Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Second Week of May

  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 ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Box Ships Inc (TEU) 5/7/2013 10.1%

Computers Programs & Systems (CPSI) 5/7/2013 3.9%

Entergy Corp (ETR) 5/7/2013 4.8%

S&T Bancorp (STBA) 5/7/2013 3.3%

Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (SXL) 5/7/2013 3.6%

American Electric Power (AEP) 5/8/2013 3.9%

American Financial Group Inc. (AFA) 5/8/2013 5.5%

Artesian Resources (ARTNA) 5/8/2013 3.6%

BB&T (BBT) 5/8/2013 3.0%

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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Updated
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

For Sherlock Holmes Fans: The New British Sherlock TV Series

If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan and you haven't seen the new British TV series called Sherlock, you don't know what you are missing. None of the other recent TV shows or movies hold a candle to this new series. Unfortunately, the show is not currently being shown in the United States, (at least not on any of the channels I've checked out), it is available on DVDs for Americans, both Sherlock: Season One and Sherlock: Season Two. It is even available in Blu-ray.

The series stars two powerful actors, Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes, and Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson. This version is updated to modern times. As an example, Watson doesn't write a journal but instead creates a blog. There is even a contemporary Moriarty. This current take on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories is almost unique in its direction and flow. First you see what is happening, then you see everything from Sherlock's point of view along with a sub-titled type explanation of what he sees.

The story lines try to tie in with the original tales, and they succeed. The scripts are very tightly written; nothing left unexplained, no stones unturned, everything fits perfectly.

One of the nice things about the series is that each episode is long, roughly an hour and a half. Almost a stand-along movie in and of itself. I am anxiously awaiting Episode 3. If there are any Sherlock Holmes fans out there that haven't seen Sherlock, then I highly recommend it.

New York City Subway Panhandler Party

New York City Subway Panhandler Party:

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the First Week of May

  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 ex-dividend date, and the yield.

CMS Energy (CMS) 5/1/2013 3.5%

Enerplus Corporation (ERF) 5/1/2013 8.0%

First Commonwealth (FCF) 5/1/2013 3.5%

First Niagara Financial (FNFG) 5/1/2013 3.4%

Heidrick & Struggles (HSII) 5/1/2013 4.1%

Meridian Bioscience, Inc. (VIVO) 5/1/2013 3.9%

MOCON Inc. (MOCO) 5/1/2013 3.1%

National Penn Bancshares (NPBC) 5/1/2013 4.1%

First Energy (FE) 5/3/2013 4.7%

Health Care REIT (HCN) 5/3/2013 4.2%

Idacorp (IDA) 5/3/2013 3.2%

Intel Corp (INTC) 5/3/2013 3.9%

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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Updated
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

Buy Your Mother Some Mother's Day Stocks

Mother's Day is in a couple weeks. Have you shopped for your mother yet? Here's an idea; buy your mother some stocks of companies that benefit from Mother's Day, including those that sell chocolate, flowers, and jewelry, along with greeting cards and gift wrap. Investors looking for stocks that might be participating in the Mother's Day buying frenzy can find some ideas on the chocolate and candy stock list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Other Mother's Day related companies include 1-800-Flowers.com Inc. (FLWS), which is the the largest publicly traded flower seller, and also sells plants, gourmet foods, cookies, cakes, candies, wine, gift baskets, and other gifts. Did you notice this stock was up over 3% on Friday? The stock has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 28.9 and a forward PE ratio of 20.9. Revenues for the latest quarter were up 5.5%, yet earnings dropped 3.8%. The company will have its next earnings announcement, Tuesday, April 30.

American Greetings Corp. (AM), founded in 1906 and based in Cleveland, Ohio, is the largest publicly-traded greeting card company in the world. The stock has a forward PE of 8, and a yield of 2.5%.

CSS Industries Inc. (CSS) markets gift wrap, gift bags, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, tissue paper, decorations, and decorative ribbons and bows. The stock has a forward PE of 18.7, and a decent yield of 2.2%.

Hershey (HSY), founded in 1894, is the largest manufacturer of chocolate in North America and one of the largest chocolate and candy companies in the world. Did you know that Hershey's Kisses were invented in 1901 and Hershey chocolate chips were introduced in 1928? The stock trades at 21.8 times forward earnings and sports a favorable yield of 1.9%.

Another chocolate company is Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. (RMCF), based in Durango, Colorado, which makes and markets caramels, creams, mints, and truffles. The company, which was founded in 1981, has over 300 franchise locations in 40 states, along with Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The forward price to earnings ratio is 13.7, and the company pays a great CD beating yield of 3.6%.

If you like interesting lists like this, such as the candy stock list, you should check out the various free stock databases, at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Kentucky Derby Next Week: Horse Race Stocks Anyone?

The Kentucky Derby, the most notable horserace in the United States, will be held this Saturday, May 4, in Louisville, Kentucky. The Kentucky Derby is the initial race of the trio of races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. It will be followed by the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.

Instead of putting your money on a horse race bet, why not put your money in a horse race investment. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com turned up a list of over ten stocks in the horse racing industry, a couple of which pay dividends.

One example is Churchill Downs (CHDN), the host of the Kentucky Derby. This is the holding company of the Churchill Downs Racetrack that originally opened in 1875. It also owns Arlington Park, the Calder Race Course, the Fair Grounds Race Course, and the Trackside Off-Track-Betting Facilities. The stock trades at 22.3 times trailing earnings, 17.1 times forward earnings, and pays a yield of 1.0%.
The company just reported results on April 24. Record revenue of $148.1 million were generated, up 7% versus the prior-year period, along with record EBITDA of $17.9 million, up 3%. According to Robert L. Evans, Chairman and CEO, "While we set revenue and EBITDA records for the first quarter, our Gaming revenues were below our expectations, primarily due to the higher payroll taxes that became effective January 1, and delays in issuing federal and state income tax refunds. In addition, our Online Business revenues underperformed due to our decision to stop taking TwinSpires.com wagers in Illinois effective January 18, as the bill authorizing such wagering was allowed to expire by the state legislature.
"Looking forward, the pre-event metrics for Kentucky Oaks and Derby Week look strong.
"The Board also approved a stock repurchase plan that authorizes the repurchase of up to $100 million in Churchill Downs Incorporated common stock through the end of 2015. This provides a tax-effective way to return capital to shareholders and to offset some of the dilutive effect of equity used in the Company's compensation plans."
Another player in the racehorse filed is Dover Downs Gaming and Entertainment (DDE), which owns Dover Downs Raceway, a harness racing track with pari-mutuel wagering. The company trades at 28.3 times earnings and pays a munificent yield of 4.3%. Revenues were down 21.2% for the latest reported quarter.

Penn National Gaming Inc. (PENN) owns racetracks and off-track wagering facilities in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ontario. The stock has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 30.2 and a forward PE of 21.2 but does not pay a dividend.

For a free list of horse racing stocks which you can download, sort and update, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Also, if you want a free horse race handicapping program, check out the one at horsetip.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

The New US Hundred Dollar Bill

The new US hundred dollar bill. The Federal Reserve Board announced that the redesigned $100 note will begin circulating on October 8, 2013.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fifth Week of April

  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 ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Aegon N.V. (AEK) 4/29 /13 8.1%

Ames National Corp. (ATLO) 4/29 /13 3.0%

Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) 4/29 /13 1.7%

Bank of Montreal (BMO) 4/29 /13 4.7%

Casey's General Stores (CASY) 4/29 /13 1.1%

Carbo Ceramics (CRR) 4/29 /13 1.2%

Epiq Systems (EPIQ) 4/29 /13 2.7%

Hasbro Inc. (HAS) 4/29 /13 3.7%

Lifetime Brands (LCUT) 4/29 /13 1.2%

Affiliated Managers Group Inc. (MGR) 4/29 /13 6.5%

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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Updated
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

Stressed Out? Eat Chocolate, Consider Chocolate Stocks

Chocolate can provide many heath benefits including reducing wrinkles, keeping you slim, and reducing the risk of heart failure in women.
Now according to a research study by the Swinburne University, in Melbourne, Australia which will be published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, dark chocolate can calm you down. The study showed that the cocoa polyphenols in chocolate significantly increased the calmness and contentedness relative to placebo of the participants. So now is chocolate the new health food?
Chocolate may provide calmness to your portfolio in addition to your mood. There are over a dozen chocolate and candy stocks listed at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, with half a dozen paying dividends.
One example is Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF), based in Durango, Colorado, which makes and markets creams, mints, and truffles. The company, founded in 1981, has over 300 franchise locations in 40 states, plus Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The stock trades at 29 times trailing earnings and 14 times forward earnings. The company provides a tasty yield to its shareholders of 3.6%. For the latest reported quarter, total revenues increased 4.3%.
Of course, there are the ever popular Hershey Bars. Hershey (HSY) is the famous chocolate company, founded in 1894. It is the largest manufacturer of chocolate in North America and one of the largest chocolate and candy companies in the world. It is famous for its Hershey's Kisses which were invented in 1901 and the chocolate chips that were released in 1928. The stock has trailing price to earnings ratio of 32, and a forward PE of 23. The yield is a decent 1.9%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 5.4% on a 11.7% boost in revenues.
Another large chocolate producer is Nestle (NSRGY), which sports a trailing PE of 20 and a forward P/E of 17. This Swiss chocolate manufacturer was founded in 1867. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 14.8% on a 12.8% rise in revenues.
If you want to see a free list of 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

Upcoming IPOs

The following are companies with planned Initial Public Offerings:

5/3/2013 BIOAMBER INC.
5/2/2013 ING U.S., INC.
4/24/2013 ADMA BIOLOGICS, INC.
Planned EPIZYME, INC.
Planned VOTORANTIM CIMENTOS S.A.
Planned LIGHTINTHEBOX HOLDING CO., LTD.
Planned KOPJAGGERS INC.
Planned ROMANTIQUE LTD.

Will Airline Stocks Fly High?

Have you benn on a plane flight recently? I've been on several plane flights over the last year and one thing I have noticed is that the plane is always full. Always! Not one extra seat available. And this is on a few different airlines, Delta (DAL), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLMR), and JetBlue (JBLU). I remember years ago, taking flights on PSA with only eight people on the plane. There were almost as many airline staff workers (pilots and flight attendants) as there were passengers.

Now airlines have their act together, and are able to fill every seat. Any empty seat is less revenue, and if they can fill those seats, even at very discounted prices, it's additional revenue. When you consider all the flights of an airline in a day, and multiply those flights times 365 days, the revenue can add up.

With the merger of the American Airlines holding company, AMR (AAMRQ) and US Airways (LCC), it will mean less competition. And of course with crude oil dropping in price to $88 per barrel from over $105 a barrel a year ago, fuel costs for the airlines have been kept in check.

So what's an investor to do who is looking for a high flyer? According to the free list of airline stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over 25 airlines to choose from, with a half dozen paying dividends.

Let's take a look at Alaska Air Group (ALK), which provides flights to the western United States, Canada, and Mexico. The stock trades at 13.7 times trailing earnings and 9.5 times forward earnings. Revenues for the latest quarter at year end were up 8.4%, however earnings dropped 31.3%. The company's next earnings announcement is scheduled for April 25. The company carries over a billion dollars in debt, but it does have $1.25 billion in cash.

The Latin American airline company, Copa Holdings SA (CPA), is doing well. Based out of Panama City, Panama, it flies to 64 destinations in 29 countries in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The stock has a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 16.4 and a forward PE of 10.9. Revenues were up by a strong 19.4%, but earnings dropped for the latest quarter by 17%. Next announcement is May 6. This is one of the few companies that pays a dividend with a Certificate of Deposit beating yield of 1.9%.

Southwest Airlines (LUV) is another dividend payer, with a small yield of 0.3%. The stock trades at 23.8 times current earnings and 11.1 times forward earnings. Next earnings announcement is April 25.

To see a complete list of all the major and regional airline stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author owns JBLU.

By Stockerblog.com

New Stock Dividend Increasers for the Month of April

The following stocks have recently increased their dividends. This is the sign of a good company and could be the sign of an improving economy.

NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend on the Company's common stock of 12 cents per share, an increase of 33%

Procter & Gamble (PG), raised quarterly dividends by 7% to 60.15 cents per share

American Express (AXP) raised its dividend 15% to 23 cents per share

Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI) raised its quarterly dividend by an amazing 18.75% to 38 cents per share

A.O. Smith (AOS) raised its quarterly dividend 20% to 24 cents per share

Whirlpool (WHR) raised its quarterly dividend 25% to 62.5 cents per share

AON (AON) boosted its quarterly dividend 11% to 17.5 cents per share

If you like interesting lists like this, check out the many stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, most of which are free.

Unbelievable Wingsuit Cave Flight!

This has nothing to do with stocks or investments, but I thought you would enjoy this video about wingsuit flying.

What Google Searchers Think About Gold

Here is what searchers are looking for most often on Google (GOOG) relating to gold:

Is the Stock Market Making You Depressed? Try Some Antidepressant Stocks

Actually, depression in this country is a very serious problem. In the United States, approximately 14 million adults per year are affected by depression; some sufferers try to work through it on their own and others turn to antidepressant drugs. According to the World Health Organization, depression causes the suffering of an estimated 121 million people throughout the world and is expected to become the second leading cause of disability worldwide by the year 2020. With these numbers, the demand for antidepressants is expected to grow significantly.

Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY), the world's largest maker and marketer of psychiatric medications, was the company that originally came out with Prozac, now off-patent. It now has the top selling drug, Cymbalta for treating depression. It is one of the most financially successful drug in history. Lilly has a price to earnings ratio of 16, provides a very generous yield of 3.4%.

Forest Laboratories Inc. (FRX) has the drug Lexapro, also known as Cipralex which is an antidepressant used to treat depression and anxiety disorders. The stock a very high PE of 83, and does not pay a dividend.

AstraZeneca plc (AZN) is a British-Sedish multinational company which makes Seroquel, an antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia, now off-patent. The company also markets Vivalan. The stock trades at ten times earnings, and pays a very high yield of 7.4%.

Glaxosmithkline plc (GSK) produces Wellbutrin, used for the treatment of depression and seasonal affective disorder. It also has Paxil, also known as Seroxat, for depression. The stock has a PE of 17, and sports a high yield of 5.7%.

For a free list of major pharmaceutical companies, most of which pay dividends, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

What Google Searchers think about the Stock Market

Here are the common searches in Google (GOOG) relating to "the stock market is"

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fourth Week of April

  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 ex-dividend date, and the yield.

ADT Corp (ADT) 4/22/13 1.0%

Clorox Co. (CLX) 4/22/13 3.0%

Lowe's (LOW) 4/22/13 1.7%

Tyco International (TYC) 4/24 /13 2.1%

Williams Sonoma (WSM) 4/24 /13 2.5%

Texas Instruments (TXN) 4/26 /13 3.3%

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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Updated
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

Does the Stock Market Drive People to Drink? How about Liquor Stocks?

Some investors believe that the stock market will drive them to drink. If you look at the graph, you will see a comparison of the wholesale alcoholic beverage industry employment (in thousands) versus the Dow Jones Industrial Average over the last twelve months. As you can see, it didn't matter whether the stock market was going up or down, the liquor employment kept steadily increasing or at least remained steady.

Did you know that research shows that over 66% of Americans drink alcoholic beverages during the evening in order to relax? They may need some relaxing after today's stock market drop. According to the recently updated list of wine and liquor stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over a dozen to choose from, some of which pay dividends.

Beam, Inc. (BEAM) is an Illinois based company that produces bourbon whiskey, Scotch whisky, Canadian whisky, and other beverages under the brands of Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Sauza, Courvoisier, Canadian Club, Teacher’s, and Laphroaig. The stock trades at 26 times trailing earnings, and pays a yield of 1.4%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up an amazing 42.7% on a revenue rise of 11.2%.

Brown-Forman Corporation (BF-B) is another liquor distributor which is famous for its Jack Daniel's and Southern Comfort brands. The stock has a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.1 and pays a yield of 1.6%.

Diageo (DEO) is a London based alcoholic beverage distributor that markets numerous brands of whiskey, including Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky, Crown Royal Canadian whisky, JeB Scotch whisky, Buchanan's Scotch whisky, Windsor Premier Scotch whisky, and Bushmills Irish whiskey. It also sells vodka, rum, and wine. The stock trades at 18.9 times trailing earnings. It sports a higher-than-industry-average yield of 1.8%.

For a free list of wine and liquor stocks, which you can download, sort, and update, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Need to File an Extension? Here's Where You Get the Form

Here is the link to the IRS Form 4868 Extension Form:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4868.pdf

What Black Swan's Nassim Taleb Hates: Antifragile Review Part 2

When I did my book review last month on Antifragile, by Nassim Taleb, I did the book a disservice since I had read only partway through it. I have just completed the book, and I can say that (with the possible exception of Finnegans Wake), this is the most unusual book I have ever read.

For those of you who don't know, Taleb was the one who predicted the financial collapse a few years ago, and has the money to prove it. He was the author who caused the phrase The Black Swan to become popular due to his book of the same name.

After making his fortune, he has now become more of a philosopher and researcher. As a matter of fact, Antifragile is more about philosophy from a practical standpoint.

First let me tell you what Taleb detests:
economists (he even names names)
doctors
pharmaceutical companies
politicians
large corporations (with the exception of Apple)
executives of large corporations (with the exception of Steve Jobs)
Harvard professors
Coke and Pepsi (both the drinks and the corporations)
marketing and marketers
bankers!
the cavier left
rating agencies
postdictors
non-risk takers
over-technologizing
excessive use of specific products
government research spending
lobbyists
and the list goes on and on...

And he doesn't just say he dislikes these things (or people); he spends whole sections on them. But this is only a small portion of the book. In essence, the book is about how anything or anyone that benefits from stress or change, will survive, and if not, then it or they won't survive.

Here is a tip about reading the book. It you come to the sections that say that you can skip them because they go into a lot of technical detail, you should read them because those sections are actually easier to read than other parts of the book and they contain very important concepts. (I wonder if Taleb did this as a trick?)

If you want to read a book that isn't anything like any other book, I recommend Antifragile.

Stock Dividend Increasers for April

The following stocks have recently increased their dividends. This is the sign of a good company and could be the sign of an improving economy.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (BK) will increase its quarterly dividend by 15 percent

Stage Stores, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors approved an increase in the Company's quarterly dividend rate by 25%

IDEX (IEX) announced that its Board of Directors has approved a fifteen percent increase in it's regular quarterly cash dividend

Weyerhaeuser (WY) announced an 18 percent increase in the company's regular quarterly cash dividend

H.B. Fuller Company (FUL) increased it's regular quarterly dividend from $0.085 per share of common stock to $0.10 per share

Burger King (BKW) raised its dividend by 20%

Fastenal Company (FAST) announced its quarterly dividend of 20 cents per share, an increase of about doubled its dividend

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers (SKT), announced a 7.1% increase in the annual dividend

If you like interesting lists like this, check out the many stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, most of which are free.

Get this Desk for Your Office

This is called the The Roentgens' Berlin Secretary Cabinet Desk. Check out the amazing hidden features:

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Third Week of April

  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 ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Bowl America Inc. Cl. A (BWL-A) 4/15/13 5.0%

CommonWealth (CWHO) 4/15/13 5.9%

West Pharma Services (WST) 4/15/13 1.2%

Zep Inc. (ZEP) 4/15/13 1.0%

Horizon Technology Finance Corp. (HRZN) 4/16/13 10.9%

Cracker Barrel (CBRL) 4/17/13 2.5%

Comtech Telecommunications (CMTL) 4/17/13 4.5%

Foot Locker (FL) 4/17/13 2.4%

Friedman Industries (FRD) 4/17/13 5.0%

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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Updated
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

One Letter Domain Names and the Companies that Own Them

There are not many one-letter domain names that are owned by companies, and most of the companies are publicly traded stocks.
These companies were lucky enough to register them before December 1, 1993 (or buy them from someone who registered them by that date), as the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority put a restriction on single character domains at that time.
o.co and o.info are both owned by Overstock.com (OSTK).
q.com is owned by CenturyLink (CTL). If you go to q.com, it takes you right to CenturyLink's web site.
x.com is owned by x.commerce, which is owned by eBay (EBAY). When you go to the x.com website, it takes you to the x.commerce website.
z.com is owned by Nissan North America Inc., which is owned by Nissan Motor (NSANY), which trades on NASDAQ. However, the website is currently inactive.
i.net is owned by Future Media Architects, a privately held company. The company also owns c.tv, h.tv, k.tv and n.tv along with several other dot tv domain names.
u.tv is owned by UTV Media (UTV.L), a broadcasting and New Media company based in Belfast in Northern Ireland. The company trades on the London Stock Exchange.

High Yield H2O Stocks

How many uses of water are there? Let me count the ways.
drinking
agricultural irrigation
washing
as a solvent
as a reactant
as a coolant
for heating
a neutron moderator
fire extinguishing fluid
food processing
cooking
etc., etc., etc.

Many investors have taken a flight to income stocks, blue chips, electric utilities, and natural gas utilities. But many forget the publicly traded monopolies of water utilities, which can provide income and growth potential. The majority of cities are served by government water districts; yet residents of some communities buy water through corporations that own the rights to water and are publicly traded. People don't stop drinking and using water, so there is little chance of these companies going out of business.

There are many dividend paying water companies that investors have available to them according to the free list of high yield water utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

One example is Aqua America (WTR), which distributes water to customers in Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Indiana, Virginia, Maine, and Georgia. The stock has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 22, a forward price to earnings ratio of 21, and yields 2.2%. The company has raised its dividends every year since 1988 and has had many stock splits during that time. Earnings for the latest quarter were up an incredible 95.7% on an 12.4% increase in revenues.

American States Water (AWR), founded in 1929, which is a distributor of water in 75 communities in California. It trades at 20 times forward earnings and pays a reasonable yield of 2.5%. During the summer, the company's dividends is up by 5% over last year. Earnings for the latest quarter were up outstanding, by 53.4%, with revenues rising 17%.

Connecticut Water Service (CTWS) trades at 18 times forward earnings and yields 3.1%. The company, which was founded in 1956, serves customers in 55 towns in Connecticut. The company raised its dividend by 2% last August.

For a free list of high yield water utility stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and added to, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

Top Warren Buffett Books for Spring Reading

How about some reading for the Spring season? Warren Buffett, the billionaire head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B), is a top investor, trader, and author. Here are some selections of the top selling Warren Buffett books, some are written by him and some are about him.

by Buffett

The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing. A Book of Practical Counsel (Revised Edition) Warren E. Buffett (Collaborator)

The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America, Third Edition Warren E. Buffett (Author) Lawrence A. Cunningham (Author, Editor)

Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger, Expanded Third Edition Warren E. Buffett (Foreword)

Los ensayos de Warren Buffett (Spanish Edition) Warren E. Buffett (Author)

about Buffett

Trade Like Warren Buffett

The Warren Buffett Way, Second Edition

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

The Winning Investment Habits of Warren Buffett & George Soros

The New Buffettology: The Proven Techniques for Investing Successfully in Changing Markets That Have Made Warren Buffett the World's Most Famous Investor

Warren Buffett Speaks: Wit and Wisdom from the World's Greatest Investor

The Tao of Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett's Words of Wisdom: Quotations and Interpretations to Help Guide You to Billionaire Wealth and Enlightened Business Management

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Second Week of April

  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 ex-dividend date, and the yield.

American Tower Corp (AMT) 4/8/13 1.4%

Brady Corp (BRC) 4/8/13 2.2%

Darden Restaurants (DRI) 4/8/13 4.0%

Ethan Allen (ETH) 4/8/13 1.1%

FEI Company (FEIC) 4/8/13 0.5%

General Mills (GIS) 4/8/13 3.2%

The Gap Inc. (GPS) 4/8/13 1.7%

InterDigital, Inc. (IDCC) 4/8/13 0.9%

Intuit Inc. (INTU) 4/8/13 1.0%

Marsh & McLennan Corporation (MMC) 4/8/13 2.5%

OGE Energy (OGE) 4/8/13 2.4%

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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Updated
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