Dividend Champions: Graduations and Eliminations
The Dividend Champions spreadsheet has been updated through 8/31/10To download the latest version of the U.S. Dividend Champions spreadsheet or PDF, go here:... more
Shuffle Master Back on Track
The move to a lease model may be saving the day at Shuffle Master (Nasdaq: SHFL). After years of turmoil and the stock being crushed from highs near $40 per share in 2006, it appears revenue and earnings have steadied because of a move away from sales and toward leasing. Revenue was up 14% from last year and lease revenue accounted for 47% of the total. This growth was in contrast to falling revenues at Bally Technologies (NYSE: BYI) and International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT), which were both hurt by longer replacement cycles in the United States. Those who have watched Shuffle Master for a while will also be pleased to see a 25% reduction in net debt, which once nearly strangled the company after a series of ill-timed acquisitions.... more
Why History Says Stocks Are the Best Buy Right Now
One persuasive argument for why stocks are a better buy than bonds today is that, for the first time in over half a century, the Dow Jones's dividend yield exceeds the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds. There's really only one way to justify this: panic-driven fear over deflation that could make the Great Depression look like a sissy. The market is saying, and saying loudly, that dividend payouts are going to be butchered over the next 10 years. By a lot. Unless you think this is likely -- and if you do, bask in your bond bubble -- there's practically no way to justify the current divergence between dividend and bond yields.... more
Chico's Dividends May Not Last Forever
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
How Long Will Charles Schwab's Dividend 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
Will American Express' 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 show that from 1972 to 2006, stocks in the S&P 500 that didn't pay dividends earned an average annual return of 4.1%; dividend stocks, however, averaged a whopping 10.1% per year. That is an incredible difference -- one that you'd be crazy to not take advantage of.... more
Is Texas Instruments the Dividend Stock For You?
The market thinks it's a bad sign when Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) merely tightens its guidance range, instead of raising its forecasts to high heavens. The midpoints of the original third-quarter forecast called for sales to rise by 6% sequentially, while earnings would improve by 11% over last quarter. That's still what management is saying -- except that the upper and lower bounds of the guidance ranges have tightened up considerably. Now the stock is down for the day, and investors are blaming it for an overall semiconductor-sector swoon. You'd think this pessimism would be priced into the stock by now, after belt-tightening signals from fellow tech giants Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO) and Intel (Nasdaq: INTC). After all, TI is sniffing around its 52-week and five-year lows. Yet... more
Annaly Capital: Dividend Dynamo or the Next Blowup?
Dividend investing is a tried-and-true strategy for generating strong, steady returns in economies both good and bad. But as Corporate America's slew of dividend cuts and suspensions over the past few years has demonstrated, it's not enough simply to buy a high yield. You also need to make sure those payouts are sustainable. Let's take a look at how Annaly Capital (NYSE: NLY) stacks up in four critical areas to see if it's a dividend dynamo or a blowup in the making.... more
How Safe Are L-3 Communications' Dividends?
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
How Safe Are Archer Daniels Midland's Dividends?
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