Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Retirement Planning and The Time Value of Money

This is a great video to watch to learn how much you will need to invest if you want $3,000.00 of income per month at age 70. Get started today to secure your financial nest egg!

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. - CBRL

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., stock ticker CBRL, currently pays their shareholders 40 cents per share, which is a 2.65% dividend yield. I love CBRL because they serve great food, their restaurants are always very clean and they bring in senior citizens by the busload. You cannot find a more loyal human being on the planet than a sweet kind senior citizen. They demand quality!

CBRL's gift shops are out of this world. You can find some cool items in there. Actually their profit margin are much higher with gift shop sales than the restaurant portion! CBRL are very strategic, even somewhat picky, where they build each restaurant and are in no hurry to rush this process.

CBRL is a well run outfit and their bottom line is solid. I have seen many Cracker Barrel stores in my day and their parking lots are always full for breakfast, which just happens to be  the biggest profit meal of the day. Buying some CBRL under $65.00 per share would be ideal for your Roth IRA stock portfolio and hold for the long term. They are currently selling at $60.41 per share.

CBRL is engaged in the operation and development of their Cracker Barrel Old Country Store concept. As of September 20, 2011 CBRL operated 604 stores in 42 states. Their restaurant generated approximately 79% of its total revenue during the fiscal year ended July 29, 2011. As previously stated, their restaurants serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. (closing at 11:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). Just as an FYI, in case you ever want to visit your local Cracker Barrel.

The best part about Cracker Barrel establishments is that their breakfast items can be ordered at any time throughout the day! Breakfast items include: juices, eggs, pancakes, bacon, country ham, sausage, grits, and a range of biscuit specialties, such as gravy and biscuits and country ham and biscuits.
Lunch and dinner items include: country ham, chicken and dumplings, chicken fried chicken, meatloaf, country fried steak, pork chops, fish, steak, roast beef, vegetable plates, salads, sandwiches, soups and specialty items, such as pinto beans and turnip greens.

Are you hungry for some CBRL food? Well, you should be hungry for their dividend too! 40 cents per share is a reasonable offering. Here are some additional current CBRL statistics below:

52 week                37.31 - 61.89
Vol / Avg.                253,411.00/246,976.00
Mkt cap                1.40B
P/E                        16.41
Div/yield                $0.40/2.65%
EPS                        3.68
Shares                23.24M
Beta                        0.91
Inst. own                86%

Key stats and ratios
                                            Q2 (Apr '12) 2011
Net profit margin                       3.12% 3.50%
Operating margin                       6.43% 6.87%
EBITD margin -                       9.45%
Return on average assets               5.53% 6.55%
Return on average equity              23.18% 37.08%
Employees                              67,000

CBRL has excellent food and a large variety at a competitive price. Their service is excellent and in my humble opinion they are better than any other restaurant chain at supplementing income with a high margin gift shop with good variety. Their locations are near heavily traveled roads which help the repeat business from travelers.

Argus just recently raised Cracker Barrel to a buy on May 28th, 2012 and I cannot agree with them more! Click here. CBRL recently announced that for fiscal year 2012 their expected total revenue was between $2.55 billion and $2.6 billion, reflecting anticipated increases in comparable store restaurant and retail sales in a range of 1.5% and 2.0%. CBRL opened 13 new Cracker Barrel stores in the current fiscal year!

CBRL expects adjusted earnings per diluted share for fiscal year 2012 to be between $4.35 and $4.45. CBRL reported earnings per diluted share of between $4.14 and $4.24. Analysts were expecting CBRL to report revenue of $2.56 billion and earnings per share of $4.31 for fiscal year 2012 so they outperformed quite nicely.

With other companies complaining about lack of customers it seems like Cracker Barrel is doing something right to maintain and expand their customer base. Please feel free to visit their homepage, here, and their Investor Relations web page, here. Please watch the videos below to see first hand just how great this company truly is. Better yet, take a Cracker Barrel Virtual Tour, here!

Feed your Roth IRA some CBRL today and reap the benefits of dividend reinvesting. Until next time friends, stay healthy, invest as much as you can into some of your favorite dividend paying stocks, reinvest your dividends, and hold for life!



Sunday, May 27, 2012

DSIFTCM is now mobile!

I would like to introduce to you our latest initiative. Dividend Stock Investing for the Common Man is now available on your Smartphone! Simply enter http://www.dividendstockinvestingforthecommonman.com into your Smartphone web browser and there you have it! You can take DSIFTCM on the road with you while you travel for business of if you are soaking in the sun down the beach. Check out some screen shots from an iphone 4 below. Additionally, please pass along the QR code below.

Please use this website as a resource to determine which dividend stocks are right for your retirement portfolio, as well as learn helpful, time saving investing hints. A few dollars invested into high quality dividend paying stocks today can compound over your working career into a monthly stream of cash flow during your retirement years. Feel free to give a Like on Facebook, follow on Twitter, and sign up to receive E-mail updates below. I wish you much success throughout your investing career! Thank you for your support!

P.S... Spread the word! Thanks for your friendship. If you don't mind, please like us on Facebook. I would greatly appreciate it. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dividend-Stock-Investing-For-The-Common-Man/242653565775751






Credit Card Repayment Calculator

Now is the time to rid yourself of pesky credit card debt. Please use this handy Credit Card Repayment Calculator below to determine how quickly you can pay off any outstanding credit card debt.

Click here ---> Credit Card Repayment Calculator

Don't let your debt control your life. Take baby steps and chip away at your balance today!

Once you pay off your debt then you can begin putting additional funds into an FDIC insured savings account. Once you have at least 5-6 months worth of living expenses saved up begin purchasing high quality dividend paying stocks. You will begin to see dividend payments coming in on a monthly basis. Reinvest those dividends and watch your Roth IRA balance rise instead of your Credit card outstanding balance!

Here is a great example below.



Retirement Planning Advice in Today's Financial Climate

I can not stress to you enough how important it is to begin planning for your retirement years! First off, you must take care of yourself. Your health and well being is way more important than any material items in your possession. Secondly, once your health is in good order, getting your financial house in order is key. Cut up your credit cards today and start paying cash for everything (if possible!). I know it's hard to live without credit cards, and yes, they do come in handy when funds are low, but if you can get out of the credit card cycle then in the long-term you will be better off. 

A dollar saved today can become hundreds or thousands of dollars for when you retire. Instead of going out today and roaming the malls and charging something, why not transfer a few dollars into your Roth IRA and purchase a few shares of stock when a dividend aristocrat is at a reasonable valuation.

I highly recommend watching Mr. Ben Stein's 2007 "Ben Stein Talks Retirement" three part series below. Mr. Stein really breaks down how to go about planning for your retirement years. Please let this blog post motivate you to being planning.. today! 

Sit back and relax. Click play below...
Part I

Part II

Part III

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Stock Picks for the week of 5/28/12 to 6/1/12

Greetings! Welcome back to DSIFTCM! I hope you had a profitable week and that you are enjoying this extended holiday weekend.

Listed below are my dividend stock investment selections for the Common Man's stock portfolio for the upcoming week of 5/28/12 to 6/1/12. Any one of these companies will infuse a powerful wealth stream of cash into your Roth or Traditional IRA stock portfolio. It is fairly simple to invest your dollars into any one or all of these stocks. I will check back on June 2nd, 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 to pay for your utilities, living expenses, etc. during your retirement years! I can't stress this enough.

As an extra bonus I have posted YouTube videos (scroll down below). Each videos shows a company ringing the opening bell for either the NASDAQ or NYSE. Check out the expressions on the faces of the management teams. Ear to ear smiles! Don't you want to be smiling like that during your retirement years? Invest today and thank me later. Have a great remainder of the weekend!

Company Name/Stock Ticker/Current Price

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.(NYSE:FCX) $32.41
Waste Management, Inc.(NYSE:WM) $32.96
Plum Creek Timber Co. Inc.(NYSE:PCL) $36.71
Universal Health Realty Income Trust(NYSE:UHT) $38.66
McDonald's Corporation(NYSE:MCD) $91.05
Portugal Telecom, SGPS (ADR)(NYSE:PT) $4.29
Credit Suisse Group AG (ADR)(NYSE:CS) $19.77
Unilever plc (ADR)(NYSE:UL) $31.88
Chevron Corporation(NYSE:CVX) $98.86
General Dynamics Corporation(NYSE:GD) $63.58
Darden Restaurants, Inc.(NYSE:DRI) $53.06
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.(NASDAQ:CBRL) $59.82
Omnicom Group Inc.(NYSE:OMC) $49.78
Molson Coors Brewing Company(NYSE:TAP) $39.78
Kinder Morgan Inc(NYSE:KMI) $32.42
Retail Opportunity Investments Corp(NASDAQ:ROIC) $12.06
BHP Billiton plc (ADR)(NYSE:BBL) $53.22
SLM Corp(NASDAQ:SLM) $13.57
Prospect Capital Corporation(NASDAQ:PSEC) $10.89
Salem Communications Corp(NASDAQ:SALM) $4.76
General Mills, Inc.(NYSE:GIS) $39.08
The Pep Boys - Manny, Moe & Jack(NYSE:PBY) $11.07
PNC Financial Services(NYSE:PNC) $62.09
HSBC Holdings plc (ADR)(NYSE:HBC) $40.23
The Southern Company(NYSE:SO) $45.69

Note: Stock Quotes as of 5/26/12

How Can I Invest in Dividend Stocks Today?

WM, JNJ, WMT, T, KO and UL are a great places to start. Please watch the video below to receive some additional insight on how to invest in dividend stocks today!

Why Dividend Stocks Will Win In 2012

Listed below are excellent dividend stock related videos which will provide you with confidence in dividend paying companies for 2012 and beyond.

Large cap stocks are on the rise paying healthy dividends for you retirement years! Enjoy.

Why Dividend Stocks Will Win In 2012

Top Dividend Stocks for 2012: Intel Abbott Labs

Best Dividend Stocks 2012

Stocks That Ooze Dividends and Cheapness

Thursday, May 24, 2012

DSIFTCM invites you to get $50.00 at ShareBuilder

DSIFTCM is inviting you to get a $50.00 account bonus when you start investing with ING DIRECT Investing. Who's your best friend now? Get Started Below..

https://www.sharebuilderfriends.com/startnow

In the past I have made some references about Sharebuilder. Feel free to read those past posts below to get a better understanding of all that is.. Sharebuilder!


ING Direct - Sharebuilder
Brokerage Fees Hurt Your Compound Interest Potential
Investing Formula for the Common Man

Sharebuilder.com Site Tour

Update: Stock Picks for the week of 5/17/12 to 5/24/12

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.

It was another rough week for the market, however now is the time to get in where you fit in. Grab some dividend aristocrats while they are at bargain prices. GIS, HNZ, and DIS are valued at a discount this week.

As you can see below, it was a weak eigt days in every sector. Overall, 6 for 25 week. Always invest in high yielding dividend paying stocks for your retirement years. Much like the stocks listed below, you will be covered with quarterly dividends if the stocks just so happen to drop in value. 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 The Walt Disney Company, Canadian National Railway, Rio Tinto plc and Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. All four companies will inject your Roth IRA stock portfolio with stability and profits via quarterly dividends, even when their share price take a hit due to market lag.

Until next time.. I wish you nothing but the best during your investing years. Perform your due diligence for each of these quality dividend payers below. Happy investing, reinvest those dividends and let your smart investment decisions work for you!

Stock/Stock Ticker.. Quote @ 5/17/12..  Quote @ 5/24/12

General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) $39.64 $38.98
Realty Income Corp (NYSE:O) $39.30 $38.73
United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX) $74.70 $73.50
H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE:HNZ) $55.27 $53.55
The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) $48.77 $49.71
Tiffany & Co. (NYSE:TIF) $62.15 $57.59
Canadian National Railway (NYSE: CNI) $81.61 $81.97
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) $38.23 $37.60
Schwab U S Broad Market ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHB) $32.01 $31.87
State Street Corporation (NYSE:STT) $41.80 $41.73
The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE:BK) $20.81 $20.73
California Water Service Group (NYSE:CWT) $17.62 $17.80
Federated Investors Inc (NYSE:FII) $20.70 $19.72
Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE:AVY) $29.51 $29.33
Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPLS) $13.91 $13.49
Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP) $53.33 $53.15
NV Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NVE) $16.99 $17.09
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) $31.97 $31.81
Rio Tinto plc (ADR) (NYSE:RIO) $45.83 $44.73
Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:WYN) $49.78 $49.71
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM) $68.60 $69.12
Aetna Inc. (NYSE:AET) $40.21 $41.13
The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) $45.08 $44.44
CSX Corporation (NYSE:CSX) $21.52 $21.35
Invesco Ltd. (NYSE:IVZ) $22.06 $21.60


Disney CEO On Avengers Record High Earnings

Canadian National Railway Trains Meet on a Snowy Day

Rio Tinto - Mine Of The Future!

Martin Marietta - Breaking Down the Barriers

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Visa Inc - V: A Stock For Your Retirement Years

Visa Inc, stock ticker V, currently pays a quarterly dividend of 22 cents per share (0.78% dividend yield as of 5/20/12). In my opinion V looks like a stock to hold within your Roth IRA stock portfolio for your retirement years even if the yield is not currently at 2%+. Visa has a $90 plus billion market cap and a dividend that has doubled over the past few years. V is a monster on the NYSE. Visa holds no debt and $3 billion dollars on the books. And the books are not cooked!

In short, Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, banks and governments in more than 200 countries and territories, enabling the population digital currency instead of cash and checks. Visa Inc manages a range of payment brands, including Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS and Interlink, which it licenses to its clients for use in their payment programs. They offer a branded payments product platforms which includes credit, debit, prepaid and cash access programs for their customers. Visa Inc provides transaction processing and value added services to its clients through VisaNet, Visa Debit Processing Services and Visa Processing Services.

Recent Acquisitions include:
- March 2011 -  PlaySpan Inc. (click here to visit PlaySpan's website)
- June 2011 - Fundamo (click here to visit Fundamo's website)

Visa practically owns the entire electronic banking platform, in addition to Mastercard (stock ticker MA). V is very undervalued. The world is gradually going to become a cashless society. V and MA will be there to profit all along the way. I cannot think of a better business model. With a 29% year over year growth over last 5 years and 19% projected for next 5 years, and no debt V continues to beat analyst expectations.

We all know the global population is increasing and so is their acceptance of credit in emerging markets, which include China, India, Africa, and so forth. With the acquisition of Fundamo Visa is well positioned to secure a monopoly in profits/transactions for at least our lifetime.

Click here to view a History of Visa Inc or click here to download more detail about all that is Visa!

Visa's Current Statistics to get a head start on your due diligence:

52 week 73.11 - 125.35
Vol / Avg. 6.49M/3.91M
Mkt cap 91.69B
P/E 26.30
Div/yield $0.22/0.78%
EPS 4.28
Shares 813.98M
Beta 0.76
Inst. own 54%

Q1 (Mar '12) versus 2011
Net profit margin 50.12% 39.68%
Operating margin 62.30% 59.38%
EBITD margin - 62.52%
Return on average assets 14.27% 10.70%
Return on average equity 18.57% 14.19%
Employees 7,500 -

Notable Recent News Topics pertaining to Visa:
5/7/12 - Visa Raises "No Signature" Limit to $50 to Increase Merchant Efficiency & Consumer Convenience
5/2/12 - Visa Inc. Posts Strong Fiscal Second Quarter 2012 Earnings Results
2/29/12 - Orange to Offer Visa Mobile Prepaid Accounts to Orange Money Customers in Africa and the Middle East
2/22/12 - Visa and Monitise Set to Transform Mobile Payments Services in India
2/6/12 - Visa Tops One Million Chip Cards in the U.S.

Visa Inc is a well established company and here to stay. V dominates the credit card and debit card markets. The bottom line is this: for all of those late fee, overdraft, and interest charges that Visa card members pay it provides a healthy revenue stream for Visa. Why not purchase V long term so you can have that same type of revenue stream in dividend payments? I am not surprised Visa is running on all cylinders and will expect this stock to be a long-term winner.

Please feel free to watch these Visa related YouTube videos below. Thank you for your time. Have a great day.






Saturday, May 19, 2012

Social Security Benefits Check Up via ssa.gov

If you ever wanted to know how much Social Security will pay you when you retire, create an account here.

Once you setup an account with ssa.gov they will provide you with a breakdown of how much money is due to you or your family, pending death and if you become disabled. See below for examples:

At full retirement age (67):  $x,xxx a month
At age 70: $x,xxx a month
At early retirement age (62): $x,xxx a month

I suggest creating an account with SSA.gov because it is critical to know exactly how much money you will receive on a monthly basis from Social security during your retirement years. This will allow you ample time to plan how to invest in various markets (i.e. Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, ETFs, Gold, REITs, Real Estate, etc).

You should invest more into your Roth IRA or 401K if you feel you cannot live off of your social security income. Now is the time to think about retirement, even if you are 18 years old. Yes, I said. Imagine working for 30, 40, or 50 years and then having to go into panic mode since you did not plan properly?

Your SSA.gov My Benefits page will also provide you with the following helpful information:

Your estimates are based on the assumption that you will earn $xx,xxx a year from now until retirement.


Disability
If you become disabled right now your estimated payment would be: $x,xxx
(You can even apply online through SSA.gov for Disability


Family
If you get retirement or disability benefits, your spouse and children also may qualify for benefits.


Survivors
You have enough credits for your family to qualify for survivor benefits. If you die this year, certain members of your family may be eligible for these benefits:


Your child: $x,xxx a month
Your spouse who is caring for your child: $x,xxx
Your spouse (starting at full retirement age):  $x,xxx a month
Your total family benefits cannot be more than $x,xxx a month.
Your spouse or minor child may be eligible for a special one-time death benefit of $x,xxx.


Please don't become a victim of poor retirement planning! Watch these videos below to learn more about Social Security.


Franklin Roosevelt Social Security Speech

Social Security vs. Private Retirement

The Social Security Story

Social Security Administration Interview

California Water Service Group - CWT

Water is the most precious natural resource on Earth. There is no denying that. The amount of useable water on our planet decreases year after year (Watch the 3rd video below for more details). Droughts are becoming more and more prevalent even in areas where floods take place. Additionally, water is becoming more expensive. A company that benefits holding a material which is a necessity to our existence is a fantastic investment for your Roth IRA stock portfolio.

Look no further than...

California Water Service Company is the largest subsidiary of the California Water Service Group, stock ticker CWT. CWT is the largest investor-owned American water utility west of the Mississippi River and the third largest in the country. Formed in 1926, the San Jose-based company serves more than 460,000 customers through 28 Customer and Operations Centers throughout the state.

CWT operates California Water Service Company (Cal Water), New Mexico Water Service Company (New Mexico Water), Washington Water Service Company (Washington Water), Hawaii Water Service Company, Inc. (Hawaii Water), and CWS Utility Services and HWS Utility Services LLC are collectively called Utility Services.

Their bulk business consists of the production, purchase, storage, treatment, testing, distribution and sale of water for domestic, industrial, public and irrigation uses, and for fire protection. CWT also provides non-regulated water-related services under agreements with municipalities and other private companies.

Current CWT Statistics:

52 week 16.65 - 19.37
Vol / Avg. 280,836.00/269,878.00
Mkt cap 732.12M
P/E 20.23
Div/yield $0.16/3.61%
EPS 0.86
Beta 0.27
Inst. own 54%

Currently selling at $17.47, CWT is undervalued. California, and the west coast for that matter, will be forever in need of water. Owning a utility company providing that so needed product seems like a smart play, right? CWT is not likely to go to the heavens, but still at these prices it is a market beater.

They pay a stable 31 cents per share, which is a 3.61% dividend yield. Click here to view CWT's stock dividend payment history. CWT has performed various stock splits in their historic history. The most recent stock splits, each two-for-one, occurred in 1984, 1987 and 1997. It looks like it is about time for another split!

If you like a consistent company with no frills or thrills then CWT is right up your alley. I guarantee you that 99% of the people that you know do not know about CWT, which makes this one a sleeper. They do what they do well and that's all there is to it. Check out their "Frequently Asked Questions" section, here.

In conclusion, CWT is a small cap, water play, which pays a sweet 3.61% dividend yield. I believe CWT is a safe haven stock for when the rest of the market is not performing on all cylinders. Feel free to visit CWT's homepage, here, and their Investor Relations webpage, here.


Friday, May 18, 2012

Facebook Inc - FB: Hate It Or Love It?

Facebook, Inc., Nasdaq stock ticker FB, is a winner in my book. Over 900+ million people use Facebook to stay connected with their friends and family, to discover what is going on in the world around them, and to share and express what matters to them to the people they care about. Internet developers can use the FB  platform to build applications and websites that integrate with Facebook to reach its global network of users and to build personalized and social products. Advertisers can engage with FB's users based on the information they have chosen to share (i.e. age, location, gender, or interests). And for these reasons I believe FB is going to increase in value and they are not just a come and go tech company.

Facebook's IPO was not over hyped nor was the company inaccurately valuated. The underwriters and FB priced the stock perfectly, which is the reason there was not a dramatic increase in share price. It seems like most expected FB to double by the end of day today, however the fact that FB did not drop to $15.00-$20.00 proves that the stock can hold it's weight. Yes, FB is selling at 100x times last years earnings, however just think of the possibilities for FB now. Here are just 5 which come to mind:

Option 1: Monetize users 
 - With 900 plus million active users, even if FB charges $1.00 per month per user that is healthy revenue stream.
Option 2: Acquire BING, yes it's possible.
 - Acquiring BING from Microsoft would allow FB to compete toe to toe with Google
 - Endless advertising capabilities.
Option 3: Facebook Phone
 - Completely independent FB Phone with their own 3G/4G network
Option 4: Potential Acquisitions
 - Just think about the possibilities. FB can integrate any of these companies listed below and instantly solidify themselves.
     -- Zillow, Yelp, Pinterest, Twitter (yes I said it), Tumblr, Mashable, DIGG, LinkedIn, Zynga, IZEA, Hubpages, Stumbleupon, E-Bay/Paypal.
Option 5: Continue to stay put and run the parallel internet, as referenced in the Video below.
 - When a user is on FB they are completely contained within the platform. They are not visiting other websites like Google or Twitter so therefore FB has a monopoly on user/customer internet traffic patterns, so therefore knows more about 900+ million people than any other company on the planet!

Let me backtrack for a second. I assure you that I am not trying to pump this stock. FB is not even my favorite company, however listening to the reports on my local news, national news and all over the net about how FB "flopped" or was "over-hyped" is a complete joke. FB did their thing today and should be proud of how far they have come from a dorm room to the Nasdaq.

Yes, I know FB does not pay a dividend and very well may never pay a dividend, however FB is a quality investment, even if it has only been on the market for 1 day. Now don't go out tomorrow and invest all of your hard earned dollars into FB, however pick up a few shares and ride it out. If FB is able to execute as well as they have over the past few years then be content with your investment and reap the profits.

You can either love FB or leave it. I believe the lyrics of 50 Cent sum up today's FB IPO:

"Hate it or love it, the underdogs on top, I ain't goin nowhere so you can get to know me!" Long live FB!

What are your thoughts on FB? A fad? An empire? Check out the hand picked videos below and be proud of Mark Zuckerberg. An American company on the rise.

Thanks for visiting and have a great day tomorrow. 

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Stock Picks for the week of 5/17/12 to 5/24/12

I hope you are having a profitable week thus far. Listed below are my highly rated dividend stock investments for the Common Man's stock portfolio! (week of 5/17/12 to 5/24/12). Any one of these stocks will infuse a powerful wealth stream of cash into your Roth or Traditional IRA stock portfolio. Each company listed below offers a reliable dividend.

It is fairly simple to invest your dollars into any one or all of these stocks. I will check back on May 24th, 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!

Additionally, enjoy these hand picked YouTube videos below, which include CSX Corporation, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. and California Water Service Group. Have a great remainder of the week!

General Mills, Inc.(NYSE:GIS) $39.64
Realty Income Corp(NYSE:O) $39.30
United Technologies Corporation(NYSE:UTX) $74.70
H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE:HNZ) $55.27
The Home Depot, Inc.(NYSE:HD) $48.77
Tiffany & Co.(NYSE:TIF) $62.15
Canadian National Railway (NYSE: CNI) $81.61
Merck & Co., Inc.(NYSE:MRK) $38.23
Schwab U S Broad Market ETF(NYSEARCA:SCHB) $32.01
State Street Corporation (NYSE:STT) $41.80
The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE:BK) $20.81
California Water Service Group (NYSE:CWT) $17.62
Federated Investors Inc (NYSE:FII) $20.70
Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE:AVY) $29.51
Staples, Inc.(NASDAQ:SPLS) $13.91
Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP) $53.33
NV Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NVE) $16.99
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) $31.97
Rio Tinto plc (ADR)(NYSE:RIO) $45.83
Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:WYN) $49.78
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.(NYSE:MLM) $68.60
Aetna Inc.(NYSE:AET) $40.21
The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) $45.08
CSX Corporation (NYSE:CSX) $21.52
Invesco Ltd.(NYSE:IVZ) $22.06

Note: Stock Quotes as of 5/17/12

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

General Mills CEO Interview

General Mills, stock ticker GIS, is just one of those stable, secure and fantastic stocks to hold for life within your Roth IRA stock portfolio. I have already discussed GIS in the past, click here, however hearing it from their CEO Kendall Powell makes me a believer (see below).

Pick up some shares of GIS while it is under $40.00 per share and forget about them. This company is, and will remain to be, a rock in a world of risk. Plus a 31 cent per share dividend, current yield of 3.08%.

Check out their products and brands here. Can you honestly tell me that GIS will not be around 30 years from today?

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Update: Stock Picks for the week of 5/7/12 to 5/11/12

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.

You win some and then you lose some! It was a rough week for the NYSE and Nasdaq as a whole. As you can see below, it was a weak 5 days in every sector. Overall, it was an 11 for 26 week. A great week overall for Energy related stocks, as well as my favorite coffee hang out, Dunkin Brands Group, Inc., who announced an expansion of their business in India.

As a rule of thumb, always invest in high yielding dividend paying stocks for your retirement years. Much like the stocks listed below, you will be covered with quarterly dividends if the stocks just so happen to drop in value. 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 Dunkin Brands Group, Inc., Kimberly Clark Corp., and Verizon Communications, Inc. All three companies will inject your Roth IRA stock portfolio with stability and profits via quarterly dividends

Until next time.. I wish you nothing but the best during your investing years. Perform your due diligence for each of these quality dividend payers below. Happy investing, reinvest those dividends and let your smart investment decisions work for you!

Stock/Stock Ticker.. Quote @ 5/6/12..  Quote @ 5/12/12


Waste Management, Inc.(NYSE:WM) $33.97 $33.48
AFLAC Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) $43.48 $43.36
McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) $95.87 $91.90
Universal Health Realty Income Trust (NYSE:UHT) $39.79 $39.75
ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) $53.17 $53.50 
Westar Energy Inc (NYSE:WR) $28.18 $28.48
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (NASDAQ:HBAN) $6.49 $6.54
Hospitality Properties Trust (NYSE:HPT) $27.41 $25.51
Eli Lilly & Co.(NYSE:LLY) $41.28 $41.26
Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) $80.69 $79.07 
Reynolds American, Inc. (NYSE:RAI) $40.37 $40.50
Kimberly Clark Corp (NYSE:KMB) $78.29 $79.39
Altria Group, Inc.(NYSE:MO) $32.43 $31.79
Cincinnati Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:CINF) $36.15 $36.08
FirstEnergy Corp.(NYSE:FE) $46.97 $47.81
Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) $32.09 $31.66
Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) $83.39 $84.60
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ADR)(NASDAQ:TEVA) $44.44 $41.81
Tiffany & Co.(NYSE:TIF) $65.95 $63.04
Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.(NASDAQ:ARLP) $61.63 $58.38
Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P. (NYSE:KMP) $81.98 $81.21
Verizon Communications Inc.(NYSE:VZ) $40.26 $41.16
Dunkin Brands Group Inc (NASDAQ:DNKN) $32.18 $33.53
American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) $20.02 $19.55
American Capital Agency Corp.(NASDAQ:AGNC) $31.66 $32.33
SPDR S&P 500 ETF(NYSEARCA:SPY) $136.96 $135.56


Nigel Travis, CEO of Dunkin Brands discussing Finding Franchisees.

Kimberly-Clark's Social Enterprise Story

Cramer Interviews Verizon's CEO




Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Nucor Corporation - NUE

The little steel company that could! 

Nucor Corporation, stock ticker NUE, is currently paying 37 cents per share to their loyal shareholders. At a current dividend yield of 3.92% and a P/E of 15.53 now is the time to pull the trigger on this steel manufacturer. Click here to skim through a comprehensive slide show which documents Nucor's robust company history. NUE is a great dividend stock for a long term investment with a great history of increased dividends.

NUE and their affiliates manufacture steel and steel products. They also produce direct reduced iron (DRI) for use in their steel mills. Through The David J. Joseph Company and their affiliates NUE also processes ferrous and nonferrous metals and brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron, hot iron, and DRI.

Nucor is principally a manufacturer of steel and steel products, as well as a scrap broker and processor, with operating facilities and customers primarily located in North America. Nucor operates in three segments: 1) steel mills 2) steel products and 3) raw materials. NUE's operations include several international trading companies that buy and sell steel and steel products manufactured by others. Nucor is also recycler, using scrap steel as the primary raw material in producing steel and steel products.

Current Nucor Statistics:
52 week 29.82 - 45.75
Vol / Avg. 4.54M/2.95M
Mkt cap $11.81B
P/E 15.53
Div/yield $0.37/3.92%
EPS 2.40
Shares 317.04M
Beta 1.11
Inst. own 75%

Nucor has a history of continuous innovation technologically and managerially. They are committed to high-quality steel products at competitive prices. Even during the Great Recession Nucor still boasted strong financials. I believe NUE is positioned to rebound in a major way when home construction improves. Recent calculations suggest higher than expected seasonal improvement, which should provide an upward trend for share price and earnings.

NUE is a very well managed company with a decentralized management structure that encourages freedom to introduce new idea within the employee base which ultimately boosts morale. Simply put, Nucor is the best run company in its industry. They keep their costs low, have happy employees and great management.

Just for this simple that Nucor is the largest United States steelmaker and benefits from being the big boss with the hot sauce! I highly suggest that you attend tomorrow's Nucor stockholder's web cast. It is on 5/10/12 at 10:00 am Eastern Standard Time. This is the best way to learn how NUE is performing. Learn more by clicking here.

Please feel free to watch the hand picked YouTube videos below to understand all that is Nucor. Also, visit their homepage, here, as well as their Investor Relations website, here. Nucor is a BOSS in the steel industry. Round out your Roth IRA stock portfolio raw material and industrial sector with NUE and thank me later! Have a great day. Thanks for your time and support.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Allstate Corporation - ALL

Is your stock portfolio in good hands? Are you ready to live off of your retirement investments? Tell me, are you in good hands? Well, adding a stock like Allstate Corporation, stock ticker ALL, to your IRA would be a smart move.

Allstate is a holding company for Allstate Insurance Company. Allstate's business is conducted principally through Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Life Insurance Company and their affiliates. They are engaged, principally in the United States, in the property liability insurance, life insurance, retirement and investment product business. Allstate's primary business is the sale of private passenger auto and homeowners insurance.

In short, Allstate Corporation is currently selling at a 50% discount from what it sold for in 2007.  Allstate is a solid company that is trading at a huge discount to its book value. ALL should continue to do better as it embraces more of a direct-to-consumer sales model and begins to shift away from using agents. Add in a solid dividend and you've got a buy! Allstate pays a 22 cent quarterly dividend, which is a 2.57% dividend yield. They are a dividend machine!

Allstate also sells several other personal property and casualty insurance products, select commercial property and casualty coverages, life insurance, annuities, voluntary accident and health insurance and funding agreements. It conducts its business primarily in the United States. Allstate has four business segments: 1) Allstate Protection 2) Allstate Financial 3) Discontinued Lines and Coverages 4) Corporate and Other. In October 2011, ALL acquired Esurance and Answer Financial from White Mountains Insurance Group (See video for more about Allstate's Esurance and Answer Financial acquisition).

Here are some helpful up to date Allstate Statistics which will help you decided whether ALL is right for your Roth IRA stock portfolio:

52 week 22.27 - 34.83
Vol / Avg. 6.51M/4.21M
Mkt cap $16.80B
P/E 16.35
Div/yield $0.22/2.57%
EPS 2.09
Shares 491.36M
Beta 1.49
Inst. own 76%

I believe Allstate will grow in profitability as property insurance benefits from the eventual real estate recovery and the middle class's recovery in jobs, investments, and purchasing power. Allstate is an experienced company, currently cleaning up the agent pool and insurance books. They have a lot of potential!

Feel free to visit Allstate's Investor Relations website, here, and register to listen to their Q1 2012 Earnings conference call, here. In conclusion, Allstate is a great company who cares about their customers. They pay a fantastic quarterly dividend which will continue to grow. ALL is way too cheap as of today. With such a great balance sheet I do not see why ALL is not selling for a much higher share price.

Interview with Thomas Wilson, CEO of Allstate
Answer Financial & Esurance Acquisition
Allstate Commercials

Stock Picks for the week of May 7, 2012 to May 11, 2012

Hello, how are you today? I hope you are having a nice weekend and that you had a solid week of gains last week.

Listed below are my highly rated dividend stock investments for the Common Man! (week of May 7th, 2012 to May 11th, 2012).

Any one of these stocks will infuse a powerful wealth stream of cash into your Roth or Traditional IRA stock portfolio. Each company listed below offers a reliable dividend and I remain 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 May 12th, 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!

Additionally, enjoy these hand picked YouTube videos below, which include American Eagle Outfitters and  Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Have a great start to the week! It's almost Monday already! (see Video below)

Waste Management, Inc.(NYSE:WM) $33.97
AFLAC Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) $43.48
McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) $95.87
Universal Health Realty Income Trust (NYSE:UHT) $39.79
ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) $53.17
Westar Energy Inc (NYSE:WR) $28.18
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (NASDAQ:HBAN) $6.49
Hospitality Properties Trust (NYSE:HPT) $27.41
Eli Lilly & Co.(NYSE:LLY) $41.28
Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) $80.69
Reynolds American, Inc. (NYSE:RAI) $40.37
Kimberly Clark Corp (NYSE:KMB) $78.29
Altria Group, Inc.(NYSE:MO) $32.43
Cincinnati Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:CINF) $36.15
FirstEnergy Corp.(NYSE:FE) $46.97
Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) $32.09
Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) $83.39
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ADR)(NASDAQ:TEVA) $44.44
Tiffany & Co.(NYSE:TIF) $65.95
Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.(NASDAQ:ARLP) $61.63
Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P. (NYSE:KMP) $81.98
Verizon Communications Inc.(NYSE:VZ) $40.26
Dunkin Brands Group Inc (NASDAQ:DNKN) $32.18
American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO) $20.02
American Capital Agency Corp.(NASDAQ:AGNC) $31.66
SPDR S&P 500 ETF(NYSEARCA:SPY) $136.96

Note: Stock prices as of 5/6/12

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