I'd bet most income investors know about the S&P Dividend Aristocrats Index.
To be included in this index, an S&P 500 company must have raised its dividend annually for at least the past 25 years. The standard is brutal: One slip and you're out. Start all over and compile another spotless dividend track record over the next 25 years.
This is an index of the bluest of blue-chip dividend stocks. But I've found a little-known "sister" index that income investors might find even more interesting -- and profitable.
Top 5 Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Pitney Bowes Inc(PBI)
Pitney Bowes Inc. provides mail processing equipment and integrated mail solutions worldwide. It offers a suite of equipment, supplies, software, services, and solutions for managing and integrating physical and digital communication channels. The company?s Small & Medium Business Solutions group engages in the sale, rental, and financing of mail finishing, mail creation, and shipping equipment and software; provision of supply, support, and other professional services; and provision of payment solutions. Its Enterprise Business Solutions group sells, supports, and offers other professional services for high-speed production mail systems, and sorting and production print equipment; and sells and provides support services for non-equipment-based mailing, customer relationship and communication, and location intelligence software. This group also offers facilities management services; secure mail services; reprographic document management services; and litigation support and eDiscovery services, as well as provides presort mail services and cross-border mail services; and direct marketing services. Pitney Bowes Inc. markets its products and services through its sales force, direct mailings, outbound telemarketing, and independent distributors and dealers to various business, governmental, institutional, and other organizations. The company, formerly known as Pitney Bowes Postage Meter Company, was founded in 1920 and headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
You can find many examples of this phenomenon recently:
Late last month, Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI ) cut its dividend in half after announcing worse-than-expected sales and income. The stock had suffered from weakness in Pitney Bowes' core mailing and enterprise business solutions segments, and the company chose to sacrifice its former double-digit yield in order to shore up its financial condition. Even after the cut, the stock still yields a fairly high 5%. In February, CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL ) cut its dividend by about 25%, again after reporting weak guidance for its earnings for the remainder of 2013. Even though the rural telecom company chose simply to put cash previously earmarked to pay its former yield of 7% toward share buybacks instead, the stock plunged more than 20% in response to the move, although it has rebounded significantly since then as investors recognized the fundamental benefits to the company from the capital reallocation. Until three months ago, Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF ) had a high dividend yield approaching 7% despite terrible conditions in its iron-ore and metallurgical-coal businesses. After announcing earnings in mid-February, the company cut its dividend by more than three-quarters in a move that will conserve cash for the ailing producer of raw materials for steel production. Now, the stock yields just 2.6%.That's not to say that all of the highest dividend paying stocks are doomed to reduce their payouts. Businesses that are designed to focus on maximizing cash flow rather than seeking growth can often sustain very high yields for years. Vanguard High Dividend Yield (NYSEMKT: VYM ) and other dividend ETFs use a combination of factors beyond simple yield to choose stocks with sustainable high payouts.
- [By Selena Maranjian]
Among holdings in which Atalanta Sosnoff increased its stake were Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI ) and Las Vegas Sands. Atalanta Sosnoff reduced its stake in lots of companies, including EMC�and Philip Morris International. Pitney-Bowes has been attracting income-seekers with a double-digit dividend yield, but it recently slashed that in half. Its remaining 5.3% yield is nothing to scoff at, but investors should assess the company's business carefully. Its legendary postage-meter business has not been thriving amid proliferating digital communications. To its credit, Pitney-Bowes has been developing other less-threatened�(and higher-margin) businesses, such as providing geocoding software. Still, its revenue and earnings have been shrinking in recent years, and it does carry considerable debt. The stock is heavily shorted, too.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI ) also became a victim of a dividend cut as it chose to reduce its payout by half in order to help it conserve cash as its financial results have deteriorated. With the very difficult task of repositioning itself from the largely obsolete postage business to become a more full-service enterprise communications company, Pitney Bowes will need as much spare cash as possible to reinvest in its new business opportunities.
Top 5 Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: RPM International Inc.(RPM)
RPM International Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and sells various specialty chemical products to industrial and consumer markets worldwide. The company?s Industrial segment offers waterproofing and institutional roofing systems used in building protection, maintenance, and weatherproofing applications; sealants, tapes, and foams; residential basement waterproofing systems; specialized roofing and building maintenance and related services; specialty industrial adhesives and sealants; and concrete and masonry additives, and related construction chemicals. It also offers polymer flooring systems, and offshore and marine structures; industrial and commercial tile systems; fiberglass reinforced plastic gratings and shapes; heavy-duty corrosion-control coatings, fireproofing products, and containment linings; specialty construction products, including bridge expansion joints, bridge deck and parking deck membranes, curb and channel drains, highway markings, protective coatings, and concrete repairs; and fluorescent colorants and pigments, waterproofing and flooring products, exterior insulating finishing systems, and shellac-based-specialty coatings for industrial and pharmaceutical uses, edible glazes, and food coatings. The company?s Consumer segment provides professional use and do-it-yourself products for a range of consumer applications, including home improvement and personal leisure activities. Its products include coating products; specialty products; deck and fence restoration products; metallic and faux finish coatings; hobby paints and cements; and caulks, sealants, adhesives, insulating foam, spackling, glazing, and other general patch and repair products. The company offers its products under the Carboline, DAP, EUCO, Fibergrate, Flecto, Flowcrete, Hummervoll, Universal Sealants, illbruck, Rust-Oleum, Stonhard, Tremco, Watco, and Zinsser brand names. RPM International was founded in 1947 and is headquarte red in Medina, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Specialty chemicals manufacturer RPM International (RPM) raised its quarterly dividend 6.7% to 24 cents per share, payable Oct. 31 to shareholders of record Oct. 21. The increase is the 40th consecutive year of annual dividend increases for RPM.
RPM Dividend Yield: 2.57%
Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy Right Now: Snap-On Incorporated(SNA)
Snap-on Incorporated provides tools, equipment, diagnostics, repair information, and systems solutions for professional users. Its products include hand tools, such as wrenches, screwdrivers, sockets, pliers, ratchets, saws and cutting tools, pruning tools, and torque measuring instruments; power tools, including pneumatic, hydraulic, cordless, and corded tools; and tool storage products comprising tool chests, roll cabinets, and tool control systems. The company?s diagnostics and repair information products include handheld and PC-based diagnostics products, service and repair information products, diagnostic software solutions, electronic parts catalogs, business management systems, business services, point-of-sale systems, integrated systems for vehicle service shops, original equipment manufacturer purchasing facilitation services, and warranty management systems and analytics to manage and track performance. Snap-on Incorporated?s equipment products comprise solutions for the diagnosis and service of automotive and industrial equipment, such as wheel alignment, collision repair, air conditioning service, brake service, fluid exchange, transmission troubleshooting, and safety testing equipment, as well as wheel balancers, tire changers, vehicle lifts, test lane systems, battery chargers, and hoists. The company also provides financial services, including business loans and vehicle leases to franchisees; loans to the franchisees? customers; and loans to its industrial and other customers for the purchase of tools, equipment, and diagnostics products. Snap-on Incorporated sells its products and services through mobile vans, franchisees, company-direct sales, distributors, and the Internet in approximately 130 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia, France, Japan, Spain, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Argentina, China, and Brazil. Snap-on Incorporated was founded in 1920 and is based in Kenosh a, Wisconsin.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Snap-on (NYSE: SNA ) reported earnings on April 18. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 30 (Q1), Snap-on met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share. - [By Lisa Levin]
Snap-on (NYSE: SNA) shares gained 0.60% to create a new 52-week high of $106.62. Snap-on's PEG ratio is 1.78.
Posted-In: 52-Week HighsNews Intraday Update Markets Movers
Top 5 Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: TotalFinaElf S.A.(TOT)
TOTAL S.A., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated oil and gas company worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Upstream, Downstream, and Chemicals. The Upstream segment engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas. It also involves in the transportation, trade, and marketing of natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as in LNG re-gasification and natural gas storage operations. In addition, this segment engages in the shipping and trade of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); power generation from gas-fired power plants, nuclear, or renewable energies; production, trade, and marketing of coal, as well as in solar power systems and technology operations. As of December 31, 2010, it had combined proved reserves of 10,695 Mboe of oil and gas. The Downstream segment involves in refining, marketing, trading, and shipping crude oil and petroleum products. It also produces a range of specialty products, s uch as lubricants, LPG, jet fuel, special fluids, bitumen, marine fuels, and petrochemical feedstock. This segment holds interests in 24 refineries located in Europe, the United States, the French West Indies, Africa, and China, as well as operates a network of 17,490 service stations. The Chemicals segment produces base chemicals, including petrochemicals and fertilizers, as well as engages in rubber processing, resins, adhesives, and electroplating activities. TOTAL S.A. was founded in 1924 and is based in Paris, France.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Carroll]
Europe has also experienced a tough economic climate this year, and the German DAX (DAXINDICES: ^DAX ) and French CAC 40 indexes haven't had the best time so far in 2013. France's index has managed to climb a fraction of a percent, but that hasn't helped many French stocks this year: French oil giant Total SA (NYSE: TOT ) has lost more than 10% year to date despite the company's forward-looking moves to expand into Africa and other locations; Total recently agreed to the construction of a refinery in Uganda for 30,000 barrels per day of refining. The DAX has dipped as Germany, long one of the lone bright spots in Europe, has seen its economy suffer from the eurozone's crisis and its PMI dive into contraction territory.
- [By Sara Murphy]
HSBC recently conducted an analysis that looked at European oil majors' at-risk carbon reserves. The study found Norway's�Statoil (NYSE: STO ) �to be the worst affected, with approximately 17% of its market capitalization at risk. HSBC also calculated that 6% of�BP's� (NYSE: BP ) reserves are at risk, along with 5% of�Total's (NYSE: TOT ) and 2% of�Shell's� (NYSE: RDS-A ) .�
Top 5 Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: CPFL Energia S.A.(CPL)
CPFL Energia S.A., through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, distribution, and sale of electricity in Brazil. It generates electricity through hydroelectric, thermal, biomass, and wind power plants. The company also involves in the provision of energy commercialization, consultancy, and advisory services to agents in the energy sector; manufacture, commercialization, rental, and maintenance of electromechanical equipment; and provision of administrative services, as well as telephone answering services. It has an installed generating capacity of 2,309 MW. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Selena Maranjian]
Brazilian electricity giant CPFL Energia S.A. (NYSE: CPL ) sank 20%, and recently yielded 5.9%. Its long-term debt has been rising, largely due to acquisitions, and its free cash flow has been shrinking (and even turning negative�recently). But it has been investing heavily in alternative energies, and it serves a massive and growing market in Brazil. The country's growth has been slower than many would like, but that won't last forever.
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