Trading Goddess

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fifth Week of May

2012-05-25T14:26:00.002-04:00

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends'. This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets. In flat or choppy markets, you have to be extremely careful, and may need to avoid the technique during those times.

In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend during the next week or two. The list contains many dividend paying companies, all with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the market capitalization, the ex-dividend date and the yield.

Kellogg Company	K	$19.3B	5/30/2012	3.2%
MGE Energy, Inc.	MGEE	$1.0B	5/30/2012	3.4%
VimpelCom Ltd	VIP	$16.6B	5/30/2012	7.8%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found at wsnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn't show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out the high yield utility stocks and the Monthly Dividend Stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com.
Dividend definitions:
Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List
Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Don't forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Red Wine May Prevent Alzheimer's Effects: Wine Stocks

2012-05-25T14:21:00.000-04:00

Many studies have taken place showing that the consumption of red wine may help prevent memory loss, primarily due to resveratrol in the beverage. But most of these studies have been small. However, now a large scale clinical trial is taking place through the National Institute on Aging. It will involve a 26-center clinical trial which will study resveratrol's effects on brain function in people with Alzheimer's disease. Resveratrol, which occurs naturally in peanuts and tomatoes, has the highest concentration in red wine.

So what wine stocks are available to investors? According to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over a dozen stocks that distribute wine and liquor, a couple of which pay dividends. The largest is Diageo (DEO), an alcoholic beverage distributor which sells many brands of wine, including Blossom Hill, Sterling Vineyards, Beaulieu Vineyard, Navarro Correas, Acacia Vineyard, Rosenblum Cellars, Piat d'Or, Chalone Vineyard, and Santa Rita. The stock trades at 14.4 times forward earnings and sports a decent yield of 2.2%. Earnings for the quarter ending December 31 were down over 20% on an 8% rise in revenues.

Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-B) is another liquor distributor which is most known for its Jack Daniel's and Southern Comfort brands. It also sells the Sonoma-Cutrer brand of wines and Corbel California Champaigne. The stock has a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 22 and pays a yield of 1.6%. Quarterly earnings were down 5.4% on relatively flat revenues.

If you are looking for a winery, there is a small one based in Turner, Oregon, Willamette Valley Vineyards Inc. (WVVI), which produces and markets Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, The Griffin, and Viognier under the Griffin Creek label. The stock trades at 16.6 times earnings. Although quarterly revenues were down 11.6%, earnings were up 557%.

For a free list of all the other wine and liquor stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

The Waterfall of Water Stocks

2012-05-22T22:52:00.000-04:00

Income investors who invest in electric and gas utilities are always looking for ways to diversify, yet still get a decent yield. What better way to branch out than to invest in water utilities. Compared to electric utilities which require the purchase of fuel to run their generators, water utilities are a simple concept. Take the water which occurs freely and pump it out to the customers. Of course, this is over-simplifying as water companies are involved in water treatment, developing water treatment plants, storage facilities, dams, and pumping stations.

Based on the free list of water utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are ten stocks, all with yields of 3% or more. An example is American Water (AWK), which is a New Jersey based company that provides drinking water and wastewater services to 30 states and 2 Canadian provinces. The stock trades at 15.7 times forward earnings and generates a yield of 3%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up an unbelievable 59.2% on a 3.7% increase in revenues.

Middlesex Water Co. (MSEX) is another water utility that has been around for over a century, as it was founded in 1897. The company primarily serves New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 17.8, which is a bit on the high side, however, it pays a generous yield of 4.1%. Earnings were down over 31% for the latest quarter, on a revenue drop of 1.9%.

SJW Corp. (SJW) based in San Jose, California, provides water to the area around Silicon Valley. Investors receive a yield of 3.1% and the stock carries a forward price to earnings ratio of 17.5. The high tech area serves the company well, as quarterly earnings were up an outrageous 81.8% on a 17.1% revenue increase. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com just updated its free list of dividend paying water utility stocks, which shows the price to earnings ratio, and the yield.

Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Are Your Stocks in Prison?

2012-05-22T22:49:00.003-04:00

This private prison industry is an interesting business. However, stocks in this arena have been relatively flat over the last five years. One reason; since 2001, violent crime rates have dropped every year, according to the census bureau. This statistic is for both total number of crimes and the number of crimes per 100,000. But maybe this information is built into the prices of these stocks, and maybe there are some buying opportunities to help your portfolio get out of jail.
The largest company in this business, according to the free list of prison stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, is Corrections Corporation of America (CXW), a Nashville, Tennessee owner and operator of privatized correctional and detention facilities in 20 states. The stock trades at 17.5 times current earning, and 15.5 times future earnings, with a generous yield of 3.1%. Although quarterly revenues were up 2.4%, earnings for the latest quarter tanked over 21%. This was primarily due to the $4 million of start-up costs at Jenkins and Cimarron, the reduction in U.S. Marshals populations at certain facilities, and an increase in employee medical and workers' compensation claims.
The second largest is Geo Group (GEO) which trades at 17.8 time current earnings and at 13.2 times forward earnings. The company operates in the United States, Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Canada as a provider of government-outsourced services, primarily correctional, detention, mental health, residential treatment, and re-entry facilities. Earnings dropped 10.5% on a revenue increase of 5.3%.
The short list of prison stocks is available at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which can be downloaded, updated, and sorted.
Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.
By Stockerblog.com

Warren Buffett News Week of May 14

2012-05-17T01:39:00.001-04:00

The latest news about Warren Buffett, head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B):

Warren Buffett's investment firm buys 10 million shares of GM

Warren Buffett’s company reports several investment moves

What Yahoo! Could Learn From Warren Buffett

Remote islands seek help from US finance guru Warren Buffett

For a free list of Warren Buffett stocks, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com

Latest News about the Facebook Stock IPO

2012-05-15T23:10:00.002-04:00

Here is the latest news about Facebook stock and the Facebook IPO:

Exchanges Lay Plans For Facebook's Market Debut

Facebook IPO has individual investors in a tizzy

Facebook raises IPO price as offering nears

Investing in the Facebook IPO? You may have a mental disorder

Facebook IPO: Who is selling stock?

To see the original Facebook prospectus as a pdf file that can be downloaded, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Image of Facebook Stock Certificate courtesy of the SEC EDGAR service.

Cloudy Stocks with a Silver Lining

2012-05-12T13:55:00.000-04:00

I remember in the 'old' days, when I was using AOL (AOL), I had the option of saving my mail on my own computer or AOL could save it for me. Back then, I thought it was 'safer' to save it locally. But then I ran into a problem. When I was using my laptop, I couldn't access the mail on my desktop computer, and vice-versa. Plus, I had mail stored in two different places, and wasn't sure what was saved where. I finally gave in and had AOL save my mail for me. This concept is a very simple example of cloud computing. So to understand clouds a bit more, let me give you a couple more examples, without using a lot of technospeak, and keeping it in layman's terms.

Cloud computing is having your programs and data stored remotely on a server in another location, instead of on your own individual computer. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can have a cheap old computer and still take advantage of cloud computing. The servers of companies that provide this service represent the 'clouds', and those servers can be located anywhere. Yahoo (YHOO) mail, Google (GOOG) gmail, and Microsoft's (MSFT) hotmail are examples of cloud computing in a limited way. The email servers are not in your office or home as you use the Yahoo or Google or Microsoft servers. Many corporations, organizations, and universities are utilizing the email services of Google, which saves them money on servers and saves on staffing.

For corporations, cloud benefits are substantial. Cloud computing can reduce waste and carbon footprints along with providing significant cost savings. Companies that utilize cloud computing don't need to keep buying more servers. Costs relating to the disposal of old computers and servers is cut back significantly. Data security is the job of the cloud computing firm. Businesses can eliminate the techs that have to come out and install new software to each employees' station, and network administrators monitoring the company's servers are reduced.

Investors like the green and financial benefits of cloud computing companies. According to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over 25 stocks in the cloud field, based oh the free Cloud Computer Stock List, which includes companies involved in server farms and outsourced storage systems.

The one of the largest corporations that falls into the cloud computer arena is Salesforce.com (CRM), which is a provider of customer-relationship management services. The company's stock symbol stands for Customer Relationship Management. Salesforce has customers of all sizes, including Staples (SPLS), Expedia (EXPE), News Corp. (NWS-A), and SunTrust Banks (STI). Salesforce trades at 66 times forward earnings. Quarterly revenues ending January 31 were up 38% year-over-year. The company reports latest earnings on May 17.

Citrix Systems, Inc. (CTXS) provides on demand applications and online services, including GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, GoToTraining, GoToAssist, and GoToMyPC. This company has a forward price to earnings ratio of 25. The latest quarterly earnings were down 7%, however, revenues were up 20%. I like the fact that the company is debt free.

VMware (VMW) is another major cloud and virtualization company. Its product VMware vSphere is a cloud computing data center platform. It sports a forward price to earnings ratio of 44. The company reported that latest earnings increased an incredible 52% in earnings on an amazing 25% increase in revenues. Although VMware has $450 million in total debt, it holds $5.2 billion in cash.

To access the free database of numerous companies involved in cloud computing in some way, that can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. A couple of them even pay dividends.

You can also get info on the green aspects of cloud computing from my book The Green Light on Green Stocks: A Quick Guide to Green Investing and Making Money in Alternative Energy Stocks, available through the publisher or through Amazon.com (AMZN), which also happens to be involved in the cloud computer business. As far as I know, my book is the first to publish information on cloud computing as a green industry.

Disclosure: Author owns AOL, AMZN, and YHOO.

By Stockerblog.com

Steve Jobs

2012-05-06T21:06:00.000-04:00

If you have not read the book Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, you need to read it. Even if you are a Microsoft (MSFT) Windows person and not an Apple (AAPL), Mac person. Even if you use a Research In Motion (RIMM) BlackBerry, instead of an iPhone. You need to read this book.

It is not just the historical information, which is very, very extensive, going back to the grandparents of Jobs and continues to almost his death. It is not just the fascinating trivia about Jobs, including the drugs, the feet soaking in toilets, the veganism, and how he once turned into a carrot (you have to read the book!). By the way, there is a ton of trivia, and I really don't want to give any more of it away.

What makes this book great is the combination of a psychoanalysis of Jobs combined with an evolutionary business analysis of Apple, Inc. and its founder. One of the key elements of the book, at least in the first part, is the interaction and relationship between Jobs and Steve Wozniak. They are complete opposites in numerous ways, physically, mentally, emotionally, philosophically, behaviorally, yet they worked together so well and complimented each other almost perfectly.

This business and financial side of Apple was significantly covered in the book, but probably just as interesting, if not more so, is the personal side of Jobs and all the major players in his life. And what a life.

Here is a guy who basically created his own market, his own Industry. He is responsible for providing employment to over 60,000 people directly, and hundreds of thousands of workers indirectly. He has made millionaires out of thousands and thousands of employees and investors. Not bad for a dollar-a-year man.

Isaacson has done his homework for this book, not only through interviews of Jobs, but also his co-workers, staff, family, friends, and even enemies. The research is extensively annotated at the end. The book even includes over 20 pictures. This tome is over 600 pages long, perfect for summer reading, vacation reading, or just one-chapter-a-night-before-you-go-to-bed reading. It is even available as a Steve Jobs Kindle book. If you are looking for a book as a gift, either for a friend, family member, or even yourself, Steve Jobs is the book worth getting.

Natural Gas Stocks are a Gas Gas Gas

2012-05-06T00:11:00.000-04:00

Natural gas has tanked 39% this year, the worst performer of all the commodities. Natural gas should increase to $4 per million BTU pretty soon, according to Goldman Sachs (GS). This is primarily due to production cutbacks from major producers and increased demand from utilities this year. It is significant since gas dropped 39% this year, the worst performing of all utilities.

There are many publicly traded companies involved in the distribution of natural gas, to both homes and businesses, and over 15 over them have yields in excess of 3%. For example, TransCanada Corp. (TRP), based in Calgery, Alberta, Canada, owns and operates natural gas pipelines and regulated gas storage facilities throughout Northern California. The company, which trades at 20 times earnings, pays a generous yield of 4.0%. (Talk to your accountant about foreign withholding tax, especially when foreign stocks are put in a retirement plan.) Earnings for the latest quarter were up 37.5% on a 14.7% rise in revenues.

Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD) is another high yielder gas company, which yields 4.9%. The stock trades at 21.6 times earnings, and earnings for the latest reported quarter ending December 31, were up an amazing 351.3% year over year, on a revenue increase of 20.9%. The company reports earning on May 2.

More options are available and worth further research including Northwest Natural Gas (NWN) at a 3.9% yield, WGL Holdings Inc (WGL) paying 4.0%, and Sempra Energy (SRE) at 3.7%. You can access a free list of over 25 natural gas companies, along with their price to earnings data, at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Top Yielding Electric Utilities Stocks

2012-05-02T01:08:00.000-04:00

With the volatility of the stock market recently, many investors have decided to stick with the tried and true income generating investments called utilities. Investors like the steady income and relative stability of electric utility stocks, which pay quarterly dividends. Some income investors use a 'laddering' technique, whereby they purchase three utilities with dividend payout days in different months, in order to achieve income coming in every month of the year.

The yields on these stock range from 3.0% to above 7.0%, according to the free list of electric utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. There are over 30 different utilities to choose from.

An interesting utility is Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. (HE). This is one of the leading utilities involved in the utilization of renewable energy sources for the generation of electricity. The sources include wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, sugarcane waste, municipal waste, and other biofuels. There must be something to this as the latest reported quarterly earnings ending December 31 were up over 38% on a 22% increase in revenues. With a 4.7% yield and trading at 17 times forward earnings, this stock might be worth a closer look. On May 8, the company reports earnings for the quarter ending March 31.

Duke Energy (DUK) also pays 4.7%, as does Westar Energy (WR). They also both happen to have forward price to earnings ratios of 14.

Another high yield example is Ameren Corporation (AEE), which operates as a public utility holding company which serves customers in Missouri and Illinois. The stock trades at 17 times forward earnings and pays a nice yield of 5.0%. This St. Louis based company generates its electricity from coal, nuclear, gas, and hydroelectric sources. The company reports earnings on May 4.

For a list of over 30 high yield electric utility stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Coffee Beans Help with Weight Loss: More Great News You've Been Waiting For

2012-04-23T02:07:00.000-04:00

Here is some great news for coffee drinkers interested in losing weight. According to a recent study presented at the American Chemical Society's meeting in San Diego, participants in the study who took unroasted, green coffee bean extract lost in excess of 10% of their body weight on average, in less than six month. Please note: that's not ten pounds, that's ten percent. So for someone weighing 150 pounds, that's a 15 pound loss. For someone who weighs 250 pounds, it is a 25 pound loss.

The study analyzed 16 overweight adults between the ages of 22 to 46 years of age. The average weight loss was 17 pounds with a 16 percent decrease in body fat, with no side effects. Researchers at the University of Scranton believe that it may be due to the chlorogenic acid in the unroasted coffee bean. Unfortunately, roasted coffee has much less of this ingredient than unroasted coffee.

From an investor standpoint, there are many coffee companies available as investments. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has recently updated its list of publicly traded companies in the coffee business, several of which pay dividends.

A major wholesaler of green coffee is Coffee Holding Co. (JVA), which also markets private label coffee and branded coffee in the US and Canada. The company has 90 varieties of raw green coffee beans which it imports from around the world and sold to large and small operators. The stock trades at 8.2 times forward earnings and pays a CD-beating dividend yield of 1.3%. Earnings for the latest reported quarter rose by an incredible 51.6% on a 120% increase in revenues. The company has $7.36 million in cash, giving the stock $1.16 in cash per share.

On the retail side, there is Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. (PEET), a specialty coffee roaster, marketer, and retailer founded in 1966 in Berkeley, California. The stock trades at 32 times forward earnings. Revenues for the latest quarter were up 10.9%, but earnings dropped by about 12.2%. The company does not pay a dividend.

Starbucks (SBUX) is the largest coffeehouse retailer in the world, with outlets in 50 countries and over 17,000 shops worldwide. The stock trades at 25.5 times forward earnings and pays a yield of 1.2%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 10.2% on an 16.4% increase in revenues.

The J. M. Smucker Co. (SJM) sells the Folgers brand of coffee, along with spreads, toppings, and beverages. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 15.2 and a very favorable yield of 2.4%. Earnings dropped 11.5% on an 11.8% rise in sales.

For a free list of about 20 coffee stocks, including more than half a dozen that pay dividends, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The list can be downloaded, sorted, and updated.

Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Chocolate May Keep You Slim: The News You've Been Waiting For

2012-04-23T02:03:00.002-04:00

All right, you like to eat chocolate, make that LOVE to eat chocolate, but you are concerned about your figure. Well, maybe you need not be concerned any more. Fortunately for you, researchers at the University of California at San Diego discovered that people who ate lots of chocolate tended to be slimmer than those who ate less chocolate.

Researchers believe that the results of the study may be due to the fact that chocolate ingredients may favor weight loss more than fat creation. According to the study, which was published in Archives of Internal Medicine, there was a correlation between regular chocolate consumption and lower BMI.

So what companies may benefit from the chocolate craze? Here are a few ideas from WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which has a free list of about a dozen chocolate and candy stocks, most of which pay dividends. Here are some ideas:

Hershey (HSY), largest manufacturer of chocolate in North America
Forward PE ratio 21.9, yield 2.5%.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF), makes and markets chocolate caramels, creams, mints, and truffles
Forward PE ratio 15.6, yield 4.3%.

Nestle (NSRGY.PK), famous chocolate manufacturer
Forward P/E ratio 18.7

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B), Warren Buffett's company, owns See's Candies (obviously a very small portion of its portfolio)
PE ratio 19.1

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli (LSPN.DE) (COCXF.PK), sells its products under the Lindt, Ghirardelli, and Caffarel brands.
PE ratio 23.2

If you want to see a free list of all the publicly traded chocolate and candy stocks, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The list, which includes several companies that pay dividends, can be downloaded, updated, and sorted.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.
By Stockerblog.com

Make Shorting Stocks a Part of Your Portfolio

2012-04-22T17:12:00.000-04:00

Most investors hold a portfolio of stocks they hope will increase in value, usually a diversified portfolio of stocks in various industries or sectors. Many are scared to short a stock as it often perceived as risky, taboo and almost un-american. I'm here to tell you that with the right knowledge, tools and a little bit of leg work, shorting stocks can be a profitable part of your investment portfolio.

As the owner of Shortzilla, a short based research firm, I may be biased, but I am a firm believer that 'going long' is not the only way to invest in the stock market.

So what do you need?   First off, a margin account is necessary.   Most brokerage houses will also usually not let you short a non-marginable stock--meaning most bulletin board or pink sheet traded stocks.

Once you are ready to trade on margin, it's now time to find the best stocks to short. But first, let's be sure you are aware of a few key terms. (Also check out our primer--"What is Short Selling?")

An important term that all investors should be familiar with is the short interest, and the short squeeze.   Short interest means the amount of shares that are currently short for a particular stock. A good reading to evaluate the level of short activity for a stock is the short interest/float, which divides the short interest by the amount of outstanding shares. A high number of short interest to oustanding float indicates that the stock has a high level of pessimism surrounding it, and there could be danger of a short squeeze.

A short squeeze can be a dangerous event for any short seller--in simple terms it occurs when short sellers panic as a stock rises.   A significant level of short interest can make a short squeeze much more painful, as short sellers scramble to buy to cover their short positions.

Now onto the good stuff! What do I short? you might be asking. Well, I can't say that shorting is an easy task. I almost consider shorting to be in line with a private investigation.   I like to find companies that have significant problems--either legal, or structural business issues.   Companies that under SEC investigation are often the first companies that I look at.   Know that you will need to READ a lot! Read the 10-K's and the 10-Q's for the companies that you feel smell just a bit funny.

Check out the latest quarterly call transcripts to see what the sell side analysts are questioning the company about. This can often give a signal into the troubles ahead for any company.   Also, read as much sell side research as you can --just to get the bare bone basics for the stock--(Trust me the sell side is often wrong-but they can provide you with some of the up to date news on a company).

Once you've gathered your data and formulated an opinion, check with your broker to make sure they have stock available to short.   Sometimes if a stock is an extremely popular short they may also charge a borrowing cost.   Groupon right now has a very high borrowing cost.   You must evaluate the costs in comparison to what you feel you might be able to earn in profit if the stock does decline.    I also recommened shorting a stock that only in a downtrend technically.   A stock may be in an uptrend and appear overvalued--but there likely is good reason that the stock may go higer. Avoid those stocks and stick to the ones that are heading lower.

And if you're looking for help, head over to Shortzilla.    We have free resources for short sellers along with a paid subscription service which provides real time short recommendations and research.   Good luck to all short sellers! and to those who are just getting their feet wet! It's a fun ride.

Warren Buffett Dressed as a Paper Boy and Singing

2012-04-18T22:06:00.000-04:00

Last week, at the Omaha Press Club Show, Warren Buffett, head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B) was dressed up as an old fashioned paperboy and sang a song. Here is a video of the Warren Buffett entertainment. It starts after the first 15 second public safety announcement.

You can find a free list of Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

How to Beat CD Yields and Get Income Monthly

2012-04-18T22:03:00.000-04:00

The average one-year yield for a bank certificate of deposit is currently 0.34%. Even if you tie up your funds in a five-year CD, the average yield is still only 1.15%. So what is an income investor to do? One very popular alternative is the closed end bond fund. One of the best features of this type of investment is the fact that many of them pay dividends monthly. Another monthly dividend alternative is the real estate investment trust.

Monthly dividend investments can return your capital faster, and can provide faster compounding. The monthly payments can also reduce volatility. Fortunately, there are over 150 different stocks that pay dividends monthly. Actually, even though these investments are often referred to as stocks, they are technically closed end bond funds, real estate investment trusts, oil income trusts, and closed end income stock funds, which pay dividends every month.

These monthly dividend investments can be found at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which lists almost 200 different companies that pay dividends monthly, over 50 of which have high yields in excess of 7%.

One example is The MFS Multimarket Income Trust (MMT) pays a yield of 7.1%. It invests in fixed in fixed income investments throughout the world. The stock trades at a 0.8% discount to net asset value. The company, which has been around since 1987, has a management fee of 0.82%.

Gas Natural Inc. (EGAS), previously called Energy, Inc., It is a distributor of natural gas in Montana, Wyoming, North Carolina, and Maine. It was founded in 1909. The stock pays a yield of 4.9% and sports a price to earnings ratio of 14.1.

The Advent Claymore Convertible Securities & Income Fund (AVK) sports a yield of 6.6%, sells at about a 11.4% discount to net asset value, and carries a 0.92% management fee. This closed end fund, founded in 2003, invests approximately 60% of its portfolio in convertible securities and 40% in lower-grade non-convertible income securities.

LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (RIT) is a way of investing in real estate and receive monthly income. It is an exchange traded fund that invests in real estate related companies including real estate investment trusts. It carries a yield of 7.9%, and has paid dividends since 2002. It is trading at a 14.9% discount to net asset value. The management fee is 1.2%.

Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGH) is a Canadian oil royalty income trust that yields 7.5%. The company was founded in 1988. The company explores, develops, and produces oil and natural gas reserves in western Canada.

Realty Income Corp. (O), one of the few stocks with a single letter stock ticker symbol, yields 5.1%. This real estate investment trust which specializes in commercial retail real estate, has been around since 1969. The stock trades at 18.2 times forward earnings.

When looking for monthly dividend investments investors should avoid investments with high management fees, limited liquidity, ones that trade at a premium to net asset value, and the ones using excessive leverage. The municipal bond closed end funds may trigger the Alternative Minimum Tax; check with your accountant about this possibility.

A list of over a couple hundred monthly dividend stocks, including many that have yields of 6% or more, is available at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Keep in mind that very high yields may not be sustainable.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

What Stocks has Warren Buffett been Buying?

2012-04-18T10:05:00.000-04:00

Warren Buffett, head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B), is the third richest person in the world, due to his astute investing. Many investors follow in the footsteps of this famous trader and investor by piggybacking on his investments. So what has he been up to lately according to reports filed with the SEC?

First let's start with what he has gotten rid of. He sold off his holdings in ExxonMobil (XOM), selling off over 421,000 shares for about $30.6 million. But he is not totally bearish on major oil companies, as he still owns shares in ConocoPhillips (COP), a stock which yields 3.4%.

In terms of what he has been buying, according to the latest free list of Warren Buffett stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, he purchased shares of DaVita Inc. (DVA), a provider of kidney dialysis services. The stock trades at 18 times current earnings and 12.9 times forward earnings. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 114.6% on a 13.1% rise in revenues. The company does not pay a dividend.

Warren Buffett also purchased shares of Liberty Media Corporation (LMCA), a media and entertainment company. The stock has a price to earnings ration of 13.1. Earnings were down over 50% for the latest quarter, however revenues almost doubled. Thsi stock also does not pay a dividend.

For a list of all the Warren Buffett Berkeshire Hathaway stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Funds that Own Facebook Stock

2012-04-07T00:19:00.000-04:00

It is now much harder for the wealthy to buy shares of Facebook in private transactions. SharesPost, one of the leading marketplaces for non-publicly traded companies, just announced that the company "will cease facilitating transactions in Facebook stock as of Friday end of day to help ensure the company's orderly transition into the public markets." This was done at the request of Facebook.

Yet, investors both big and small still have an opportunity to acquire shares indirectly, by buying stock in funds that own shares of Facebook. The options are mutual funds, which are priced once a day based on the net asset value, or closed end funds, which trade on exchanges all day long just like a regular stock.

WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has turned up two closed end funds that own shares of Facebook, on its free list of Facebook Stocks. One of the CEFs is GSV Capital (GSVC), which specializes in investing in venture capital backed private companies. The company name comes from Global Silicon Valley Capital. It owns a fairly diverse portfolio of innovative businesses, such as Bloom Energy, Dropbox, TrueCar, Twitter, and even SharesPost. It also owns a couple companies that have recently gone public, including Zynga (ZNGA) and Groupon (GRPN).

But most important, according to the company's fourth quarter Schedule of Investments as of December 31, 2011, there are 350,000 Class B common shares on the books at a cost of $10,465,981. The holdings represent 14.63% of the company's portfolio.

In the last three months, the GSV share price has risen from around 14 per share to 20 currently, an increase of 42%. Yes GSV has yet moved as much as another CEF that owns Facebook, the Firsthand Technology Value Fund (SVVC), which has increased in price from less than 15 per share to almost 37 today, a boost of 60%. It actually traded above 40 a couple days ago but had a pullback.

In terms of mutual funds that own Facebook stock, the T. Rowe Price Media & Telecommunications Fund (PRMTX) has approximately 1.2% of its portfolio in Facebook shares, a fairly small percentage compared to the closed end funds.

To see a list of over 25 of the companies that own Facebook stock, check out the free list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated.

Disclosure: Author owns GSVC and SVVC. No recommendations of any of the above stocks is expressed or implied.

By Stockerblog.com

The 3 Chart Patterns You Can't Afford Not to Trade

2012-04-06T06:07:00.000-04:00

Chart patterns are specific price-action patterns in stock prices that have repeated themselves for decades, giving prudent traders many profitable trading opportunities. However, there are many chart patterns that are unreliable and not profitable. In this article we will cover the 3 highest win rate patterns that almost guarantee long-term profitability and gains.

Pattern #1: Head & Shoulders
The Head & Shoulders is one of the most reliable chart patterns, having accuracy of almost 90% and generating profits for decades. The head & shoulders is a reversal pattern, that indicates a shift in trend and beginning of a reversal.

We will usually trade this pattern when the neckline is broken, and will join the trade right at the breakout. However, for even more accurate entry it is recommended to wait for price to pull back to the neckline, and begin the new trend. The pullback entry is even more accurate than the breakout one, reaching around 95% accuracy. This is a chart pattern you must trade and master.

Pattern #2: Double Top
The Double Top is another pattern which you must trade, as it provides very good win rate (around 76% winning trades) and very consistent profits in many stocks and Forex pairs.

The Double Top is created when price tries to break a resistance level twice and is unable to, creating a shape resembling the letter 'M'. Eventually price breaks the neckline downwards, which is the sell signal for chart traders. We will also enter a short trade if price pulls back to the broken neckline from below.

Pattern #3: The Channel
The Channel is one of the most accurate chart patterns that appears in almost any Stock or index, and are the foundation of trends. The Channel consists of two parallel trend lines in a certain direction - it can be either ascending or descending.

The Channel symbolizes a healthy trend in which price moves forward in a certain rythem. We can trade the channel chart pattern in several methods: The first one is to take trades on the trend lines themselves (make sure to enter only with the direction of the trend and not against it).

Another trading method that is particularly powerful with channels is to enter after it is broken: entering short when an ascending channel is broken and entering long when a descending channel is broken. For extra accuracy we recommend not to enter the breakout itself but wait for the pullback.

Conclusion
Chart patterns are a very reliable and consistent way of trading, and if you focus just on the 3 patterns mentioned above, you will generate stable profits from any market you trade. Choose one pattern at a time, learn to identify it on historical charts and then proceed to master it in real trading.

Steve Sollheiser is a trading veteran with experience in trading stock chart patterns and trading Forex. In his site he shares his insight about chart trading and trading psychology.

Top Yielding Canada Stocks

2012-03-26T02:56:00.001-04:00

Did you know that our neighbor to the north is the tenth wealthiest nation in the world based on Nominal GDP? It is also a net exporter of energy, one of the few developed nations in the world that can make this claim. Also, Canada has the world's second-largest proven oil reserves (Saudi Arabia is in second place).

Fortunately for income investors looking to diversify, Canada has over a dozen stocks with yields in excess of 3% according the recently updated free list of top yielding Canadian stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

One example is Toronto Dominion Bank (TD), the second largest bank in Canada. The stock trades at 10.6 times forward earnings and pays a dividend rate of 3.4%. The bank has over 1100 branches in Canada and over 1200 branches in the US.

Another example is Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI), is a Toronto based communications and media company, which yields 4.2% and trades at 11 times forward earnings. The company has increased dividends eleven out of the last twelve quarters.

Enbridge (ENB) is a transporter and distributor of crude oil and natural gas primarily in Canada and the United States. The stock yields 2.9% and has a forward price to earnings ratio of 20. The company is even getting into the solar energy business, buying its first solar farm from First Solar (FSLR).

For a list of over fifteen high yield Canada stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Spain in the Hot Seat.

2012-03-25T15:28:00.004-04:00

With Greek situation normalized (for now), markets are shifting attention to Spain. For a while, it looked like this country was trying to target a 5.8% deficit in 2012, rather than the 4.4% it had promised the EU. Under pressure from Union officials, Madrid eventually agreed to 5.3% for the year. Still, this is way above the EU-mandated deficit target of 3%, a level Spain is expected to reach next year. It will be extremely difficult to achieve, considering the deficit for 2011 was 8.5%, which means that Spain must make the deepest cuts of any Eurozone country outside Greece. With the highest EU unemployment of about 23%, the economy can easily fall into its second recession in three years.

Markets clearly do not have much faith in Spain, fearing higher than promised deficit or even possible bailout. In the past two weeks, Spain has had a higher yield than Italy, which just a month ago was the economy most at risk following the bailouts of Greece, Ireland and Portugal. On Friday, the Italian 10-year yield was 0.4 percentage points below Spain's at 5.14%. This happened in spite the fact that European banks have plenty of capital from the LTRO and were expected to use it for sovereign bond purchases. After all, at 5% these are attractive yields in the low-rate environment across the globe. We should watch the 5.5% yield level, as a move above could spell real trouble for Spain and the Euro, perhaps as early as this week.

Last week I discussed trades in the GBP-JPY, and now it could be a good time for more short trades in Yen crosses. The NZD-JPY, for example, might be a decent sell under 66.50 using the hourly chart. Since the price closed well above 67.00 on Friday, it could take some time before this trade happens. As for shorter-term activities, I will look for gaps at the opening, and try to play them, if they develop. Have a great trading week!

Mike K.
www.fxmadness.com

Highest Yielding Israel Stocks

2012-03-24T14:29:00.000-04:00

SodaStream International Ltd. (SODA), an Israeli company, went public at $20 per share a couple years ago and is now up over 71%. The company makes and markets home beverage carbonation systems, which can turn tap water into sparkling water and soda in just a few seconds. The product is marketed by major retailers across the United States and in other countires.

The stock doesn't pay a dividend, but there are many Israeli companies that do pay dividends. The payouts can help lower your risk by reducing volatility and accelerating your return of capital. According to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are more than half a dozen Israeli companies with high yields ranging from 1.8% to over 12%.

Elbit Systems Ltd. (ESLT), a manufacturer of defense systems and products, pays dividends quarterly and yields 3.2%. The company has been paying dividends since 1997. The stock trades at 8.8 times forward earnings.

Cellcom Israel Ltd. (CEL) is a cellular communications provider in Israeli that yields 5.9%, with dividends having been paid payable quarterly since 2007. The stock has a price to earnings ratio of 5.8.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA), a developer and producer of generic and branded pharmaceuticals, has been paying quarterly dividends since 1997 and yields 1.8%. It trades at 7.1 times forward earnings.

The dividend paying stocks from Israel that trade in the United States can be found in a free list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which is available for download, sorting, and updating.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time it was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Supermodel Gisele Stock Index Still Outperforms

2012-03-24T14:27:00.001-04:00

Gisele Bunchen, the wife of football star Tom Brady, is the world's top earning supermodel, according to Forbes.

Gisele, who receives most of her income in euros and Brazilian reals, is a celebrity endorser and spokesperson for numerous products of many publicly traded companies. Back in 2007, I examined these companies and built them into the form of a stock index, in order to compare Gisele's stocks with the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

The following graph shows the return for both from last year.

If you look at the returns from January 2011 to today, the Dow is up 11.2%, yet the Gisele Stock Index is up an incredible 25.7%. This return excludes Apple (AAPL), which used to be part of the index because Gisele Bundchen appeared on the 'Get a Mac' advertisements to promote the new line of Macintosh's a few years ago. If Apple was still in the index, her return would be even higher.

A selection of the stocks in her index include:

Volkswagon (VLKAY.PK) TV commercial spokesperson

Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL) Advertising campaign face for Ralph Lauren, owned by Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.

Vivo Participacoes (VIV) Celebrity endorsement - largest mobile phone service provider in Brazil and in South America

News Corp. (NWSA) Starred in the comedy, Taxi, in her movie debut, and The Devil Wears Prada, both produced by 20th Century Fox, a division of News Corp.

Procter & Gamble (PG) Celebrity endorsement, increased Pantene's sale in Brazil by 40%.

Disney (DIS) Celebrity endorsement - appeared in the 'Year of a Million Dreams' celebration photoshoot

For a free list of stocks in the Gisele Stock Index, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Other celebrity stock indexes you may be interested in include the Heidi Klum Stock Index, the Eva Longoria Stock Index, the Angelina Jolie Stock Index, the Jessica Alba Stock Index, the Nicole Kidman Stock Index, the Freida Pinto Stock Index, and the Supermodels Stock Indices.

Assumptions:
The Gisele Index is a price-weighted index, similar to the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It includes reinvested dividends.

Disclosure: Author owned DIS, NWSA, and AAPL at the time the article was written. No celebrity endorsement expressed or implied.

By Stockerblog.com

A New Unique Way of Getting Pre-IPO Facebook Shares

2012-03-22T22:23:00.000-04:00

Interested in getting shares of the ever popular Facebook stock before the company goes public? Here is a unique way of getting some pre-IPO shares of Facebook: trade your house.

A couple has already done this, or at least tried. A couple in Los Gatos, California has offered to trade their 10,000 square foot house with six bedrooms for $29 million worth of Facebook shares. The house has five-an-a-half baths and Italian marble throughout the mansion. Plus, an eight car garage.

The buzz for Facebook appears to be greater than the Apple IPO or many of the dot com company IPOs. What sort of trades will we see next for this stock?

Stocks with High Cash per Share

2012-03-18T03:23:00.001-04:00

It is not enough for a company to have lots of assets. Cash is king and stocks with lots of cash generally means that the company is in solid financial shape. It also makes the companies more appealing as takeover candidates, since the acquiring company can use that cash to help close the deal.

So what companies are cash heavy? Superior Industries International (SUP) makes and markets aluminum road wheels. This debt free company, which closed on Friday at 19.44, has $7.10 in cash per share. The stock trades at eight times earnings. Revenues for the latest quarter were up 13.5%, with revenues shooting up 80.6%. The stock even generates a yield of 3.3%.

Insperity (NSP) is a provider of human resources and business solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. The stock has almost $11 in cash per share and trades at 29.62. The company is debt free and trades at 15 times forward earnings. Earnings rose 39% on a 13.7% increase in revenues. The yield on the stock is 2%.

Richardson Electronics (RELL) is a provider of engineered solutions, customized display solutions, and power grid and microwave tubes that has a huge amount of cash per share, $9.50 in cash and the stock trades at only 12.22. This debt free company trades at 26 times forward earnings.

If you like specialized stock lists like this, check out the free lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which can be downloaded, updated, and sorted.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.
By Stockerblog.com

The Forgotten Monthly Dividend Stocks: Former Canadian Royalty Income Trusts

2012-03-11T23:37:00.001-04:00

Canadian Royalty Income Trusts used to be a popular investment, due to the high income and the tax benefits. But then the tax laws changed and glow went off these investments, and the companies switched from trusts to master limited partnerships and regular corporations. However, even though the original tax benefits are no longer there, these investments still have some benefits. There are several of these Canadian companies that pay high monthly incomes, according to the list of monthly dividend stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

One interesting example is Provident Energy Ltd. (PVX), which is based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and has been in business since 1993. The company extracts, transports, and markets natural gas liquids throughout Canada and the United States. The stock has a yield of 4.5% and provides monthly dividend payouts. The monthly dividend was just increased by 2.3%.

Pengrowth Energy Corporation (PGH) is another Canadian company that just increased its dividend from $0.069 per month to $0.07 per month, generating a yield 8.7% for the stock. The company explores for and produces oil and natural gas in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

To see other high yield Canadian oil and gas monthly dividend payers, and over 200 other monthly dividend stocks, check out the list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

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