Value Investing News

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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The S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats is the most recognized list of dividend stocks. The Dividend Aristocrats index is designed to measure the performance of S&P 500 constituents that have followed a policy of consistently increasing dividends every year for at least 25 consecutive years. This index is a member of the S&P Dividend Aristocrats index series.

This short article is a bimonthly news update of stocks for value investors 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 discount to intrinsic value

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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Most CEOs give lip-service to their commitment to shareholders, but what happens when times are hard. When the economy turns down and the future looks bleak, will the company hoard cash and stop its dividend or put action behind its words? The key to successfully selecting dividend growth stocks is the ability to identify companies that will not only maintain but grow their dividend.

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.

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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Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), formed through the merger of Exxon and Mobil in late 1999, is the world's largest publicly owned integrated oil company. Linked here is a detailed analysis and commentary.

The goal of dividend investing is to find and buy dividend growth stocks that will continue to raise their dividends. To pay and raise its dividend a company must generate sufficient free cash flow. However, it is not enough to just generate the cash, it has to be available for dividend payments.

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Over the last several years many companies have chosen to not raise their dividend, while some decided to cut their dividend and some even decided to stop paying a dividend. In some cases their financials did not warrant the change. As investors in dividend growth stocks, we want to look for companies with a positive dividend culture.

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Magic Formula Investing is a process that can be applied to any list of stocks, not just the market at large. This article shows how you can use the MFI process to find the best opportunities in a variety of scenarios.

ConocoPhillips Co. was formed in 2002 when Phillips Petroleum and Conoco merged and is now is the fourth largest integrated oil company in the world. Linked here is a detailed analysis and commentary.

Yesterday saw the release of Joel Greenblatt's 3rd book, titled The Big Secret for the Small Investor. This article looks at some interviews leading up to the release and what the "big secret" actually is.