Many investors need income, especially as they reach retirement. They look for ancillary cash flow to supplement their Social Security payments and any retirement benefits from a company for which they've worked. But those aren't the only investors who should be interested in income.

That's because studies show that dividends are a significant contributor to overall performance of a stock. When held for years, a stock's dividend can help diminish the volatility of a stock's price and keep returns reasonable, especially in down markets. Here are five stocks that have decent income as well as potential capital gains. All are exceptionally financially strong.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Advanced Micro Devices, Intel Corporation, Netscout Systems, Guidance Software and Nasdaq were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Morgan Stanley started shares of Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NYSE: AMD) and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) with Underweight ratings and a $11 target and $22 target, respectively. The firm recommends selling shares of both as they expect an inventory correction and increasingly aggressive price environment.
  
• Kaufman Brothers initiated shares of Netscout Systems Inc (NASDAQ: NTCT) with a Buy rating and $13.50 target. The firm is positive on the Network General acquisition and believes successful integration as well as continued improvement in sales execution will drive shares higher.
  
• Roth Capital resumed coverage of Guidance Software Inc (NASDAQ: GUID) with a Buy rating and $15 target and said the company is the market leader for digital forensics and that new regulations have accelerated electronic discovery in the forensic market.
  
• Jefferies started shares of The Nasdaq Stock Market Inc (NASDAQ: NDAQ) with a Buy rating and $45 target and believes the company's relative underperformance over the past two years creates an attractive entry point as earnings are poised to accelerate.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Credit Suisse initiated the small-cap biotechnology sector, starting shares of Poniard Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: PARD), Dyax Corp (NASDAQ: DYAX) and Dynavax Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: DVAX) with Outperform ratings and targets of $9, $7 and $8, respectively.
  
• Broadpoint initiated Lululemon Athletica Inc (NASDAQ: LULU) with a Neutral rating.
  
• JP Morgan started shares of Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO) and Douglas Emmett Inc (NYSE: DEI) with Neutral ratings.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Select pharmaceutical companies, timber companies and Kona Grill Inc (NASDAQ: KONA) and were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Medarex Inc (NASDAQ: MEDX) was initiated with a Positive rating at Susquehanna. The firm said Medarex has multiple drivers include a potential buyout by one of its existing partners, as well as clinical progress and the success of its technology platform in monoclonal antibody therapeutics.
• Susquehanna also initiated shares of Dyax Corporation (NASDAQ: DYAX), Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: MLNM), and Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc (AMEX: IDP) with Neutral ratings and Dynavax Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: DVAX) and Coley Pharmaceutical Group Inc (NASDAQ: COLY) with Positive ratings.
• Rayonier Inc (NYSE: RYN), Plum Creek Timber Company Inc (NYSE: PCL) and Weyerhaeuser Company (NYSE: WY) were initiated with Buy ratings at Merrill Lynch.
• Kona Grill was initiated with an Outperform rating at Cowen. The firm believes Kona can grow its asset base 10-fold at strong store-level cash-on-cash ROICs.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Jefferies initiated shares of Input/Output Inc (NYSE: IO) with a Buy rating and $19 target.
• Goldman Sachs initiated shares of Minerals Technologies Inc (NYSE: MTX) with a Buy rating and $80 target.
• JP Morgan initiated shares of Orexigen Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: OREX) with an Overweight rating and is positive on the company's obesity pipeline.