The calendar may have changed, but trading has followed a familiar script; every time stocks advance, a bout of profit-taking sets in, as pundits and traders speculate that the lofty level of stocks might represent a 'top' that could precede the next bear market, observes Vita Nelson, editor of Moneypaper.
That 'leadership' often infects otherwise long-term investors, who are bombarded with what amounts to noise from the financial media, triggering excess trading and an erosion of their resolve.
So, now is a good time to remind ourselves that solid corporations are continuing to experience growth in their earnings and dividends��hich support their stock prices over time.
Such is the case with our latest featured dividend reinvestment idea, North Carolina-based Duke Energy (DUK).
Founded in 1916, and headquartered in Charlotte, Duke Energy has grown from a local electric utility into an international energy provider, generating 50,000 megawatts of electricity in the Midwest and the Southeastern United States, and another 4,000 megawatts in Latin America.
Best Defensive Companies For 2015: Chimera Investment Corporation (CIM)
Chimera Investment Corporation operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. The company, through its subsidiaries, invests in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), residential mortgage loans, commercial mortgage loans, real estate-related securities, and other asset classes. Its targeted asset classes include agency or non-agency RMBS; prime, jumbo prime, and Alt-A mortgage loans; first or second lien loans secured by multifamily properties, mixed residential or other commercial properties, retail properties, office properties, or industrial properties; and asset-based securities (ABS), including commercial mortgage-backed securities, debt and equity tranches of collateralized debt obligations, and consumer and non-consumer ABS. The company has elected to be treated as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and would not be subject to income tax, if it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its share holders. Chimera Inve stment Corporation was founded in 2007 and is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Maxfield]
"Nepotism has never been unknown in American banking," Martin Mayer wrote in The Greatest-Ever Bank Robbery, his 1990 book about the savings-and-loan crisis. While Mayer was referring to American Continental, the notoriously corrupt holding company run into the ground by the infamous Charles Keating in the 1980s, his point rings true today in the case of Annaly Capital Management (NYSE: NLY ) and its publicly traded portfolio company Chimera Investment (NYSE: CIM ) .
Top Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Kimberly-Clark Corporation(KMB)
Kimberly-Clark Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and marketing of various health care products worldwide. The company operates in four segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, K-C Professional & Other, and Health Care. The Personal Care segment provides disposable diapers, training and youth pants, and swimpants; baby wipes; and feminine and incontinence care products, and related products. It offers its products primarily for household use under various brand names, including Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, Kotex, Lightdays, Depend, and Poise. The Consumer Tissue segment offers facial and bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, and related products for household use under the Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, Viva, Andrex, Scottex, Hakle, and Page brands. The K-C Professional & Other segment offers facial and bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, wipers, and a range of safety products for the away-from-home marketplace und er Kimberly-Clark, Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech, KleenGuard, Kimcare, and Jackson brand names. The Health Care segment offers disposable health care products, such as surgical drapes and gowns, infection control products, face masks, exam gloves, respiratory products, pain management products, and other disposable medical products under the Kimberly-Clark, Ballard, and ON-Q brand names. The company sells its products to supermarkets; mass merchandisers; drugstores; warehouse clubs; variety and department stores; retail outlets; manufacturing, lodging, office building, food service, and health care establishments; and high volume public facilities. It markets its products through wholesalers, distributors, and direct sales. The company was founded in 1872 and is based in Dallas, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of Energizer have jumped 15% to $112.37 at 10:24 a.m. today, while Spectrum Brands (SPB) has risen 1.4% to $76.88 and Kimberly Clark (KMB) has gained 1% to $112.14.
- [By Russ Krull]
Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB ) sold more than tissue paper last week, with $850 million in new debt spread over three-, 10-, and 30-year notes. Of that amount, $500 million is going toward redeeming 5% notes maturing in August. The rest is for "general corporate purposes." The debt service on the new $850 million will be $6 million per year less than for the $500 million of maturing notes.
- [By John Kell]
Kimberly-Clark Corp.(KMB) said its fourth-quarter profit soared on organic sales growth and wider margins. Results beat expectations, and the consumer-products company predicted earnings for the year that bracketed the consensus view. Shares edged up 2% to $107.50 premarket.
Top Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: ENSCO plc(ESV)
Ensco plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides offshore contract drilling services to the oil and gas industry. The company engages in the drilling of offshore oil and natural gas wells by providing its drilling rigs and crews under contracts with international, government-owned, and independent oil and gas companies. As of February 15, 2010, it owned and operated 42 jackup rigs, 4 ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rigs, and 1 barge rig. The company also has 4 ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rigs under construction. It operates in Asia, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa, and North and South America. The company was formerly known as Ensco International plc and changed its name to Ensco plc in March 2010. Ensco plc was founded in 1975 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Travis Hoium]
The question for investors is if the industry can handle all of this new capacity over the long term. Transocean (NYSE: RIG ) �has seven new ultra-deepwater rigs under construction,�Ensco (NYSE: ESV ) �is building four, and Noble (NYSE: NE ) �will add five in coming years. Adding that much capacity means that $600,000 daily rates may not last forever, which would lower return on investment for everyone.�
- [By David Smith]
Or there's Ensco (NYSE: ESV ) , owner of the world's second-largest drilling fleet, which earlier this week reported a surprisingly high 20% year-over-year growth in earnings. That's what happens when dayrates climb by 15%. Despite that, the company's forward P/E sits near a paltry 7.4 times. That, despite a forward indicted dividend yield of 3.60%.
- [By Marc Bastow]
Off-shore contact drilling service provider Ensco (ESV) raised its quarterly dividend 50% to 75 cents per share, payable on Dec. 20 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 9.
ESV Dividend Yield: 4.90%
Top Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: PetroChina Company Limited(PTR)
PetroChina Company Limited produces and distributes oil and gas in the People?s Republic of China. It operates in four segments: Exploration and Production, Refining and Chemicals, Marketing, and Natural Gas and Pipeline. The Exploration and Production segment explores, develops, produces, and markets crude oil and natural gas, oilsands, and coalbed methane. As of December 31, 2010, it had 11,278 million barrels of proved reserves of crude oil; and 65,503 billion cubic feet of proved reserves of natural gas. The Refining and Chemicals segment engages in the refining of crude oil and petroleum products; and production and marketing of petrochemical products, derivative petrochemical products, and other chemical products. This segment?s product line comprises processed crude oil, gasoline, kerosene, diesel, ethylene, synthetic resins, synthetic fiber materials, polymers, synthetic rubber, and urea. The Marketing segment involves in the marketing of refined products and tradi ng businesses. It operated 17,996 service stations. The Natural Gas and Pipeline segment engages in the transmission of natural gas, crude oil, and refined products; and the sale of natural gas. It had a total length of 56,840 kilometers (km) of oil and gas pipelines, including 32,801 km of natural gas pipelines, 14,782 km of crude oil pipelines, and 9,257 km of refined product pipelines. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China. PetroChina Company Limited is a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonathan Yates]
It was recently disclosed that Buffett had invested billions in Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM). Previous purchases include ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) and PetroChina (NYSE: PTR), among others. Buffett sold out of PetroChina and recently reduced his position in ConocoPhillips.
Top Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc. (ED)
Consolidated Edison, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides electric, gas, and steam utility services in the United States. It provides electric service to approximately 3.3 million customers and gas service to approximately 1.1 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, as well as provides steam service to office buildings and apartment houses in parts of Manhattan. The company also provides electric service to approximately 0.3 million customers in southeastern New York and in adjacent areas of northern New Jersey, and northeastern Pennsylvania; and gas service to approximately 0.1 million customers in southeastern New York and adjacent areas of northeastern Pennsylvania. In addition, Consolidated Edison involves in the sale and related hedging of electricity to wholesale and retail customers; operation of generating plants; participation in other infrastructure projects; and provision of energy-efficiency services, including the design and installation of lighting retrofits, high-efficiency heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment, and other energy saving technologies to government and commercial customers. It serves residential, industrial, and large commercial customers. The company was founded in 1884 and is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Michael Flannelly]
Early on Wednesday, analysts at Goldman Sachs upgraded utility company Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ED), noting that rate case concerns are already priced into the stock’s current valuation.
The analysts upgraded ED from “Sell” to “Neutral” and see shares reaching $57, up from the previous target of $55. This new price target suggests a slight upside to the stock’s Tuesday closing price of $55.28.
“While ED faces a challenging rate case in New York, we see this risk as well understood by the market now,” Goldman Sachs analyst Michael Lapides said.
Con Edison shares were inactive during pre-market trading on Wednesday. The stock is down a fraction year-to-date.
- [By Rich Smith]
Electric utilities have never been the most exciting opportunities in the stock market, but lately, one stock in the group has been underperforming the stock market as a whole, and performing particularly poorly relative to its peers to boot: Consolidated Edison (NYSE: ED ) . Why?
- [By John Divine]
Stocks headed into the weekend on a strong note, as all three major indices ended higher and the Dow finished at an all-time closing high. Although Wall Street polished off the week with gains, there wasn't an overwhelming, undeniable sense of bullishness; in fact, just less than 54% of stocks managed to advance. Not included in that 54% were today's three most miserable performers: NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA ) , Consolidated Edison (NYSE: ED ) , and Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC ) , each of which ended near the bottom of the S&P 500 Index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC ) on Friday. The S&P, for its part, tacked on two points, or 0.2%, to end at 1,878.�
- [By Dividend Growth Investor]
Even stodgy utilities, which investors regard as safe investments could deliver their fair share of losses. For example, in 1974 Con Edison (ED) skipped dividends for one quarter and then initiated them back at a rate that was 55% lower than prior to the cut. This was prompted by the fact that the company used oil for its power generation facilities, and the oil embargo made it unable to pass price increases to consumers quickly enough. In addition, it was burdened by construction projects used to increase capacity, all of which caused a shortage of cash. This probably surprised many investors, who were relying on dividends of otherwise stable utilities. In fact, when I look at records of utilities companies in the Dow Jones Utilities Index, there are just a few that have never cut dividends. This goes on to show, that time and again, dividend investors might fall in love with a certain sector, be it master limited partnerships, financials, consumer staples or real estate investment trusts. If they are not careful however, and overexpose themselves to certain sectors, they increase the riskiness of their portfolios.
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