Top Defense Stocks

 

Some investors are opposed to purchasing stocks that benefit from the manufacture of weapons, and that’s completely understandable. If you fall into that category, then this post is probably not for you.

The defense industry is currently in a state of flux. On the one hand, there is a growing demand for defense products and services, as the world becomes increasingly unstable. On the other hand, there are also growing concerns about the cost of defense spending, and the need to reduce military budgets.

As a result, defense companies are facing a number of challenges. They need to find ways to reduce their costs, while also developing new products and services that meet the changing needs of the military. They also need to be prepared for the possibility of a decline in defense spending, and the need to diversify their businesses.

Despite these challenges, the defense industry is still a major economic force. In the United States, the defense industry employs over 2 million people and generates over $400 billion in annual revenue. The industry is also a major source of innovation and has been responsible for the development of many of the world’s most advanced technologies.

The future of the defense industry is uncertain, but it is likely to remain a major player in the global economy. The industry will need to adapt to the changing needs of the military and the growing concerns about the cost of defense spending. However, the industry also has a number of strengths, including its strong research and development capabilities, and its ability to adapt to new market conditions. As a result, the defense industry is likely to remain a major economic force for many years to come.

Here are some of the key trends that are shaping the defense industry today:

• The rise of new technologies. The defense industry is constantly evolving, as new technologies are developed. These technologies are changing the way that wars are fought, and they are also creating new opportunities for defense companies. For example, the development of drones and other unmanned systems is changing the way that the military conducts surveillance and strikes.
• The growing importance of cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important in the defense industry. As militaries become more reliant on digital systems, they are also becoming more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Defense companies are developing new technologies to protect military systems from cyberattacks.
• The need for greater international cooperation. The defense industry is becoming increasingly globalized. As militaries around the world face similar threats, they are increasingly working together to develop new technologies and share resources. This is creating new opportunities for defense companies that are able to operate in multiple markets.

The defense industry is a complex and ever-changing industry. However, it is also a major economic force that is likely to remain important for many years to come.

Lockheed Martin (LMT) is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It is the world’s largest defense contractor by revenue for the past 43 years. Lockheed Martin is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and employs approximately 114,000 people worldwide.

This $119 billion market cap company trades at 21 times trailing earnings and 17 times forward earnings. The long-term annual earnings per share growth estimate over the next five years is anticipated to be 10.9%. The company pays a dividend yield of 2.57%.

Raytheon Technologies (RTX) is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed in 2020 by the merger of Raytheon and United Technologies. Raytheon Technologies is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, and employs approximately 190,000 people worldwide.

The stock has a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 26 and a forward P/E of 17. Earnings per share this year grew by 35.9%, and long-term annual earnings per share growth estimate over the next five years is predicted to be 10.8%. The yield is 2.43%.

The Boeing Company (BA) is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. It is the world’s largest aerospace company by revenue for the past 26 years. Boeing is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and employs approximately 160,000 people worldwide.

The company has been generating negative earnings but has a forward P/E of 41. The stock does not pay a dividend.

General Dynamics (GD) is an American multinational defense, information technology, and aerospace company that is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia. General Dynamics is the world’s fifth-largest defense contractor by revenue. The company employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide.

The stock trades at 18 times trailing earnings and 15 times forward earnings. The long-term annual earnings per share growth estimate over the next five years is predicted to be 10.8%. The yield is 2.43%.

Northrop Grumman (NOC) is an American global aerospace and defense technology company with worldwide interests. It is the world’s sixth-largest defense contractor by revenue. Northrop Grumman is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, and employs approximately 90,000 people worldwide.

The stock trades at 15 times trailing earnings but 19 times forward earnings. The long-term annual earnings per share growth estimate over the next five years is expected to be only 1.9%. The stock pays a yield of 1.64%.

These companies are responsible for developing and manufacturing a wide range of defense products, including aircraft, ships, missiles, and weapons systems. They also provide a variety of services, such as maintenance, repair, and overhaul.

The defense industry is a major economic force, and it is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. This is due to a number of factors, including the increasing threats posed by terrorism and cyberwarfare, and the growing demand for new technologies.

Disclosure: The author didn’t own any of the above at the time the article was written.

Ex Dividend Stocks for January 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.

American Express Company (AXP)	1/2/2020	0.43	1.37%
Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO)	1/2/2020	0.35	2.93%
Campbell Soup Company (CPB)	1/7/2020	0.35	2.83%
Oracle Corporation (ORCL)	1/8/2020	0.24	1.80%
General Mills, Inc. (GIS)	1/9/2020	0.49	3.68%
General Dynamics Corporation (GD)	1/16/2020	1.02	2.30%
Caterpillar, Inc. (CAT)	1/17/2020	1.03	2.78%
Clorox Company (CLX)	1/28/2020	1.06	2.76%
Hasbro, Inc. (HAS)	1/30/2020	0.68	2.57%
Bank Of Montreal (BMO)	1/31/2020	0.798	4.13%

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.

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 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.




INVESTMENT TRIVIA    MAKES A GREAT GIFT!!!
 

Stocks Going Ex Dividend in October 2018

Please note that this is a sister publication of WallStreetNewsNetwork ( http://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, and annual yield.

Comcast Corporation (CMCSA)	10/2/2018	0.19	2.06%
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX)	10/4/2018	0.50	1.85%
General Dynamics Corporation (GD)	10/4/2018	0.93	1.86%
Gap, Inc. (GPS)	10/9/2018	0.24	3.49%
Foot Locker, Inc. (FL)	10/18/2018	0.345	2.96%
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (LOW)	10/23/2018	0.48	1.69%
Hasbro, Inc. (HAS)	10/31/2018	0.63	2.39%

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.

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 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.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the First Week of April

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called ‘Buying Dividends,’ also commonly referred to as ‘Dividend Capture.’ 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, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique 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 yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, the quarterly dividend amount, and annual yield.

Comcast Corporation (CMCSA)	4/3/2017	0.16	1.48%
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX)	4/3/2017	0.45	1.67%
Gap, Inc. (GPS)	4/3/2017	0.23	3.87%
Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO)	4/4/2017	0.29	3.06%
J P Morgan Chase & Co (JPM)	4/4/2017	0.50	2.12%
American Express Company (AXP)	4/5/2017	0.32	1.55%
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (BKS)	4/5/2017	0.15	6.78%
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY)	4/5/2017	0.39	2.72%
General Dynamics Corporation (GD)	4/5/2017	0.84	1.61%
General Mills, Inc. (GIS)	4/6/2017	0.48	3.22%
Intuit Inc. (INTU)	4/6/2017	0.34	1.08%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found here at wstnn.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 some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WStNN.com. 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.

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 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.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Third Week of January

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called ‘Buying Dividends,’ also commonly referred to as ‘Dividend Capture.’ 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, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique 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 yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, the quarterly dividend amount, and the annual yield.

Caterpillar, Inc. (CAT)	1/18/2017	0.77	3.3%
General Dynamics (GD)	1/18/2017	0.76	1.7%
PerkinElmer, Inc. (PKI)	1/18/2017	0.07	0.5%
Seaspan Corporation (SSW)	1/18/2017	0.375	13.8%
WD-40 Company (WDFC)	1/18/2017	0.49	1.6%
Zoetis Inc. (ZTS)	1/18/2017	0.105	0.7%
CVS Health (CVS)	1/20/2017	0.5	2.1%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found here at wstnn.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 some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WStNN.com. 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.

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 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.

Do 'Bad' Stocks Do Better than 'Good' Stocks?

Investors who aren't concerned about what businesses their investments are in might want to consider investing in 'bad' stocks, often referred to as 'vice stocks' or 'sin stocks', and now are referred to as the supposedly politically correct term, 'barrier stocks.' They are now called that because the industries have a barrier to entry. The industries include tobacco, alcohol, gambling, defense, adult entertainment, and other businesses that have negative connotations by many investors.

As a matter of fact, there is a mutual fund that used to be called the Vice Fund, but is now called the USA Mutuals Barrier Investor

Fund. (VICEX). Over the last year, the fund has significantly outperformed the S&P 500, rising 3.26% versus a drop of 2.36% for the S&P. Even over five years and ten years, the fund has outperformed the stock market in general. Year-to-date, the fund is up 3.69% versus a loss in the S&P.

If you are wondering what sort of stocks are in the Barrier Fund portfolio, here are the top eight holding:

Philip Morris International Inc (PM)
Reynolds American Inc (RAI)
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS)
Altria Group, Inc. (MO)
MGM Resorts International (MGM)
Raytheon Company (RTN)
Wynn Resorts (WYNN)
General Dynamics Corp (GD)

Each of these stocks represent anywhere from 3% to 6% of the portfolio.

Rydex Leisure (RYLIX) is a fund that owns several stocks that are considered 'bad' or not so good, such as Philip Morris, Altria, and Reynolds American. It also owns McDonald's (MCD) as some investors consider fast food to be not-so-good.

Another fund that has occasionally been put in the vice fund category includes Fidelity Select Consumer Staples (FDFAX), which owns British American Tobacco, Reynolds American, and Altria. It also owns Pepsico (PEP) and Coca Cola (KO), which many consider not-so-good due to the sale of sugary drinks.

If you are not concerned about how your investment funds are used, buying the 'bad' stocks might be a 'good' strategy.

Disclosure: Author owns MCD, PEP, & KO. 

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the Second Week of October

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends,' also commonly referred to as 'Dividend Capture.' 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, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique 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 yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

CVB Financial	CVBF	10/5/2015	2.9%
Gentex Corp	GNTX	10/5/2015	2.2%
The Gap Inc.	GPS	10/5/2015	2.9%
Raytheon Co.	RTN	10/5/2015	2.6%
Terreno Realty Corp	TRNO	10/5/2015	3.1%
Destination Maternity Corp	DEST	10/6/2015	8.2%
Pulaski Financial Corp	PULB	10/6/2015	2.8%
Brady Corp	BRC	10/7/2015	4.0%
Darden Restaurants	DRI	10/7/2015	3.1%
Ennis, Inc.	EBF	10/7/2015	4.1%
General Dynamics Corporation	GD	10/7/2015	2.0%
Manhattan Bridge Capital Inc.	LOAN	10/7/2015	7.7%
Marsh & McLennan	MMC	10/7/2015	2.4%
Monsanto Company	MON	10/7/2015	2.6%
NetApp Inc.	NTAP	10/7/2015	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 some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. 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.

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 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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded

Book now available: Stock Market Trivia Makes a Great Gift!

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 Second Week of October

  

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends,' also commonly referred to as 'Dividend Capture.' 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, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique 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 yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

Ennis, Inc.	EBF	10/6/2014	5.3%
InterDigital, Inc.	IDCC	10/6/2014	2.0%
New York REIT, Inc.	NYRT	10/6/2014	4.4%
Pulaski Financial Corp	PULB	10/6/2014	3.3%
ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc.	SFBS	10/6/2014	2.1%
Ethan Allen	ETH	10/7/2014	2.1%

Brady Corp	BRC	10/8/2014	3.6%
Campbell Soup Co.	CPB	10/8/2014	2.9%
Center Coast MLP & Infrastructure	CEN	10/8/2014	6.4%
General Dynamics Corporation	GD	10/8/2014	2.0%
General Mills	GIS	10/8/2014	3.2%

 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 some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. 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.

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 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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded

Book now available: Stock Market Trivia
A Great Gift!

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 First Week of July

  

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, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique 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 yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, and the yield.

-->

General Dynamics Corp	GD	7/1	2.1%
Green Mountain Coffee	GMCR	7/1	0.8%
Horizon Bancorp	HBNC	7/1	2.4%
Invacare	IVC	7/1	0.3%
Kohlberg Capital	KCAP	7/1	12.3%

-->

Medtronic, Inc.	MDT	7/1	1.9%
Monsanto Company	MON	7/1	1.4%
Park Electrochemical	PKE	7/1	1.5%
Royal Gold Inc.	RGLD	7/1	1.1%
Pacific Coast Oil Trust	ROYT	7/1	13.2%

  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 some of the other high yield stock lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com or WSNN.com. 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.

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 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.

Book now available: Buying Dividends Revised and Expanded

Book now available: Stock Market Trivia
A Great Gift!

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

Will the Government Shutdown Be Good or Bad for the Economy?

It happened! Today, the United States government shutdown began. Did investors care? Not really; the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 62 points and the NASDAQ was up 46.5 points.

So let's look at how the government shutdown might affect the economy. There are about 2.8 million non-uniformed employees of the Federal government, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Obviously, not all of these employees will stop working, as many of them are in jobs that are considered critical. Economists estimate that 600,000 to 800,000 workers will be furloughed.

These Fed workers are all across the US. They will cut back on spending, which can hurt local economies, and if the shutdown lasts long enough, they may not be able to pay their mortgages, which will cause more foreclosures and hurt the real estate market. Even state and local governments receive government funding, so they will be adversely affected.

Companies that do a lot of business with the Federal government will suffer. Although I'm sure the government will eventually be good for the money, if the shutdown drags on, it could affect the short term revenue results could be affected. Some of the largest government contractors include Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT), The Boeing Company (BA), Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC), General Dynamics Corporation (GD), and Raytheon Company (RTN).

The travel industry may be slightly affected, especially in the areas of national parks, but instead of tourists traveling to Yosemite, they will go to Disneyland instead. So this could help stocks such as Disney (DIS), Cedar Fair LP (FUN), Six Flags (SIX), and SeaWorld Entertainment (SEAS).


So what do you think? Will the shutdown be positive, negative, or no effect?

Disclosure: Author owns DIS.

Mini Stealth Assassin Drones from General Dynamics

Check out this new ad by General Dynamics (GD) relating to mini drones which can be used for eavesdropping and discrete assassinations.

Dividend Increasers for March

Stock indices are making new highs as more companies are increasing their dividends. A boost in dividends usually means that the company's future earnings prospects are very favorable. Here are some that have raised their dividends recently.

General Dynamics (GD) is increasing its quarterly dividend by 9.8%

Zimmer Announced an 11% increase in its quarterly dividend

Taubman Centers (TCO) declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, an increase of 8.1 percent.

Chico’s (CHS) raised its quarterly dividend by 4.8%

Colgate-Palmolive (CL) boosted its quarterly dividend by 10%

Devon Energy (DVN) raised its quarterly dividend by 10%

International Game Technology (IGT) bumped up its quarterly dividend by 33%

Qualcomm (QCOM) raised its quarterly dividend 40%

If you like stock lists like this, such as a list of stocks going ex-dividend, beer stocks, candy stocks, or coffee stocks, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett Cuts Back on Consumer Goods Stocks

Warren Buffett, head of Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA) (BRKB), has cut back on a few consumer goods stocks. According to recent filings, Buffett has reduced holdings in Procter & Gamble (PG) and Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (KRFT). In addition, although not a true consumer goods company, Berkshire Hathaway lightened up on Johnson and Johnson (JNJ).

Buffett is still maintaining his current positions in dozens of other stocks. As a matter of fact, he owns over 35 stocks, according to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, over 25 of which are dividend paying stocks.

One of his holdings is General Dynamics (GD), the aerospace and defense company, which trades at 9.5 times trailing earnings and 8.7 times forward earnings. The stock pays quarterly and yields 3.3%. Earlier this year, the company raised its dividend by 8.5%. Earnings for the latest quarter were down 8% on a 1% rise in revenues.

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is another stock owned by Buffett. The stock trades at 13.8 times trailing earnings and 11.4 times forward earnings, with a yield of 1.8%. Earnings were flat for the latest quarter on a 5.4% drop in sales. It pays a decent yield of 1.8%.

Other holdings include Torchmark Corp (TMK), the insurance company, that trades at 10 times earnings and yields 1.2%, US Bancorp (USB) yielding 2.5%, and Wal Mart Stores Inc (WMT), which pays a yield of 2.3%.

For a free list of all the Warren Buffett stocks, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has $40 Billion in Cash

Warren Buffett reported earnings for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B) last week, reporting that the company's earnings were $3.1 billion in the second quarter, which is a drop from earnings for the same quarter last year of $3.4 billion. Earnings per share for the quarter were $1,882 down from $2,072. The company's cash position is $40.7 billion, down from $47 billion.

In spite of the downturn, over the long term, Warren Buffett has provided Berkshire Hathaway investors with an average annual return of roughly 20% per year, far outperforming the S and P 500 and most money managers. If you want to follow in Buffett's footsteps, you can check out what Berkshire Hathaway owns, and pick what you think are the best stocks in the group. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has a free list of Warren Buffett stocks, over 25 of which pay dividends. As a matter of fact, a dozen have yields of 3.0% or greater.

One example is Procter & Gamble Co (PG) trades at 18.1 times earnings, and 15.8 times forward earnings. The stock pays a very favorable yield of 3.4%. The company recently reported a 44.7% increase in earnings for the latest quarter, year over year, on a slight 3.1% drop in revenues. Dividends payable quarterly were increased back in April from $0.525 per share to $0.562 per share.

Another High yield Buffett stock is General Dynamics (GD), which provides a decent yield of 3.2%. The stock trades at 9.4 times current earnings, with a forward price to earnings ratio of 8.6. Earnings were down about 3% on flat earnings for the latest quarter.

A couple of other high yield ideas include Intel (INTC) sporting a yield of 3.4% and GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK) at 4.5%. To see the other Warren Buffett stocks, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, where you can download, sort, and update the list.

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

By Stockerblog.com

Stocks Going Ex Dividend the First Week of July 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.

Raytheon Company	RTN	$18.1B	7/2/2012	3.7%
Toronto-Dominion Bank	TD	$69.2B	7/2/2012	3.7%
Erie Indemnity Company	ERIE	$3.3B	7/3/2012	3.2%
General Dynamics Corporation	GD	$22.4B	7/3/2012	3.3%

Universal Corp	UVV	$1.1B	7/5/2012	4.2%
Darden Restaurants, Inc.	DRI	$6.4B	7/6/2012	4.0%
Enerplus Corp	ERF	$2.3B	7/6/2012	9.0%
OGE Energy Corp.	OGE	$5.0B	7/6/2012	3.1%
UDR, Inc.	UDR	$6.2B	7/6/2012	3.5%
Verizon Communications Inc.	VZ	$124.7B	7/6/2012	4.6%

  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.

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