Emerson Electric Co., a diversified global technology company, engages in designing and supplying product technology and delivering engineering services to various industrial and commercial, and consumer markets worldwide. The company operates through five segments: Process Management, Industrial Automation, Network Power, Climate Technologies, and Appliance and Tools. The company is member of the S&P 500 and the S&P Dividend Aristocrats indexes.Emerson Electric Co.has paid uninterru... Read Full Story

At the end of 2008 I was invited to participate in a passive stock-picking contest between several US and Canadian bloggers. The goal of the competition was to select the four best stock ideas from each blogger. The rules did not allow active buying and selling, which means that once you select your picks; one can’t go back and change them. Check out my original post for the rationale behind my picks.Contests are a tricky thing. Most participants might choose riskier stocks, which could go h... Read Full Story

I am a firm believer in dividend growth investing strategies, where one could purchase a stock in a company that consistently increases its dividends and watch their dividend income rise over time. Dividend investing is a long-term strategy however, as the full impact of the fruits from your investments won’t be felt for several decades.Successful dividend investing is much more than picking the highest yielding stocks however. Recent history has shown that in most cases, the stocks with the... Read Full Story

While some investors viewed Petsmart’s 233% dividend raise as extremely important, I found the increases from several high yield stocks to be very intriguing as well. First of all, as a dividend growth investor my goal is to generate a double digit yield on cost after years of consistent dividend increases by the companies I have included in my portfolio. But what if I could purchase dividend stocks that already spot double-digit dividend distributions? Regular readers of my blog know that I... Read Full Story

The Coca-Cola Company manufactures, distributes, and markets nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups worldwide. It principally offers sparkling and still beverages. The company is member of the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrials and the S&P Dividend Aristocrats indexes. Coca-Cola has paid uninterrupted dividends on its common stock since 1893 and increased payments to common shareholders every year for 47 years.From the end of 1998 up until December 2008 this dividend growth stock ... Read Full Story

In a previous article I outlined the reasons why I consider stock buybacks to be inferior to dividends. Nevertheless it pays to know which the largest repurchasers of their common stocks are. I am also a supporter of companies doing both stock buybacks while regularly raising dividends.The 20 largest stock buybacks from the 1Q 2009 are listed below: (source S&P)The decrease in buybacks was about 73% in comparison to the first quarter of 2008. S&P 500 companies spent $30.8 billion buy... Read Full Story

Companies have several means through which they share their prosperity with shareholders. Dividends are the portion of corporate profits paid out to stockholders in the form of cash. Share buybacks on the other hand represent cash distributed to existing shareholders in exchange for a fraction of the company’s outstanding equity. While both methods have their pros and cons, when used carefully, they could strongly add to the total returns of long-term shareholders.Share Repurchases have gain... Read Full Story

Several companies expressed their confidence in their future business prospects, by raising their dividends. One of them was Realty Income (O), which engages in the acquisition and ownership of commercial retail real estate properties in the United States. The monthly cash dividend was increased to $0.142375 per share from $0.1420625 per share. This represents the 6th increase for the past year. Tom A. Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of Realty Income, commented, "We are pleased that, despite ... Read Full Story

Eli Lilly and Company engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of pharmaceutical products in the United States, Puerto Rico, and internationally. The company offers neuroscience products, endocrine products, oncology products, and cardiovascular agents for the treatment of various diseases. The company is member of the S&P Dividend Aristocrats index. Eli Lilly has paid uninterrupted dividends on its common stock since 1885 and increased payments to common shareholders... Read Full Story

My post on replacing dividend stocks sold triggered some heated debates by some readers. Some investors believe that by concentrating on their best ideas they could generate the best returns. After all, it is much easier to be up to date on any developments on ten to fifteen companies, rather than focusing on at least 30 individual stocks. In retrospect, it is easy to identify the best performing stocks over the past two or three decade... Read Full Story