6 Stocks Giving the Gift of Dividend Growth

Christmas is a time of giving. Families and loved-ones give gifts to each other. People give money to the needy and charities, while others give their time to help those that are not quite as fortunate. It seems that everyone is involved in giving this time of year, even corporations. Dividend growth stocks give a gift that keeps on giving - ever increasing dividends!... more

30 Dividend Contenders in the S&P 500

In a separate article, I discussed the curious composition of the S&P Dividend Aristocrats, which are supposedly members of the S&P 500 that have recorded at least 25 consecutive years of higher dividends. In comparing the Dividend Champions list (found here) to the S&P 500 listing, I found that there were 52 Champions that were members of the S&P 500, but only 41 are included in S&P's Aristocrat list, and I discussed the variations. I went on to compare the listing of Dividend Contenders (10-24 years of paying higher dividends) and found that there are 30 Contenders in the S&P 500: Constituent Name... more

The Best Dividend Stocks of 2011

I love fat payouts from dividend stalwarts. In fact, I've recommended a couple that I called "dividend plays for a lifetime" for their strong competitive positions and hidden assets. Those two stocks -- Microsoft and McDonald's -- are solid long-term dividend plays. But often, it can be more valuable to find higher-yielding stocks that are slower- growing, rather than a Microsoft that is fattening dividends at a prodigious clip. For example, take a stock with a 6% yield growing at just 5% per year, and a stock like McDonald's paying 3% and growing around 10% per year. It will take almost 15 years for the low-yielder's payout to catch up with the high-yielder's, even though the low-yielder's growing faster. To be fair, that doesn't include capital gains, which would likely be better for a... more

Panhandle Oil and Gas (PHX) Declares $0.07 Quarterly Dividend; 1% Yield

Panhandle Oil and Gas, Inc. (NYSE: PHX) has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.07 per common share, $0.28 annualized. The dividend is payable on March 10, 2011, to shareholders of record on February 24, 2011. The ex-dividend date is February 22, 2011. Yield on the dividend is 1%.... more

Carnival Less Generous With Dividends

Carnival (CCL), the world’s largest cruise line, prides itself on offering top-notch service aboard its roughly 100 ships, and for much of the past decade it was no less thoughtful of its shareholders, upping the once-measly dividend amply and often.... more

Lindsay Corp. (LNN) Declares $0.085 Quarterly Dividend; 0.6% Yield

Lindsay Corporation (NYSE: LNN) has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.085 per share, $0.34 annualized. The dividend is payable February 28, 2011 to shareholders of record on February 14, 2011. The ex-dividend date is February 10, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 0.6%.... more

Pulling the Plug on Best Buy, 3 Yield Ideas for the Week

Last week there was doorbuster sale on big box gadget retailer Best Buy (BBY). The company lowered 2011 Q3 earnings guidance from $3.50 to $3.70 per share to $3.20 to $3.40 per share. Stock market voters went to the polls and BBY did about as well as House Democrats did in the November midterms. The share price has given back ten bucks since Thanksgiving. What a bargain? Maybe not. Mostly, BBY’s problems now and going forward are related to the usual: competition from discounters, the economy, shrinking margins, etc. However, there’s also a larger cultural issue. When the economy was in full tilt boogie and everyone was drinking champagne with hookers in a hot tub full of money on the deck of their McMansion, BBY was the shizzow. The plasma television was becoming democratized and you... more

Don't Obsess About Dividends

With interest rates on bonds, bank CDs, and other low-risk investments at extremely low levels, investors have really taken to the income potential provided by dividend-paying stocks. But a stock that doesn't pay a dividend isn't automatically a loser. In fact, sometimes, a company that chooses to make other uses of its free cash than returning it to shareholders via dividends is making the smartest move it can with its capital. Complaints aplentyA recent MarketWatch article gives a good example of how important dividends have become to investor perception of a stock. The mining industry has enjoyed unprecedented success in recent years, as the prices of commodities have risen through the roof. Not only have precious metals like gold and silver reached all-time or multidecade highs, but... more

Are These High-Yield Stocks Too Good to Be True?

They say that some things are too good to be true. The same can go for high-yielding stocks that are selling at very low valuations. It's easy to run a basic screen that finds companies that yield a high dividend and sell below a targeted P/E ratio. But identifying these companies is not enough. That's only when the real work begins. To really determine why the valuation of a company is depressed, a Fool needs to pore over financial statements, listen to management's quarterly conference calls, and understand why the market holds its current view.... more

Revealing 3 Perfect Dividend Stocks for a 2020 Retirement

Want to retire in the next decade? Excellent! Today, I'm revealing three dividend payers that will get you there safely and provide an ever-growing source of income after retirement. It's time your money started working for you, and I'm confident these picks will do just that. Carefully seeking perfectionThere are roughly 5,400 companies trading on major U.S. exchanges, 2,300 of which pay dividends. To find the best dividend stocks for retirees, I spread my research across several days (and sleepless nights), throwing out companies if I had concerns about the underlying business, the industry, or the sustainability of the dividend. That hard work ultimately boiled down to the three companies below.... more