Update: Dividend Stock Picks for the Week of 7/9/12 to 7/13/12

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 a 12 for 19 week. 63% of my picks increased in value.PowerShares High Yld. Dividend Achv(ETF) (PEY) remained unchanged at $9.41 per share. Consumer staples such as The Procter & Gamble Company(NYSE:PG),and General Mills, Inc.(NYSE:GIS) really popped with excellent weekly gains. Exelon Corporation(NYSE:EXC), Verizon Communications Inc.(NYSE:VZ) and AFLAC Incorporated(NYSE:AFL) were also the big winners of the week. 


Although we made some serious cash this week it is not how many times you win short term, but rather which investments can provide you with a steady income stream over the long term. When investing in dividend paying stocks you are protecting yourself from stock market volatility. If the market goes down one quarter, the dividend payment will help recoup the losses.


I like companies such as Dunkin Brands Group Inc(NASDAQ:DNKN) and Yum! Brands, Inc.(NYSE:YUM) because they offer quick and convenient service in the food services sector. Both have a long way to go to compete with McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) however they both are a solid investment now and throughout your working career.


Let these companies work hard so they can maintain their dividend and increase it year over year. As a shareholder, it is like receiving a raise each year. Reinvest your dividends to maximize your profits!


Until next time friends, keep investing as much as you can on a weekly basis. Perform your due diligence and invest in companies that you feel comfortable with. Do not risk your hard earned dollars by investing in unknown, unreliable companies.


Feel free to watch the great videos below, featuring some of this week's winners!


Company Name/Stock Ticker/Current Price/7/8/12 Price/7/13/12 Price (end of day)


AFLAC Incorporated(NYSE:AFL) $42.63 $43.60
General Mills, Inc.(NYSE:GIS) $38.76 $39.04
American Capital Agency Corp.(NASDAQ:AGNC) $34.26 $34.67
CVS Caremark Corporation(NYSE:CVS) $48.12 $48.05
Diageo plc (ADR)(NYSE:DEO) $103.10 $104.37
PowerShares High Yld. Dividend Achv(ETF) (PEY) $9.41 $9.41
Verizon Communications Inc.(NYSE:VZ) $44.42 $45.21
Merck & Co., Inc.(NYSE:MRK) $41.51 $43.47
The Procter & Gamble Company(NYSE:PG) $61.28 $65.09
Applied Materials, Inc.(NASDAQ:AMAT) $11.04 $10.48
Duke Energy Corp(NYSE:DUK) $66.23 $66.74
Dunkin Brands Group Inc(NASDAQ:DNKN) $34.48 $34.71
Exelon Corporation(NYSE:EXC) $37.35 $38.52
General Growth Properties Inc(NYSE:GGP) $18.49 $18.07
Yum! Brands, Inc.(NYSE:YUM) $64.92 $64.72
The Men's Wearhouse, Inc.(NYSE:MW) $27.74 $27.61
Dicks Sporting Goods Inc(NYSE:DKS) $49.80 $48.18
Lockheed Martin Corporation(NYSE:LMT) $86.86 $87.25
Northrop Grumman Corporation(NYSE:NOC) $63.47 $63.79
KKR & Co. L.P.(NYSE:KKR) $13.23 $13.11

Proctor & Gamble Videos

General Mills Videos

Verizon - VZ vs. AT&T - T

If I were to invest my hard earned dollars into one industry it would be in Telecommunications. Two of the market leaders are Verizon Communications, Inc (VZ) or AT&T, Inc (T). Both companies are widely known (of course), however I would love to know how many of their customers actually own their stock! Think of all of the money that you may give to these companies per month, ok let's not think about that too long. Let's ponder how nice it would be to invest those dollars into their stock rather than straight to their bank account. Wouldn't that be nice!

You must hold a position in at least one telecommunication company within your Roth IRA stock portfolio. VZ or T will be around for many, many years. It is key to invest in companies with long term growth, a large portion of their industries' market share, and you must actually like the company! I know the experts may not tell you that, but liking companies that you own stock in really makes is a win-win situation. If you are a shareholder in a company that you like, you will find yourself talking about the company more and more to your friends and family.

Let's get down to business. If you invested $200.00 into VZ and T today (using the information listed below, $400.00 total) and did not touch it for the next 30 years you would have increased your balance to $1,046.12 for VZ and $1,205.27 for T. An net profit of $1,851.39 total. Just think of the amount of money you would have in your account if you invested $25.00 per month into VZ and T ($50.00 per month total). This is an excellent plan to secure your financial future, by investing what you can afford. You do not need to be a millionarie or the smartest guy in the world to get your piece of the market. Don't hesitate, now is the time to invest in your future!

I hope you had a great day today and good luck tomorrow!

AT&T Inc. Current Stock Price $27.88
Quarterly dividend 0.43
Current Dividend Yield 6.17%
Mkt cap   165.22B
Investor Relations

Verizon Communications Inc.  Current Stock Price $35.25
Quarterly Dividend 0.50
Current Dividend Yield 5.67%
Mkt cap 99.78B
Investor Relations