Update: Stock Picks for the week of 2/21/12 to 2/28/12

Welcome back to Dividend Stock Investing for the Common Man. Thank you stopping by and supporting the idea of investing in dividend paying stocks for the long term. I wanted to recap last week's picks for you since it is important to review all investments on a weekly, if not daily, basis. As you can see below, it was a profitable 10 for 17 week, however it was a roller-coaster ride. Some selections decreased in value while others had a pretty nice percentage gain for the week. COST, TYC, V and YUM were this past week's clear winners, however WMT had an excellent week. The over all net gain for the week of 2/21/12 to 2/28/12 was $8.70. 

As a rule of thumb, always invest in high yielding dividend paying stocks for your retirement years. Continue to hold on to your stocks for the long term so the dividends have plenty of time to compound. Feel free to watch the videos below featuring Wal-mart Stores, Inc., Visa, Inc., and Costco Wholesale Corporation. All three companies will inject your Roth IRA stock portfolio with stability and profits. Until next time, happy investing, reinvest those dividends and let your smart investment decisions work for you!

Stock/Stock Ticker.. Quote @ 2/21/12..  Quote @ 2/28/12..  Gain of $8.70

CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE:CVS) $44.27 $45.10 +$0.83
Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) $84.47 $86.06 +$1.59
Hess Corp.(NYSE:HES) $65.15 $64.92 -$0.23
LTC Properties, Inc.(NYSE:LTC) $31.62 $30.86 -$0.76
Tyco International Ltd.(NYSE:TYC) $49.95 $51.82 +$1.87
Campbell Soup Company (NYSE:CPB) $32.90 $33.32 +$0.42
TOTAL S.A. (ADR)(NYSE:TOT) $55.08 $56.07 +$0.99
Telefonica S.A. (ADR)(NYSE:TEF) $17.24 $17.09 -$0.15
Yum! Brands, Inc.(NYSE:YUM) $65.25 $66.24 +$0.99
The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE:BK) $22.01 $22.11 +$0.10
BB&T Corporation (NYSE:BBT) $30.33 $29.25 -$1.08
Time Warner Inc.(NYSE:TWX) $37.70 $37.21 -$0.49
ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd.(NASDAQ:CKSW) $10.27 $10.97 +$0.70
Visa Inc.(NYSE:V) $115.01 $116.37 +$1.36
McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) $50.78 $50.45 -$0.35
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.(NYSE:WMT) $62.48 $59.08 +3.40
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) $27.37 $26.88 -$0.49

BP plc - BP

BP p.l.c., stock ticker BP, is one of the largest international oil and gas company's in the world. They operate in more than 80 countries, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services and petrochemicals products. BP operates in two sectors: Exploration and Production (E&P) and Refining and Marketing (R&M). E&P activities include oil and natural gas exploration, field development and production; midstream transportation, storage and processing; and the marketing and trading of natural gas, including liquefied natural gas, together with power and natural gas liquids. R&M activities include the supply and trading, refining, manufacturing, marketing and transportation of crude oil, petroleum and petrochemicals products and related services. BP has been around since the early 1900's!


BP Statistics as of 2/26/12
52 week range $33.62 - $49.09
Market cap $148.62B
P/E 5.82
Quarterly Dividend/Dividend yield  0.48%/$4.09
EPS 8.07
Beta 1.20
Institutally Owned 12%


Recent acquisitions:
April 2011 - acquired 83% of Companhia Nacional de Acucar e Alcool.
December 2010 - acquired Verenium’s lignocellulosic biofuels business

BP has weathered the storm from the unfortunate oil spill in the Gulf coast, however they will move on like Exxon did after it's incident. It is highly probable that they will reach a settlement with the United States Government pertaining to the civil and criminal charges in the near future related to the Gulf oil spill. In no way is that a reason to purchase BP. I like BP strictly because of their dividend and what they are now doing in the Gulf. Click here to learn about how BP is helping the Gulf coast.

An additional positive story about BP is that a federal judge in December 2001 ended BP's three-year probation for the negligent discharge of oil in Alaska in 2007. This allows BP to resume drilling in that territory and should provide a psychological lift to the stock as well.

BP pays a healthy 4.09% dividend and given their improving cash flow they should begin raising their dividend once again. Their dividend went from 84 cents to 42 cents on February 9th, 2011. I strongly believe they will aggressively raise their quarterly dividend to get some ground back on where it used to be. I think this stock is a value stock with room for growth and has a healthy growing dividend.

Click here to listen to BP CEO Bob Dudley discussing their 4th quarter 2011 and full year results. They are well positioned to make acquisitions, buy back their own stock, and continue to increase guidance during 2012.

I urge you to visit BP's Investor Relations webpage here, to learn more about this dividend aristocrat. Also, if you are not a believer yet, watch the three videos below, especially the one with BP's CEO Bob Dudley on earning back America trust. Until next time friends, reinvest those dividends and watch your smart investment decisions work for you!

Money Saving And Integrity

I found this video on YouTube and am very proud of each child that is interviewed. They speak about having integrity and saving money! Two important aspects of life. 

After watching this video I hope you are motivated to begin saving as much money as you can each day to secure a brighter and better tomorrow. 

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA - BBVA

With a dividend yield of 6.81%, quarterly dividend payment of 13 cents per share, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA, stock ticker BBVA, is a winner in my book. And my book is typically closed to bank stocks. BBVA is definitely a longer term hold within your Roth IRA stock portfolio. The dividend alone will convince you to buy and hold. Getting in now with a low starting point of $9.12. I believe there is a 200% upside over the long run.

BBVA is a solid bank and recently sponsored the NBA Rising Stars challenge. Click here to watch the highlights. That's no fluke. Many viewers of the NBA Rising Stars challenge may have said to themselves, "What in the world is BBVA?" Well, I'm sure many of you reading this post already knew it was a bank with strong fundamentals and low current value.

Taking a few steps back here, BBVA is a Spain based international financial group with presence in 32 countries. Yes, 32. They are focused in banking, pension and insurance in Spain and Portugal, Mexico and South America. In the USA and Puerto Rico, BBVA is strictly a banking business. BBVA does have two cross directorial business units, Corporate and Investment Banking and Global Retail & Business Banking. Both include retail banking, commercial and small and medium enterprises banking, payment systems, consumer finance and private banking.

BBVA is a parent company of Grupo Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, which comprises such entities as BBVA Banco Frances SA, BBVA Capital Finance SA, BBVA Senior Finance SAU and BBVA International Limited.

Here are BBVA's stats:
52 Week Range 7.02 - 13.01
Market cap 43.16B
P/E 7.66
Quarterly Dividend/Dividend Yield $0.13/6.81%
Earnings Per Share 1.19
Beta 1.78
Institutionally Shared Owned 1%

Click on a link of your choice to learn more about BBVA:
Company History
Investor Relations
Products and Services
Financial Information
Homepage

Additionally, please watch the three Youtube videos below to learn more about BBVA and CEO/Chairman of the Board, Francisco Gonzalez Rodriguez. A great guy who is committed to feeding your Roth IRA with healthy dividends for years to come!

Pick up some shares during this upcoming week and enjoy BBVA's steady increase in value through price and always reinvest your dividends! Have a great weekend.

American Capital Agency Corp - AGNC

American Capital Agency Corporation, stock ticker AGNC, is a premier real estate investment trust. AGNC invests in residential mortgage securities and mortgage obligations on a leveraged basis. Their securities principal and interest payments are guaranteed by the United States Government-sponsored entities, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), or by a the United Sates Government agency, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae).

To learn how AGNC's business works I advise you to click here, just to get a better understanding of what you're getting yourself into if you so choose to invest your hard earned monies into AGNC.

AGNC is currently selling at $30.69. They have a market cap of $6.88 billion and are 42% institutionally owned. With an EPS of 5.22 and P/E of 5.88 AGNC is highly attractive regardless of their massive quarterly dividend payment of $1.25 every three months. Yes folks, that's a 16.29% dividend yield.

AGNC's 52 week value ranges from $22.03 to $30.91. In short, AGNC borrows money short term from the Federal government, and buys much higher-interest mortgage backed securities that are backed by the Federal government! This stock is normally a sideways stock. It will, I repeat will, outperform the market for one more year or so and we'll see how it goes during the second half of 2013 when the Fed may increase interest rates.

While AGNC's dividend yield is compelling it is safe to say you will receive a steady flow of income due to their stock investing in value. Some feel that this is a risky stock to buy since the dividend yield is so high, however they have maintained their dividend payment since June 30th, 2008. Let this puppy's dividend payments compound within your Roth IRA portfolio through dividend reinvestment.

Click here to learn more about AGNC and perform your own analysis. If you pick up some shares I would hold for at least a year just to reap the benefits of the dividend.

Bottomline: AGNC is a solid performing company. They are proving to be a strong, consistent, steady player within their industry, and I like the stock's prospects moving forward. To listen/watch to AGNC's Q4 2011 Shareholder slide show presentation, click here! Also, here is another fan of AGNC below. Spread the word!

Herbalife Ltd - HLF

Typically I do not support a stock which pays less than a 2% quarterly dividend yield, however this company is on a roll and ready to break out! Herbalife Ltd., stock ticker HLF, pays a 1.20% dividend yield, which is 20 cents per share per quarter. HLF rose $4.35 today, and this won't be the last time it pops.

Herbalife is a global network marketing company that sells weight management, nutritional supplements, energy, sports and fitness products and personal care products. HLF has a network of 2.3 million independent distributors where the they sell their products through retail stores. HLF is also network marketing company which sells a range of weight management products, nutritional supplements and personal care products. They sell products in 75 countries throughout the world. Herbalife’s products are grouped in four principal categories: weight management, targeted nutrition, energy, sports and fitness and Outer Nutrition, along with literature and promotional items. As of year end 2010, HLF marketed and sold 126 products encompassing over 4,000 stock keeping units through its distributors.

But wait there is more! It was recently decided that HLF will increase their quarterly dividend by 50% to 30 cents a share from 20 cents, a third increase in less than two years!! HLF's quarterly payout has tripled from when it first started paying shareholder dividends in 2007. Additionally, HLF reported 4th Quarter 2011 earnings that grew 25% to 86 cents a share. That exceed Wall Streets views of 73 cents by 18%.

Herbalife's share price target increased to $90.00 by market experts. HLF closed today at $66.70. That sounds pretty good to me, but keep in mind, this blog is not about getting rich quick then losing it all. HLF is a growth stock with consistent dividend increases, which are two key factors for a stock which should be in your Roth IRA stock portfolio.

Additionally, HLF sells great products and provides great income opportunity for people that need extra income during these tough economic times. Through their website Herbalife allows the Common Man to become a full time or part time Herbalife Independent Distributor. You can make money selling their products, as well as invest into the company. Click here for all of the details, if you are really interested. I am not affiliated with Herbalife. I'm just telling you another reason why I like their style.

In closing, Herbalife has surpassed analysts' estimates and have proven they they are not a fad. They are ranked in top 50 leading stocks in the market. HLF has not even conquered Mexico, India or China yet, but once they do, look for an increase in stock value, as well as dividend payouts. Click here to learn more about Herbalife's Investor Relations. Also, click here for a general description of all that is Herbalife and as always, check out these Herbalife related videos below.

Thank you for your time. Happy Investing!

Stock Picks for the week of 2/21/12 to 2/28/12

Listed below are my top dividend stock investments for the Common Man for the week of February 21st, 2012 to February 28th, 2012. Any one of these stocks always make an excellent addition to your Roth IRA stock portfolio. They are reliable dividend payers and I am a huge fan of each company. It is fairly simple to invest your dollars into any one or all of these stocks. I will check back on February 29th, 2012 to determine how well or poor my picks performed. Continue to invest as much as you can each week to ensure that you have a solid dividend income stream of wealth! Have a great week!

Additionally, enjoy thes hand picked YouTube videos below, which include Hess Corp., Campbell Soup Company and Visa, Inc.

CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE:CVS) $44.27
Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) $84.47
Hess Corp.(NYSE:HES) $65.15
LTC Properties, Inc.(NYSE:LTC) $31.62
Tyco International Ltd.(NYSE:TYC) $49.95
Campbell Soup Company (NYSE:CPB) $32.90
TOTAL S.A. (ADR)(NYSE:TOT) $55.08
Telefonica S.A. (ADR)(NYSE:TEF) $17.24
Yum! Brands, Inc.(NYSE:YUM) $65.25
The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE:BK) $22.01
BB&T Corporation (NYSE:BBT) $30.33
Time Warner Inc.(NYSE:TWX) $37.70
ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd.(NASDAQ:CKSW) $10.27
Visa Inc.(NYSE:V) $115.01
McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) $50.78
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.(NYSE:WMT) $62.48
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) $27.37

Note: Stock prices as of 2/19/12

ClickSoftware Technologies - CKSW

Welcome back to Dividend Stock Investing For The Common Man. I would like to introduce you to ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd., stock ticker CKSW on the NASDAQ. CKSW is a provider of software products and solutions for workforce management and optimization for the service sector. They make money from the licensing of their software products and the provision of consulting and support services.

ClickSoftware’s solutions are grouped into 4 suites which together comprise its Service Optimization Suite: Field Service Daily Suite, Mobility Suite, Roster (Shift Planning) Suite and Forecasting and Planning Suite. CKSW offers variations of their products for certain markets which include Mid-Market Package - Installation, Maintenance and Repair Services (ClickIMRS) and Service Tycoon.

With a current quarterly dividend of 8 cents per share, 3.12% dividend yield, you can't go wrong here. Get your hands on this one while it's still selling at or around $10.00. I am a huge fan of this stock because of their dividend yield and it is an excellent long term growth stock. ClickSoftware's fundamentals are good and their products are popular and sell very, very well. They are striking deal after deal, producing partnerships with other companies which will propel ClickSoftware at an increasing growth rate throughout the upcoming years. IBM and SAP are both working to enhance the company.

In April 2009, CKSW completed the acquisition of the workforce management business of Manchitra Services Private. In August 2009 they completed the acquisition of the assets of AST Solutions Group. In November 2009, they completed the acquisition of the assets of A.I. Point Ltd.

Just check out this chart! CKSW is running on all cylinders! CKSW paid their first quarterly dividend on May 10th, 2011 which surprised alot of people, however not I.



Seriously, CKSW has great management coupled with rising revenues. The serve a very important niche sector and are greatly undervalued.  Please click here to visit ClickSoftware's home page. Also, here to learn more about their company and perform your due dilligence. And of course, check out these videos below. Have a great weekend!

PPL Corporation - PPL

PPL Corporation, stock ticker PPL, is a great investment for your Roth IRA stock portfolio. They are an energy and utility holding company. PPL generates electricity from power plants in the northeastern, northwestern and southeastern the United States, markets wholesale or retail energy primarily in northeastern and northwestern portions of the United States, delivers electricity to customers in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee and the United Kingdom and delivers natural gas in Kentucky.

As of December 31, 2010, PPL's subsidiaries were PPL Energy Supply, LLC (PPL Energy Supply), PPL Electric Utilities Corporation (PPL Electric), LG&E and KU Energy LLC (LKE), PPL Global, LLC (PPL Global), PPL EnergyPlus LLC (PPL EnergyPlus), PPL Generation LLC (PPL Generation), Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities Company (KU). On November 1, 2010, PPL completed the acquisition of E.ON U.S. LLC from a wholly owned subsidiary of E.ON AG.

Last quarter PPL's earnings grew. Double digit earnings elevated PPL shares up 3.3% last week to a close of $28.45 per share on February 9th, 2012 . Their net income climbed 13% in the fourth quarter of 2011 on better results from their international and Pennsylvania regulated business. PPL earned $401 million last quarter.

PPL management has made smart acquisitions and achieved steady growth. The stock price is currently slightly cheap. PPL is very profitable, pays a sweet quarterly dividend, and should reap the benefits of their acquisitions through potential synergies. Click here to learn more about PPL and check out these stats below:


52 week                24.10 - 30.27
Vol / Avg.       7.48M/4.75M
Mkt cap               $16.45B
P/E                       10.85
Dividend              $0.36/share
Dividend Yield    5.06% (as of 2/9/12)
EPS                      2.62
Beta              0.42
Inst. own      72%

If you own shares of PPL already, click here and sign up for their  Dividend Reinvestment and Direct Stock Purchase Plan. I do not work for PPL and I have no affiliation with PPL. I am just looking out for you.. the Common Man!

Feel free to watch the videos below. I share Adam's view's on PPL, however more importantly Compound Interest. It's the only way to go! Also, learn more about PPL Corporation by watching the additional videos below.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce - CM

I am a huge fan of non U.S. bank stocks. No offense to the good old red, white and blue, but investing in non U.S. stocks will provide your Roth IRA stock portfolio with true diversification in the banking sector. It is not wise to hold all of your eggs in one basket. Enter... Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, stock ticker CM. I strongly believe that Canadian banks should trade at a premium to U.S. banks, because of their stronger regulatory system. You gotta love those Canadian bank dividend yields!

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce a.k.a. CIBC is a world-wide financial institution. CIBC has three strategic business units: retail and business banking, wealth management, and wholesale banking. Retail and business banking provides financial products, advice and services through nearly 1,100 branches, as well as automated banking machines, mobile sales forces, telephone banking, online and mobile banking. Wealth management comprises asset management, retail brokerage and private wealth management businesses. Wholesale banking provides credit, capital markets, investment banking, merchant banking and research products and services. On August 31, 2011, CIBC acquired 41% of American Century Investments (ACI) and has a $30,740,000,000.00 market cap ($30.74 billion dollars).

With a consistent quarterly dividend payment of 90 cents per share, a current dividend yield of 4.60%, CM is a winner in my book. And my book is not full of many bank stocks. Bank stocks have been risky since the Great Recession, but in order to succeed and live the retirement of your dreams you will need to invest in a few bank stocks since they are selling on the CHEAP! Short term CM may provide you with some up and down swings, however long term, with the high dividend and good fundamentals, I foresee this diamond in the rough outperforming in a major way. Diamonds are forever! (click HERE for some theme music while you read the rest of this post).

CM was selling for $106.08 per share back in October of 2007 and is currently selling at $76.73 as of February 10th, 2012. Now of course you should not buy CM just because it used to be worth $30.00 more a while ago, but it is something to consider. Since September 26th, 2006 CM has not missed a dividend payment and just think of all the trouble the banking sector has gone through since that time. CM did not crumble during the Great Recession. There is no greater test when researching which bank stock to invest into than determining if they have shafted shareholders over the past ten years. CM put shareholders first. Even when their share price went to $29.20 on March 6th, 2009 they kept paying their dividend. A steady 87 cents per share from that point on, until they raised it to 90 cents on September 26th, 2011!

"The honor is in the dollar kid" - Quote from the movie Boiler Room. Yes, it is important to listen to company quarterly conference calls, however if a company continues to pay you to hold onto their shares and then increases their dividend when their competitors are cutting their yield or eliminating their dividend all together, well then it's time to invest. Get in when CM is at a low and hold for life. Let that 90 cents per share compound and your money will work for you, instead of you working for it!

Simply put, CM has strong price momentum, and is supported by a healthy dividend, which qualifies as a winner for the Common Man trying to survive.

Until next time friends, keep investing as much as you can each week into high yielding dividend aristocrats  with a moat of money. Do not get discouraged and know that we are in this together. Have a great remainder of the weekend and watch the videos below to learn a little bit more about Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce! Check out their website, here.

 

Update: Stock Picks for the week of 1/31/12 to 2/7/12

Welcome back to Dividend Stock Investing for the Common Man. Thank you stopping by and supporting the idea of investing in dividend paying stocks for the long term. I wanted to recap last week's picks for you since it is important to review all investments on a weekly, if not daily, basis. As you can see below, it was a profitable 12 for 16 week, however it was a roller-coaster ride. Some selections decreased in value while others had a pretty nice percentage gain for the week. SJM, KO, CVX and MCD were this past week's clear winners, however O had a great week. The over all net gain for the week of 1/31/12 to 2/7/12 was $9.35. 

As a rule of thumb, always invest in high yielding dividend paying stocks for your retirement years. Continue to hold on to your stocks for the long term so the dividends have plenty of time to compound. Feel free to watch the videos below featuring J.M. Smucker Company and Chevron Corporation. Both will inject your Roth IRA stock portfolio with stability and profits. Until next time, happy investing, reinvest those dividends and let your smart investment decisions work for you!

Stock/Stock Ticker.. Quote @ 1/31/12..  Quote @ 2/7/12..  Gain of $9.35

Entertainment Properties Trust (NYSE:EPR) $44.51 $44.53 +$0.02
Universal Health Realty Income Trust (NYSE:UHT) $40.00 $40.37 +$0.37
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) $67.46 $68.55 +$1.09
The Hershey Company  (NYSE:HSY) $61.70 $60.45 -$1.25
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) $38.89 $38.63 -$0.26
Unilever plc (NYSE:UL) $32.56 $32.57 +$0.01
H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE:HNZ) $51.92 $51.82 -$0.10
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) $37.01 $37.87 +$0.86
Plum Creek Timber Co. Inc. (NYSE:PCL) $40.08 $39.51 -$0.57
NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) $103.39 $104.23 +$0.84
The J.M. Smucker Company  (NYSE:SJM) $78.32 $79.32 +$1.00
Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (NYSE:NLY) $16.80 $17.12 +$0.32
Realty Income Corp (NYSE:O) $36.34 $37.28 +$0.94
Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) $103.41 $106.83 +$3.42
Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) $48.48 $48.92 +$0.44
McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) $98.69 $100.91 +$2.22

H.J. Heinz Company - HNZ

Recession proof. Long term stability. 25 years of quarterly dividend payouts. Company founded in 1869! That's right, I am describing yet another stock to hold within your well-diversified Roth IRA stock portfolio. Today's and tomorrow's winning stock is none other than H. J. Heinz Company, stock ticker HNZ. With a current dividend yield of 3.70% and by dollar cost averaging your hard earned funds into HNZ on a weekly basis you can create a lifetime of wealth and security. Always reinvest your dividends to maximize your compound interest!

HNZ, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets a range of food products throughout the world. Their principal products include that tasty one of a kind ketchup, sweet condiments and mouth watering sauces, frozen food, warm hearty soups, beans and pasta meals, infant nutrition and various other food products. Click here for a complete listing and be amazed.

Heinz operates in various countries: North America, Europe, and Asia. Recent acquisitons? See below.
April 2011: acquired 80% stake in Coniexpress S.A. Industrias Alimenticias
November 2010: acquired Foodstar Holding Pte (Foodstar)

Founder of Heinz, Henry John Heinz, once said “To do a common thing uncommonly well brings success." Well, Heinz has been providing that "Uncommon Quality Since 1869"! Yes, they have been around for what feels like forever. The best thing about Heinz's tomato ketchup is that it is unlikely to be made obsolete through future technologies. Just think about what you will put on your french fries when your in your retirement years? This company will be paying you a hefty dividend at that point. Enjoy your Heinz ketchup, kick your feet up and be proud of your decision to invest in a dividend aristocrat like Heinz.

I suggest that you visit Heinz's homepage, here, as well as their Investor Relations page, here. While at their Investor Relations page check out all of those product logos which power Heinz. Think of them as a group of employees working for you, to infuse quality quarterly dividends into your own business, your Roth IRA!

In closing, I believe there will be an increased demand for inexpensive convenience foods globally. Heinz is a staple in America. As always here at Dividend Stock Investing for the Common Man, enjoy these hand picked Heinz videos from YouTube. Enjoy!

Oracle Corporation - ORCL

Oracle Corporation, stock ticker ORCL, is a future dividend aristocrat. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Even though they currently pay a 6 cent dividend, which is a 0.83% dividend, I strongly believe dividend increases will continue year after year. ORCL is always a great value play. Their shares sell for $28.87 and are on the up and up.

ORCL is an elite enterprise software company. They develop, manufacture, market, distribute and service database and middleware software, applications software and hardware systems, consisting primarily of computer server and storage products. There are three segments to ORCL: 1) Software 2) Hardware systems and 3) Services. Oracle's software business consists of new software licenses and software license updates and product support. Their hardware systems business consists of hardware systems products and hardware systems support. Their service business included consulting, Cloud Services and education. In January of 2011, Oracle completed the acquisition of Art Technology Group and in August of 2010 ORCL completed the acquisition of Phase Forward Incorporated (Phase Forward), a provider of applications for life sciences companies and healthcare providers.

Per Oracle's webpage, "With more than 380,000 customers—including 100 of the Fortune 100—and with deployments across a wide variety of industries in more than 145 countries around the globe, Oracle offers an optimized and fully integrated stack of business hardware and software systems." Sounds good to me!

Here are some stats about ORCL which are pleasing to the eyes:
52 week trading range $24.72 - $36.50
Mkt cap 144.79B (cash cow!)
P/E 15.85
Div/yield $0.06/share/0.83%
EPS 1.82
Beta 1.10
Inst. own 63% (nice to see)

ORCL is a high quality company with a strong competitive position. Their shares were beat down last quarter because of minor disappointing results. Long term, Oracle has consistently demonstrated their ability to provide great engineered and stable tools needed to build IT infrastructure or support business backroom operations. Oracle has demonstrated year over year their ability to execute against their very aggressive plans. The silliest reason to sell a stock is because of earnings missing analyst expectations. ORCL is an outstanding company trading at a reasonable valuation. This stock will definitely outperform in the long run.

Keep ORCL in mind if you want to invest in a future dividend beast, but are willing to wait a few years. If you have years to wait then you are in a great position to reap the benefits of a steady company on the rise. Check out the videos below and visit Oracle's Investor Relation website, here. I hope you have a great weekend!