HighYieldStocks posts
FeedPosted Jul 7th 2009 2:40PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Altria Group (MO), Verizon Communications (VZ), Duke Energy (DUK), Loews Corporation (L), Boardwalk Partners (BWP), Annaly Capital Management (NLY), Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (KMP)

The following list of solid dividend payers are not likely to get anyone excited about future growth prospects like some small cap tech company with a hot IPO, but in these uncertain times being able to diversify into a reliable dividend paying stock might work while you ride out the economic storm.
Bank money market accounts, CD's and treasuries are not all that compelling right now. While it is wise to keep some cash handy in these places, you need not put all your resources there.
Earlier today my colleague Steven Halpern posted a story on
the safest dividend payer in the DJIA and
Verizon Communications (NYSE:
VZ)
paying 6.1% was his conclusion. I recently posted about this stock pointing out the benefits of the communications companies, see:
Chasing Value: AT&T and VZ, high yield plus safetyIt is to be expected that a utility would show up on the list, given the strong recurring revenue and cash-flow and
Duke Energy (NYSE:
DUK)
paying 6.39% is that company. I have written many positive posts about Duke and my view has not changed.
Continue reading Serious Money: Six stocks paying over 6% yields: VZ, DUK, MO, KMP, BWP, NLY
Posted Jun 19th 2009 2:20PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: International markets, Market matters, Diageo plc (DEO), Bargain stocks, Stocks to Buy

This should not shock anyone that has followed the market for any length of time or is simply a student of human nature, but
Diageo PLC (NYSE:
DEO) the largest distiller and distributor of alcoholic beverages in the world is moving up when the market is moving down.
The London Financial Times under the headline
Markets are giving the devil his due reports on two new independent US academic studies by Frank Fabozzi, a finance professor at Yale, and Harrison Hong, a Princeton professor, touting the benefits of investing in "sin stocks" associated with alcohol, tobacco and gaming. They surmise that many pension funds, and conservative investors "looking to maintain an aura of respectability." do not invest in these types of companies leaving them to others. These companies also tend to be more highly taxed and regulated, which limits competition somewhat.
Continue reading Sin stocks are blessed -- Diageo rewarding investors
Posted Jun 16th 2009 1:40PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Getting started, AT and T (T), Verizon Communications (VZ), Bargain stocks, Comfort Zone Investing, Chasing Value, Stocks to Buy

Nothing is worse than repeating past mistakes. Despite the awful economy, my newest portfolio is doing better than any other since 1999-2000, actually passing a 100% gain recently, although it has dropped back slightly with the market the past few trading days.
Ten years is recent enough for me to remember giving everything back and then some. I'm not doing that again. But what to do? I certainly do not like sitting with a heavy cash position collecting almost nothing. I have recently discussed this issue, see:
Serious Money: ETF that's better than cash.
The solution is to find stocks that have low volatility, high yields, and the recurring revenue and strong cash flow to maintain the yield. Long term investors will not be surprised by my search leading me to
AT and T (NYSE:
T) and
Verizon Communications (NYSE:
VZ), the two largest communications companies in the land.
Continue reading Chasing Value: AT&T and VZ, high yield plus safety
Posted Jun 4th 2009 1:20PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Commodities, Oil, Stocks to Buy
What are the best buys among dividend-paying issues? In his Dividend Detective newsletter, Harry Domash focuses on for income-generating ideas for long-term investors.
Here, the advisor reviews some of his latest buys among master limited partnerships, preferreds and yield-oriented closed-end funds.
"Among energy partnerships, we're adding two new picks to the portfolio with a buy rating. First, NuStar Energy (NYSE: NS), currently yielding 8.4%, operates crude oil and refined product pipelines and associated facilities.
"NuStar recently acquired asphalt refining and terminal facilities, a business that's expected to boom once the government supported highway construction projects kick in.
Continue reading Dividend Detective's income favorites
Posted May 21st 2009 1:00PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Getting started, Duke Energy (DUK), Serious Money, Stocks to Buy, Southern Company (SO), Best Stocks for 2009
The stock market has enjoyed a strong rally the past ten weeks, even with a few very minor setbacks. If you were in the market, you enjoyed it too.
It is more likely that the market will become somewhat volatile for the rest of the year rather than continue to rise substantially, barring some outlier. For this reason I have been emphasizing to our readers that they focus their attention on creating a watchlist of stocks they would like to acquire, potentially at great discount for the long haul.
I started this recent series last week with Serious Money: Keep your eyes on UPS and FDX, focusing on large cap stocks certain to make it through these difficult times.
Continue reading Serious Money: Duke Energy & Southern 'Power-Full'
Posted May 8th 2009 12:30PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings reports, Products and services, Industry, Bargain stocks, Chasing Value, Best Stocks for 2009, Olin Corp. (OLN)
Most people probably have not heard of the Olin Corp (NYSE: OLN), even though it has been in business in the United States since 1892 (127 years!), and has been selling ammunition under the 140-year-old Winchester brand since it acquired the company 76 years ago.
While Olin has been around a long time, it does not get much attention. It is only capitalized at $1 billion and much of what it sells is far from glamorous. It also does more wholesale than retail business. However, investors should remember this: Olin pays a safe 5% yield!
Continue reading Chasing Value: 5% yield from Olin, a 'boring' old company
Posted Feb 24th 2009 2:50PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: International markets, Newsletters, Commodities, Oil, Stocks to Buy
"One of the 'super five' integrated oil and gas companies, Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) has a diversified portfolio of oil and gas assets around the globe," says international investing expert Nick Lanyi.
In High Yield International, he says, "As one of the more conservative plays on a falling dollar and a rebound in oil & gas prices, I am adding Royal Dutch Shell -- yielding of 5.8% -- to our 'Reliable Income' portfolio."
"The Amsterdam-based company's revenue is more gas-oriented than its other super-major peers; about 40% of production is natural gas.
"In addition, Shell is more focused on unconventional sources of oil and gas than most -- the company plans to derive more than 10% of its revenue from sources such as oil sands and liquefied natural gas by 2014. This coincides with Shell's long-standing reputation as an industry leader in technology and engineering.
Continue reading Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A): Reliable returns from a 'super major'
Posted Feb 17th 2009 11:15AM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: International markets, General Electric (GE), Newsletters, Commodities, Agriculture, Stocks to Buy, Green Stocks, Recession
"We're going to revisit a stock we've traded in the past: General Electric (NYSE: GE)," says growth & Income expert Mark Skousen.
In his specialty yield-oriented advisory service -- High Income Alert -- he asks, "Why buy a stock scraping the bottom?" Here, the leading advisor offers four reasons behind this new recommendation.
"GE, of course, is a global leader in appliances, aviation, healthcare, transportation, energy, water technologies, cable, film, consumer electronics, lighting, electrical distribution and finance.
"The U.S. economy is in the dumpster right now, so it's no surprise to find GE there, too. From a high of more than $40 a little more than a year ago, GE trades near its 52-week low today. And we see four good reasons to buy.
Continue reading General Electric: Four reasons to buy
Posted Feb 13th 2009 2:30PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Major movement, Newsletters, Mutual funds, S and P 500, DJIA, Stocks to Buy
"Our favorite US stock market fund is Vanguard Dividend Growth (VDIGX); in 2008, it lost less than just about any other large-cap fund," says Mark Salzinger in his The No-Load Fund Investor.
"In 2008, Vanguard Dividend Growth lost 25.6%, vs. 37.1% for the S&P500 Index. Over the longer term, manager Donald Kilbride has proven his mettle with good stock picks and nimble application of his strategy.
"He looks for stocks with histories of rising dividend payouts along with the wherewithal and intention to continue increasing dividends into the future. Plus, he likes to buy these stocks when they appear relatively inexpensive.
Continue reading Vanguard Dividend (VDIGX): Top pick for US large caps
Posted Dec 29th 2008 5:00PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: Other issues, Products and services, Competitive strategy, Chasing Value, Oil,

This morning I had a pleasant conversation with Brian Begley, Vice President, Investor relations for
Atlas Energy Resources (NYSE:
ATN), a gas exploration company set up as a Limited Liability Company. Although it is an LLC it operates similar to a Master Lease Partnership (MLP); according to their website:
ATN pays cash distributions each quarter, which represent a return of invested capital to each common unit-holder. Therefore, these distributions are tax-deferred until the units are sold or the unit-holder's basis goes below zero, whichever occurs first.
In English this means that if you were to invest $10,000 in the shares you would not pay taxes until you sell the shares or get back in excess of the $10,000 and only pay taxes on the overage.
Brian gets high marks for being very straight forward in answering all of my questions. He was upbeat about the company as you would expect but I do not think he was sugar coating anything nor was he ever evasive and I asked some very direct questions. I have to give credit for my initial attraction to this stock to the Motley Fools and their story 5-Star Stocks Poised to Pop: Atlas EnergyThe 5-Stars refers to the sites "Caps" rating system by participants that vote for the stocks they favor. A majority of the stock pickers on this site believe there is a high probability the stock will be a winner. I was drawn to it for more practical reasons then looking for ratings systems or analysts calls. The stock has been paying about a 20% yield and that's some serious cash even if it goes nowhere.
Continue reading Chasing Value: Atlas Energy Resources -- about natural gas and taxes
Posted Dec 4th 2008 3:15PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Commodities, Oil, Stocks to Buy
"Energy Transfer Equity (NYSE: ETE), a major player in the midstream energy sector, is a cash-producing machine," says value investor Nathan Slaughter.
The editor of Half-Priced Stocks explains, "Even more promising, those who know the company best -- the CEO and one of its co-funders -- have been voting with their wallets lately." here's his review of the income holding.
"The company -- a master limited partnership (MLP) -- owns over 17,000 miles of natural gas pipelines in several states, including the largest network serving the prolific gas basins of Texas.
MLPs come in two classes: general partner and limited partner. The general partner (GP) typically handles all of the day-to-day operations and in return gets a cut of the distributions that are dished out to the limited partners (LP).
"In this case, the General Partner is Energy Transfer Equity, our recommendation, which should not be confused with the Liimted Partner -- Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE: ETP).
"Energy Transfer Equity owns all the General Partner interests -- as well as 62.5 million LP units (46%) of ETP. All of which is a convoluted way of saying that ETE unitholders can expect to be showered with cash.
Continue reading Energy Transfer Equity (ETE): Pipeline to profits?
Posted Nov 25th 2008 6:10PM by Sheldon Liber (RSS feed)
Filed under: International markets, Other issues, Competitive strategy, General Electric (GE), Chasing Value, Commodities, Stocks to Buy, Recession

Much has been written about the trouble
General Electric's (NYSE:
GE) Financial Services division is having in the current global crises centered on high-risk leveraged loans and multi-leveled derivatives. It is true the company is seeing its share of the pain, and truth be told, I do not think anyone actually knows how deep the total pain will be. Today,
GE announced a December 2, 2008 conference call to enlighten investors.GE is also being affected by slowdowns in the aircraft industry as everyone defers large capital expenditures.
About six weeks ago, after my pal Warren offered to prop up GE with a $3 billion dollar loan with warrant rights and the stock dipped still further, I posted
Chasing Value: General Electric is screaming to me! and I was a buyer. The stock then dropped another 35% through this week (brilliant timing), so while I jumped in too early I have to believe it is even a bigger bargain and I will buy more.
If you cringe every time you hear about GE's financial sector woes, then you should smile every time you hear someone chime in about the need for infrastructure projects. Projects that need to get done and projects that would be money wisely spent with long-term benefits.
Re-think new stimulus package? Push infrastructure!Continue reading Chasing Value: GE -- the water & power company
Posted Nov 21st 2008 3:39PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Stocks to Buy, Recession
"Annaly Capital (NYSE: NLY) is in the sweet spot," says Steve Sjuggerud in Daily Wealth. He says, "It borrows money at a low interest rate and invests it at a higher rate -- and earns the 'spread'."
"The cost of money is historically low, and it's headed lower. Meanwhile, relative to the cost of money, the return on money is higher than it's ever been.
"The ultimate way trade on this historic discrepancy, for high-returns with very low risk, is through shares of companies like Annaly, which is now s now paying a 16% dividend.
"In the latest-reported quarter, the company borrowed money at 3.5%. (The credit markets have calmed down a bit, so its cost of borrowing should be even lower next quarter.)
"It invests the money in government-guaranteed bonds. You remember how the Treasury bailed out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? It wiped out shareholders. But it explicitly guaranteed the bonds.
"In the latest-reported quarter, Annaly earned 5.6% interest on these risk-free bonds. Therefore, it earned a 2.1% spread. If the company uses seven times leverage, a 2.1% spread means a 14.7% return on its money.
"Analysts estimate the company will earn $2.50 per share next year. It pays out essentially all of its earnings in dividends. So that'll be a dividend yield of about 19%. This is ridiculous. An opportunity like this only appears during market turmoil like we're experiencing now.
"This is a historic moment. The difference between the cost of money and the return on money relative to that cost is at the most extreme levels I've seen in my career. Take advantage, and buy stocks like Annaly today."
Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers a daily look at the latest market commentary and favorite stock picks and investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.
Posted Nov 18th 2008 1:30PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Commodities, Agriculture, Stocks to Buy, Housing
"Seattle-based Plum Creek Timber (NYSE: PCL), the nation's largest private landowner with more than eight million acres, has caught our eye," says Bill Martin.
In his BullMarket.com advisory, he explains, "Earnings have been stunted in recent quarters by the housing slump, but the company sports a strong balance sheet and an asset base that thanks to nature only gets larger and more valuable as time goes by."
"Plum Creek, which operates as a real estate investment trust, reported surprisingly solid Q3 profit. It posted net income of $69 million, or 40 cents per share, for the quarter ended September 30th, compared with a profit of $59 million, or 34 cents per share, for the same period a year ago.
"In the 2007 quarter, fire losses in Montana forced the company to report a $4 million non-cash expense, or two cents per share, related to fire losses experienced in Montana.
"The company's EPS results topped the expectations of Wall Street analysts by a penny a share. Revenue grew to $414 million, up 2% from $407 million last year. The sales results were a bit short of the consensus of $419.8 million.
Continue reading 'Growing' assets: Plum Creek Timber (PCL)
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