Dividend Scan: TRP, OMC, UCBI, SWK, TW, WLT, ITW, HAL, NEBS

The US market remained on the negative territory during the mid-day trading after the Commerce Department's retail sales report fell below the economists' prediction. Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.46 percent or 56.38 points to 12,211.81. Nasdaq Composite was down 0.52 percent or 14.75 points to 2,802.76, and the Standard and Poor's 500 slipped 0.47 percent or 6.30 points to 1,326.02. During the day, few companies declared their quarterly and annual dividends. TransCanada Corporation (NYSE: TRP) added 0.63 percent or $0.24 to $38.51 as the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per common share, payable on April 29, 2011 to shareholders of record on March 31, 2011. Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) lost 3.20 percent or $1.60 to $48.38 during the mid-day trading. The... more

How Long Can Hershey's Dividends Last?

Whether you're a beginning investor or a near-retiree, the importance of purchasing stocks that pay dividends cannot be overstated. Not only do companies that have quarterly or annual payouts provide you with a steady stream of income, they also have the potential for capital appreciation. Simply put, dividend stocks can you give your portfolio what almost no other investment can -- both income and growth. At The Motley Fool, we're avid fans of dividends -- and not just because we like that steady stream of cash. Studies have shown that from 1972 to 2006, stocks in the S&P 500 that don't pay dividends have earned an average annual return of 4.1%; dividend stocks, however, have averaged a whopping 10.1% per year. That is an incredible difference -- one that you'd be crazy to not take... more

Sysco, a Dividend Aristocrat That Provides Food for Smart Investment Thinking

Sysco (SYY), the company that sounds like the other more famous Cisco (CSCO), was founded in 1969 and started paying dividends in its first year. Since then, it has increased the dividend every year, for 41 consecutive years, easily enough to qualify as a Dividend Aristocrat. Last November SYY extended its streak, raising the quarterly dividend 4% to 26¢ per share. Sysco markets food and related products to the foodservice industry in the U.S. and Canada, distributing frozen foods, dry foods, fresh meats, dairy products, beverage products and imported specialties and fresh produce. In addition it supplies non-food items: Paper products, tableware, cookware, restaurant kitchen equipment and cleaning supplies. Products are sold to restaurants, hospitals, schools, hotels, motels,... more

Molson Coors Brewing Co. Dividend Stock Analysis

Earlier this month, we posted the top 100 dividend stocks; since then we have looked a bit deeper into some of the stocks that looked the most promising. Some of them are truly great potential additions to a passive income portfolio, at least on the surface. So just how does Molson Coors Brewing Co (TAP) rank as a dividend stock? Of course, we will be ranking it based off of the top 20 things that we consider when evaluating dividend stocks.... more

The Most Promising Dividends in Fertilizers

Dividend payers deserve a berth in any long-term stock portfolio. But seemingly attractive dividend yields are not always as fetching as they may appear. Let's see which companies in the fertilizer industry offer the most promising dividends. 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.... more

Dividend Stock Analysis: AZZ, Inc.

AZZ, Inc. (AZZ) is a provider of electrical and industrial components, as well as galvanizing services. It’s a fairly small company, pays a fairly new dividend, and has a fairly strong balance sheet. Dividend Yield: 2.43% Revenue Growth: 18% Income Growth: 50% (but realistically, lower) With a P/E of a bit over 15, I find AZZ to be moderately attractive at current prices. The company provides useful products and services, and should benefit as capital is deployed to improve aging infrastructure in the United States. Overview AZZ, founded in 1956, is a company that provides galvanizing services and electrical and industrial products. The company is fairly small, with a market capitalization of approximately half a billion dollars. Electrical and Industrial Products This... more

NTELOS: A Telecom With a Big Dividend and a Big Target on its Back

NTELOS Holdings Corp. [(NTLS) - $20)] is a regional telecommunications firm offering an above average yield and the opportunity for capital gains based on its potential acquisition by others. Serving Appalachia and rural Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, NTLS provides both wire line and wireless services. The company continues to roll out its wire line fiber-optics network through both organic growth and acquisitions of smaller competitors. Its wireless segment is the exclusive Sprint Nextel (S) franchisee in its service area. With a dividend of $1.12 per share, NTELOS' current yield is 5.4%. While national telecoms offer comparable yields, the NTELOS yield is substantially above its regional peers. In Dec 2010, management announced it was splitting into two companies -... more

20 Stocks With Additional Dividend Increasing Potential

Here is a current sheet of 20 stocks that have additional potential to raise dividends. The companies have an expected annual earnings growth for the next five years of more than 10 percent as well as a payout ratio of fewer than 30 percent of earnings per share. In addition, they have a low debt to equity ratios of less than 10 percent and a dividend yield of more than 1 percent. The average dividend yield of the 20 stocks amounts to 1.77 percent while the average P/E ratio is 17.52. Price to book ratio is 5.65 and price to sales ratio 2.43. The companies are working with an average operating margin of 17.94 percent. The average debt to equity ratio amounts to 11.10 Here is the table of 20 stocks with additional dividend increasing potential... more

Dividend Scan: CMP, NLY, FWV, NAT, MFC, GG, MSFT

The US market remained volatile during the day despite President Obama presenting a budget that would cut the US deficit by $1.1 trillion over the next 10 years. Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.30 percent or 35.36 points to 12,239.70, and the Standard and Poor's 500 fell 0.15 percent or 1.97 points to 1,327.18. However, Nasdaq Composite added 0.10 percent or 2.95 points to 2,812.49. Amid the fluctuations in the market, few companies declared their dividends. Compass Minerals International Inc. (NYSE: CMP) added 1.62 percent or $1.54 to $96.36 as the company declared a quarterly dividend by 15 percent to $0.45 per share, payable on March 15, 2011 to shareholders of record on March 1, 2011. Annaly Capital Management Inc. (NYSE: NLY) declared a cash dividend of $0.49 per share on... more

Nineteen Consistent Dividend Growth Stocks In Raising Distributions

Dividend investing is all the rage these days. One of the reasons is that dividend investors tend to earn the same amount of equity returns, but with lower risk and volatility. However, they should only seek safe dividends, which can grow at least as fast as inflation, so that they are not losing the purchasing power of their money over time. Particularly appealing are companies which have a record of consistent dividend increases. Companies that make a point of raising dividends every year will continue to do so and typically have a long record that's built in with a remarkable degree or stability and predictability. When these companies announce a dividend increase, they show their confidence that the business model that has produced a long string of consecutive dividend increases is... more