For many dividend-paying stocks, it appears as if a “great rotation” has begun. One of the most lucrative investing themes of the past few years may be coming to an end as interest rates start to rise, heightening the relative appeal of fixed-income assets compared with riskier equities. The question for investors: As others start to flee, how can you know when it’s time to go against the… Read More

For many dividend-paying stocks, it appears as if a “great rotation” has begun. One of the most lucrative investing themes of the past few years may be coming to an end as interest rates start to rise, heightening the relative appeal of fixed-income assets compared with riskier equities. The question for investors: As others start to flee, how can you know when it’s time to go against the grain and load up on dividend-paying stocks?#-ad_banner-# Let’s be clear: Not all investors think we’re on the cusp of a sea change in interest rates. The global economy remains quite weak, with Europe stumbling to find an economic floor and China showing increasing signs of weakness. As long as the global economy is in a funk, some strategists expect that U.S. investors will continue to benefit from an environment of ultra-low interest rates. A few have suggested that… Read More

Supply and demand is what drives the global economic engine.#-ad_banner-# Imagine owning a company whose products and services have nearly guaranteed steady demand and government-regulated supply. Add in the beauty of government-supported monopoly-like power and steady dividend yields — and you’ve attained investor nirvana. Although these companies may be considered boring and overlooked by investors seeking rapid capital appreciation, they remain an ace in the hole for long-term stock investors. If you haven’t guessed, I’m talking about utility… Read More

Supply and demand is what drives the global economic engine.#-ad_banner-# Imagine owning a company whose products and services have nearly guaranteed steady demand and government-regulated supply. Add in the beauty of government-supported monopoly-like power and steady dividend yields — and you’ve attained investor nirvana. Although these companies may be considered boring and overlooked by investors seeking rapid capital appreciation, they remain an ace in the hole for long-term stock investors. If you haven’t guessed, I’m talking about utility stocks. Despite a recent pullback, these consistent and proven dividend machines are ideal “buy” candidates for any long-term portfolio. With this in mind, here are my two favorite utility stocks: Southern Co. (NYSE: SO) A leading U.S. provider of electricity, this large-cap public electric utility has a market capitalization of more than $38 billion and boasts a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of nearly 19. Southern has subsidiaries in four states, including Mississippi Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power and Alabama Power. The company’s… Read More

Recently, I told you about the simple strategy that’s never lost money. Put simply, the longer you hold an investment, the better your chances of making a profit. The S&P 500 has never had a losing 20-year span, going all the way back to the 1950s. The key is finding a handful of companies that enjoy huge (and lasting) advantages over the competition… companies that pay their investors each and every… Read More

Recently, I told you about the simple strategy that’s never lost money. Put simply, the longer you hold an investment, the better your chances of making a profit. The S&P 500 has never had a losing 20-year span, going all the way back to the 1950s. The key is finding a handful of companies that enjoy huge (and lasting) advantages over the competition… companies that pay their investors each and every year by dishing out fat dividends… and companies buying back massive amounts of their own stock. Once you find them, the strategy is simple — just buy their shares and hold “Forever.” But if you want to see the best reason why investing “Forever” is the smartest way to let the market make you wealthy, pay attention to the… Read More

When it comes to assessing the outlook for drugmakers, investors really only care about the pipeline of new drugs. After all, existing drugs eventually lose patent protection, and when that happens, a large hole in the income statement… Read More

For many dividend-paying stocks, it appears as if a “great rotation” has begun. One of the most lucrative investing themes of the past few years may be coming to an end as interest rates start to rise, heightening the relative appeal of fixed-income assets compared with riskier equities. The question for investors: As others start to flee, how can you know when it’s time to go against the… Read More

For many dividend-paying stocks, it appears as if a “great rotation” has begun. One of the most lucrative investing themes of the past few years may be coming to an end as interest rates start to rise, heightening the relative appeal of fixed-income assets compared with riskier equities. The question for investors: As others start to flee, how can you know when it’s time to go against the grain and load up on dividend-paying stocks?#-ad_banner-# Let’s be clear: Not all investors think we’re on the cusp of a sea change in interest rates. The global economy remains quite weak, with Europe stumbling to find an economic floor and China showing increasing signs of weakness. As long as the global economy is in a funk, some strategists expect that U.S. investors will continue to benefit from an environment of ultra-low interest rates. A few have suggested that… Read More

My investing career has come nearly full circle from where I started. Back in the early 1990s, day trading was just coming into vogue as a viable way to make a living. The advent of the personal computer, discount… Read More

When it comes to assessing the outlook for drugmakers, investors really only care about the pipeline of new drugs. After all, existing drugs eventually lose patent protection, and when that happens, a large hole in the income statement… Read More

What I’m about to show you will probably be new. Over the past few months, my staff and I have read hundreds of newspapers, blogs and financial articles. As shocking as it may sound, we’ve never seen one mention of what I’m about to… Read More

Stock markets jumped after the unemployment rate rose on hopes that the Fed will continue pumping up the… Read More