Monday, February 24, 2020

How to Buy Stocks at a Discount with Discounted CEFs

Please note that this is a sister publication of WallStreetNewsNetwork ( https://WStNN.com ) and eventually everything on this site will be transferred over there.

by Fred Fuld III
Do you realize that it is possible to buy stocks at a discount to their current trading prices? Here is how.
You can invest in closed end funds, also known as CEFs, that are trading at a discount to Net Asset Value, also known as NAV. The NAV is similar to the book value of stocks. In other words the NAV is calculated by adding up the value of all the stocks in the portfolio, and dividing that amount by the number of outstanding shares.
A closed end fund is similar to a regular mutual fund except that they trade throughout the day while the market is open and the trading price of the CEFs can fluctuate way above or way below the NAV. In addition, the number of shares is fixed. There are many closed end funds that are trading at a discount of over 10% of their net asset value. Many investors invest in these discounted CEFs in the hopes that the gap between NAV and price per share will eventually narrow.
One example is RMR Real Estate Income (RIF) managed by RMR Advisors. The fund is trading at a 16.3% discount to net asset value and based on their latest stockholdings, owns Prologis (PLD) and Sun Communities (SUI). The expense ratio is a high 3.08%.
If you are concerned about real estate stocks, another deeply discounted Dividend and Income Fund (DNI),managed by Bexil Advisors, which is trading at a 16% discount to NAV. The fund’s stockholdings include Comcast (CMCSA), AutoZone (AZO), Intel (INTC) and Amgen (AMGN). The fund’s expense ratio is 2.12% and pays a generous dividend yield of about 7.5%.
Another example is Central Securities (CET) which trades at a discount to NAV of 15.2%. It has a yield of 4.1%. The fund’s stockholdings include Intel (INTC), Citigroup (C), and Alphabet / Google  (GOOG) (GOOGL). Investors should be aware that over 22% of the portfolio’s assets are invested in The Plymouth Rock Company, which is not publicly traded. Also, over 3% of the portfolio in invest in treasury bills. The fund’s expense ratio is a reasonable 0.67%.
However, there are several risks with investing in discounted CEFs. First, the gap may exist for a long time, and can even widen. Second, the gap could theoretically narrow but the stocks in the portfolio could drop, so the fund would drop in price also. Third, is that many CEFs hold illiquid, private, or non-trading stocks, and the NAV is based on how the company valuates those shares, which may be a much higher value than what they could get if they tried to liquidate those stocks. Plus, some funds may own real estate or mortgages, which are very hard to value.
Sometimes activist shareholders buy up a large amount of shares of heavily discounted CEFs and force the liquidation of those CEFs, in order to realize the net asset value. Before investing in any of these, check out the web site of the CEFs to see what stocks they own, and how many are invested in illiquid shares.
Hopefully, you can find bargains with a closed end fund.
Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.



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Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Top Valentines Day Stocks

Please note that this is a sister publication of WallStreetNewsNetwork ( https://WStNN.com ) and eventually everything on this site will be transferred over there.

by Fred Fuld III
There are just a few days left to do your shopping for Valentine’s Day. A Valentines stock would make a great gift, such as those that sell chocolate, jewelry, greeting cards, and gift wrap.
The perfect gift stock used to be the stock that makes the stuff that gifts come in. CSS Industries Inc. (CSS) markets gift wrap, gift bags, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, tissue paper, decorations, and decorative ribbons and bows. Unfortunately for investors, the company is in the process of the being taken over by IG Design Group, a UK based company that trades on the London Stock Exchange. However, there are other stocks you can choose from.
red rose
Flowers make a great Valentines Day gift. 1-800-Flowers.com Inc. (FLWS) is the largest publicly traded marketer flowers. In addition, it also sells cakes, cookies, candy, wines, and gift baskets. The stock trades at 25 times trailing earnings, 24.8 times forward earnings, and a price to sales ratio of 0.83.
chocolate candy
 Almost every valentine likes chocolate. The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. (RMCF), based in Durango, Colorado makes and markets many types of chocolate candy including caramels, creams, mints, and truffles. The company was founded in 1981, and has over 300 franchise locations. The price to earnings ratio is 27. Rocky Mountain pays a very delicious dividend yield of 5.7%.
What valentine doesn’t like jewelry? Something like a Vintage Inspired Round Ruby Pendant with Diamond Halo in 14K White & Yellow Gold (8mm Ruby) would make a nice gift. The price is only $37,709 and is available through Amazon (AMZN).
ruby pendant
Tiffany (TIF), founded in 1837, is one of the largest jewelry companies in the world, with over 60 U.S. stores and numerous international locations. The stock trades at 26.7 times forward earnings. This stock also pays a dividend, with a yield of 1.7%.
 For more stocks that could increase sales from the Valentine experience, such as candy and chocolate stocks, check out the free lists here at WSTNN.com.

Happy Valentines Day!!!

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



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Saturday, February 01, 2020

Stocks Going Ex Dividend in February 2020

Please note that this is a sister publication of WallStreetNewsNetwork ( https://WStNN.com ) and eventually everything on this site will be transferred over there.

The following is a short list of some of the many stocks going ex dividend during the next month.
Many traders and investors use the stock trading technique called ‘Buying Dividends,’ also commonly referred to as ‘Dividend Capture.’ This is the strategy 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 in bull markets and flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the strategy during bear markets. 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 in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, lots with market caps over $500 million, and many with yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, the periodic dividend amount.
NortonLifeLock Inc. (NLOK)2/3/20200.121.82%
American Electric Power (AEP)2/7/20200.702.75%
Schlumberger (SLB)2/11/20200.505.59%
Amgen Inc. (AMGN)2/13/20201.602.87%
Southern Company (SO)2/14/20200.623.56%
Consolidated Edison Inc (ED)2/18/20200.7653.27%
Target Corporation (TGT)2/18/20200.662.28%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)2/24/20200.952.55%
Interactive Brokers Group (IBKR)2/27/20200.100.85%
The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found HERE . (If you have been to the page 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 some of the other high yield stock lists HERE . Most of the lists are free.
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 at 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, and affiliate links.

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