Essentially, there are two ways to keep investors happy. One is share price appreciation, and the other dividend payments. Investors experienced the first with a powerful stock rally in the past year and half. Now, its time for dividends to play a part, writes Rachel Beck of the Associated Press.

When the meltdown occurred, companies pushed the fear button and hoarded cash, now amounting to $940 billion, Beck writes. Now that the economy is on firmer footing companies can let go of some of this pile of money. In the first quarter, 117 companies issued dividends, compared with only 78 a year ago, according to the AP.

Continue reading After a Long Absence, Dividends Are Back

After a Long Absence, Dividends Are Back originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This morning, my colleague Connie Madon reported that initial jobless claims showed a disappointing gain of just 39,000 jobs and an unemployment rate at a seven-month high of 9.8%. Remember that the Street expected job growth of 144,000. This disappointing data has helped push the Dow Jones as we head through the lunch hour. I wanted to take a look at a couple tidbits of news from the report, one that I find especially disturbing.

Continue reading Unemployment Data Is Disturbing, Underemployment Numbers Are Staggering

Unemployment Data Is Disturbing, Underemployment Numbers Are Staggering originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fear gripped Wall Street on September 29, 2008, when the U.S. House of Representatives failed to pass the bailout package. On that day alone, banks borrowed a record $155.8 billion.

The Fed had set up a lending facility called the Primary Dealer Credit Facility (PDCF) to lend money to banks. As the crisis spread, borrowing increased almost daily. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) lists day-by-day borrowings:

Continue reading Flashback to the Crash: Banks Borrow $155.8 Billion

Flashback to the Crash: Banks Borrow $155.8 Billion originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Corporate Profits Set a Record in the Third Quarter

Corporate Profits Set a Record in the Third Quarter originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Favorable economic data pushed stocks near a 100-point gain Tuesday morning. One of the positive reports came from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), which noted that its service-sector index increased to 53.2 during September. This reading easily outpaced August's reading of 51.5 and handily trumped the Street's estimate for a reading of 52.0.

This reading is good because any readings above 50 signal growth in the service sector. This sector is considered the area where the most jobs are created; ergo, growth in this sector suggests that there will be more hiring on the horizon. On a yearly basis, the index shows that service companies have expanded every month this year.

Continue reading Service Sector Growth Increases, Stocks Rally

Service Sector Growth Increases, Stocks Rally originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The market is roughly a hundred points lower as we head into the final hours of trading, with many factors combining to push investors to the bearish side.

One the mitigating factors is today's data on U.S. factory orders. According to the Commerce Department, factory orders dropped 0.5% in August - marking the third monthly drop in the past four. Perhaps this news is a bit more negative considering orders increased 0.4% in July.

Continue reading Factory Orders Decline in August

Factory Orders Decline in August originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The study showed that unemployment, foreclosure and bankruptcy rates didn't change when compared to June. In areas where the workforces are dependent upon agriculture, mining, wholesale trade, and finance, the economic stress eased. Unfortunately, retail and real estate employees saw higher distress during July. The study shows that roughly 54% of the 3,141 counties in the U.S. saw economic stress decline (24 of the 50 states).

Continue reading Economic Struggles Continued in July

Economic Struggles Continued in July originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Securities and Exchange Commission pretty much fell asleep for the past two years. Now, there's talk that the agency plans to get tough on violators whose greed and recklessness took this country to its knees. The Federal Reserve had to pledge or spend $12.8 trillion to bail them out.

The $12.8 trillion is gone and we have a country with 17 million unemployed and underemployed. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke could have done much better just taking that $12.8 trillion and help those in need. All he had to do was use one good bank for Americans to switch their money into, and let the greedy ones take a hit. With $12.8 trillion Bernanke could have put this country back on its feet again.

Continue reading SEC, Asleep During the Financial Meltdown, Vows to Get Tough

SEC, Asleep During the Financial Meltdown, Vows to Get Tough originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wednesday morning got off to a slow start for the market as a whole, and the July home sales report didn't going to help matters much. According to the Commerce Department, new home sales plummeted 12.4% in July compared to June.

The drop brings the seasonally adjusted annual sales pace to 276,600, far short of the expected pace of 330,000. Not only is this pace short of the expected result, but it is the slowest pace on record, which dates back to 1963.

Continue reading New Home Sales Fall to Record Low in July

New Home Sales Fall to Record Low in July originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading AIG Repaying $4 Billion to Government

AIG Repaying $4 Billion to Government originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It looks like Monday's rally will be a memory thanks to Tuesday's earnings disappointments and economic data. Let's take a look at the consumer spending data that was released.

The Commerce Department announced that personal spending was unchanged during June, marking the third-straight month that saw "lackluster consumer demand." Incomes were also flat during June, turning in the weakest month in the past nine.

Continue reading Consumer Spending Slows During June

Consumer Spending Slows During June originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading UBS Reports Stronger-Than-Expected Second-Quarter Earnings

UBS Reports Stronger-Than-Expected Second-Quarter Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Goldman Sachs Second-Quarter Earnings Fall

Goldman Sachs Second-Quarter Earnings Fall originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Foreigners Bought Fewer Long-Term U.S. Securities in May

Foreigners Bought Fewer Long-Term U.S. Securities in May originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Retail Sales Slip During June

Retail Sales Slip During June originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Reaction to stronger-than-expected earnings from Alcoa (AA) may be put to the test by economic data. Tuesday's data includes the U.S. trade deficit, which grew unexpectedly during May. Driven by a large jump in imports from China, the trade gap widened 4.8% to $42.3 billion, the largest gap since November 2008. The Street expected to see the gap narrow to $39.0 billion during May.

Digging into the numbers a bit, U.S. imports increased 2.9% to the highest level since October 2008; a 12.1% increase in shipments from China helped push this number higher. U.S. exports increased 2.4% in May, which was the best gain since September 2008. This increase was driven by large gains for industrial supplies and materials, along with capital goods and smaller increases for cars and consumer goods.

Continue reading Trade Gap Unexpectedly Grows During May

Trade Gap Unexpectedly Grows During May originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Family Dollar's Earnings Increase 19%, Outlook Soft

Family Dollar's Earnings Increase 19%, Outlook Soft originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There were two major data releases Thursday morning, both of which are having an impact on the market.

First we have the Labor Department's release of initial unemployment claims data. According to the government, first-time applications for state unemployment fell by 19,000 last week. This is good news because it is the lowest level of claims in six weeks and the number came in lower than the expected 472,000.

Continue reading Jobs and Durable Good Data Push Market Lower

Jobs and Durable Good Data Push Market Lower originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Wall Street Journal

Continue reading Goldman Sachs Looking at an Image Makeover?

Goldman Sachs Looking at an Image Makeover? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Do High Gold Prices Mean Future Trouble?

Do High Gold Prices Mean Future Trouble? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.