WMT

What is the primary reason you invest in dividend stocks?

Last year I introduced the Stock Ideas list and it has proven to be immensely popular. The list consists of Dividend Aristocrats, US Broad Dividend Achievers and U.S. Dividend Champions. Here are some highlights on this year’s changes:

As the year draws to a close there were very few companies of note increasing their dividends this week. With that, I thought it would be interesting to see who might be the big dividend raisers in 2010. Here are seven companies for your consideration:

PRG-Schultz is a cheap Magic Formula stock that looks to be priced below the level of risk stemming from a declining customer base and uncertain potential from the upcoming Medicare auditing business.

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

There are certainly many ways to categorize the different styles of investing in dividend stocks, including yield, risk, growth, etc. Over the years, I have found that most dividend investing styles fall into one of the three major categories listed below:

It seems like winter hits and suddenly the good times are behind us. Whether this is just a mild pullback or another prolonged bearish run, the fact remains that, as the holiday season is upon us, more and more people will begin to feel the crunch.

This week has confirmed a bullish breakout in Wal-mart (NYSE: WMT) stock prices from a 1-year weekly triangle formation starting in September, 2008. Let's take a look at this bullish price break on the weekly chart.

Driven by sophisticated computers, the investment markets move at light speed. What chance does a small individual investor have when trying to compete?

Those that have read this space for any period of time are well aware of my enthusiasm for using dividend growth stocks as a vehicle for building long-term wealth and income. However, not all dividend stocks are created equal – there is a discipline to selecting good dividend growth stocks.

What makes a good dividend stock? Every dividend growth investor is looking for a stock that will increase its dividend every year I have found that stocks that are able to do this share some common characteristics.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the largest retailer in North America. The company operates retail stores in various formats worldwide. It operates through three segments: Wal-Mart Stores, Sam's Club, and International. Linked here is a detailed analysis and commentary.

In tough economic times, two companies tack very different ways:
Wal-Mart manages to increase profits and successfully meets its Target Market's needs in Mexico through its Bodega Express outlets.

In everything we do, we always want to be the best or be associated with the best. You never hear fans yelling, ‘We’re number 2, we’re number 2?, while holding two fingers in the air. The same is true when selecting dividend stocks.

I maintain an extensive database with a minimum of 10 years of information on each of the 110+ stocks that I track. This data is gathered from various sources deemed reliable. Most data is generic and can be pulled from various sites. That is except some S&P risk and quality information (RQ).