eBook Review: Top 40 Dividend-Growth Stocks for 2011

When I purchased the eBook Top 40 Dividend-Growth Stocks for 2011, I hadn't intended to write a review. But as I read deeper into this work, I realized that it would be a disservice not to call attention to its value to both Seeking Alpha readers and others who might be in search of sound advice on investing in dividend stocks. The author, David Van Knapp, is the number one Opinion Leader in the Income Investing Strategy category and a top-20 Commentator, having published (as I write this) 72 articles and posted over 2,100 comments. Unlike many of the books that you may see reviewed here on SA, this work is designed to help the reader to not only learn more about dividend-based investing, but also to establish profitable positions in high-quality companies. (If I were writing ad copy, I'd... more

Dividend Scan: SNH, BAC, EP, SHLM, SURW, LTC, AFG

As the US stocks indexes continued to trade in green, several companies declared their future dividend plans. Some notable dividend payers are discussed here. Senior Housing Properties Trust (NYSE: SNH) announced a regular quarterly common share dividend of 37 cents per share, payable on May 12, 2011 to shareholders of record on April 15, 2011. Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.38775 per share, payable on June 14, 2011 to shareholders of record on May 31, 2011. BAC El Paso Corp. (NYSE: EP) announced a quarterly dividend of one cent per share, payable on June 3, 2011 to shareholders of record on March 22, 2011. A Schulman Inc. (Nasdaq: SHLM) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.155 per common share, payable on May 2, 2011 to... more

Top 100 Dividend Stocks

It has certainly been a busy month as March flew by marked by tragedies in Japan and conflicts in the middle east. At times I used to try to pull off some great April fool pranks on here but in the light of everything happening right now, it seemed fit to start April by looking at the top dividend stocks around the world, seeing as these are all potential targets for your passive income portfolio in what could be the difference between an early & enjoyable retirement and a very late retirement where you depend on your former employer or the government to determine the level of your life. So today we resume our monthly tradition of looking at the top 100 dividend stocks in the broad based S&P500 index. What to look for Over the past few months, we have looked at quite a few criteria... more

3 Utility Stocks That Increased Dividends

Income investors like the dividends they receive from gas and electric utilities, but they love dividend increases. If investors reinvest their dividends, then compounding can be significantly greater when the dividends are rising. In the last couple months, a few of the top yielding utility stocks listed at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com boosted their dividend payouts. For example, the Arizona based electric utility, UniSource Energy Corporation (UNS), bumped up its quarterly dividend to $0.42 a share, an increase of 7.7%. The stock trades at 13 times forward earnings and has a yield of 4.7%.WGL Holdings, Inc. (WGL) is an Eastern US natural gas distributor that serves Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and the District... more

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the First Week of April

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called "Buying Dividends." This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful. In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over... more

3 ETFs Safe Enough For Retirement

For most traders nearing retirement, equities that provide substantial dividend income without much volatility are pretty much the holy grail. Although exchange-traded funds haven't been around long, they could be just the safety net that retirees seek. Below, I've highlighted three ETFs that could significantly add to your dividend income. In contrast, I left fixed-income ETFs out of this discussion, since many of them are highly sensitive to interest rates, and might take a big hit once those rates begin to rise.... more

4 Dividend Stocks Showing You the Money

Readers of the Income Investor newsletter can certainly appreciate that kind of thinking. Let's take a closer look at some of the companies that inched their payouts higher this past week. Let's start with Oxford Industries (NYSE: OXM ) . The company behind the tropical Tommy Bahama shirts is dressing up its dividend. Its new quarterly rate of $0.13 a share is an 18% improvement. It's good for the money after posting a blowout quarter.... more

The Most Promising Dividends in Gaming

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

Top Dividend Stocks Of 2011, 1Q Update

Back at the end of 2010, several investment bloggers invited me to a stock picking competition. Each one had to select four stock picks which they expect to perform well in 2011. The four picks that I selected were all dividend growth stocks. The companies I selected include Philip Morris International (PM), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Procter & Gamble (PG) and PepsiCo (PEP). You could read the reasoning behind selecting these stocks in this article. Below you could find a brief overview of each of the four stock picks: Philip Morris International Inc. (PM) engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. The company generates all of its revenues outside the US, which shields it from potential negative... more

Highlighting 5 of 88 Quality Stocks Going Ex-Dividend This Week

The first week of April is a busy time as at least 88 stocks are going Ex-Dividend. Listed below you will find the ticker, company name, Ex-Dividend Date, Pay Date, payout amount, price and yield of these stocks. Many of these companies look to make payments in late April or early March with yields ranging from as little as 0.24% to as high as 18.93%. Below the table find commentary on a few of these early April Ex-Dividend stocks. Stock Company Ex-Div Pay Next Stock Dividend Symbol Name Date Date Payout Price Yield ACU Acme United Corp 4-Apr 27-Apr 0.06 9.66 2.48% CBK Christopher & Banks 4-Apr ... more