Seagate Technology PLC - STX: A Stock For Your Retirement Years

Seagate Technology plc, NASDAQ stock ticker STX, is currently paying a 32 cent dividend, which is a sweet 4% dividend yield. STX is a provider of electronic data storage products. Their products include hard disk drives, commonly referred to as disk drives, hard drives or HDDs. STX produces a range of disk drive products addressing enterprise applications, where their products are designed for enterprise servers, mainframes and workstations. Additionally, client compute applications, desktop and notebook computers, and client non-compute applications, for a range of end user devices, such as digital video recorders A.K.A. DVRs, personal data backup systems, portable external storage systems and digital media systems. 

In addition to manufacturing and selling disk drives, STX provides data storage services for small to medium sized businesses, which includes online backup, data protection and recovery solutions. 

On December 19th 2011 STX completed the acquisition of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd's hard disk drive business. In August 3, 2012, it acquired 64.5% of LaCie S.A.

Current STX Statistics:

52 week $9.05 - $35.71

Vol / Avg. 12.06M/10.93M

Mkt cap $12.72B

P/E 4.96

Div/yield $0.32/4.00%

EPS 6.45

Shares 397.27M

Beta 2.38

Headquartered at 38/39 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin, Ireland, STX is the elite, worldwide data backup company. Their stock is flying high and a very safe investment at their current price point. I suggest going to their "About Seagate" webpage (http://www.seagate.com/au/en/about/newsroom/) and also their "Company Overview" webpage (http://www.seagate.com/au/en/about/company-information/) to learn more about this reliable company.

Positives:

STX has great growth potential, is still undervalued and has a low PE. Their dividend is high within their industry. Additionally, cloud computing will have a never ending need for storage. Although STX had a huge move up during the past 52 weeks they are expected to earn $8.66 per share in 2013. I wouldn't be surprised if this stock doubles within the next 12 months. I am not trying to pump this stock or make it something it is not. I am just a common man passing along some helpful advice. I really like Seagate's management and products. STX has good free cash flow and an impressive balance sheet.

Negatives:

So what's wrong with STX? Well, traditional hard drives are not going away anytime soon. Also, companies such as Western Digital, Samsung, Fujitsu are not going away anytime soon either. It will be interesting to see what products Seagate creates to stay relevant and a head of their peers.   

STX has a solid foothold in the electronic storage drive market. They are a highly profitable company and their products are really slick, sleek and reliable. Need proof? Check out these products below, but more importantly check out the 3 YouTube Videos below. 

Until next time friends, invest as much as you can into your future. No one is going to do it for you. Dividend paying stocks are the way to go. With compounding and smart stock picks your portfolio will begin to grow and snowball into a vault of wealth!

The Seagate Story

Tour of Seagate's Drive Factory in China

Seagate Shows Off Updates to GoFlex Satellite including a 4G LTE Version

General Electric Company - GE: A Dividend Champion!

General Electric Company, stock ticker GE, is a dividend champion. They have paid their shareholders a dividend since December 1st, 1987. GE sold for $58.12 on September 1st, 2000, paying a 16 cent per share dividend. GE currently sells for $20.92 at a dividend of 17 cents per share, a 3.25% dividend yield! Even though GE's price per share is almost 2 1/2 times less than 12 years ago their dividend has increased  1 penny. I like GE because they are a piece of America's industrial history and were able to weather the Great Recession storm.


General Electric Company is one of the best diversified technology and financial services companies on Earth. Their products and services range from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing, and household appliances to medical imaging, business and consumer financing and industrial products. General Electric serves customers in more than 160 countries.


Effective January 28, 2011, GE held a 49% interest in a media company that includes the NBC Universal businesses. GE's divisions include Energy Infrastructure, Aviation, Healthcare, Transportation, Home & Business Solutions and GE Capital. 


Effective January 1, 2011, it reorganized the Technology Infrastructure segment into three segments: Aviation, Healthcare and Transportation. In April 2012, GE Healthcare acquired SeqWright, Inc. In May 2012, GE Healthcare, the healthcare business of GE, acquired Xcellerex, Inc., a supplier of manufacturing technologies for the biopharmaceutical industry. In June 2012, GE Healthcare acquired XPRO.


GE cut their dividend from 31 cents per share to 10 cents per share on June 18th, 2009 due to the financial crisis, however they did not stop paying a dividend to their shareholders. I like companies who do not sell out their shareholders for corporate profits. Yes, their dividend was cut by 21 cents, however it has been increasing over the past four years.


In 2010, GE delivered solid results despite the tough economic climate with earnings of $12.6 billion. Industrial cash flow from operating activities for the year remained strong at over $14.7 billion.


GE traces its beginnings to Thomas A. Edison, who established Edison Electric Light Company in 1878. In 1892, a merger of Edison General Electric Company and Thomson-Houston Electric Company created General Electric Company. GE is the only company listed in the Dow Jones Industrial Index today that was also included in the original index in 1896.


General Electric Current Statistics: 
52 week 14.02 - 21.00
Average Volume 51.80M
Mkt cap 221.49B
P/E 16.85
Div/yield $0.17/3.25%
EPS 1.24
Shares 10.59B
Beta 1.58
Inst. own 54%


GE has been able to be very resilient while facing alot of economic uncertainty. Last quarter profits totalled $3.11 billion, revenues rose 2% to $36 billion. GE is worth watching on a daily basis since they are a solid company back on the rise again. To that deluxe apartment in the sky! RIP Sherman Hemsley.


GE may be vast in their business endeavors, however they have a foothold in so many different industries. GE's home offices have a credit card division down one hallway, the power plant lighting your house down another, and your home refrigerator down a third. Not only is GE a strong DOW company with a good dividend, but it's been around for a long time. GE isn't going anywhere, and has plenty of room to move forward.


Overall, at around $20.00 per share, you can't go wrong by picking up a few shares at this level. This stock will increase in value over the next few years. Entering into a GE position would provide you with an excellent cost basis for your Roth IRA. Let the dividend compound for your working years then reap the benefits of a smart investing decisions during your retirement years. Feel free to watch the videos below to learn more about GE. Thanks for your time. Have a great day!

GE Stories: Aviation

GE Stories: Healthcare

A Look Inside GE Garages

GE Show: A Slice of Life

GE Locomotives: The Science of Efficiency

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.

Pepco Holdings, Inc - POM

Pepco Holdings, Inc., stock ticker POM, pays a 27 cent quarterly dividend, which is currently a 5.72% dividend yield. 5.72%! Now if that doesn't get your attention then I really don't know what will. There are not many guarantees in this world, but POM's dividend is a safe and this company should be a cornerstone within your Roth IRA stock retirement portfolio.

Taking a step back, before we continue to discuss POM's sweet, juicy dividend. POM is a holding company that, through regulated public utility subsidiaries, is engaged in the transmission, distribution and default supply of electricity and the distribution and supply of natural gas. Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco), Delmarva Power & Light Company (DPL) and Atlantic City Electric Company (ACE) are POM's holdings.

As of December 31, 2011, POM operated in three segments: 1) Power Delivery: consisting of the operations of Pepco, 2) DPL and ACE: engaged primarily in the transmission, distribution and default supply of electricity and the distribution and supply of natural gas. 3) Pepco Energy Services and Other Non-Regulated: consisting of the operations of PCI. Through Pepco Energy Services, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively Pepco Energy Services), PHI also provides energy and renewable energy services to Government and institutional customers.

Listed below are Pepco's current POM Statistics:

52 week 16.57 - 20.64
Vol / Avg. 3.53M/2.08M
Market cap 4.30B
P/E 16.43
Div/yield $0.27/5.72%
EPS 1.15
Shares 227.84M
Beta 0.50
Inst. own 56%

In short, POM is a well managed company. They are loaded with cash after their sale of power generation assets to Calpine Corporation CPN for $1.65 billion. POM is a great recession play as well. As we come out of the Great Recession profits should continue to improve for POM.

Simply put, POM is another one of those boring utility companies that delivers electricity and natural gas. POM delivers electricity to Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington, DC. It pays a consistent dividend quarter after quarter, year after year. POM's dividend will just not stop as long as people want to heat and light their homes. Newsflash: What are the chances that is going to end anytime soon? Are we going to live in the dark and freeze in the wintertime? Final Answer: No.

I strongly believe in POM. They are a great company and the dividend is 100 % safe. POM has not missed a dividend payment since November 1987. Back when the Beastie Boys were performing on the infamous Joan Rivers show (see video clip below). RIP MCA!!

Okay back to POM. Although their earnings are always under pressure they recover very nicely each quarter. POM is THEE regulated utility and is already applying for a rate increases, which will line their pockets, as well as their shareholders. Pepco is a great buying opportunity at $18-$19, for it could hit in the high $20's within 6 months.

Pepco has a nice Q1 2012, see below for complete details:

Pepco Holdings Reports First-Quarter 2012 Financial Results; Reaffirms Full-Year 2012 Earnings Guidance
I must recommend listening to POM's Q1 2012 Earnings Conference Call by clicking on this link. 

Feel free to visit Pepco's home page, here, as well as their Investor Relations website, here. "Fight for your right" to a secure retirement with POM!

Until next time friends, continue to invest as much as you possibly can into your Roth IRA rather than impulse buying at your local mall. Cut up your credit cards and pay cash for every last thing you need. Take care now.

How to Turn $40 into $5 Million by Warren Buffet

Watch and learn how to convert $40.00 into $5 million. It's possible with smart stock investments and some patience. Please watch both videos below and think about whether you are making the correct decisions with your money.

Interview with Warren Buffet in India

One Liberty Properties, Inc - OLP

One Liberty Properties, Inc., stock ticker OLP, is another great investment for your Roth IRA stock portfolio. Paying a high dividend of 33 cents per share, which is a dividend yield of 6.9%. OLP is trading near book value with high insider ownership. OLP is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust, otherwise know as a REIT. They acquire, own and manage a portfolio of retail, which includes furniture and office supply stores. They own industrial, office, flex, health and fitness and other properties, a substantial portion of which are under long-term leases.

OLP owns 84 properties and have participated in four joint ventures that own four properties. Their properties are located in 29 states and has an aggregate of approximately 5.1 million square feet of space! This space includes approximately 106,000 square feet of space at the property in which OLP owns a tenancy in common interest and approximately 1.1 million square feet of space at properties owned by the joint ventures in which it participates.

Taking a macro view of the national real-estate market it appears to have bottomed out and OLP is on the rise. Heading back to the level it was before the real-estate market scare pushed the price down. OLP's financials are healthy and they are in a perfect position as the economy recovers.

OLP has acquired their portfolio of properties by balancing fundamental real estate analysis with tenant credit evaluation. Their analysis focuses on the value of a property, determined primarily by its location, use, and by local demographics. They evaluate a tenant’s financial ability to meet operational needs and lease obligations and believe that their emphasis on property value enables them to achieve better returns on their acquired properties and also enhances their ability to re-rent or dispose of a property on favorable terms upon the expiration or early termination of a lease. Additionally, they believe that the weighting of these factors in their analysis enables them to achieve attractive current returns with potential growth through contractual rent increases and property appreciation.

OLP is here to stay. Some of the best stores in the world lease their buildings. For example, LA Fitness, Petsmart, Best Buy, Best Bath & Beyond, KOHL's, Wendy's, Office Depot and FedEx, to name a few!. Click here for a complete listing. Also, click here to meet the OLP Investment team.

I think OLP is great because of their safe quarterly dividend, their property diversification, and consistent financial performance. Give OLP a try and reinvest your dividend payment for the rest of your life!

Need some more proof that OLP is on the rise, well check out their chart below and video. 

Costco Wholesale Corporation - COST

Costco Wholesale Corporation, stock ticker COST, is currently paying a 24 cent quarterly dividend, which equals a 1.09% dividend yield. While COST's yield is 50% lower than what we like our 2% Common Man dividend yield to be, I think it's save to say that COST will continue to increase their dividend to entice the masses and make their stock a mainstay in most Roth IRA stock retirement portfolios.

Costco, along with their subsidiaries operate membership warehouses that offer their members low prices on a limited selection of branded and selected private label products in a range of merchandise categories. COST buys the majority of their merchandise directly from manufacturers and route it to a docking consolidation points or directly to its warehouses. The docking points secure the container based shipments from COST's manufacturers and re-allocate the goods for shipment to their individual warehouses, generally in less than 24 hours!

Costco’s warehouse format are around 143,000 square feet. Their warehouses operate on a 7 day, 69 hour week. As of today, they carry an average of approximately 3,600 active stock keeping units per warehouse in their core warehouse business. Many consumable products are offered for sale only in case, carton, or multiple-pack quantities only.

Here are some important statistics to review if you are in the market for some shares of COST:

52 week $70.22 - $92.10 (currently selling at $88.25 - as of 4/26/12 market close)
Vol as of 4/26/12 / Avg. 2.45M/2.09M
Mkt cap 38.22B
P/E 25.66
Div/yield $0.24/1.09%
EPS 3.43
Shares 433.97M
Beta 0.66
Inst. own 79%

Costco is even offering home mortgages now! Click here to learn more. Also, today, Costco announced an expansion of their stock repurchase program of up to $4 billion dollars and increased their quarterly dividend! They will increase their dividend from $.205 to $.24 per share, or $.96 per share on an annualized basis. The dividend is payable May 27, 2011, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 13, 2011. What! Are you serious?!?! Keep it coming COST!

I like COST not only because their customers are addicted and are somewhat fanatics of the store, but also Warren Buffet is a huge fan of their financials. I have heard from many people that they have had a great personal experience at their local Costco store. Additionally, Costco employees are happy and have a reputation to stay long term. COST has a basic business modal that works long term, which will provide your Roth IRA with a healthy dividend for the remaining years of your working career.. well into your retirement years.

Costco is positioned very well given the current economic environment. They attract a more upscale customer versus Walmart's philosophy. A large percentage of their clientele have yearly incomes over $100,000 and are college educated. That does not mean that there is not room for everyone though. COST is a safe place to buy high-end electronics, hearing aids, engagement rings and even funeral caskets. It never ends! They can sell their members just about anything.

While everyone is out buying 10 packs of Heinz ketchup or a 362 count bottle of Advil, why not save your money and invest those dollars into COST. Each time you think you need more than 1 blender or 10,000 rolls of toilet paper, purchase a smaller amount and then invest those dollars into COST. Do this year over year and watch your dividend payment compound and multiply month after month. This is a great way to secure your financial freedom so one day you can walk into Costco and buy whatever you want when ever you want. Make it rain!

"Pay yourself first!", that's what I have always said to all who ask. Why go to McDonald's and get a number 13 Mushroom Angus burger meal for $6.99 when you can pack your lunch for a few dollars, then invest the remaining dollars into MCD! I'm getting off topic I know, but just think of the amount of dividend payments you will receive when your older. It may seem like a few pennies today, but give it time and be consistent. $$$

COST is yet another SOLID dividend paying stock on the uptick and will solidify your retirement. Feel free to visit Costco's homepage, here, and their Investor Relations website, here. Also, check out these cool Costco videos below. Perform your own due diligence on this one folks, but get in with COST while you can. It's going to hit $100.00 at some point.

CEC Entertainment, Inc - CEC

CEC Entertainment, Inc., stock ticker CEC, is engaged in the family dining and entertainment center business. CEC develops, operates and franchises family dining and entertainment centers under the name Chuck E. Cheese’s! They pay a 22 cent dividend, which is currently a 2.34% dividend yield. What a pleasant surprise. Listen folks. Chuck E. Cheese is not going anywhere, anytime soon!

CEC knows how to flock children into their establishments and treat them like royalty! From video games, rides, pizza, concerts, prizes and did I say PIZZA, CEC is where it's at if your 10 years of age and younger.

Again, let me elaborate, Chuck E. Cheese's stores feature musical and comic entertainment by robotic and animated characters, arcade-style and skill-oriented games, video games, rides and other activities. All of it's stores offer dining selections consisting of a range of beverages, pizzas, sandwiches, appetizers, a salad bar and desserts.

As of January 1, 2012, the Company and its franchisees operated a total of 556 Chuck E. Cheese’s stores. As of January 1, 2012, it operated 507 Company-owned Chuck E. Cheese’s stores located in 44 states and Canada and its franchisees operated a total of 49 stores located in 15 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, Guatemala, Chile, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Current Stock Statistics:
52 week $25.83 - $42.75
Vol / Avg. 146,009.00/139,420.00
Mkt cap 680.37M
P/E 13.39
Div/yield $0.22/2.34%
EPS 2.81
Shares 18.09M
Beta 1.04
Inst. own 94%

Click here to listen to Chuck E. Cheese's 2012 1Q earnings conference call. You may be pleasantly surprised. If you would like to learn more about this dividend paying winner, click here for a complete history timeline.

Chuck E. Cheese is concentrating on current stores instead of opening new ones. CEC caters to kids, which means that their customer base can be finicky. But as long as they remain sensitive to what makes youngsters happy, there will always be those in the target age group who want their birthday parties there. Maintaining their appeal is critical; finding ways to hang onto their aging clientele longer will be a big bonus!

If you believe CEC is a joke or not a serious investment for your Roth IRA stock porfolio, well check out the chart below which shows which institutional establishments claim ownership in CEC. Also, please watch the hand picked CEC videos below. If your Roth IRA stock portfolio needs some coverage in the entertainment sector, then look now further than CHUCK E. CHEESE!!!


P.S. If you plan on going to Chuck E. Cheese anytime soon, click here for coupons and sign up for their E-mail club to maximize your savings! I am not affiliated with CEC in anyway. I just believe it will outperform the market long-term.

INSTITUTION NAME SHS HELD

Fidelity Management & Research Company  2,856,815

BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A.  1,374,443

American Century Investment Management, Inc.  1,112,478

Vanguard Group, Inc.  1,058,610

Wellington Management Company, LLP  1,024,619

Schroder Investment Management Ltd. (SIM)  699,100

Integrity Asset Management, LLC  665,389

Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC  615,827

Cramer Rosenthal McGlynn, LLC  609,611

Robeco Investment Management, Inc.  533,904

WEDGE Capital Management, L.L.P.  511,125

State Street Global Advisors (US)   450,011

Delaware Investments  437,880

Dimensional Fund Advisors, LP  379,828

Dunkin Brands Group Inc - DNKN

Recently I have noticed that every Dunkin' Donuts is always packed. Many, many cars are in each parking lot. The Drive-thru is packed around the clock. Anytime of day! In the city, the suburbs, near college campuses, on the bus, train station, and even in the airport it's dunkin', dunkin', DUNKIN'!

So I decided to check out their current stock valuation and it seems pretty consistent with their earning (@ $31.05, as of 4/20/12) Dunkin Brands Group, Inc., stock ticker DNKN currently pays 15 cent quarterly dividend, which is a 1.93% dividend yield. Since going public on the NASDAQ on July 27th, 2011 DNKN has increased in value.

Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. is a franchisor of quick service restaurants serving hot and cold coffee and baked goods, as well as hard serve ice cream. DNKN franchises restaurants under its Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins brands. It has over 16,000 points of distribution in 57 countries. Dunkin’ Donuts operates primarily in the breakfast daypart within the quick service restaurant segment. Dunkin’ Donuts holds servings in each of the quick restaurant segment subcategories of Hot regular coffee, Iced coffee, Donuts, Bagels, Muffins, Total coffee and Breakfast sandwiches.

Baskin-Robbins offers servings of hard serve ice cream. It operates in four segments:
Dunkin’ Donuts U.S.
Dunkin’ Donuts International
Baskin-Robbins International
Baskin-Robbins U.S.

During the year ended December 25, 2010, Dunkin’ Donuts segments generated 76% of its total segment revenues. DNKN is not a new company at all. They have been in existence since 1961. Since going public they have undergone many changes since being partially owned by a group of private equity groups. Bain Capital has owned a chunk of the "DUNK" since 2006.

Dunkin' Brands has added 4,400 net restaurants in the past 6 years. They plan on doubling their footprint in the United States over the upcoming 20 years. In 2011, DNKN added 240 restaurants in the United States, which accounts for more than 70% of revenue stream.

I believe that it is now time to bank your hard earned dollar$ into DNKN. I like the opportunity for expansion with this business. Expansion into more areas is being done carefully with overseas units. DNKN should be able to open many more stores across the country, as well penetrate other global territories.

DNKN is the COMMON MAN'S coffee alternative to the highly priced Starbucks. That is not a diss to SBUX, which is a great company also. Click here to read my analysis of SBUX. DNKN and SBUX are on different levels. Both make a moat of cash, yet you should perform your own due diligence if you intend on investing in both stocks. Pick one and reap the benefits! The coffee business will be around when your 60, 70, and 80 and why not look back and say, "I have been invested in DNKN since 2012!"

In my humble opinion DNKN sells better bakery goods! They don't have fancy lounges like SBUX, which suits me just fine. I want my coffee hot, quick, and I'm GONE! Their Coffee Coolattas are addictive, but not as addicting as their current 1.93% dividend yield, which will grow for years to come.

Please visit Dunkin' Brands' website here, and also their Corporate History page, here. Are you in need of DNKN's Investor Relations information? Click here. Enjoy the Dunkin' related videos below and seriously consider this stock for your own personal Roth IRA stock portfolio.

CNBC interview with CEO Nigel Travis for his 1st interview since Dunkin went public.

Dunkin Brands Group, Inc.: Using Social Media

Time to make the donuts with (the late) Michael Vale as "Fred the Baker"

Baskin Robbins 31 cent Scoop Night in Canada!

Dominion Resources, Inc. - D

Dominion Resources, Inc., stock ticker D, pays a healthy 53 cent quarterly dividend, which is currently a 4.09% dividend yield. Since February 23rd, 1987 Dominion has paid their dividend which makes them a magnificent addition to your long-term retirement stock portfolio.

Simply put, D is a producer and transporter of energy. Their portfolio of assets includes approximately 28,142 megawatts of generating capacity, 6,300 miles of electric transmission lines, 56,800 miles of electric distribution lines, 11,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline and 21,800 miles of gas distribution pipeline. D operates their natural gas storage system, with approximately 947 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves six million utility and retail energy customers in 15 states.

D operates in three business segments: Dominion Virginia Power (DVP), Dominion Generation and Dominion Energy. Dominion’s operations are conducted through various subsidiaries, including Virginia Electric and Power Company (Virginia Power).

Here are some of D's statistics as of April 4th, 2012:

Range 51.25 - 51.87
52 week 43.27 - 53.68
Open 51.27
Vol / Avg. 2.12M/2.77M
Mkt cap $29.44B
P/E 21.08
Div/yield $0.53/4.09
EPS 2.45
Beta 0.46
Inst. own 57%

D is the supreme utility stock with a hefty dividend. Extremely well managed company with a solid record of slow but steady growth. D will gain a lot of momentum when economy picks up again. If cap and tax passes it will allow D to flourish as any increased costs will be passed on to consumers. Demand will not be slowing any time soon, even if the economy tanks. D is a solid play for the next 30-50 years. They will benefit of lower coal prices.

Click here to visit Dominion Resources's homepage, as well as here to visit their Investor Relations webpage. Additionally, feel free to watch these handpicked YouTube videos below which will give you a front row seat to all that is D! Put some money into this winner and thank me later. Let those dividends compound into a stream of wealth and safety. Keep saving as much money as you can, for you will be one step closer to living the life of a king.

BlackRock, Inc. - BLK

BlackRock, Inc., stock ticker BLK, is currently paying a $1.50 quarterly dividend to their loyal shareholders. That calculates to a current dividend yield of 3.02%, which qualifies them as an excellent company for the Common Man's stock portfolio. BLK has been increasing their dividend since March 5th, 2004 and it does not look like they are going to stop anytime soon!

BLK is an industry leading independent investment management firm. They serve their clients as a fiduciary, and derive all of their revenues from client business. BLK focuses on investment management and risk management. They invest in capital markets globally. Clients include taxable, tax-exempt and official institutions, retail investors and high net worth individuals. Their platform brings together active investments with index products and risk management to develop tailored solutions for clients. BLK's products range includes single and multi asset class portfolios investing in equities, fixed income and money market instruments.

In January of 2010, BLK completed the acquisition of Helix Financial Group LLC. During October of 2010 they completed the acquisition of all of the net assets of Primasia Investment Trust Co., LTD. Then again in March of 2012 they acquired Claymore Investments, Inc. from Guggenheim Partners, LLC. These are all signs that BLK management are on the prowl for new opportunities and maximize shareholder profits!

Please see below for BLK's statistics as of March 22nd, 2012:

52 week range $137.00 - $207.42
Mkt cap $35.58B
P/E 16.03
Dividend/Dividend yield $1.50/3.02%
EPS 12.38
Beta 1.49
Inst. own 64%

BLK has good growth prospects and a growing market share within their industry. Their P/E is still at recession lows. Their target retirement date funds continue to grow and show great growth in their iShares ETFs. BLK is definitely a powerhouse!

As previously stated, BLK continues to grow their dividend which is excellent for your Roth IRA. Their management team makes solid decisions and have proven results in every economic environment. In the last year BLK stock is up 10%. Additionally, earnings projections have increased over the past few months.

Feel free to click here to learn more about BlackRock, Inc. Also, click here to learn how to Invest for a "New World" (See video below as well). BlackRock is here to stay and in my opinion would be a great addition to your retirement Roth IRA stock portfolio. Let their dividend compound year after year and watch your money work for you!

What is Compound Interest?

Welcome back to Dividend Stock Investing For The Common Man! I wanted to bring to your attention a fascinating topic. Drum roll please.. COMPOUND INTEREST. What is Compound Interest? Well, click here to find out.

The great Albert Einstein once stated, “The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest." Because compound interest is a really amazing invention he called it the "8th Wonder". It can work for you, or against you. When you invest, it works for you. When you borrow it works against you!

Reinvest your dividends throughout your working career so you secure maximum compounding. Investing in high yielding dividend stocks is key if you intend to live comfortably during your retirement years. Check out this handy Compound Interest Calculator. Plug in your numbers and use your favorite stock's dividend yield as the "Interest Rate" and also use 30 years in the "Years to Grow" section. Just think of how sweet those dividend payments will be when you are in your early 60s.

Please watch these three videos below. They are a few of my favorite Compound Interest videos available on YouTube. Never underestimate the power of compound interest!

Keep investing little by little.

I believe the common man trying to make it in this world is just as good or even better than professional brokers at stock picking. Never lose confidence in your plan of action. Remain consistent in your decision to invest in sound dividend stocks! If there is a nasty pull back on one of your stocks, sell a percentage of your gains and purchase another dividend aristocrat! I hope you had a great investing day, as the Dow went up 254.71 points. Although it is important to track how your dividend paying stocks are performing on a weekly, if not daily basis, you should continue to think long term, invest little by little, and let your reinvested dividends compound year after year!

Compounding Returns Calculator

Just a quick note. This is the best Compounding Returns Calculator in the market. Simply type in your Money Invested, Rate of Return, and the Number of Years you intend to hold onto those funds. I use this calculator before investing into any stock. Enjoy!

www.dividend.com/tools/compounding-returns-calculator.php

Thoughts

Investing in dividend paying stocks is a secure way to make sure you will have supplemental income during your retirement years. Many financial planners swear that you need their expertise, but I will prove them wrong. Please continue to follow this blog. I will provide one dividend stock pick per month. I advise you to invest as much capital as you can now. Don't wait until your final working years to start planning for your retirement. Social Security will not be enough. Compound dividends are the way to go. Have a great rest of the weekend.