Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Second Week of August

  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.

Olin Corporation	OLN	8/8/2012	3.7%	$1.7B
Pitney Bowes Inc.	PBI	8/8/2012	11.1%	$2.7B
R.R. Donnelley & Sons	RRD	8/8/2012	8.3%	$2.3B
Spectra Energy Corp.	SE	8/8/2012	3.7%	$19.8B

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

Top High Yield Low Price No Debt Below Book Stocks

It is one thing to find a high yield low price stock, but there are more characteristics that you have to look at. Does the stock only pay a dividend once a year or quarterly? Is it selling way above book value or below book? Does the company have a ton of debt?

To make it easy for investors do do their research, WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has just updated its High Yield Stocks Below $10 per Share list, It has been narrowed down to only show the stocks with yields greater than 4%, selling below book value, and with little or no debt. In addition, all the stocks pay quarterly.

An example is Lawson Products Inc. (LAWS), a Chicago, Illinois based company which distributes maintenance and repair related products and services. The customers include numerous industries, such as automotive repair, commercial vehicle maintenance, government, manufacturing, food processing, distribution, construction, oil and gas, and mining. The stock trades at 6.7 times forward earnings and pays a very generous yield of 5.1%. The company has a small amount of debt relative to its capital and sells at 62% of book value.

Friedman Industries (FRD) is involved in steel processing, pipe manufacturing and processing, and steel and pipe distribution. The stock pay a dividend rate of 5.6% and sports a forward price to earnings ratio of 5.3. This debt free company sells right at book value.

The Dallas, Texas based A. H. Belo Corporation (AHC) is a newspaper publishing company, which owns and operates four metropolitan daily newspapers: The Dallas Morning News, The Providence Journal, The Press-Enterprise, and The Denton Record-Chronicle. The company last reported negative earnings but pays a 5.8% yield. The company is debt free and trades at 77% of book value.

The see the entire list of 30 high yield low priced stocks that have low or no debt and trade at less than book value, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

I Just Bought a 13% Guaranteed $5000 bond that Pays $120 per month Tax Free

Can you believe that I just bought a 13% guaranteed $5000 bond that pays $120 per month tax free for 5 years? And it's guaranteed by a major US bank.

Here is what it is. About a year ago, I got a 'special deal' on a credit card, interest free for one year on purchases and balance transfers. I took advantage of it.

The year is up, and now a 13% interest rate kicks in. So by paying off the credit card, I am saving about $120 a month for approximately five years, in essence generating a 13% return (as the alternative is not paying it off and paying the high interest). And of course, there is no taxation on the $120 per month savings. Such a deal.

This is obviously a very simple 'investment' or money management technique. Just wanted to reinforce the benefits of credit card payoffs, especially to those who are getting credit cards for the first time.

US Olympic Swim Team Having Fun

Call Me Maybe - 2012 USA Olympic Swimming Team

The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty

Everyone lies, no matter who they are. Even you. Yes, you. Fans of Dan Ariely will love his latest book, The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone---Especially Ourselves. The book provides fascinating accounts of the various experiments which prove over and over again that people are willing to lie and cheat, and the factors that affect the lying and cheating.

Ariely talks about how the chances of getting caught can affect cheating, and how companies can allow and even encourage cheating by its employees. Did you know that if you wear a knockoff, such as a fake Gucci handbag, you are more likely to cheat? There is a whole chapter dedicated to golf. Chapters 7 and 8 are probably the most important, as they cover how we cheat and lie to ourselves.

An interesting concept that he writes about in detail is about how cheating is contagious and how collaboration can cause an increased amount of cheating. Fortunately, Ariely has come up with various ways to help reduce cheating in various settings.

If you liked Predictably Irrational (by the way, there is an updated and expanded edition of this book), you will like The Honest Truth About Dishonesty.

Man Renting Himself Out as Walking Advertisement to Pay for Trip to Olympics

A Hermosa Beach, California man has offered to rent himself out as a walking advertisement in order to pay for his trip to the Olympics in London.

Follow-Up on a Startup: BoomBotix

Back in March, we featured an article, 'Spotlight on a Startup', which gave an inside view of BoomBotix Inc., a creator of mobile audio For Sounding Great On The Go™. The company was founded in 2009 with roots in San Francisco’s urban art scene and the Tahoe action sports arena. In 2010, BoomBotix splashed into the portable electronics scene with the worlds loudest portable speaker tailored to the transient lifestyles of surf, skate, and snow culture.

Startups that survive go through a series of funding stages, usually starting out with investments from friends, family, and credit cards. The next step is funding from angels, wealthy individuals who are willing to put up money for high risk investments in return for the potential of very high returns. Also known as accredited investors, they are always looking to get in on the ground floor of another Google (GOOG), Apple (AAPL), or LinkedIn (LNKD).

The third stage is venture capital. VC companies are willing to invest funds in early stage companies with proven sales and traction. There may be several stages of funding at this point. The final stage in the process is going public through an IPO (Initial Public Offering) or being taken over by a much larger company.

BoomBotix has seen rapid growth; it boasts distributors in over 20 countries with more than 140 retailers domestically including Best Buy, Backcountry.com, and Amazon, though it began with a virtually non-existent marketing budget. Because of the company's success, it has reached its third stage of funding, closing its first venture capital round. Walden Venture Capital has lead a Series A round in Boombotix.

Walden Venture Capital is a 'Sprout Stage™' investor based in San Francisco that focuses on Digital Media and Cloud Services companies. With investments including Pandora, SoundHound, The Clymb and Glam among others, they have a track record of helping companies attain mass-market adoption. 'Lief Storer and his team are incredible at design and technology while having a real passion for the consumer', said Larry Marcus, Managing Director of Walden Venture Capital, 'We are looking forward to helping take the Boombotix brand and product line to the next level. The company that is young, hungry and dedicated to serving its users with better sound, design and functionality.'

Boombotix CEO Lief Storer commented, 'The Boombot speaker line is constantly expanding, and the team is eager to develop new products and continually improve the products already in our portfolio. This round is just going to help us lay down the real foundation that we need to take things to the next level.'

Boombotix portable speakers are available in several styles, in wired or BluTooth® models for $65 to $79 at Amazon, Best Buy, Backcountry, Tilly’s, or direct from the company at www.boombotix.com.

No investment recommendation nor any investment promotion is expressed or implied by either Stockerblog.com or BoomBotix Inc.

A Slap in the Facebook

Facebook (FB) was hit hard today, dropping over 10% in the after-market. The company released earnings today for the first time since the IPO. The company's revenues were $1.18 billion, up from $895 million a year earlier, an increase of 32%. It wasn't enough for the analysts, so the stock tanked. The current price is the lowest it's been since the stock went public.

This of course hasn't helped the price of companies that own lots of shares of Facebook. A free list of these 'Facebook Stocks' can be found at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Warren Buffett's Company Created 7000 Pound Chocolate Lollypop

See's Candies is the western states producer and retailer of very high quality delicious chocolate and other types of candy. The company happens to be owned by Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B), the company that is run by the famous billionaire investor, Warren Buffett. See's, which is headquartered in South San Francisco, California, was founded in 1921 by Mary See. The company was taken over by Buffett in 1972.

Now the company has set a world record, by creating the world's largest lollipop, a chocolate lollipop at that, measuring three and a half feet wide and six feet long. This three and a half ton treat was revealed in San Francisco a few days ago.

The only way to invest in See's is to by Berkshire Hathaway. However, there are plenty of other chocolate companies to choose from. Info is available on them from WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which has a free list of about a dozen chocolate and candy stocks, most of which pay dividends. Here are some that may be worth taking a bite out of:

Hershey (HSY) is the largest manufacturer of chocolate in North America. The stock trades at 20 times forward earnings and pays a tasty yield of 2.1%. .

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF), makes and markets chocolate caramels, creams, mints, and truffles. The company has a forward price to earnings ratio 13, and provides a tasty yield of 3.6%.

And who can forget the "N E S T L E S, Nestle's makes the very best, chocolate" television commercial. Nestle (NSRGY), the large famous chocolate manufacturer, trades at 15 times forward earnings.

Chocoladefabriken Lindt and Sprüngli (LSPN.DE) (COCXF), sells its products under the Lindt, Ghirardelli, and Caffarel brands. The stock trades at 27 times earnings. 

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

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the First Week of August 2012

  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.

IDACORP Inc	IDA	8/2/2012	3.1%	$2.2B
The Southern Company	SO	8/2/2012	4.1%	$41.5B

CMS Energy Corporation	CMS	8/1/2012	3.9%	$6.4B
Itau Unibanco Holding (ADR)	ITUB	8/1/2012	3.2%	$32.9B
Natural Resource Partners	NRP	8/1/2012	10.6%	$2.2B

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

The Sofía Vergara Stock Index

According to Forbes, the highest paid television actress over the last twelve months is Sofía Vergara. She is the beautiful 40 year old Colombian actress and model who stars in the TV hit show Modern Family.

She started out as a runway model and as a co-host for a Colombian television show at the age of 20. After working for Univision for several years, she started appearing in sitcoms for ABC. She was nominated three years in a row for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She is starring in the upcoming movie The Three Stooges. She earned approximately $19 million in the last year, putting her at the top of the Forbes top TV actress list.

It is not just Vergara that is making money for herself, she is also helping the companies that she is associated with make money. Her first commercial was a Pepsi (PEP) ad broadcast in Latin America and just last year, she appeared in a Diet Pepsi commercial with David Beckham. Pepsi trades at 16 times earnings and pays a decent yield of 3.1%. The company reports earnings July 25.

Vergara also has an endorsement deal making her the new face of CoverGirl, the cosmetic product line of Procter and Gamble (PG). The company has a forward price to earnings ratio of 16.5 and yields a generous yield of 3.5%. The company's earnings announcement is August 3.

Of course with her popularity in Modern Family, the companies that benefit include the production company, 20th Century Fox Television, owned by News Corp. (NWSA), and the ABC television network, owned by the Disney Company (DIS).

All the companies that she is connected with can be found on the free list of Sofia Vergara stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. If you take all these stocks and put them in the form of a stock index, you will find that the Sofia Vergara Stock Index greatly outperformed the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Since January of 2008 to July of this year, Sofia's stocks were up 32.3% versus only 1.4%. If you measure from January 2009, the S and P was up 60.3% but Sofia still beat it, rising 77.9%.

If you like celebrity stock indexes, you might want to check out the Gisele Bunchen Stock Index and the Angelina Jolie Stock Index.

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

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

By Stockerblog.com

What Stock Dropped Almost 100 Points on Friday?

Do you know what stock dropped almost 100 points on Friday? This is not counting Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B) which was down 1265 points. The stock that was down big time to the tune of 21.5% was Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG), the operator of numerous Mexican restaurants throughout the US. This has been a hot stock of late, closing at 403.86 last Thursday, but dropping as low as 307.20, down about 96 points, then closing at 316.98.

The company reported sales below what Wall street analysts were expecting, which in turn, triggered several downgrades for the stock. The stock trades around 29 times forward earnings and does not pay a dividend.

Pre Olympic Excitement

Check out Michelle Jenneke Dancing at the Junior World Championships in Barcelona 2012.

How Long Will You Live?

Check out this Lifescan Calculator, created by The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. As you answer the calculator questions, you can see your estimated age at death increase (or decrease).

You can access it HERE.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fifth Week of July

  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.

Bank of Montreal	BMO	$34.5B	7/30/2012	5.1%
Hasbro, Inc.	HAS	$4.3B	7/30/2012	4.3%
Pinnacle West Capital Corp	PNW	$5.6B	7/30/2012	4.2%

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

What Companies Have Been Raising their Dividends?

One great indicator that can give a signal that a company is doing well is a dividend increase. When a business does this, it generally means that much better earnings are on the horizon.

One recent example is Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI), the energy transportation and storage company, boosted its quarterly dividend by 17%, from 30 cents per share to 35 cents per share year over year, and a 9% increase over the previous quarter dividend of 32 cents per share. The stock trades at 26 times forward earnings, and pays a dividend rate of 3.6%.

Penske Automotive Group, Inc. (PAG), the international automotive retailer, bumped up its quarterly dividend by 9%. The stock trades at 10 times forward earnings, plus it sports a yield of 1.8%.

A week ago, Cummins Inc. (CMI) raised the quarterly dividend on its common stock by an incredible 25 percent to 50 cents per share, up from 40 cents per share.The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 8.5. The dividend payout is 2.3%.

For a free list of stocks going ex dividend this month, which can be downloaded and sorted, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Cord Blood May Treat Strokes and Spinal Cord Injuries

Salk Institute for Biological Studies researchers have discovered the use of a single protein called transcription factor-to convert cord blood cells may be helpful in treating spinal cord injuries, strokes, and other neurological disorders. Other research has shown that umbilical cord blood may be useful in treating leukemia. Several companies, both large and small, are involved in the cord blood industry, and Richard Branson has even invested in the cord blood business.

Cord blood is blood that comes from the umbilical cords of babies, and contains a significant amount of hematopoietic stem cells. Specialized cord blood banks store this blood. Cord blood stem cells are considered far superior to stem cells from bone marrow. Cord blood of a baby is preserved in the event it may be needed at some point in the future for treatment of the cancer or genetic disease of the child or the child's siblings. Many diseases have been treated with cord blood. Information on cord blood and how it is collected, stored, and used, is available at CordBloodStocks.com.

Investors have two options when investing in this industry. They can own the stocks of the cord blood banks or own the companies that use cord blood to develop cures and produce extraction and storage products. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has come up with a list of 20 companies involved in the cord blood field. One example is PerkinElmer, Inc. (PKI), which owns ViaCell, a Cambridge, Massachusetts company which sells ViaCord, a product which is used to preserve baby's umbilical cord blood. They also research and other therapeutic uses of umbilical cord blood-derived and adult-derived stem cells. The stock trades at 11 times forward earnings and pays a decent yield of 1.1%.

Baxter International Inc. (BAX) makes blood collection bags for umbilical cord blood and develop adult stem-cell therapies. They also own a patent for assembling and methods to process cord blood in a sterile fashion to avoid exposure to bacterial contamination and to disburse the introduction of cryopreservation solution into cord blood at a desired rate, thereby avoiding damage or trauma to the cord blood cells. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 11.4 and sports a yield of 2.4%.

Celgene (CELG) is a New Jersey company that is involved in the discovery, production, and marketing of therapies designed to treat cancer and immune-inflammatory-related diseases. They own LifeBank USA, a cord blood bank. The stock has a forward PE of 12.3.

Amgen Inc. (AMGN) is also funding research into cord blood extraction, preservation, and storage. The stock has a forward PE of 11.6 and carries a yield of 1.9%.

For a free list of cord blood and stem cell stocks, which can be downloaded, updated, and sorted, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fourth Week of July 2012

  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.

 

Boardwalk REIT	BOWFF	$2.7B	7/27/2012	3.2%
DNP Select Income Fund Inc.	DNP	$2.7B	7/27/2012	7.0%
NiSource Inc.	NI	$6.9B	7/27/2012	4.0%

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

The Investor's IQ Test - Basic

Are you a novice or experienced investor? Think you know everything or at least a lot about the stock market? Take this test.

1. The stock symbol for AT and T, Inc. common stock is?
a. ATT
b. T
c. A
d. TEL

2. A call option will move in what direction when the stock moves up?
a. up
b. down
c. fluctuate
d. remain flat

3. The highest priced stock in the United States currently is
a. Apple
b. Google
c. ExxonMobile
d. Berkshire Hathaway

4. When interest rates go up, bonds go
a. up
b. down
c. fluctuate
d. remain flat

5. A bear market is a
a. rising market
b. falling market
c. fluctuating market
d. flat market

6. If you buy a stock on the ex-dividend date, you
a. are entitled to that dividend
b. are not entitled to that dividend
c. may or may not be entitled to the dividend based on the company's decision

7. When you short a stock, you make money when the stock
a. pays a dividend
b. goes up
c. goes down
d. has a stock split

8. What is the largest stock exchange in the world?
a. NASDAQ
b. Tokyo Stock Exchange
c. London Stock Exchange
d. NYSE Euronext

9. Which of the following is a stock index?
a. Dow Jones Industrial Average
b. S and P 500
c. NASDAQ Composite
d. All of the above

10. Which of the following is most likely to grow in value long term?
a. common stock
b. preferred stock
c. bond
d. put

Have you written down all your answers?

Are you ready to check your answers?

Check your answers below:

1. b
2. a
3. d
4. b
5. b
6. b
7. c
8. d
9. d
10. a

If you find investment trivia interesting, you may want to check out Stock Market Trivia and Investment Trivia.

The Invisible Gorilla

First watch the following video and count the number of passes that the white shirt team makes:

Did you see the gorilla? Most people don't see it when they watch the video for the first time.
The book The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us was written by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, the psychology professors who are known for their 'Gorillas in Our Midst' study. This is an incredible book.
The fact that many people can miss something that happens right in front of their eyes, also known as inattentional blindness, is just one section of the book. Remember the incident in the Canary Islands where a passenger plane took off and ran in to another airplane as it was going down the runway? The pilots didn't even see the Boeing 747. Many other examples are given. Even doctors can miss things in X-rays, items that are right in front of them.
Did you know that smart chess players and stupid criminals have something in common? I'm not going to give away the concepts; just read Chapter 3. People who are interested in business and investing should find Chapter 4 of interest: 'Should you be more like a weather forecaster or a hedge fund manager?' Everybody overestimates what they know, even scientific experts. This is called the 'Illusion of Knowledge.'
Cause and effect is one of the important concepts extensively covered in the book. Did you know that more people drown on days when a lot of ice cream is consumed? Is there cause and effect? Is there a correlation? Is there another cause for both? Or is it just a coincidence?
One of the key takeaways from this book is the following quote:

The only way - let us repeat, the only way - to definitively test whether an association is causal is to run an experiment.

There are numerous books available to readers, which I call 'Why' books; why you should be doing this or that, why this happens, why that happens, why the economy happens a certain way, why people do certain things, and on and on. Chabris and Simons make it very clear that unless there is an independent scientific experiment that that proves something with statistical significance, with the study published in recognized scientific journals with peer review, then the claim may not, and in many cases, probably not, be true.
You don't have to worry about a lot of scientific gibberish in this book. It is very clear and easy to read and understand. The Invisible Gorilla is one of my favorite books that I have read for this year, and I highly recommend it.

Latest News on Warren Buffett for the Week of July 13

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

Free list of Warren Buffett stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com

Warren Buffett says economy slowed in last 2 months

Warren Buffett Wins as Berkshire and Walmart Rally

Warren Buffett says Libor Scandal Involves 'The Whole World'

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hits 16-Month High

How Shills From Warren Buffett’s Chinese Car Company Stole Their Own Facebook Contest

Coca-Cola's stock split may upset Warren Buffett

Free list of Warren Buffett stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com

Two Thirds of People Drink Booze to Relax

According to surveys done by ICM Research, approximately two-thirds of people drink alcoholic beverages during the evening in order to relax. The primary reasons given were work problems and stress. The company also found that one-third of workers have a drink or two before they go home. The organization Drinkaware has pointed out the risks of over-drinking, and may even lead to more stress down the road.

In terms of alcohol purchases, it turns out that 71% of grocery purchasers include alcoholic beverages on their grocery lists. Investors are taking a look at liquor companies as a semi-recession proof business. According to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over a dozen wine and liquor stocks, and additional dozen beer stocks. Eight of these stocks pay dividends.

Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-A) (BF-B) is one of the major marketers of whiskey, tequilas, liqueur, and wine. You are probably familiar with some of the major brands of the company, including Jack Daniel's, Southern Comfort, Finlandia Vodka, Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Canadian Mist, Early Times, and Korbel champagne.The stck trades at 26 times earnings and pays a yield of 1.6%. Unfortunately, earnings for the latest quarter were down about 37%, on relatively flat earnings.

Diageo (DEO) is a much larger company in the liquor business, with a market capitalization of almost $65 billion. The company's brands include the world leaders in their category, such as José Cuervo, the world's best-selling tequila, Smirnoff, the top selling vodka, and Johnnie Walker, the most popular Scotch whiskey. The stock has a forward price to earnings of 16 and a yield of 2.0%. Earnings for the quarter ending December 31 were down 20%.

The world's largest wine company is Constellation Brands (STZ). Brands include Robert Mondavi, Hardys, Clos du Bois, Franciscan Estates, Ravenswood, and Blackstone in the wine category. Beer brands include Corona, Modelo Especial and Negra Modelo, Pacífico, St. Pauli Girl and Tsingtao, along with Svedka Vodka and Black Velvet Canadian Whisky. The stock trades at ten times earnings, and does not pay a dividend.

For a free list of 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

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Third Week of July 2012

 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.

 

Netcare Limited	NWKHF	$23.8B	7/18/2012	3.2%
The Clorox Company	CLX	$9.3B	7/23/2012	3.6%
Royal Bank of Canada	RY	$71.6B	7/24/2012	4.5%

 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

What Country is the World's Marijuana and Beer Capital?

Can you guess what country has the highest consumption per capita of cannabis and beer? I'll give you a hint; it's not the United States. It is actually the island country of Palau, located in the Micronesia area of the South Pacific. The country has a grand total of only about 21,000 people, but the percentage of marijuana and beer users is huge, according to The United Nations' 2012 World Drugs Report and the World Health Organization's Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health.

According to the WHO report, 24.2% of the population use cannabis, far above the amount for the second highest countries, Italy and New Zealand, at 14.6%. In regards to beer, Palau has the highest consumption of beer based on liters consumed annually per capita for ages 15 and older. Beer also appears to be the alcoholic beverage of choice for Palauans.
So can beer consumption in Palau help beer companies? It is doubtful that it can increase the bottom line by much, but it shouldn't hurt. In regards to the type of beer, Palau actually has its own brewery, Red Rooster. But its a private company.

However, if you look at the menus of restaurants and bars in Palau, you can see the other beers that are distributed throughout the country. Miller Light is sold there. It is marketed by MillerCoors, a a joint venture between SABMiller (SBMRF) and Molson Coors Brewing Company (TAP). Molson Coors pays a decent yield of 3.1% and trades at 11 times forward earnings. The company reports earnings on August 7.

Kirin is another beer that is distributed in Palau. The Kirin Holdings Company, Limited (KNBWY) which trades to a limited degree in the United States on the over-the-counter market. The stock has a price to earnings ratio of 148.

Budweiser and Bud Light, produced by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (BUD), are also found in this island country. The stock has a 1.7% yield and trades at 15 times forward earnings.

Heineken (HINKY) is also popular. The stock has a forward P/E ratio of 9.
For a free list of all the beer 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

Top Yielding Warren Buffett Stocks

If you don't believe that Warren Buffett's advice is worth it, just look at what people were bidding to have lunch with this head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B). The top bid was an incredible $3,456,789. Buffett is one of the three richest people in the world, and got that way by being a successful stock trader and investor. In addition, he is a great entertainer.

Investors who want to ride on Buffett's coattails should consider buying the stocks that Buffett owns. For investors who want income will find that over 20 of Buffett's stocks pay dividends with more than half a dozen yielding in excess of 3%, according to the free Warren Buffett stock list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

As an example, Gannett (GCI), the newspaper publishing company, pays a healthy 5.4% yield. The stock trades at seven times forward earnings and the company reports earnings on July 16.

ConocoPhillips (COP) is another Buffett holding. The stock pays a yield of 4.7%, payable quarterly. The stock trades at 9 times forward earnings. The company's earnings announcement is July 25.

Intel (INTC) pays a generous 3.1% abd has a forward price to earnings ratio of 10. Earnings will be announced July 17.

For a free list of Warren Buffett stocks, that can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Prevent Skin Cancer with Caffeine: Coke or Pepsi Anyone?

Just in time for summer! According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, the risk of getting basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer, can be reduced by drinking caffeinated drinks. This doesn't just mean coffee, it also includes tea and soft drinks such a Coca Cola (KO) and Pepsi (PEP). It even includes chocolate! You only need a couple caffeine servings per day.

This study involved research on 112,897 people. The highlights of the study showed, first, that coffee drinking and basal cell carcinoma risk are inversely associated, which means that the higher the coffee consumption, the lower the risk. Second, the most likely component of coffee that causes this effect is the caffeine. Those who avoid caffeine by drinking decaf should be aware that the study showed that the consumption of decaffeinated coffee showed no reduction in skin cancer, which seems to indicate that caffeine can block skin tumor formation. It isn't just skin cancer risk that caffeine can help prevent. Caffeine has also been  shown to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. According to Jiali Han, Ph.D., associate professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston and Harvard School of Public Health, "our results add basal cell carcinoma to a list of conditions for which risk is decreased with increasing coffee consumption."

So how can an investor participate in the consumption of coffee? There are several ways, according to the free list of coffee stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. First, there are the coffee houses, Starbucks (SBUX) and Peets (PEET). Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse retailer in the world, with outlets in 50 countries and over 17,000 shops worldwide. The stock trades at 23 times forward earnings and pays a yield of 1.3%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 18.5% on an 14.7% increase in revenues.

Peet's Coffee and Tea is a specialty coffee roaster, marketer, and retailer founded in 1966 in Berkeley, California. The stock trades at 25 times forward earnings. Revenues for the latest quarter were up 7.1%, but earnings dropped by about 38.6%. The company does not pay a dividend.

A major wholesaler of 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.

Another source of caffeine is tea. Teavana Holdings (TEA), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, operates as a specialty retailer of loose-leaf teas, tea wares, and other tea-related merchandise in North America. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 19, with earning rising 5.4% for the latest quarter on a 26.8% boost in earnings.

But it is not just coffee and tea where you can get your caffeine fix, there are also the soft drinks, also known as soda and pop depending on what part of the country you live in.  Coca Cola distributes numerous types of soft drinks in over 200 countries, and is most known for its Coke product. Coca Cola Classic contains 100.05 milligrams of caffeine per liter. The company sells many other caffeinated drinks such as Nestea and the energy drink Full Throttle. The stock trades at 18 times forward earnings, and will be having their earnings announcement on July 17. The stock is set to have a 2 for 1 stock split on August 12. The stock pays a dividend rate of 2.6%.

PepsiCo, a large food and beverage conglomerate, is probably Coke's biggest competitor. The company's leading caffeinated soft drink, Pepsi, has 104 milligrams per liter of caffeine. It also sells Mountain Dew with 154 mg/L and Mountain Dew MDX which has a supercharged 198.6 mg/L. It even markets Adrenaline Rush. The stock has a forward P/E ratio of 16 and a yield of 3.0%. Earnings will be announced July 25.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) produces Dr Pepper, which contains 187 mg/L. The stock has a forward P/E of 14 and pays a decent yield of 3.1%.

Most of the energy drinks are made by private companies; however, Monster, is made by Monster Beverage Corporation (MNST), which trades on NASDAQ. Monster contains over 316 mg/L. The stock trades at 30 times earnings.

Don't forget chocolate. The Hershey Company (HSY) has its Special Dark Chocolate Bar with 31 milligrams of caffeine per serving and its Special Milk Chocolate Bar with 10 milligrams of caffeine. Hershey trades at 21 times forward earnings and yields 2.1%.

For a free list of coffee caffeine companies and chocolate stocks, which you can download, sort, and update, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclaimer: Author owns KO and PEP.

By Stockerblog.com

Over 100 Discounts for Senior Citizens

Do you realize that you can be as young as age 50 and still be considered a senior citizens for discounts? Here are a list of many dozens of discounts for senior citizens. Just remember,  YOU must ASK for your discount!   (Discounts subject to change or elimination.)

RESTAURANTS: 

   

Applebee's: 15% off with Golden Apple Card (60+)  
Arby's: 10% off ( 55 +)
Ben & Jerry's: 10% off (60+)
Bennigan's: discount varies by location (60+)  
Bob's Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+)  
Boston Market: 10% off (65+)
Burger King: 10% off (60+)
Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee ( 55+)  
Chili's: 10% off ( 55+)
CiCi's Pizza: 10% off (60+)
Denny's: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members ( 55 +)  
Dunkin' Donuts: 10% off or free coffee (55+)  
Einstein's Bagels: 10% off baker's dozen of bagels (60+)  
Fuddrucker's: 10% off any senior platter ( 55+)  
Gatti's Pizza: 10% off (60+)
Golden Corral: 10% off (60+)
Hardee's: $0.33 beverages everyday (65+)
IHOP: 10% off ( 55+)
Jack in the Box: up to 20% off ( 55+)
KFC: free small drink with any meal ( 55+)
Krispy Kreme: 10% off ( 50+) 
Long John Silver's: various locations ( 55+)  
McDonald's: discounts on coffee everyday ( 55+)  
Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+)  
Shoney's: 10% off 
Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+)  
Steak 'n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday ( 50+) 
Subway: 10% off (60+)  
Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off (62+)
Taco Bell: 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)  
TCBY: 10% off ( 55+)  
Tea Room Cafe: 10% off ( 50+)
Village Inn: 10% off (60+)  
Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+)
Wendy's: 10% off ( 55 +)  
White Castle: 10% off (62+) 

 RETAIL & APPAREL:  

Banana Republic: 10% off ( 50 +)
Bealls: 20% off first Tuesday of each month ( 50 +)  
Belk's: 15% off first Tuesday of every month ( 55 +) 
Big Lots: 10% off  
Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off on senior discount days ( 55 +)  
C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
Clarks: 10% off (62+)  
Dress Barn: 10% off ( 55+)  
Goodwill: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)  
Hallmark: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)  
Kmart: 20% off ( 50+)  
Kohl's: 15% off (60+)  
Modell's Sporting Goods: 10% off
Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions  
Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday ( 55+)
The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off ( 55+) 
Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month ( 55 +) 

  GROCERY:  

Albertson's: 10% off first Wednesday of each month ( 55 +)  
American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday ( 50 +)  
Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)  
DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+)
Food Lion: 6% off every Monday (60+)  
Fry's Supermarket: free Fry's VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday ( 55 +)
Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)  
Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+)  
Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week (date varies by location) 
Kroger: 10% off (date varies by location)
Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)  
The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday ( 50 +)  
Publix: 5% off every Wednesday ( 55 +)
Rogers Marketplace: 5% off every Thursday (60+)  
Uncle Guiseppe's Marketplace: 5% off (62+)

TRAVEL:

   
Airlines:  
Alaska Airlines: 10% off (65+)
American Airlines: various discounts for 65 and up (call before booking for discount)  
Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club & special fares for select destinations
Southwest Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)  
United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)  
U.S. Airways: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)  

Rail:  
Amtrak: 15% off (62+)  

Bus:  
Greyhound: 5% off (62+)  
Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50+  

Car Rental:  
Alamo Car Rental: up to 25% off for AARP members  
Avis: up to 25% off for AARP members 
Budget Rental Cars: 10% off; up to 20% off for AARP members ( 50+)  
Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off ( 50+)
Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members  
Hertz: up to 25% off for AARP members
Holiday Inn: 10%-30% off depending on location (62+)  
National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members  

Over Night Accommodations: 
Best Western: 10% off ( 55 +)  

Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
Clarion Motels: 20%-30% off (60+)
Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
Econo Lodge: 20%-30% off (60+)
Hampton Inns & Suites: 10% off when
booked 72 hours in advance Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+)
InterContinental Hotels Group: various discounts at all hotels (65+)  
Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Traveler's Discount (50+); 20%-30% off (60+)  
Marriott Hotels: 15% off (62+)
Motel 6: 10% off (60+)  
Myrtle Beach Resort: 10% off ( 55 +)
Quality Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Sleep Inn: 20%-30% off (60+) 

ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT:

AMC Theaters: up to 30% off ( 55 +)
Bally Total Fitness: up to $100 off memberships (62+)  
Busch Gardens Tampa, FL: $3 off one-day tickets ( 50 +) 
Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)
Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off
U.S. National Parks: $10 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including camping (62+)  
Regal Cinemas: 30% off 
Ripley's Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket ( 55 +)  
SeaWorld Orlando, FL: $3 off one-day tickets ( 50 +)  

CELL PHONE DISCOUNTS:  

AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $29.99/month (65+) 
Jitterbug: $10/month cell phone service ( 50 +)  
Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+)
 

MISCELLANEOUS: 

 

Great Clips: $3 off hair cuts (60+)

Super Cuts: $2 off haircuts (60+)

 

Remember --- YOU must ASK for your discount --- no ask, no discount.