A Cool Way to Look Up Prices for Municipal Bonds

Municipal bonds trade in a very illiquid market. Bond owners are at the mercy of their brokerage firms in terms of getting muni price quotes. Now, you have an easy way of getting quotes, or at least recent sales.

FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, has a Quick Bond Search. Just click on the Municipal button, enter the CUSIP number in the symbol box, and click the Search button.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Second Week of June

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 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.

Ameren Corporation (AEE) market cap: $7.1B ex div date: 6/6/2011 yield: 5.1%

France Telecom SA ADR (FTE) market cap: $58.3B ex div date: 6/7/2011 yield: 10.4%

Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PEG) market cap: $17.1B ex div date: 6/7/2011 yield: 4.0%

Westar Energy, Inc. (WR) market cap: $3.1B ex div date: 6/7/2011 yield: 4.7%

Genuine Parts Company (GPC) market cap: $8.5B ex div date: 6/8/2011 yield: 3.3%

Kimberly Clark Corp (KMB) market cap: $26.7B ex div date: 6/8/2011 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.

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

High Yield Electric Utilities: Check Out the Dividend Increasers

If dividend increases are indicative of a strong industry, then electric utilities are in great shape. Portland General Electric Company (POR) recently announced a 2 percent increase in its quarterly common stock dividend to 26.5 cents per share, up from 26.0 cents per share for the previous quarter. DTE Energy (DTE) also declared a 5% increase in its dividend payout. In addition, Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (CPK) raised its quarterly cash dividend by 4.6%.

Summer is approaching, which means more electricity to run air conditioners, and more electricity may be consumed. What electric stocks should you plug into? WallStreetNewsNetwork.com just updated its list of electricity stocks and there are more than 30 with yields above 3%. In addition, these companies can provide relative safety, security, and stability compared to stocks in many other sectors. In the past, utilities have paid favorable dividends for many years with low volatility.

Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) distributes electricity in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. The stock pays a yield of 5.3%, has a trailing price to earnings ratio of 17.8, and a forward PE of 13.4.

Westar Energy, Inc. (WR) also pays a decent yield, with a payout of 4.8%. It has a trailing PE of 15, and forward PE of 13.5. The company serves the state of Kansas.

Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (TEG), based in Chicago, Illinois, trades at 13.8 times earnings, 14.4 times forward earnings, paying 5.2%.

For more top yielding utilities, you can access a free downloadable Excel database of high yield electric utility stocks including one which yields more than 6%, which you can update, change, and sort, at WSNN.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Have You Seen Google's Gmail Motion?

On the following video, you can check out Google's (GOOG) service called Gmail Motion, where you would use body language to create and send emails.



This is a fairly innovative idea that smacks of similarity to some of the video game consoles that track motion.





Too bad the Gmail Motion is a hoax.

Real Estate Trends in Four Major Cities

Check out the above chart which shows the price of real estate, seasonally adjusted, for four major US cities since 1987. The four cities shown are Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, and Miami.

Las Vegas didn't have as much of a bubble as Los Angeles or Miami, but it did have the biggest drop. Surprisingly, New York had the smallest rise of the four, and the smallest drop of the four.

Top Yielding Water Utility Stocks

Water utility stocks provide excellent income diversification along with a portfolio of electric utilities and natural gas utilities. Water utilities provide CD beating yields ranging from 2.5% to 4%. There are about a dozen water utility stocks with dividends that were turned up by WallStreetNewsNetwork.com on their water utility list that was just updated. Here are a few examples.

SJW Corp. (SJW) is a San Jose, California based water distributor which serves the Silicon Valley area and has customers in Cupertino, San Jose, Campbell, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Los Gatos, and parts of Santa Clara County. The stock trades at 20.5 times forward earnings and pays a yield of 3.1%.

American Water Works Co., Inc. (AWK) is a New Jersey based distributor of water in 35 states and two Canadian provinces. The stock trades at 16 times forward earnings, with a decent 3% yield. Earnings for the quarter ending March 31 were up over 53.6% from the previous quarter on a 7.8% increase in revenues.

Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (CWCO), based in the Cayman Islands distributes water in the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, and Bermuda. It also operates desalinization plants. The stock trades at a forward PE of 16 and yields 3.3%.

To see a free list of all the top yielding water stocks, all with yields over 2.5%, which you can download, update, and sort, check out WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

High Yield Brazil Stocks

The four BRIC countries are Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with Brazil being the leader of the group. Brazil is one of the largest countries in the world by both population and area and is the largest economy in Latin America. It is also the largest producer of ethanol in the world, which comes from sugarcane.

Fortunately, there are plenty of Brazilian stocks available to US investors. One source of information is the book I wrote a few years ago, Investing in Brazil Stocks: Get Rich from the South American Giant. Another resource is the free list of Brazil stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Here are some from the list. Twenty of the stocks on the list pay dividends.

An example is Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (SID), the second largest Brazilian steel manufacturer. The company is participating in the growth in the rebuilding of infrastructure and the demand for steel. The stock pays a yield of 4.8% and trades at 12 times forward earnings.

Vale (VALE) is the second largest mining company in the world and the largest logistics operator in Brazil. The stock has a price to earnings ratio of 9, and a yield of 1.5%.

Companhia de Bebidas Das Americas (ABV) also known as AMBEV, is a distributor of beer, soft drinks, sport drinks, and bottled water. The stock has a PE ratio of 19.6 and provides a yield of 4.8%.

CPFL Energia S.A. (CPL) is one of the largest electrical utilities in Brazil with a PE of 15. The yield is 4.3% based on historical dividend payments.

To see a list of all Brazilian stocks that trade in the US, check out WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or the book Investing in Brazil Stocks.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written. However, he wrote the above book.

By Stockerblog.com

Summer Reading: Top Warren Buffett Books

Warren Buffett, the billionaire head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B), is a top investor and trader, and author. Here are some great Warren Buffett books to read this summer, 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 Warren E. Buffett (Author)

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

Wal-Mart: The World's Largest Publicly Traded Company

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) is the largest publicly traded company in the world, based on 2010 revenues.

1. It has 2.1 million employees.
2. It is the largest grocery retailer in the United States.
3. It has stores in all 50 states.
4. The latest revenues were $426.23 billion.
5. It now has stores in South Africa.
6. Walmart owns a bank, called Walmart Canada Bank.
7. The company owns Vudu, an online movie service.
8. It produces family movies, including Secrets of the Mountain, The Jensen Project, and A Walk in My Shoes
9. Every week, approximately 100 million customers, nearly one-third of the U.S. population, go to Walmart stores in the U.S.
10. Yield is 2.6%.

If you haven't seen the People of Walmart Music Video, you need to check it out.

Price of Coffee Up 23% in One Year: High Yield Coffee Stocks

Take a look at the following chart showing the price of coffee since January 2008.

The price of coffee is up 11.7% year to date, up 23.8% over the last twelve months, and up 80.6% since January 2001. Demand is increasing from China and coffee crops were not as strong in various parts of the world, causing the increased prices. But what is amazing is that coffee drinkers are still drinking coffee.

Investors looking to take advantage of the caffeine addiction have over a dozen coffee stocks to choose from according to the free list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Seven of the stocks pay dividends with yields ranging from 1.4% to 3.3%.

A perfect example is Coffee Holding Co. (JVA), a roaster of wholesale coffee which markets wholesale green coffee, private label coffee, and branded coffee in the United States and Canada. The stock trades at 10.9 times forward earnings and has a decent yield of 1.8%. Earnings for the latest reported quarter were up 86.6% on a 20% increase in revenues. Next earnings announcement will be June 6.

Starbucks (SBUX) is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, operating in 50 countries with over 17,000 stores worldwide. The stock trades at 20.3 times forward earnings and pays a yield of 1.4%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 20.4% on an 9.9% increase in revenues.

There are a few food companies which sell coffee as part of their product line, such as The J. M. Smucker Co. (SJM) which sells the Folgers brand of coffee. The stock has a forward price to earnings ratio of 15.1 and a generous yield of 2.3%.

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

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

By Stockerblog.com

Need a Job? Work as a California Lifeguard for 200k a Year

If you are out of work and you know CPR and how to swim, maybe you should get a job as a lifeguard in Newport Beach, California where many of the lifeguards earn over $200,000 per year.

Parkinson's Disease Bacteria Link Discovered: Companies Looking for a Cure

Researchers at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center have discovered a link between Parkinson's disease and the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, more commonly known as H. pylori. This is the same bacteria that can cause stomach ulcers. The study showed that middle aged mice infected with the virus showed symptoms similar to Parkinson's.

Parkinson's is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system and is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease. Fortunately, there are many companies that produce treatment for Parkinson's and are researching cures. Many companies are looking at stem cells as a possible treatment.

One company involved in treatment of Parkinson's is Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA), an Israeli based company which was founded in 1901, that develops and manufactures a variety of pharmaceuticals. The company developed and markets AZILECT® [rasagiline tablets] as a treatment for Parkinson's disease. The stock trades at 13 time current earnings and 9 times forward earnings. The stock has been paying dividends quarterly and yields 1.6%.

Novartis AG (NVS), a very large Swiss pharmaceutical company, has developed Comtan® [entacapone], a medication for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. The P/E is 14 and the forward P/E is 11. The yield is 3.3%.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (VRX) markets Zelapar® [selegiline HCl] Orally Disintegrating Tablets, a once-a-day adjunct therapy for Parkinson’s disease patients being treated with levodopa/carbidopa. The stock recently generated negativ earnings but yields 0.8%.

For companies involved in the stem cell aspect of treatments, check out the free list of stem cell stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The list can be sorted and updated.

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

By Stockerblog.com

How to Be the Luckiest Person Alive!

James Altucher, head of a hedge fund, financial journalist, and founder of the investment website Stockpickr.com (which was acquired by TheStreet.com) has written a fascinating book called How to Be the Luckiest Person Alive!.

Altucher covers it all: How to be a successful entrepreneur (he knows, he's started several successful businesses), how to live longer, how to become wealthy. The entire book is peppered with interesting and amusing stories of real life events that have happened to him.

Check out the titles of some of the chapters:
Do Not Send Your Kids to College
Wherein My Kiss Was Rejected
How to Steal and Get Rich
10 Reasons Why You Should Quit Your Job
Why You Should Never Own a Home Again (this is the only chapter that I disagree with in a significant way)

Probably the most important chapters are Chapter 19 Twenty Five Unusual Ways to Find Abundance and Chapter 22 Give and You Shall Receive. For a book that is an easy read with a wealth of usable advice and can keep your attention, read How to Be the Luckiest Person Alive!.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the First Week of June

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 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.

American National Insurance Company (ANAT) market cap: $2.1B ex div date: 6/1/2011 yield: 3.9%

NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) market cap: $24.3B ex div date: 6/1/2011 yield: 3.8%

Old Republic International Corporation (ORI) market cap: $3.3B ex div date: 6/1/2011 yield: 5.5%

Potlatch Corporation (PCH) market cap: $1.4B ex div date: 6/1/2011 yield: 5.7%

Regal Entertainment Group (RGC) market cap: $2.2B ex div date: 6/1/2011 yield: 5.8%

Vodafone Group Plc ADR (VOD) market cap: $142.7B ex div date: 6/1/2011 yield: 6.9%

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.

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 Stocks of the Philippines

Did you know that the literacy rate in the Philippines is 93.4%, according to the latest information provided by the Philippines National Statistics Office? The country has an approximate gross domestic product of $189 billion, making it the 46th largest economy in the world. In 2007, the GDP growth was 7.1%. It is considered to be one of the 'Next 11 Countries', according to Goldman Sachs, which means it has a high potential of becoming one of the the world's largest economies in this century, along with the BRIC countries.

According to the free list of Philippine stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over a dozen Philippines based companies that trade in the United States.

Probably the most popular with US investors is Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PHI) due to the fact that it yields 4.8%. This telecommunications, wireless, and Internet company trades at 11.4 times current earnings and 11.2 times forward earnings. The company's current dividend payouts of $499 million is easily covered by the company's operating cash flow of $1.82 billion.

Another way to play the Philippines market is through an ETF, the iShares MSCI Philippines Investable Market index (EPHE), which has a goal of matching the performance of equity securities in the top 99% in market capitalization of Philippine equity markets. This ETF was up 13.52% for the last three months, versus only 8.27% for the Pacific/Asia Stock Index.

For a list of all the major Philippines stocks available to US investors, check out the free list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updates.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Utah Now on the Gold Standard

The State of Utah just legalized gold and silver as legal tender currency in the state. In addition, it exempted gold and silver coins from state capital gains taxes. Idaho is planning the same thing along with eight other states.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the End 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.

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.

SUPERVALU INC. (SVU) market cap: $2.3B ex div date: 5/27/2011 yield: 3.2%

FutureFuel Corp. (FTFL) market cap: $515.0M ex div date: 5/27/2011 yield: 3.1%

Fifth Street Finance Corp. (FSC) market cap: $732.8M ex div date: 5/31/2011 yield: 9.6%

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 the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Zimbabwe May Back Their Currency with Gold

Anyone who has read this blog on a regular basis knows that Zimbabwe and its financial situation has been covered extensively. The article on Zimbabwe in Pictures received a substantial number of views. And of course the articles on the Zimbabwe 100 trillion dollar bill has generated significant interest. Also the inflation rate of over a trillion percent.

Now even more news, the government of Zimbabwe is now considering backing the country's currency with gold, saying that the "days of the US dollar as the world's reserve currency are numbered.". I'm not sure what will happen to the Zimbabwe 100 trillion dollar bills that are held by collectors.

Why This July is an Important Month

This year, July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This only happens
once every 823 years! The month is referred to as 'money bags' in Chinese culture (at least according to the email I received on this) and is considered a lucky month from a financial standpoint.

Bank of Mexico Bought 100 TONS of Gold

First the University of Texas takes delivery of $1 billion worth of gold. Now the Bank of Mexico, the country's central bank, has purchased 100 tons of gold. The acquisition was reported by the International Monetary Fund.

Maybe this is why Weiss Ratings gave Mexico a higher bond rating than the United States.

REITs that Pay Dividends Monthly

I personally think that real estate has bottomed out, with the possible exception of high end single family residences. An optimal way to invest in real estate, if you think the turn-around has started, is through Real Estate Investment Trusts, also known as REITs. Almost all the income from REITs is passed through to investors to avoid double taxation, at the corporate level and at the shareholder level.

Fortunately, there are plenty of REIT specialties to choose from, including apartments, commercial buildings, personal storage units, industrial properties, government buildings, medical buildings, and mortgages.

You can buy and manage your own real estate directly, but then you lose out on many of the benefits of REITs, such as liquidity, professional management, diversification, and not having to deal with plumbing problems in the middle of the night.

Several REITs even pay dividends monthly, according the the list of monthly dividend stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Yields range from 3% to more than 6%. The monthly dividends can provide advantages over quarterly dividends, in that the volatility is usually lower, compounding is greater if dividends are reinvested, and capital is returned more quickly.

One monthly dividend paying REIT is Inland Real Estate Corp. (IRC), which offers a yield of about 6.4%, and trades at 10 times forward earnings. This REIT owns and operates shopping centers and single-tenant retail properties in the Midwest. The company has been paying monthly dividends since 2004.

LTC Properties, Inc. (LTC) which sports a yield of 5.8% and trades at a forward PE of 13, is a long-term care real estate investment trust. This is a REIT that pays monthly dividends, and the dividend track record also dates back to 1992.

To see the list of monthly dividend REITs along with other stocks that pay high dividends on a monthly basis, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The list can be downloaded, sorted, and updated.

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 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.

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.

Park National Corporation (PRK) market cap: $1.0B ex div date: 5/23/2011 yield: 5.6%

Bank of Hawaii Corporation (BOH) market cap: $2.3B ex div date: 5/26/2011 yield: 3.8%

Intersections Inc. (INTX) market cap: $269.3M ex div date: 5/26/2011 yield: 4.0%

Whiterock Real Estate Investment Trust (WRKUF) market cap: $291.9M ex div date: 5/26/2011 yield: 8.2%

Brompton VIP Income Fund (BVPIF) market cap: $493.2M ex div date: 5/26/2011 yield: 8.9%

Bird Construction Inc (BIRDF) market cap: $534.7M ex div date: 5/26/2011 yield: 5.2%

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 the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Recession Jokes

Here are some jokes that have been floating around my email account:

The Recession has hit everybody.....

I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.

Wives are having sex with their husbands because they can't afford batteries.

CEO's are now playing miniature golf.

Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.

A stripper was killed when her audience showered her with rolls of pennies while she danced.

I saw a Mormon polygamist with only one wife.

If the bank returns your check marked "Insufficient Funds," you call them and ask if they meant you or them.

McDonald's is selling the 1/4 ouncer.

Angelina Jolie adopted a child from America .

Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names.

My cousin had an exorcism but couldn't afford to pay for it, and they re-possessed her!

A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico .

A picture is now only worth 200 words.

When Bill and Hillary travel together, they now have to share a room.

The Treasure Island casino in Las Vegas is now managed by Somali pirates.

Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. Oh Great!

The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear!

Gold Broke Above $1500 an Ounce Again: Income Gold Stocks

On Monday, the price of gold penetrated up through the $1500 an ounce level again. By happenstance, Jim Cramer interviewed Mark Bristow, the CEO of Randgold Resources (GOLD) on the Mad money television show. Cramer considers this stock the best high risk high reward gold miner, with the risk due to the fact that much of the company's operations are in African countries with significant investment concerns. Randgold, which is one of over twenty stocks on the list of dividend paying gold mining stocks at WallStreetNewsnetwork.com, pays a small yield of 0.2%. It trades at 14 times forward earnings.

In terms of gold's future, Randgold's Bristow said on the show that the price of gold has a "lot of upside". So for more conservative investors, what gold stocks are worth looking into? Cramer mentioned that he liked Goldcorp Inc. (GG), one of the few gold miners that pays dividends monthly. Payouts have been made regularly since 2005. The current yield on the stock is 0.9%. The stock sports a forward price to earnings ratio of 18. It has mines in Canada, United States, Mexico, and Central and South America.

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX) is a stock that pays quarterly and currently yields 2.0%. The company has operations in North and South America, Indonesia; and in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It trades at 8 times forward earnings.

For a free list of gold mining stocks that pay dividends, which can be downloaded 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

Print Out a New Kidney or Bladder with a 3D Printer

I will be looking for stocks that will be participating in this industry.

Credit Rating for the US Lower than Mexico

A couple weeks ago, the Florida based investment ratings firm Weiss Ratings, came out with its list of the ratings of bonds of 47 countries. Unfortunately, the United States ended up in 33rd position with a rating of C.

The US was rated below such companies as Thailand, China, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea, all of which received and A or A-. Japan, Brazil and Canada also received C ratings

Mother's Day was Yesterday: What Stocks Might Benefit

Mother's Day was yesterday, and for the last couple weeks, sales have been rising for 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 activity can find a few ideas on the chocolate and candy stock list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

One example is Hershey (HSY), founded in 1894, which 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 18 times forward earnings and sports a favorable yield of 2.5%.

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 price to earnings ratio is 17, and the company pays a great CD beating yield of 3.7%.

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. The stock has a forward PE ratio of 16.

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 PE of 16, and a yield of 3.5%.

If you like interesting lists like this, 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

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Third 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.

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.

Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ED) market cap: $14.8B ex div date: 5/16/2011 yield: 4.7%

Thomson Reuters Corporation (TRI) market cap: $34.2B ex div date: 5/17/2011 yield: 3.0%

PetroChina Company Limited ADR (PTR) market cap: $32.1B ex div date: 5/20/2011 yield: 3.1%

Statoil ASA ADR (STO) market cap: $89.2B ex div date: 5/20/2011 yield: 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.

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

Kentucky Derby this Saturday: Horse Race Stocks

The Kentucky Derby, considered to be the most famous horse race in the United States, will be held this Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky. It is the first segment of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and will be followed by the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.

The Kentucky Derby is hosted by Churchill Downs Inc. (CHDN), 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 18 times forward earnings, and pays a yield of 1.2%. As a matter of fact, WallStreetNewsNetwork.com turned up a list of a dozen stocks in the horse racing industry, and half of them pay dividends.

Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment Inc. (DDE) owns Dover Downs Raceway, a harness racing track with pari-mutuel wagering. The company has a price to earnings ratio of 16.9 and pays a generous yield of 3.4%. Revenues were up 4.6% for the latest quarter, however, earnings dropped over 72%.

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 forward PE of 21.1 but does not pay a dividend.

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

By the way, 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

Why the Dow Will Hit 38,820

One of my favorite publications is the Stock Trader's Almanac. As a matter of fact, I was going over some old files and found a Stock Trader's Almanac from over 20 years ago.

If you have never seen the Almanac, historically produced by Yale and Jeffrey Hirsch, you should pick up a copy at least once. It has a calendar (yeah, yeah I know, hardly anyone uses a written calendar any more, most of us use an electronic calendar), but you don't own it for the calendar. You own it for the fascinating stock trends, stock market patterns, and other investment data covered extensively throughout the book. In addition, it has numerous sayings and quotations from famous stock traders and investors.

Now Jeffrey Hirsch has written the book called Super Boom: Why the Dow Jones Will Hit 38,820 and How You Can Profit From It. The book gives a case for why the Dow can achieve 38,820 within the next fourteen years, for three reasons: new enabling technologies, peace between major wars, and inflation. (In my opinion, inflation is the biggest factor.)

Hirsch provides very extensive historical data on the market, and also has specific advice on what ETFs and stocks should be considered for achieving high returns. Check out Chapter 10 subtitled How to profit now and during a super boom.

I highly recommend Super Boom: Why the Dow Jones Will Hit 38,820 and How You Can Profit From It, and the Stock Trader's Almanac.

Germany, High Yields, and Wind Energy

It appears that Germany is the strongest member of the European Union and is the country that seems to be the primary member keeping the EU alive. Germany contributes more money by far than any other country to the EU, approximately 21% of the total EU budget. From an income investing standpoint, according to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are about ten dividend paying German stocks that trade in the United States, on the New York Stock Exchange and the Pink Sheets.

One German play is Deutsche Bank AG (DB) trades at 7 times forward earnings and pays a yield of 1.0% based on its last annual dividend. Earnings for the latest quarter ending March 31, 2011 were up 17% year over year.

BASF AG (BASFY.PK), the large chemical company, has a forward price to earnings ratio of 11 and generated an earnings increase of 141.8% for the latest quarter ending December 31. The stock yields 2.3% based on its last annual dividend.

E.ON AG is the German based holding company of the world's largest investor-owned energy service provider in the world. The stock pays a generous 5.9%, and trades at 7.5 times earnings.

Speaking of earnings, Germany announced its first commercial offshore wind farm, called the Baltic 1, which generates 50-megawatts of power from 21 Siemens turbines, enough to power approximately 50,000 households. The windfarm is operated by EnBW (EBK.DE), which unfortunately for US investors, can only be purchased on German stock exchanges.

However, there are other wind energy companies available to Americans, such as Broadwind Energy, Inc. (BWEN), a manufacturer of products for the wind energy industry, which has a forward PE ratio of 21. There is also Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) is a Canadian based asset management holding company which has a division that develops wind power throughout Canada, trades at 24 times forward earnings and yields 1.5%. MasTec, Inc. (MTZ) builds wind farms, solar farms, and underground and overhead distribution systems, and has a forward PE ratio of 14.5.

Even the high yield German utility E.ON has a wind energy division. For a free list of dividend paying German stocks, 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

Stem Cell Funding Ban Reversed: What About the Stocks?

Last week was a busy week for stem cells. The suspension of Federal funding for stem cell research has just been overturned by a United States Appeals Court. The two to one ruling last week said that the law against Federal funding was ambiguous. In addition, Dr. Paul Sharpe spoke at the First International Conference on Dental and Craniofacial Stem Cells in New York last week. He discussed the use of regenerative dentistry to regrow teeth with dental stem cells.

Research has been continuing into the use of stem cells for gene therapy and the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and many other medical conditions. Stem cells can come from various sources including embryos, cord blood, which is the blood from umbilical cords, and even in baby teeth. There are several publicly traded companies in the stem cell field, according to the free list of stem cell stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

For example, Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) is a Connecticut based company with an $8.9 billion market capitalization that is involved in the development of biologic therapeutic products for the treatment of hematologic and cardiovascular disorders, auto-immune diseases, and cancer. The company licenses porcine embryonic stem cells for transgenic animals. The stock has a price to earnings ratio of 93 and a forward PE of 32.

Cellgene (CELG) is a $27.4 billion market cap company involved in the discovery and production of therapies designed to treat cancer and immune-inflammatory-related diseases. One of the company's main products is Thalomid, which is used for the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum, a complication of leprosy. They also received a patent on placental stem cell recovery. The stock sports a PE ratio of 31 and a forward PE of 14.

Integra Lifesciences Holdings (IART) is a New Jersey based $1.5 billion market cap company that develops, manufactures, and sells medical devices, implants, biomaterials, and instruments to the stem cell, surgery, and soft tissue repair markets. The stock trades at 24 times current earnings, and 16 times forward earnings.

For a free list of over a dozen stem cell stocks which you can download, sort, and update, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com