Spotlight on Recent Dividend Increasers

Income investors obviously like dividend stocks. But both income investors and growth investors like stocks that increase their dividends. When a company increases its payout rate, it shows that the financial outlook for the business is positive. If a company has a long term track record of increasing dividends, that's an additional positive sign.

One type of stock that I've never lost money on is a water company. And speaking of water companies, Connecticut Water Service, Inc. (CTWS) just announced that the company's dividend is being boosted by 4%. This is the 45th year in a row that that the company has had a dividend increase. Connecticut Water serves over 120,000 customers in Connecticut and Maine. The stock, which yields 3.0%, trades at 19 times trailing earnings and 17 times forward earnings. The latest quarterly earnings were up an incredible 73.8% year over year on a 12.9% rise in revenues.

Nordson Corporation (NDSN), which is in the business of making and marketing adhesives, coatings, and polymers, bumped up its dividend from 18 cents a share to 22 cents a share, a 22% increase. This is the 51st year of annual consecutive dividend increases, giving the stock a yield of about 1.0%. Quarterly earnings were up 13.4% on a 9.3% increase in revenues.

Other companies that have increased dividends in the last couple weeks are MGE Energy, Inc. (MGEE) which raised its dividend by 4%, and Weyerhaeuser (WY), which boosted its dividend by 32%,. It you like interesting stock lists like this, check out the lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, most of which are free, including the list of stocks going ex-dividend.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks that Have Recently Raised Their Dividends

The following stocks have recently increased their dividends. This is usually a sign that the company is doing well.

G&K Services (GK) raised its quarterly dividend by 38%

Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (TSX:ITP) doubled its dividend on an annualized basis.

Nordson Corp. (NDSN) raised the company's quarterly cash dividend 20%

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) just a a dividend which was 20% over the previous quarter.

ITC Holdings (ITC) increased the quarterly dividend by 1

Weyerhaeuser Company (WY) announced a 10% increase in its quarterly dividend.

MGE Energy, Inc. (MGEE) increased the regular quarterly dividend to $0.4076 per share

Connecticut Water Service, Inc. (CTWS) announced an annualized dividend increase of 2.1%

Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (GPI) declared a cash dividend increase of 6.3%

Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (CNK) announced a 19% increase in its quarterly dividend payout. If you like interesting lists like this, check out the many stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, most of which are free.

Utility Stock Dividends Being Raised

The dividends of electric utilities are moving up. For example, Cleco Corporation (CNL), a utility holding company operating in Louisiana, just made a dividend payment which reflected an increase in the quarterly dividend from $0.3125 per share to $0.3375 per share. Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQUNF), based in Ontario, Canada, announced last week that it had raised its dividend by 11%.

MGE Energy, Inc. (MGEE) just announced that it increased the regular quarterly dividend to $0.3951 per share. This represents the 37th consecutive annual dividend increase. All three of these companies have dividend yields in excess of 3% according to the free list of high yield electric utility stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

There are many other high dividend utility stocks to choose from. For example, in one area of the United States where real estate seems to have bottomed out, Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) owns Arizona Public Service Company, which provides electric services throughout the state. It trades at 15 times trailing earnings and forward earnings, and pays a CD beating yield of 3.9%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up an incredible 41% on a 9.8% boost in revenues.

Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ED), which provides electricity to New York City and Westchester County, has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 17, and a forward PE of 16. The company pays a 3.8% yield to its shareholders. Latest quarterly earnings growth was 29.7% on a 7.4% drop in sales.

To access a free list of top yielding electric utility stocks, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fifth Week of May 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.

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

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

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



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


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

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

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

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fifth Week of February 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.

Bank of Hawaii Corporation (BOH) market cap: $2.1B ex div date: 2/27/2012 yield: 3.8%

DNP Select Income Fund Inc. (DNP) market cap: $2.7B ex div date: 2/27/2012 yield: 6.9%

MGE Energy, Inc. (MGEE) market cap: $1.1B ex div date: 2/28/2012 yield: 3.4%

NBT Bancorp Inc. (NBTB) market cap: $755.8M ex div date: 2/28/2012 yield: 3.5%

Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc. (AGL) market cap: $251.7M ex div date: 2/28/2012 yield: 3.3%

SUPERVALU INC. (SVU) market cap: $1.5B ex div date: 2/28/2012 yield: 5.0%

Trustmark Corp (TRMK) market cap: $1.5B ex div date: 2/28/2012 yield: 3.7%

FutureFuel Corp. (FF) market cap: $505.9M ex div date: 2/28/2012 yield: 3.3%

Arrow Financial Corporation (AROW) market cap: $298.4M ex div date: 2/29/2012 yield: 3.9%

Dominion Resources, Inc. (D) market cap: $29.0B ex div date: 2/29/2012 yield: 4.1%

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

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Fourth Week of February

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.

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 Excel 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.

DNP Select Income Fund Inc. (DNP) market cap: $2.2B ex div date: 2/24/2011 yield: 8.4%

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) market cap: $170.9B ex div date: 2/25/2011 yield: 3.5%

MGE Energy, Inc. (MGEE) market cap: $979.1M ex div date: 2/25/2011 yield: 3.6%

Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc. (BAGL) market cap: $259.5M ex div date: 2/25/2011 yield: 3.4%

Fifth Street Finance Corp. (FSC) market cap: $683.5M ex div date: 2/25/2011 yield: 10.2%

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.

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 article was written.

By Stockerblog.com