By Money Morning Staff Reports, Money Morning - • Print | Email
With U.S. stocks at all-time highs, many analysts warn that asset valuations are out of touch with reality and a correction is headed our way.
In the event of a market correction, investors will be limited to settling for returns lower than the historical average or seeking out obscure investments that add an extra percentage or two in dividends.
By Diane Alter, Contributing Writer, Money Morning - • Print | Email
Top dividend-paying stocks continue to reward investors in 2014, and FY2014 dividend boosts are expected to hit a record figure.
The number of U.S. dividend stocks raising payouts this year has hit its highest number since 1979, helping the Standard & Poor's 500 Index to log 25 year-to-date record closes.
Following are the 25 companies raising payouts in the holiday-shortened week ending July 3.
By Diane Alter, Contributing Writer, Money Morning - • Print | Email
Earlier this month, JP Morgan recommended yield seekers swap a sizable chunk of junk bond holdings for dividend-paying stocks. The investment bank explained the elevated chance of default from junk bonds simply isn't worth the risk for today's nominal returns.
For long-term investors, top dividend-paying stocks, and dividend growers in particular, are indeed a much better bet.
By Diane Alter, Contributing Writer, Money Morning - • Print | Email
Investors seeking to diversify portfolios with a steady income stream need look no further than top dividend stocks.
In addition to contributing a meaningful portion of a portfolio's total return, dividend payers tend to outperform non-dividend payers across market cycles and offer higher risk-adjusted returns, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Following are the 23 dividend-paying stocks raising payouts during the week ending June 20, 2014.
By Tara Clarke, Associate Editor, Money Morning • @TaraKateClarke - • Print | Email
Investors looking for high-yield dividend stocks have previously eschewed the tech sector, as that's traditionally been a place to invest for growth.
Instead of paying out extra cash to investors, tech high-fliers typically reinvest cash in research and development, mergers and acquisitions, and other classic "growth" strategies.
But a few years ago, things started to change. Now companies like this also exist in the tech sector.
In fact, some of the biggest names in tech have become high-yield dividend stocks that rival traditional dividend-payers in yield and market performance.
Here's why tech got religion on dividends - and five stocks to get you started...
By Diane Alter, Contributing Writer, Money Morning - • Print | Email
Dividend-paying stocks update: Presently, 421 companies in the S&P 500 Index pay a cash dividend – the most since September 1998's tally of 423.
And S&P 500 dividend stocks are on track to post a 10.5% increase in annual cash dividends paid in 2014.
Following are the 25 dividend enrichments announced in the week ending June 13.
By Diane Alter, Contributing Writer, Money Morning - • Print | Email
Dividend stocks update: Some 209 companies in the S&P 500 Index have raised dividends so far in 2014.
The average increase has been 15%, and with S&P components sitting on $1.1 trillion in cash, more increases are expected.
UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) hiked its quarterly dividend 34% to $0.375 per share last week.
Here are 20 more dividend-paying stocks raising payouts in the week ending June 6.
By Diane Alter, Contributing Writer, Money Morning - • Print | Email
Investors' appetite for top dividend-paying stocks continues to grow as U.S. companies get more generous with distributions.
Annual dividend stock payouts by S&P 500 companies totaled $34.80 per share in 2013, and that amount is expected to grow 9.9% to a record $38.98 a share this year, thanks to the record $1.1 trillion cash sitting on companies' balance sheets as of April 1, 2014.
Following are the 18 dividend stocks raising payouts in the week ending May 30.
By Diane Alter, Contributing Writer, Money Morning - • Print | Email
While most companies pay dividends on a quarterly basis, monthly dividend stocks distribute their dividend payouts 12 times a year.
Investors pile into monthly dividend payers for a number of reasons. Some use them as a means of getting a steady stream of income. Some find it an efficient way to budget for expenses each month. And, some simply enjoy the frequency of getting a dividend payment 12 times a year instead of once, or every three or six months.
By Diane Alter, Contributing Writer, Money Morning - • Print | Email
Investors are crowding into top dividend stocks not simply for their dividend yield, but also because they drive long-term performance in the stock market.
According to a recent study, $100 invested in the S&P 500 in late 1940 would have amounted to $17,460 by the end of 2013 if dividends weren't reinvested, but $265,851 with dividend yields reinvested.
