PowerShares Revamps Its High Yield Bond ETF to Track Fundamental Index

In an attempt to better serve the needs of investors and offer a different way to gain exposure to fixed income, Invesco PowerShares recently announced that it has renamed the PowerShares High Yield Corporate Bond Portfolio (PHB) to the PowerShares Fundamental High Yield Corporate Bond Portfolio. PHB will now seek to replicate and track the RAFI High Yield Bond Index, making it the first bond ETF to utilize a holdings methodology which is based on fundamentals, including book value, revenues, dividends and cash flow, to set constituent weights. This approach differs from the traditional methodology of allocating the largest weights to the biggest debtors, which could potentially expose investors to enhanced risks of default.... more

With Corporate America Sitting on $1.24T in Cash, It's Time to Consider Dividend ETFs

Corporate America is sitting on $1.24 trillion in spare change. After a short stint spent on cost-cutting measures, corporations are now thinking about putting that money to work in addition to increasing dividends and spending more on stock buybacks. The flurry of corporate activity may be good news for dividend ETFs. Capital expenditures by businesses increased by an average of 11% for non-financial companies in the most recent quarter for which figures were available, reports Will Daley for Bloomberg. Additionally, “free cash flow,” or money generated beyond capital spending, jumped $139 billion for those companies.... more

Dividend Stocks Prove Consistent

As we’ve mentioned here before, U.S. stocks in July enjoyed their best monthly gains in a year. But as Savita Subramanian, quantitative analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, points out, what worked in July didn’t work in the second quarter - and vice versa.... more

Twin Disc (TWIN) Declares a $0.07 Quarterly Dividend; 2.2% Yield

Twin Disc, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWIN), announced today that the Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.07 per share, $0.28 annualized. The dividend is payable on September 1, 2010 to shareholders of record on August 13, 2010. The ex-dividend date is August 11, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 2.2%.... more

Great Plains Energy (GXP) Declares $0.2075 Quarterly Dividend; 4.6% Yield

Great Plains Energy Incorporated (NYSE: GXP) today announced that its Board of Directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.2075 per share on its common stock. This action continues Great Plains Energy’s indicated annual dividend level of $0.83 per share. The common dividend will be payable September 20, 2010 to shareholders of record as of August 27, 2010. The shares will begin to trade ex-dividend on August 25, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 4.6%.... more

Hershey (HSY) Declares $0.32 Quarterly Dividend; 2.8% Yield

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) today declared a quarterly dividend of $0.32 on the Common Stock, $1.28 annualized. The dividend is payable September 15, 2010, to stockholders of record August 25, 2010. The ex-dividend date is August 23, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 2.8%.... more

CTC Media (CTCM) Declares $0.065 Quarterly Dividend; 1.4% Yield

CTC Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTCM) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.065 per common share, $0.26 annualized. The dividend is payable to stockholders of record as of September 1, 2010. The payment date is expected to be September 30, 2010. The ex-dividend date is August 30, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 1.4%.... more

Global Payments (GPN) Declares a $0.02 Quarterly Dividend; 2.1% Yield

Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) approved fiscal 2010 fourth quarter dividend of $0.02 per common share, $0.08 annualized. The dividend is payable August 31, 2010 to shareholders of record as of August 17, 2010. The ex-dividend date is August 13, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 2.1%.... more

NYSE Euronext (NYX) Posts Q2 EPS of $0.65, Tops by 5c; Guides FY10 Operating Expenses; Declares $0.30 Quarterly Dividend; 4% Yield

NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) reports Q2 EPS of $0.64, 5 cents better than the analyst estimate of $0.59. Revenue for the quarter was $654 million, which compares to the estimate of $659.76 million. The Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.30 per share for the third quarter of 2010, $1.20 annualized. The third quarter 2010 dividend is payable September 30, 2010 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 15, 2010. The anticipated ex-date will be September 13, 2010. Yield on the dividend is 4%. Full-year 2010 fixed operating expenses are now expected to be between $1,685 million and $1,729 million, adjusted for currency fluctuations. The new full-year 2010 fixed operating expense range is based on estimated full-year 2010 average currency rates of... more

Otter Tail Power (OTTR) Posts Q2 EPS of $0.04, Shy of Views; Lower FY10 EPS Outlook; Declares $0.2975 Quarterly Dividend

Otter Tail Power (Nasdaq: OTTR) reports Q2 EPS of $0.04, versus the analyst estimate of $0.11. Revenue for the quarter was $270.20 million, which compares to the estimate of $252.15 million. On August 2, 2010 the Board of Directors declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.2975 per share. This dividend is payable September 10, 2010 to shareholders of record on August 13, 2010. The Board also declared quarterly dividends on the corporation's four series of preferred stock, payable September 1, 2010 to shareholders of record on August 13, 2010. Lowers FY10 EPS outlook from $1.00 - $1.40 to $0.70 - $1.00, compared to the consensus of $1.04.... more