Value Investing News

Who wouldn't like to earn a safe 15% on their original investment? Normally double-digit returns are the fodder of con artists or associated with extraordinarily risky investments. In either of these cases, the person is usually left holding despair in one hand and an empty wallet in the other. However, I have discovered that you can actually enjoy high yields with minimal risk...

The dividend achievers index consists of US stocks which have raised their dividends each year for at least a decade. Over the past 20 years, this index has managed to outperform the S&P 500 by half a percentage point annually. The dividend achievers index is a great list of dividend stocks as a start.

Management typically evaluates short and mid-term economic and business conditions when they decide on allocation of limited resources. Cash is one such resource, which could either be reinvested back in the business, or returned to shareholders. Companies typically achieve some optimal balance in allocating cash flows from earnings between owners and the business.

Most investors are not surprised when a company cuts its dividend. They saw the early warning signs well in advance of the actual cut. Here are three signs that a company is heading toward a dividend cut:

Ned Davis Research examined the relative performances of stocks between 1972 and 2006 and established a link between rising dividends and superior long-term returns. The study found S&P 500 stocks that consistently increased their dividends produced total returns (dividends + share price greater than those that did not increase their dividends.