One Dividend Stock That Should Pocket You Strong Returns

Being in the natural gas business has proved worthwhile for the Houston-based company, and there seems to be no reason for this trend to stop. In case you've missed the story, natural gas should be the next biggest trend in commodity plays, and it has the potential to last for decades. So what's different about Linn?Unlike most of its fellow brethren in the E&P business, Linn functions a bit differently in that it enjoys the typical benefits of a master limited partnership and in the process can shortchange Uncle Sam on taxes. And yet, it does not have to worry about accountability to a general partner -- a perfect platform for a firm in the business of exploring natural resources.... more

The Street's 10 Dividend Stocks Reviewed After Two Months

Two months ago we captured the dividend choices according to Miriam Reimer of TheStreet.com, We entered the ten choices into our system and then compared it with a balanced portfolio of Dividend producing ETFs for comparison. The stock selection was: Hewlett Packard (HPQ) Silver Wheaton Corp (SLW) Oracle (ORCL) Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) Qualcomm (QCOM) Walmart (WMT) Staples (SPLS) Bank NY Mellon (BK) Gold Corp (GG) Proctor and Gamble (PG) We entered these funds into our system and then compared it with a balanced portfolio of Dividend producing ETFs. Asset Fund in this portfolio REAL ESTATE ICF (iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors) CASH CASH FIXED INCOME TIP (iShares Barclays TIPS Bond) Emerging Market VWO (Vanguard Emerging... more

Dividends in a Plain Brown Wrapper

But do the strengths of the UPS brand and its size -- $50.4 billion in revenue in its most recent fiscal year, versus $38.2 billion for FedEx -- translate into a smart buy for investors? Let's see. Good news, bad news ...The good: UPS has had consecutive dividend increases 10 of the last 11 years -- it was flat from 2008 to 2009, but can you really blame the company there? -- and a five-year dividend growth rate of 6.94%. The dividend is currently at 2.90%, and with a payout ratio of 51%, UPS should have no problem making these payments.... more

The Most Promising Dividends in Electrical Manufacturing

Yields and growth rates and payout ratios, oh my!Before we get to those companies, though, you should understand just why you'd want to own dividend payers. These stocks can contribute a huge chunk of growth to your portfolio in good times, and bolster it during market downturns. As my colleague Matt Koppenheffer has noted: "Between 2000 and 2009, the average dividend-adjusted return on stocks with market caps above $5 billion and a trailing yield of 2.5% or better was a whopping 114%. Compare that to a 19% drop for the S&P 500."... more

The Best Dividend ETFs

If your portfolio is light on dividend power, think about upping your exposure to this segment of the market. One of the quickest and easiest ways to get diversified exposure to dividend payers is through inexpensive exchange-traded funds. Let's look at some of the better dividend-focused ETFs on the market today. Big names, big profitsU.S.-based large-cap stocks have long trailed behind their racier and more exciting small-cap counterparts. In the past decade, the S&P 500 has returned 2.6% annually, compared with a 6.9% annual showing for the small-cap Russell 2000 Index. But don't go ditching your large-cap names just yet. Small-cap stocks have lead in the early stages of the economic recovery, but as the market cycle matures and as growth slows, large-cap stocks should come back into... more

5 Big Dividend Stocks From Europe

The headlines from Europe over debt concerns and the general market correction has created a new opportunity to buy solid companies at cheaper prices. All of these companies are based in Europe and pay very generous dividends. Many European companies pay higher dividends than their U.S. counterparts, so it makes sense to look globally for yield. With dividends looking solid here, and earnings continuing to grow at most of these companies, it's possible these stocks could see significant share price appreciation as well. Here are the European dividend stocks to consider now that they have pulled back: Unilever PLC (UL) is trading at $31.66. Unilever is one of the leading food and consumer product companies and is based in England. Unilever owns well known brands such as Bertolli, Ragu, Ben... more

Favor Dividend Stocks Before Others as the Greece Situation Comes to a Head

Stocks started the week lower today on the news that the euro-zone did not come with another plan to temporarily "fix" the Greece situation. This is surprising to me, and shows me how the market is trading on such short-term news right now. The reality is that there is no solution to Greece other than a default and/or currency devaluation. You can't fix a situation with too much debt without austerity, and the people will likely not accept much more austerity. Is there really a path that doesn't lead to Greece bowing out of the Euro, going back to its own currency, and then devaluing that currency to "fix" its own problems? If that is the case, does it make sense to buy any stocks right now until this fully shakes out? The markets get rattled each time the Greece and Euro situation flares... more

Highest-Yielding Financials (You Might Actually Want to Buy)

What's more, reinvesting dividends acts as a "bear-market protector and return accelerator," according to Siegel. The extra shares purchased and accumulated at higher dividend yields during down periods act as a protector in falling markets, and these extra shares rising in value turn into a "return accelerator" when prices rise. As the recent economic crisis illustrated all too well, however, you can't buy just any high-yielding stock. Dividends that get cut or suspended entirely can wreak havoc on a stock price -- and thus, your portfolio.... more

Cal-Maine: Dividend Dynamo or Blowup?

Let's examine how Cal-Maine (Nasdaq: CALM) stacks up in four critical areas to determine whether it's a dividend dynamo or a disaster in the making. 1. YieldFirst and foremost, dividend investors like a large yield. But if a yield gets too high, it may reflect investors' doubts about the payout's sustainability. If investors had confidence in the stock, they'd be buying it, driving up the share price and shrinking the yield.... more

DuPont: Dividend Dynamo or Blowup?

Let's examine how DuPont (NYSE: DD) stacks up in four critical areas to determine whether it's a dividend dynamo or a disaster in the making. 1. YieldFirst and foremost, dividend investors like a large yield. But if a yield gets too high, it may reflect investors' doubts about the payout's sustainability. If investors had confidence in the stock, they'd be buying it, driving up the share price and shrinking the yield.... more