4 Dividend Stocks Showing You the Money

Dividend checks continue to get fatter in Corporate America as more companies jack up their distribution rates. 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.... more

10 Dividend-Paying, High Quality Stocks

There are many reasons to invest in dividend-paying stocks. One of reasons is that dividends form the largest portion of the total return on an investment. This is especially true when stocks are held for the long-term. The following chart shows that the contribution to total return for each of the components of equity returns for the period 1802 to 2002. The total annualized return for the period of 7.9% consisted of a 5% return from dividends, a 1.4% return from inflation, a 0.6% return from rising valuation levels, and a 0.8% return from real growth in dividends. Click charts to enlarge: Which sectors have the highest dividend yields? Source: Alphen Angle, PSG Alphen Asset Manangement Ten dividend-paying high quality stocks to consider are listed below: 1. Company:... more

10 Growing Energy Stocks With Great Dividends

During the financial crisis, crude oil prices collapsed from almost $150 to $30. The drastic fall was largely due to pessimistic feelings about economic growth and deflation expectations. Legendary investors George Soros and Jim Rogers are among the several hedge fund managers who are bullish about commodities. John Paulson, David Einhorn and Dan Loeb have gold as the largest position in their portfolios. T. Boone Pickens has been investing in energy stocks. We are observing a strong recovery on energy prices. The world’s energy supplies are limited, yet the demand in emerging markets is growing at a very fast rate. Moreover, a significant ratio of the world’s oil supplies is located in the volatile Middle East countries. The political chaos in North Africa and Middle East... more

Four High Yield Drug Stocks With Upside Potential

As more signs appear that inflation is rising globally, it makes sense to look at drug stocks that have historically done well in times like this. The major drug stocks listed below offer a generous dividend yield of about 5% and they all have low PE ratios. The dividends are very attractive and can rise in time along with inflation. The valuations on these stocks could also rise and investors will be paid to wait while collecting regular dividends. Data is sourced from Yahoo Finance, Finviz.com and company websites. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY): BMY's annual dividend payment is $1.32 which is equivalent to a 5.18% yield. Dividends are paid 33 cents per quarter. Forward PE ratio is about 12.56. Astrazeneca PLC (AZN): AZN's dividend payment is about $2.55 per share which is... more

Big Pharma, Big Yield: 4 Stock Picks

If you have been an investor in big pharmaceutical companies over the last several years, you're probably wondering when you will get a return on your investment. The Pharmaceutical Holdrs Trust (PPH) is down approximately 10% over the last five years. Though they are giant cash generators, shares of pharmaceutical companies have remained depressed due to pending patent expirations, anemic pipelines, and a very cautious FDA. It is hard to imagine that all of these worries are not priced into the shares now. If investors begin rotating into defensive sectors, the big pharmaceutical companies may once again have their day in the sun. Did I mention that you'll get paid handsomely to wait?I picked four pharmaceutical companies whose shares could benefit when investors warm up to the sector... more

4 Dividend-Paying For-Profit College Stocks

Unless you've been living off the grid for the past 15 years, you already know some of these names: The University of Phoenix, Devry College, The Chubb Institute, and Kaplan College. They are but a few of the over 200 for-profit post-secondary schools now operating in the US. According to research group Eduventures, 9% of all college and graduate students now attend a for profit institution (see here)These schools operate in a rather grey area, and debate to their merits and effectiveness has grown heated in the past few years. Advocates claim they can operate more efficiently (leading to lower student costs), and that financial competition forces the schools to seek better results. Opponents counter that by turning educating into profit-seeking, corners will be cut, and students will pay... more

Dow Chemical: Investors Deserve Firm Dividend Guidance

The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) has already announced $1.5B of debt reduction in Q1… how about that dividend? While I support these deleveraging moves 100%, I think we are at the stage where investors should be given some more firm dividend guidance. I know DOW was burned once before making such statements but saying “we are reviewing the dividend for a hike in 2011″ is a long way from “I will never cut the dividend”. There is a nice middle of the road here, it does not have to be all or nothing.The company announced that it is launching a cash tender offer for $750 MM of high coupon debt. This is the third in a series of debt reduction activities... more

3 Major Oil Dividend Stocks With High Options Yields

Looking for ways to play $100-plus per barrel oil? The energy sector has many dividend paying stocks, in fact, many of them are listed in the energy section of our High Dividend Stocks by Sector Tables. Although most of the major integrated oil stocks don't have such high dividend yields, there are some that can still give you double-digit high options yields, via selling covered call options and cash secured puts. We found three oil dividend stocks with attractive management. metrics, good margins and good growth prospects for 2011: They are ConocoPhillips, (COP), PetroChina, (PTR) and... more

Dividend Report Card: Bristol-Myers Squibb

In this series, we analyze financial metrics to begin answering the following questions about a company's dividend: Over time, has this company steadily increased its payouts? How sustainable is the dividend? Does the company have room to further increase the dividend? The Dividend Report Card wasn't designed as a buy or sell signal but rather as a tool to gauge the health of a company's dividend. For a full explanation of each category, click here for a tutorial.... more

Dividend Stocks: CATO, AMB, GPS, GG, BLK, XEC, CB, KSS, IPG, CHE, FSR

The US market continued its upward swing as oil prices eased and investors mulled over the Commerce Department's latest economic report. Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.58 percent or 69.90 points to 12,138.40, and Nasdaq Composite gained 1.23 percent or 33.75 points to 2,771.65. The Standard and Poor's 500 added 0.91 percent or 11.83 points to 1,317.93. Amid positive market waves, several companies declared their annual and quarterly dividends. Some notable dividends are discussed here. Cato Corporation (NYSE: CATO) declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.185 per share, payable on March 21, 2011 to shareholders of record on March 7, 2011. Cato gained 0.83 percent or $0.20 to $24.26. AMB Property Corp. (NYSE: AMB) added 1.69 percent or $0.59 to $35.41 as the company... more