______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wed. Feb. 24, 2010 D4L classics, commentary

The 2010 Dividend Stock Ideas List

Last year I introduced the Stock Ideas list and it has proven to be immensely popular. The list consists of Dividend Aristocrats, US Broad Dividend Achievers and U.S. Dividend Champions. Duplications in the above lists are eliminated and stocks are crossed out when I learn that they have either cut their dividend or fail to raise it. Here are some highlights on this year’s changes:

2 Comments AIG, AROW, BAC, BWL.A, CLX, CTWS, CVX, DCI, EMR, ETP, FII, GE, GTY, HCBK, HD, IRET, JCI, JNJ, KO, MCD, MKC, NST, NU, NUE, PAA, PFE, PG, RAVN, SPH, USB, WEYS, WMT, XOM

________________________________________________________________________________________

Wed. Dec. 16, 2009 D4L classics, commentary

The 2010 Dividend Aristocrats

The S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats is the most prestigious list of dividend stocks. The Dividend Aristocrats index is designed to measure the performance of S&P 500 constituents that have followed a policy of consistently increasing dividends every year for at least 25 consecutive years. This index is a member of the S&P Dividend Aristocrats index series.

More on this topic (What's this?)

Dividend Aristocrats List for 2010 (Dividend Growth Investor, 12/30/09)

Where are the original Dividend Aristocrats now? (Dividend Growth Investor, 11/11/09)

Comprehensive Review Of The Dividend Aristocrats (Disciplined Approach to Investing, 1/22/10)

Read more on Dividend aristocrats, S&P 500 (SPX) at Wikinvest

6 Comments AVY, BBT, BF.B, CLX, CTAS, GCI, GE, JCI, JNJ, KO, LM, MCD, MTB, PFE, PG, STT, USB, WMT, XOM ________________________________________________________________________________________

Tue. Aug. 11, 2009 D4L commentary

Another Call For The Bottom

The markets have seen some significant gains since their March lows. Each time this occurs there is a new round of experts calling the bottom. Time and time again the market throws them a cruel twist and heads lower. Will this time be different?

No Comments ADP, AFL, BAC, GE, MCD, MFC, PG, SYY, USB, WMT ________________________________________________________________________________________

Tue. Jun. 9, 2009 D4L classics, commentary

Warren Buffett’s Dividend Stocks

Some of my fellow dividend investors have accused Warren Buffett of being a closet dividend investor. I won’t quite go that far, but there is significant common ground between dividend and value investors. With that said, let’s take a close look at Mr. Buffett’s most recent 13-F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

7 Comments BAC, BNI, CEG, COP, COST, GE, HD, JNJ, KFT, KMX, KO, LOW, MTB, NLC, PG, STI, UNP, USB, WFC, WMT ________________________________________________________________________________________

Wed. May. 13, 2009 D4L commentary

No Such Thing As Free (TARP) Money

Several banks have learned the hard way that when you get the U.S. government’s money, even in the form of a loan, as a bonus you get the government’s “help” running your business. Needless to say, this is not very appealing to most businesses. Looking at the country’s deficit, the government doesn’t specialize in running anything in the black. So what’s a company to do when they realize they’re in a bad relationship?

More on this topic (What's this?)

TARP Beneficiary Says "Sham" Bailouts Help Speculators (naked capitalism, 5/15/09)

Telegraph to Restore "TARP is a 'Sham'" Story (naked capitalism, 5/20/09)

What New TARP Rules Tell Us About the Economy (Contrarian Profits, 6/4/09)

Read more on Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) at Wikinvest

7 Comments BBT, COF, GS, JPM, MS, USB ________________________________________________________________________________________

Wed. Mar. 11, 2009 D4L process

Should You Sell A Dividend Stock After A Dividend Freeze?

When I add a stock to my dividend portfolio, it is my intention to hold the stock forever. However, sometimes selling a stock is the right thing to do. In determining when to sell a dividend stock, I have one hard and fast sell rule: When an individual stock held as a dividend investment lowers its dividend, immediately sell it. This rule has served me well. Since I have begun chronicling by investments online, there have been several stocks I sold immediately after a dividend cut. Here is a list of those stocks with my exit price and a recent price:
Read more…

7 Comments ACAS, BAC, FR, GE, HD, MTB, PFE, RY, SFI, STI, USB, WB, WM ________________________________________________________________________________________

Fri. Mar. 6, 2009 D4L commentary

As Financials Wither, One Titan Stands Strong

Last week we mentioned that JPMorgan (JPM), the second-largest U.S. bank, slashed its dividend by 87% to $0.05. Possibly that wasn’t quite enough to keep keep big brother happy, so JPM took their quarterly dividend down to $0.01/share. The dividend is to be paid on Friday, April 3, 2009 to common stockholders of record as of Friday, March 20, 2009. JPM closed down 8.14% – it is always good to deliver bad news twice.

More on this topic (What's this?)

Bank Shareholders: Forget About Dividend Increases (Dividend Growth Investor, 3/15/10)

Ten Dividend Kings raising dividends for over 50 years (Dividend Growth Investor, 2/17/10)

Does Judge Rakoff Smackdown of Heinous JP Morgan Conduct Mark Beginning of a Sea Change? (naked capitalism, 2/20/10)

Read more on J P Morgan Chase, Dividends at Wikinvest

1 Comment GD, JPM, QCOM, USB, WGL, WMT ________________________________________________________________________________________

Wed. Jan. 28, 2009 D4L commentary

Dividend Stocks: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Like virtually everything else in this world Dividend Stocks can be placed into a few categories based on their historic performance and expectations for the future. Here are three broad categories and some representative selections from each:
Read more…

More on this topic (What's this?)

Ten Dividend Kings raising dividends for over 50 years (Dividend Growth Investor, 2/17/10)

Twelve Dividend Stocks Increasing Dividends (Dividend Growth Investor, 2/1/10)

Anticipating Dividend Increases (Buying Value, 3/7/10)

TARP Investment ROI Significantly Down

When the government wants to spend pork, but not call it pork they rebrand it as an “investment” in our future. Such is the case with the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). So, as taxpayers and “investors” how have we fared with our “investment” and how does TARP fit into our dividend portfolios?

More on this topic (What's this?)

Obama to Announce $120 Billion TARP Fee (naked capitalism, 1/13/10)

Treasury Gives Misleading Account of TARP Results (naked capitalism, 12/24/09)

TARP Tax More Politics Than Economics (Money Morning, 1/14/10)

Read more on Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) at Wikinvest

11 Comments AXP, BAC, BBT, USB, WFC ________________________________________________________________________________________