dividend date is July 7, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 2.6%.... more

Coffee Holding (JVA) Declares $0.03 Quarterly Dividend; 2.4% Yield

Coffee Holding Co., Inc. (Nasdaq: JVA) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend on the company's common stock of $0.03 per share, or $0.12 annualized. The dividend will be paid on July 29, 2010, stockholders of record as of the close of business on July 16, 2010. The ex-dividend date is July 14, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 2.4%.... more

Is Mattel a Dividend Toy Story?

With the release of Toy Story 3, Mattel (MAT) is currently receiving a lot of investor attention. The stock currently commands a P/E ratio of 13.6, and offers an above-average dividend yield of 3.4%. Mattel only has 22% debt on the balance sheet and generates strong, albeit inconsistent, cash flows. At first glance this all sounds rather attractive for the conservative investors seeking dividend income, however, the story is not as sanguine when reviewing Mattel's history. It's a simple and undeniable fact that dividends are a function of earnings. For short periods of time a company can maintain their dividend during a temporary earnings interruption. Over the longer term earnings must manifest in order for the dividend to be safe. The operating history of Mattel, as it relates to its... more

6 Dividend Stocks Avoiding June Freeze

For a dividend investor, there is not much worse than a stock that cuts or eliminates its dividend. Suddenly, the reason you purchased the stock no longer exists. Many dividend investors, myself included, have a hard and fast rule to immediately sell any stock held as income investment if it cuts its dividend. However, when a company freezes its dividend at the current rate, the decision is not as clear-cut. At this point you must look look at alternative investments, along with the company’s current yield and future outlook.... more

First United (FUNC) Declares $0.01 Quarterly Dividend; 0.9% Yield

First United Corporation (Nasdaq: FUNC) declared a third quarter cash dividendof $0.01, or $0.04 annualized. The third quarter dividend will be paid on August 2, 2010 to shareholders of record as of July 14, 2010. The ex-dividend date is July 12, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 0.9%.... more

Searching for Airline Dividend Stocks

The thought of considering an airline stock as a dividend play is probably foreign to most investors. The airline industry has never been able to consistently produce profits and has spent most of the last decade bleeding red ink. Reviewing a list of non-dividend paying airlines stocks seems to encapsulate most of the airline industry.American Airlines (AMR), Delta (DAL), United Airlines (UAUA), Continental Airlines (CAL), US Airways (LCC), JetBlue (JBLU), and AirTran (AAI) don’t offer investors any dividend at all.There are a couple of domestic airline stocks that do pay dividends, but the dividend yields that they offer don’t exactly get investors excited.Southwest Airlines (LUV) - 0.1% dividend yieldSkyWest (SKYW) - 1.2% dividend yieldAllegiant Travel (ALGT) - 1.6% dividend yieldOn... more

How to Receive Dividends from MLPs

MLPs are master limited partnerships with ownership measured in units that pay distributions. Last week I wrote about two MLPs: Kinder Morgan (KMP) and Enbridge Partners (EEP). Each also finances its business with a corporation; equity is measured in shares that pay stock dividends. Some readers were confused about the corporations, especially regarding tax implications, so I will try again.Each corporation has only one purpose, owning units in the partnership. A share is backed by one unit that tracks the unit price. Stock dividends (i.e. no money) are paid based on the distribution paid to a unit and the average stock price prior to the dividend date. Shares accumulate over time, the only tax issue for shareholders is when stock is sold. Capital gains are taxed at capital gains rates.... more

Medtronic (MDT) Increases Dividend 9.8% to $0.225; Yields 2.4%

Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), today approved a cash dividend of $0.225 per share of the company’s common stock, or $0.90 annualized. The dividend is payable on July 30, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 9, 2010. The ex-dividend date is July 7, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 2.4%.... more

Hingham Institution For Savings (HIFS) Declares $0.23 Quarterly Dividend; 2.4% Yield

Hingham Institution For Savings (Nasdaq: HIFS) declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.23 per share, or $0.92 annualized. The dividend will be paid on July 20, 2010 to stockholders of record as of July 9, 2010. The ex-dividend date is July 7, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 2.4%.... more

NSTAR (NST) Declares $0.40 Quarterly Dividend; 4.6% Yield

NSTAR (NYSE: NST) announced today that its Board of Trustees declared a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per common share, or $1.60 annualized. The dividend is payable August 2, 2010 to shareholders of record July 9, 2010. The ex-dividend date is July 7, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 4.6%.... more