OK, I’m always the first to admit it. When it comes to investing in Chinese stocks, I’m a bit of a skeptic.  That’s why I’ve opted to get investment exposure to… Read More

They’re the creme de la creme of the income universe.  Each one has increased its dividend every year for at least two decades… some sport track records with more than 50 years of consecutive dividend increases. All told, these… Read More

They’re the creme de la creme of the income universe.  Each one has increased its dividend every year for at least two decades… some sport track records with more than 50 years of consecutive dividend increases. All told, these stocks are some of the most reliable dividend payers on the planet.  #-ad_banner-#I’m talking about the S&P 500 “Dividend Aristocrats” and their kissing cousins, the S&P “High-Yield Dividend Aristocrats.”  To become a member of these elite groups, a company must pay a regular… Read More

They’re the creme de la creme of the income universe.  Each one has increased its dividend every year for at least two decades… some sport track records with more than 50 years of consecutive dividend increases. All told, these stocks are some of the most reliable dividend payers on the planet.  #-ad_banner-#I’m talking about the S&P 500 “Dividend Aristocrats” and their kissing cousins, the S&P “High-Yield Dividend Aristocrats.”  To become a member of these elite groups, a company must pay a regular dividend, but it must also enjoy a stellar track record of growing that dividend every year for at least 20 years. With such stringent membership criteria, only about 70 U.S. companies make the grade. As you’d expect, a wide variety of industries are represented. You’ll find an overweighting of consumer staples such as Procter and Gamble (NYSE: PG) and Kimberley Clark (NYSE: KMB), and a healthy chunk of electrical utilities, such as Consolidated Edison (NYSE: ED) and Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE: NWN). But there’s one group that makes the list that you would probably… Read More

When it comes to investing, bigger isn’t always better.#-ad_banner-# In fact, the opposite is sometimes true. Small-cap stocks outperformed large caps by an annual average of just more than 2% from 1926 to 2006, according to the “Stocks,… Read More

When it comes to investing, bigger isn’t always better.#-ad_banner-# In fact, the opposite is sometimes true. Small-cap stocks outperformed large caps by an annual average of just more than 2% from 1926 to 2006, according to the “Stocks,… Read More

Hedge funds have been lining up on both sides of the fence regarding nutritional supplement multi-level marketing company Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF). The stock made a 52-week high of $73 last spring before… Read More

Hedge funds have been lining up on both sides of the fence regarding nutritional supplement multi-level marketing company Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF). The stock made a 52-week high of $73 last spring before shares took a huge hit following accusations from hedge fund investor William Ackman that the company was nothing more than a pyramid scheme. The seven-month trading range between $56 and $42 a share projected a downside target of $28 ($14 height… Read More

Hedge funds have been lining up on both sides of the fence regarding nutritional supplement multi-level marketing company Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF). The stock made a 52-week high of $73 last spring before shares took a huge hit following accusations from hedge fund investor William Ackman that the company was nothing more than a pyramid scheme. The seven-month trading range between $56 and $42 a share projected a downside target of $28 ($14 height of the pattern subtracted from the breakdown level of $42). A volatility spike occurred when the downside channel support at $42 was broken in December, and as often happens at price extremes, the selling pressured the stock to $24 before a rebound.  Recent action has seen the price rally back above breakdown point at $42, which acts as the pivot point, to about $44. As the battle between short sellers and value buyers continues, traders can use a different approach to profit from Herbalife. Because of the high volatility, another word… Read More

Right now, many quality European multinationals are cheaper than their U.S. peers, as investors’ concerns about Europe’s economy have lowered share prices. The S&P 500 currently trades at 2.14 times book value and 12.4 times projected 2013… Read More

The best dividend-paying stocks are often familiar names that have been around forever, but don’t get much attention from analysts. And right now is the best time to invest in stocks that pretty much provide investors with a steady stream of income that grows… Read More

Right now, many quality European multinationals are cheaper than their U.S. peers, as investors’ concerns about Europe’s economy have lowered share prices. The S&P 500 currently trades at 2.14 times book value and 12.4 times projected 2013 earnings, compared with 1.5 times book and 10.8 times estimated earnings for the Euro Stoxx 50 Index, an index for Eurozone blue chips. The EuroStoxx 50 also yields more than 4.5% — double… Read More

Right now, many quality European multinationals are cheaper than their U.S. peers, as investors’ concerns about Europe’s economy have lowered share prices. The S&P 500 currently trades at 2.14 times book value and 12.4 times projected 2013 earnings, compared with 1.5 times book and 10.8 times estimated earnings for the Euro Stoxx 50 Index, an index for Eurozone blue chips. The EuroStoxx 50 also yields more than 4.5% — double the S&P 500’s 2.25%. Yet even with all the negative headlines about Europe, I’ve had great success with several European stocks in my High-Yield International portfolio. Take Sanofi (NYSE: SNY), a French pharmaceutical company that’s up nearly 90% in the few short years I’ve owned it. Or U.K-based National Grid (NYSE: NGG), an electric distribution utility that has been paying a steady dividend since I added it in 2008 and is up 27% in two years. And now, I’ve pinpointed another European company worth considering for your… Read More