dividend superstars posts
FeedPosted Jan 13th 2009 10:06AM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Commodities, Oil, Stocks to Buy, Best Stocks for 2009
This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.
As the name implies, Dividend Superstars focuses on quality income-generating ideas. Here, Nilus Mattive looks to Patterson-UTI (NASDAQ: PTEN) as his top "contrarian" idea for 2009.
"For the Dividend Superstars Annual Forecast Issue, I screened for companies that had zero debt, single-digit P/Es, recent dividend hikes, payout ratios under 25%, a dividend coverage ratio exceeding 2.
"While it was a tall order, one company jumped to the top of my list: Patterson-UTI. As one of the biggest land-based drillers in North America, the company is highly correlated to demand and prices for that commodity.
"Recently, that hasn't been a good thing, especially because the slowing economy and tight credit has made companies less inclined to drill. The shares have gotten, well, drilled!
"But everything is cyclical. And Patterson-UTI has the financial wherewithal to weather the storm. It also has plenty of money to dole out to shareholders.
Continue reading Top Stock Picks '09: Patternson-UTI (PTEN)
Posted Nov 11th 2008 1:36PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: International markets, General Electric (GE), Pfizer (PFE), Newsletters, Huaneng Power Intl ADS (HNP), Commodities, Oil, Stocks to Buy
"We are seeing quality names at fire-sale prices, and I think you must take advantage of that," says income expert Nilus Mattive in Dividend Superstars. Here's a trio of favorites.
"Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) recently reported great third-quarter results. The company tripled its profits from the same period a year ago. While last year's results were hurt by a one-time charge, Pfizer is obviously seeing continued demand for most of its drugs.
"I consider the stock dirt cheap, and while there is a slim chance of a dividend reduction, the shares absolutely belong in your long-term income portfolio at this level.
"I feel the same way about General Electric (NYSE: GE). While profits were down 22% this quarter, the company still boasts a AAA credit rating and a very attractive yield. It is a solid long-term income holding.
"Huaneng Power (NYSE: HNP) has been punished along with the rest of China's stocks. But things are going well on the fundamental front. The company increased its power generation 12.7% in the first three quarters of 2008, and revenues gained 36.8% over the same period a year earlier.
"It may post a loss because coal prices remain elevated, but I remain bullish on the company's long-term prospects, and consider it the best dividend-paying Chinese stock to own."
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 Jul 8th 2008 9:30AM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: International markets, General Electric (GE), Newsletters, Stocks to Buy, Green Stocks
"They don't get much more blue-chip than General Electric (NYSE: GE)," says Nilus Mattive. I his top-notch Dividend Superstars, he takes a look at the industrial gain which offers an indicated yield of 4.4%.
"GE is the only company that has remained in the Dow Jones Industrial Average from day one, the company was founded in 1890 by none other than Thomas Alva Edison to market his various inventions.
"GE's broad diversification is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it affords the firm plenty of protection from a major decline in any one business.
"On the other, it has led to a very complicated enterprise with inherently limited growth prospects. Yet despite the company's size, it has still managed to increase its revenues internally by about 9% a year.
Continue reading General Electric (GE): Blue chip bargain
Posted May 7th 2008 11:30AM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings reports, Pfizer (PFE), Newsletters, Stocks to Buy
"Although Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) recently posted an 18% drop in its first-quarter earnings, I remain a long-term bull on the shares," notes Nilus Mattive in the income and growth oriented Dividend Superstars.
"Results were hurt by tougher generic competition for the company's blood-pressure drug Norvasc and allergy treatment Zyrtec. Pfizer pulled in $0.41 a share in the quarter, but would have earned $0.61 excluding costs associated with two acquisitions.
"A lot of investors are treating the poor earnings as a death knell for the company, especially since Lipitor - PFE's biggest product - will also lose patent protection in 2010. However, I've watched countless drug stocks go through these cycles before, and I continue to believe it's smarter to buy when things look the worst.
"This is still the world's largest drug company ... it still delivers big, fat dividend checks ... and it is making strong moves to reorganize its operations and focus on new drug development. For all those reasons, I remain positive on the shares."
Each day, Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers the latest market commentary and favorite investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.
Posted Apr 15th 2008 9:45AM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: International markets, China, Newsletters, Huaneng Power Intl ADS (HNP), Commodities, Oil, Stocks to Buy
"For global income investing, I ran a screen of Chinese ADRs, and my favorite from the list is Huaneng Power (NYSE: HNP), with an indicated yield of 5.3%," says Nilus Mattive, editor of Dividend Superstars.
"Tons of power is being consumed in China, and Huaneng is right there to serve it up - the company is China's largest independent power producer. All told, Huaneng owns 17 plants outright, controls another 12, and has minority interests in five power companies.
"Profits have been rolling in at a steady clip. However, investors have recently become concerned about shrinking profit margins at Chinese utilities.
"There is certainly cause for concern: Coal is the main power source for utilities' plants, and the price of the raw material has been rising because of increased demand around the world. To make matters worse, the severe winter weather that struck China in January pushed up coal prices even further and created a
whole host of other challenges for Chinese utilities.
"However, it looks to me like investors have been far too aggressive in their selling. They're now pricing Huaneng at 10.5 times next year's earnings. The stock is so oversold that it's currently yielding 5.3%.
"What about the coal situation? Well, I think supply and demand will come back in line, and I also think this politically well-connected company will be granted price hikes to compensate for its higher input costs. I recommend income investors buy at the market."
Each day, Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers the latest market commentary and favorite investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.
Posted Dec 26th 2007 1:00PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Canada, Stocks to Buy, Best Stocks for 2008
For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.
"My favorite speculative stock for 2008 is Toronto-based Biovail (NYSE: BVF)," says Nilus Mattive, editor of Dividend Superstars.
"The company makes branded and generic drugs that are delivered orally. It used to concentrate on research & development for other companies, but lately it's become more of a fully integrated pharmaceutical concern.
"Some of its products are marketed and sold by other companies -- a good example is its pain medication Ultram ER, which is marketed by Johnson & Johnson.
"Investors have punished Biovail because of development setbacks in BVF-033, one of the company's most promising compounds. The FDA issued a non-approval letter, and more recently said it would not be examining newly submitted data until April. Biovail is also dealing with intensifying generic competition in other product lines.
Continue reading Best Stocks for 2008: Biovail (BVF) for capital gains and yield
Posted Dec 19th 2007 10:30AM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Pfizer (PFE), Newsletters, Stocks to Buy, Best Stocks for 2008
For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.
"My favorite conservative stock for 2008 is Pfizer (NYSE: PFE)," says Nilus Mattive, editor of Dividend Superstars. "Everyone's heard of this company -- it's the largest pharmaceutical company in the world.
"The company boasts a stable of well-known drugs, including Viagra, Celebrex and its current best-seller, cholesterol-lowering agent Lipitor.
"Despite its bellwether status, investors haven't been too keen on Pfizer recently. They're concerned about generic competition for the company's Zoloft and Norvasc. And although Lipitor's patent expires in 2011, there are also worries about increasing competition in the cholesterol market. I can see why -- $12.9 billion worth of Lipitor was sold in 2006, more than any other single drug in the world!
Continue reading Best Stocks for 2008: Fond of Pfizer (PFE)