What Determines A Dividend Stock's Yield

If income investing were as simple as picking the stock with the highest yield, everyone would be an expert. Most assume (rightfully so) that yield is heavily influenced by risk, but much more goes into determining yield. Below are several important factors that influence a stock's yield, along with some illustrative examples:

New Golden Investment: Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW)

Wouldn't it be nice to buy investments that you could not lose money on and that only had upside. While we are wishing why don't we add in predictable earnings, predictable dividends and, of coarse, we don't want to pay a premium for this investment. Does this sound unrealistic? Maybe, but we can have the next best thing - a Golden Investment. So what exactly is a Golden Investment?

New Golden Investment: National Retail Properties (NNN)

Wouldn't it be nice to buy investments that you could not lose money on and that only had upside. While we are wishing why don't we add in predictable earnings, predictable dividends and, of coarse, we don't want to pay a premium for this investment. Does this sound unrealistic? Maybe, but we can have the next best thing - a Golden Investment. So what exactly is a Golden Investment?

Dividend Stocks With Tiny Payout Ratios

Looking for a stock that will grow its dividend in the future and pay you handsomely now? The yield is not the only thing you need to focus on. You will also need to check the stock's Free Cash Flow Payout. This tells you how much cash the stock has left over after paying the normal operating expenses. This is the cash used to pay for acquisitions, debt obligations and dividends!

Warren Buffett's Secret To 50% Returns

Once a company reaches a certain size, significant growth is difficult to sustain. It is often easier achieve 10% growth in a $10 million company than growing a $10 billion dollar company 10%. Knowing this, savvy investors looking for growth will turn to small-cap stocks.

Dividend Growth Stocks With A Low P/E

We all want to find the best value when we buy a stock. There are many ways people value a stock. Ultimately, true value is defined by future cash flows. The catch is no one knows exactly what the future cash flows will be. As a result, some go to great lengths to estimate future cash flows, while others use historical metrics to estimate cash flows or to compare stocks.

Finding Fair Value Stocks To Consider For Your Dividend Portfolio

The concept of fair value is really quite simple. Given a few select inputs such as dividends, dividend growth, holding period, discount rate and few others, one can easily calculate the fair value of a stock. As with most simple things, the devil is in the details – the inputs must be correct to calculate a reasonable fair value, otherwise, garbage in, garbage out.

High-Yield Energy Stocks Growing Their Dividends

From the time fire was first discovered until now, energy has played a critical role in the development of modern man. As our society developed, we have required an increasingly large amount of energy. We rely on companies in the Energy Sector to supply our needs.

Market Corrections Are A Healthy Part Of The Market

We have all heard that trees don't grow to the sky, but that seems to be what is happens in a bull market. When investors see their portfolio dramatically increase in value, it leaves them with a sense of accomplishment. However, if you are an investor in dividend growth stocks, a higher portfolio may not be in your best interest.

Dividend Stocks Building A Growing Cash Stream

Are you looking for companies that can sustain and grow their dividend? In making that determination, a company's Statement of Earnings is one of the last places you should look. Cash is king for the dividend investor and the Statement of Cash Flows is where astute investors begin when they want to understand the viability of a company.

How To Build A Sustainable High Yield Portfolio

Every investor wants to earn more. It is how we define "more" and how we go about earning it that defines the type of investor we are. Income investors want more income. Yield is a significant determinate of income. There are two ways to own a high yield portfolio.

How To Buy Dividend Stocks At The Bottom

Everyone loves a deal and loves getting something at a rock bottom price. Dividend investors are no different. However, as long-term buy-and-hold investors, we aren't known for our ability (or desire) to time the market and call the bottom. That's not to say we can't enjoy the benefits of buying at the bottom. So, how does a long-term buy-and-hold investor accomplish this?

Dividend Aristocrats Not Afraid to Raise Their Dividends

The S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats is the most recognized 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.

Exceptional Dividend Growth Stocks With Quality Financials

Any master architect will tell you the key to a quality structure is its foundation. Solid buildings have firm foundations. The more solid the foundation, the less likely the building will suffer damage from storms, earthquakes, or settling of the earth. In much the same way, the foundation of solid Dividend Growth Stocks are their financials. Here's what to look for when evaluating a dividend stock's financials...

Three Keys For Successful Dividend Growth Investing

To ensure a retirement that is free from financial concerns, there are certain things that must be done today. For many people this is not a desirable task. However, building a secure future by investing in quality dividend stocks is neither complicated nor overly burdensome. Below are three simple keys that will help you become a better investor:

Are You Patient Enough To Be Wealthy?

For most people fortunate enough to be born in the U.S., or any other industrialized country, they have access to the two main ingredients to achieve financial success: 1. Opportunity and 2. Time. Unfortunately, very few people are able to take advantage of the situation enough to even build a secure retirement. Here are some of the reasons people fail, and what you can do to not fall into that group...

Dividend Stocks With A Quick Payback

Payback is the amount of time needed for an investment to earn its cost, undiscounted. For example, if you buy a dividend stock for $100 that pays a $5 annual dividend, the payback is 20 years (100/5). Though not very sophisticated, payback can still help you screen for good, solid dividend growth stocks.

The NPV MMA Differential

How to you determine if dividend stocks are trading in excess of their calculated fair value? Capital appreciation is not the primary reason for investing in dividend stocks. Dividend fundamentals are what drive my purchase decision, and if I could only look at one metric it would be the Net Present Value of the Money Market Differential (NPV MMA Diff.)

Dividend Stocks For Healthy and Wealthy Retirement

Americans are worried that they might not have enough money for retirement. Women who outlive their husbands are at special risk, with 40 percent of widows living almost exclusively on Social Security. There are a lot of worried retirees out there.

According to WebMD excessive worrying can lead to suppression of the immune system, digestive disorders, muscle tension, short-term memory loss, premature coronary artery disease and heart attack. This isn't the way to spend our golden years. Here are some things we can do about it today for a healthy and wealthy retirement tomorrow...

High-Yielding Utilities With A Growing Dividends

Long considered the domain of “widows and orphans”, utilities have developed a somewhat stodgy reputation. Why are utilities considered good for widows and orphans?

Here a few reasons: 

1. They are generally less volatile than the market as a whole (low beta). 
2. Their products are something that people continue to need and use no matter what the economy is doing, thus, 
3. Their dividends tend to be more stable and secure.