Top 10 Dividend Stocks Indicate Overall Sentiment Is Improving

Our Dividend Watch List has been reduced from 51 companies on September 10, 2010 to 31 companies as of September 23, 2010. This could be an indication that overall sentiment is improving. The complete list of companies can be found here.As always, we revisit the previous list for the best and worst performing stocks from our Dividend Watch List. The best performing stock was National Fuel Gas (NFG) which rose 12.9% in two weeks. The biggest decline was Carlisle (CSL) which fell 5.2%.... more

9 Companies Likely to Boost Dividends in October

One nice thing about compiling the Dividend Champions list of companies that have paid higher dividends for at least 25 straight years (which can be found here) is that I get to see which companies are nearing the anniversaries of their previous dividend increases. Since most of these firms raise their payout about the same time every year, we can say with some confidence that they are likely to do so again.Consequently, I'm expecting the following companies to announce dividend increases in the month of October. (Dates in parentheses are the Ex-Dividend Dates of last year's increases).... more

Dusty Dividend Stocks: Replace Consolidated Edison With ONEOK

In the "Dividend Alternatives" series, I suggest replacements for the stodgy old dividend stocks investors may have collecting dust in their portfolios. Today, I take aim at Consolidated Edison (ED). Consolidated Edison has been providing utilities to New Yorkers for more than 180 years. The company has increased its dividend every year since 1974, making it a Dividend Aristocrat and somewhat of a darling among income investors. Unfortunately, Consolidated Edison's celebrated tradition of issuing dividend hikes has one major flaw: The increases are miniscule! The company has raised its dividend rate by a total of just 9.17% since 2000, and shareholders haven't seen a raise of more than 3% since 1994.... more

A Natural Gas Stock With a High Dividend, Revisited

On April 1st, 2010 I urged my readers to buy a natural gas company paying a 10.4% dividend. At the time, natural gas prices were near their year-to-date lows. Today, prices are off of their lows and my favorite natural gas investment is still relatively inexpensive.... more

The Right Buys for Dividend Investors

Investors have discovered the appeal of dividend stocks in a big way lately. But before you go off and pick a dividend ETF to do your investing for you, make sure you know what you're getting into. If you're not careful, you could fall into some traps that you may regret down the road. One-stop shopAs dividend investing has become more popular, it's only natural that the ETF industry has responded by developing products that would meet investor demand for investments that hold dividend stocks. You can find dozens of ETFs that cater to dividend investors.... more

8 Cash-Generating Machines

Some money works harder than the rest. The bills in your dresser drawer, for example, are just sitting there, slowly losing their value to inflation. The bills you handed over for that new car have been transformed into an asset that will shrink in value over time. The bills that you invest in a great company will likely increase in value for you -- yay! But you can do even better than that: Invest in companies that pay dividends and that increase them over time and your dollars will do some amazing things.... more

Cramer Says Sell Frontier (FTR): "Size Isn't Everything" When it Comes to Dividends (AAPL, T, VZ, WIN)

Despite a broader market rally today, Frontier Communications (NYSE: FTR) is down about 1.2% to $7.93, as Jim Cramer made some bearish comments about the stock. The stock, which currently pays out a quarterly dividend of $0.1875 per share, or $0.75 annualized, was one of dividend investors go-to favorites, with a nice yield of 9.5%. However, the dividend was recently dropped 25% from its prior rate of $1.00 per share. Why? The company needed to free up some cash to buy wireline services from Verizon (NYSE: VZ), which made it the second largest wireline provider in the U.S. But, Cramer says, the numbers don't work out. The company is willing to shell out the $0.75 per share dividend annually, but is only looking to bring in $0.49 per share for the year, according to recent analyst... more

AT&T (T) Declares $0.42 Quarterly Dividend; 5.9% Yield

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) today declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per common share, $1.68 annualized. The dividend is payable on November 1, 2010, to stockholders of record at the close of business on October 8, 2010. The ex-dividend date is October 6, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 5.9%.... more

Aetna (AET) Declares $0.04 Quarterly Dividend; 0.5% Yield

Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET) today declared its regular annual cash dividend of $0.04 per share on the company’s common stock, $0.16 annualized. The dividend is payable on November 30, 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 15, 2010. The ex-dividend date is November 11, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 0.5%.... more

Technology Research Corp. (TRCI) Declares $0.02 Quarterly Dividend; 2.1% Yield

Technology Research Corporation (TRC) (Nasdaq: TRCI) has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.02 per common share, $0.08 annualized. The dividend is payable October 15, 2010, to shareholders of record as of September 30, 2010. The ex-dividend date is September 28, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 2.1%.... more