"The U.S. government backstopping the majority of American home mortgages. The government guarantees bankers and investors won't be at risk. It does this by buying mortgages from banks. It's a dumb deal for the government, but a brilliant deal for the banks and investors. And it means we can collect 17% interest, safely.

Continue reading Government Mortgage Guarantees Boost Hatteras Financial (HTS)

Government Mortgage Guarantees Boost Hatteras Financial (HTS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Willis -- A Small Risk

Chasing Value: Willis -- A Small Risk originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Six stocks paying over 6% yields: VZ, DUK, MO, KMP, BWP, NLY

Serious Money: Six stocks paying over 6% yields: VZ, DUK, MO, KMP, BWP, NLY originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Billions of investment dollars are sitting on the sidelines for fear of entering the market at the wrong time and losing more money after taking a bath last year. However, the market seems to have hit bottom last March and many investors missed the 40% gain from that point to now.

Market prognosticators are spewing out opinions faster than the public can grasp, or understand. I choose to stick with basic fundamental value propositions and ignore the noise.

I have been buying for the past eight months and riding the market waves, good and bad, to huge gains -- so far. Maybe I will be giving some back, maybe not, but I have also been encouraging readers to take something off the table, in several recent posts.

Continue reading Serious Money: Five high-yield, safe, diversified stocks

Serious Money: Five high-yield, safe, diversified stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Sin stocks are blessed -- Diageo rewarding investors

Sin stocks are blessed -- Diageo rewarding investors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: AT&T and VZ, high yield plus safety

Chasing Value: AT&T and VZ, high yield plus safety originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Dividend Detective's income favorites originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'

Serious Money: Duke Energy & Southern 'Power-Full' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 May 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Chasing Value: 5% yield from Olin, a 'boring' old company originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 May 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a 12-article feature that can be read here: Today's best income ideas.

"Assuming you want to invest a little more in the markets now, which ETF should be your first choice?" asks ETF expert Mark Salzinger.

In The Investors's ETF Report, he reveals his favorite picks from from two of his model portfolios -- a favorite for long-term wealth building and one investors still in their pre-retirement years.

Continue reading Best income buys: Wealth building and pre-retirement

Best income buys: Wealth building and pre-retirement originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"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'

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A): Reliable returns from a 'super major' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"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

General Electric: Four reasons to buy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In December when I posted Chasing Value: Annaly Capital Mgmt -- from watch list to buy I was not just recommending Annaly Capital Management (NYSE: NLY), I actually was buying it.This residential REIT buys secured home mortgages, leveraging short term against long term rates.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Worried Annaly Capital investor

Chasing Value: Worried Annaly Capital investor originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"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

Vanguard Dividend (VDIGX): Top pick for US large caps originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

"I've followed Gladstone Capital (NASDAQ: GLAD) for many years," says Mark Skousen in Forecasts & Strategies. Here, he chooses the business development company as a top idea for 2009.

"Gladstone is a business development company (BDC) run by the 'father of BDCs,' David Gladstone. Gladstone is a conservative investor who is careful in his lending.

"His investment company, Gladstone Capital, specializes in debt investments in small- and medium-sized companies that seek additional funding, recapitalization, debt reduction, and short-term bridge financing.

"Unlike other BDCs, Gladstone always has been prudent in its lending. It has no exposure to subprime mortgages and no exposure to home building -- but it is being hurt by U.S. recession fears.

"Though the shares are volatile, I think the stock is dirt cheap, having suffered a sharp sell-off due to the deep recession and financial crisis.

"It is off 70% so far this year, which is far too much, in my judgment. With any kind of economic recovery under an Obama administration, I expect Gladstone to be back in good form.

Continue reading Top Stock Picks '09: Gladstone Capital (GLAD)

Top Stock Picks '09: Gladstone Capital (GLAD) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

"France Telecom (NYSE: FTE) -- my top pick for 2009 -- is one the world's best-managed telecom companies," says global expert Nick Lanyi in his income-focused advisory service, High-Yield International.

Lanyi states, "The dominant provider of wireline phone service in France, FTE also is the leading wireless provider in the country and a major wireless and broadband-Internet provider throughout Europe.

"About 40% of the company's profits come from outside of France, including exposure to emerging markets with excellent long-term growth potential, including Poland and several African countries.

"FTE has invested heavily in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and its leadership in this area -- 5.4 million customers in France -- has given it a foot in the door in many homes, allowing the company to generate strong sales growth for its high-speed Internet services. FTE has relatively strong profit margins and has succeeded in cutting costs in recent years.

Continue reading Top Stock Picks '09: France Telecom (FTE)

Top Stock Picks '09: France Telecom (FTE) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

"Like the U.S., Canada is looking to big infrastructure plans," says Roger Conrad. In The Canadian Edge, he looks to Bird Construction Income Fund (OTC: BIRDF) as his top pick for 2009.

The Canadian income stock specialist explains, "The U.S. isn't the only country about to pour billions into infrastructure; Canada is also making a big move. And Bird Construction will be a prime beneficiary of this infrastructure spending.

"Bird has been a dominant player in building design and construction services for more than 85 years. Today, the company literally has its hands in every province, supporting projects for everything from oil sands mining to school construction.

"Third quarter 2008 revenue surged 31.5%, pushing nine-month growth to 48.3% as earnings per share more than doubled from 2007 levels.

"Meanwhile, order backlog -- the best predictor of future growth -- rose to better than $1.2 billion (Canadian), up from $821 million a year ago and $969 million at the beginning of 2008.

Continue reading Top Stock Picks '09: Bird Construction Income (BIRDF)

Top Stock Picks '09: Bird Construction Income (BIRDF) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Atlas Energy Resources -- about natural gas and taxes

Chasing Value: Atlas Energy Resources -- about natural gas and taxes originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Weakness in commodities suggests a screaming sign of an overreaction; it's time to take another look at a high-quality, high-yielding commodity stocks such as Southern Copper (NYSE: PCU)," says global investing expert Nick Lanyi.

In his High Yield International, he says, "With mines in Mexico and Peru, Southern Copper ranks #1 in total copper reserves of any publicly traded company, making it almost a pure play on a rebound in the metal's price." Here's his contrarian outlook.

"Southern Copper has enough reserves to continue its current rate of production for the next 80 years without a single expansion or acquisition.

"With copper prices falling, the firm's earnings are taking a hit -- and the dividend has recently been cut. Now that this cut has already been factored into the shares, I think it's a better time to look at the stock than just a few weeks ago.

"Based on 2008 dividends, the stock yields 12.7% at the current price. Even if the dividend comes down more, I look for a yield of 8-9% over the next 12 months.

Continue reading Southern Copper (PCU): Mining for high returns

Southern Copper (PCU): Mining for high returns originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"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?

Energy Transfer Equity (ETE): Pipeline to profits? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.