Stocks Going Ex Dividend the First Week of March 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.

M&T Bank Corporation (MTB) market cap: $10.4B ex div date: 3/1/2015 yield: 3.42%

Old Republic International Corporation (ORI) market cap: $2.8B ex div date: 3/1/2016 yield: 6.55%

Regal Entertainment Group (RGC) market cap: $2.1B ex div date: 3/1/2017 yield: 6.16%

Banco Bradesco SA ADR (BBD) market cap: $33.8B ex div date: 3/2/2012 yield: 3.33%

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

Seven Buffett Stocks Yielding Over 3%

Warren Buffett doesn't believe in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and is willing to put his mouth where his money is. He has put up $50 million in support of a proposal to set up an atomic fuel bank authorized by the United Nations nuclear agency. These funds are just a small portion of the fortune he created as chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B).

Many investors feel that following in Buffett's footsteps will lead to riches. Income investors think that the top yielding Buffett stocks may be the best way to provide income and give some growth potential. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has just updated its list of stocks owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and turned up seven of them with yields greater than 3%.

ConocoPhillips (COP), the multi-national oil company, is one of Buffett's favorites which yields 3.5%. The stock trades at 10.2 times forward earnings, The company reported that earnings for the latest quarter more than doubled on an 18.8% revenue increase.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), the company that makes everything from Bandaids to Neutrogena to Listerine to Tylenol, also has a dividend payout rate of 3.5%. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 12.5, with an earnings report showing a 2.2% earnings increase on a slight drop in revenues.

M&T Bank Corp. (MTB), based in Buffalo, New York, is another high yielder owned by Buffett, paying 3.6%. The stock sports a forward PE of 13.5. Recent quarterly earnings were up 50% on a revenue boost of 19%.

To see the rest of the high yield Warren Buffett stocks, check out the free downloadable Excel list which can be sorted and updated at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

What is Warren Buffett Buying and Selling?

Warren Buffett, head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B), is one of the three richest people in the world and a top trader and investor. The latest SEC report came out on Berkshire and shows his latest moves as of the end of March. What is most significant about this list is not what he is buying (not much) but what he is selling.

Here are the positions he has added to:

Republic Services (RSG)
Iron Mountain (IRM)
Becton Dickinson (BDX)

Here are the positions for which he reduced his holdings:

Proctor & Gamble (PG)
Kraft (KFT)
ConocoPhillips (COP)
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
Moody's (MCO)
M&T Bank (MTB)
Costco (COST)
Carmax (KMX)
Gannett (GCI)

Here are the positions he eliminated completely:
Suntrust Banks (STI)
UnitedHealth Group (UNH)
Travelers (TRV)
WellPoint (WLP)

For other interesting stock lists such as this, that you can download, change and sort, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

By Stockerblog.com

What Warren Buffett is Buying and Selling

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B) has announced some major portfolio changes, most described in its filings with the SEC. Here are his holding updates:

Sold:

Sun Trust Banks (STI )
Travelers (TRV)
United Health (UNH)
Wellpoint (WLP)

Reduced holdings:

Carmax (CMX)
ConocoPhillips (COP)
Costco (COST)
Gannett (GCI)
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
M&T Bank (MTB)
Moody's (MCO)
Procter and Gamble (PG)

Increased holdings:

Becton Dickinson (BDX)
Iron Mountain (IRM)
Republic Services (RSG)

Author does not own any of the above.