Value Investing News

Investing in dividend growth stocks is a long-term proposition. One of the beauties of following a dividend growth strategy is that you don't have to watch your portfolio or the market on a daily basis. For the most part, daily, monthly and yearly movements are just noise in the system.

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This short article is an update of stocks that we follow in our “Margin of Safety Portfolio.” These are stocks identified to have a durable competitive advantage and, based upon our intrinsic valuation models and fundamental analysis, are trading at a substantial discount to intrinsic value.

Current trends and events
■New strategic partnerships at Microsoft;
■HP’s webOS will go open source;

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All income investors love a stock with a good yield. The smart ones look for dividends that are sustainable and likely to grow. The question is, 'In an uncertain world, how do you determine which dividends are sustainable and likely to grow?' Of coarse, there is no way to know with exact certainty which dividends are sustainable, but there are tell-tale signs that often foretell the future.

Once again it is time for a goals/progress update. I am pleased to report that annualized dividend income increased in November, extending the streak to 17 consecutive months of increases after June 2010's decline. Since I began publicly tracking annualized dividend income in November 2007, it has increased in 46 of the last 48 months.

ExxonMobil Corp is among the world’s largest integrated energy companies with more than a century-long history behind it. The Company enjoys high brand recognition and is still reaping the benefits of being an early market entrant.

I couldn't begin to estimate how many different stocks are traded around the world. Like everything else, there are many participants, but few players. Though the population of stocks may be large, there are only a precious few that are worthy dividend stocks. When spending my time looking for worthy investments, there are four primary places I look:

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With all the other investment strategies out there, why should investors consider dividend or income investing? There are a multitude of reasons to follow a dividend growth strategy. These include: investment stability, security of cash, continuous feedback, potential higher returns, low maintenance, et. al.

What will your financial future look like? Have you ever considered how you will fund your retirement and pay your bills after the payroll checks stop coming? If you haven't thought about this, you are likely in the majority.

The Pocket Change Portfolio (PCP) was first introduced on September 13, 2008 as a real money dividend income portfolio funded by the "pocket change" earned from my various online endeavors. Each month I report on the portfolio's progress and update its holdings. Dividends Received
Total dividends received during the month were...

ConocoPhillips Co. was formed via the 2002 merger of Phillips Petroleum and Conoco, is the fourth largest integrated oil company in the world. Linked here is a detailed analysis and commentary.

Once again it is time for a goals/progress update. I am pleased to report that annualized dividend income increased in August, extending the streak to 14 consecutive months of increases after June 2010's decline. Since I began publicly tracking annualized dividend income in November 2007, it has increased in 43 of the last 45 months.

It is my goal to create an ever-increasing income stream from dividend growth stocks, while it is my desire to beat the S&P 500 index over the long-term. I believe in long term my dividend income will rise AND I will beat the S&P 500. Otherwise, it would not be a realistic desire. This has been the case since I have been publically tracking my dividend growth portfolio.

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Are you from another planet? That's the look I got several weeks ago when I admitted to a group of colleagues that I had not been following the daily gyrations of the stock market. Investing in dividend growth stocks is about strategically selecting appropriate times to buy, but not timing the market.

Chevron Corporation is a global integrated oil company (formerly ChevronTexaco) with interests in exploration, production, refining and marketing, and petrochemicals. Linked here is a detailed analysis and commentary.

In normal times stock market declines would excite me and I would hope for another 5-10% drop. I love to buy quality dividend growth stocks when they go on sale. A lower price means a higher yield and more dollars in my pocket. Recently, I have had some questions that have puzzled me, and as I looked for answers what I found left me concerned. Here are the three questions:

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