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Strategies & Market Trends : Dividend investing for retirement -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: chowder who wrote (3877)	2/23/2010 6:40:11 PM
From: JimisJim	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 34328

How about MKC... ran across this article talking about broken and unbroken streaks in rising divies and/or earnings: McCormick Keeps Dividend Streak Going By PAUL WHITFIELD, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILYPosted 02/22/2010 06:18 PM ET Herbs and spices producer McCormick & Co. (MKC) has increased earnings and sales seven years in a row. That alone puts the company in an elite group. Many companies with longer streaks stumbled in the recent recession. Just in the Dow, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), 3M (MMM), United Technologies (UTX) and Procter & Gamble (PG) each saw a streak of annually rising revenue and/or earnings end in 2009. Despite the recession, McCormick ramped up earnings growth. Earnings grew 12%, 11% and 10% in 2007-09. The double-digit growth followed three years of single-digit growth. Sales were up only 0.5% in fiscal 2009 ended in November. A stronger U.S. dollar reduced sales by 5% for the year, CEO Alan Wilson said on the earnings call Jan. 28. In the previous three years, sales stepped up 3%, 5%, 7% and 9%. Margins have remained strong. Pretax margin was 13.5% in fiscal '09, up for a third straight year. After-tax margin has risen on a year-ago basis for five straight quarters. Staying on a consistent growth track has been good for the dividend. In November, McCormick increased the payout for the 24th year in a row. It raised the quarterly dividend from 24 cents a share to 26 cents a share. The current dividend yield is 2.8%. In 2009, McCormick doubled the number of cities in China where consumers can buy its products. PepsiCo (PEP) and Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) each accounted for 11% of sales last year. The stock has shaped a flat base and is only 1% off its 52-week high.

To: chowder who wrote (3877)	2/23/2010 8:18:17 PM
From: Steve Felix	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 34328

Just my thoughts, maybe INTC in the short run, but all the rest, including JimisJims' MCK, although great stocks, would have a hard time doing 2x the market imho. I opened my way too big file "stocks" looking for something with a market cap under 1B, demographics in its favor, low to no debt, 3% or better yield, with a good dividend history. VIVO caught my eye. Current yield 3.6%. Yes, the PE is too high. But then with a 17.17% earnings growth rate, earnings would double in 4 1/2 years. From Zacks: Current Quarter Estimate .22 Next Quarter Estimate .23 EPS (Trailing 12 Mos.) .83 Current Year Estimate .93 Next Year Estimate 1.08 Expected Earnings Growth 17.17% Expected Sales Growth 12.69% Demographics plays in their favor, and they have an international presence. < Meridian Bioscience markets its diagnostic test kits through direct sales force and independent distributors to reference laboratories and hospitals primarily in the United States, Canada, Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Africa, and the Middle East. > Payout ratio is too high at 82%, but then management is aiming for 75% to 85%. If next years earnings are $1.08 that would put the dividend between .81 and .92. A wide spread between 6.5% and 21% above the current .76. ______________________________________________________________ From their last earnings report: Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 were $42,457,000 as compared to $34,293,000 for the same period of the prior fiscal year, an increase of 24%. Net earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 were $8,921,000 or $0.22 per diluted share, both increases of 10% over the first quarter of fiscal 2009. Diluted common shares outstanding for fiscal 2010 and 2009 were 41,185,000 and 41,125,000, respectively. CASH DIVIDEND MATTERS The Board of Directors declared the regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.19 per share for the quarter ended December 31, 2009. The dividend is of record February 1, 2010 and payable February 11, 2010. This annual indicated dividend rate of $0.76 per share represents a 12% increase over the fiscal 2009 rate of $0.68 per share. Meridian has now increased its regular cash dividend rate nineteen times since it established a regular dividend in 1991. Guided by the Company’s policy of setting a payout ratio of between 75% and 85% of each fiscal year’s expected net earnings, the actual declaration and amount of dividends will be determined by the Board of Directors in its discretion based upon its evaluation of earnings, cash flow requirements and future business developments, including acquisitions. FISCAL 2010 GUIDANCE REAFFIRMED For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, management expects net sales to be in the range of $160 million to $165 million and per share diluted earnings to be between $0.90 and $0.95. The sales and earnings guidance provided in this press release does not include the impact of any acquisitions the Company might complete during fiscal 2010. FINANCIAL CONDITION The Company’s financial condition is sound. At December 31, 2009, current assets were $116.2 million compared to current liabilities of $13.5 million, thereby producing working capital of $102.7 and a current ratio of 8.6. Cash and short-term investments were $66.7 million and the Company had 100% borrowing capacity under its $30,000,000 commercial bank credit facility. The Company has no bank-debt obligations outstanding. ___________________________________________________________ Up 3.57% in VIVO in one day. Maybe I better sell. lol! 02/23/2010 10:41:00 Bought 45 VIVO @ 20.99 02/23/2010 10:36:07 Bought 40 WM @ 32.64 02/23/2010 10:31:22 Sold 50 PSEC @ 11.5703 02/23/2010 10:23:27 Bought 40 PPL @ 28.92 02/23/2010 10:17:18 Sold 60 ACNB @ 12.6 ________________________________________________________ Don't know if all are "eligible securities", though I would think so. Reply from Ameritrade: Thank you for your request. I have enrolled all eligible securities into the TD AMERITRADE Dividend Reinvestment Program (DRIP). By setting your account to "enroll all eligible", any additional eligible securities you add to your account will automatically be enrolled. Please keep in mind that reinvestment will begin for eligible dividends with a record date on or after 2/23/2010. Dividend Reinvestment is an automatic reinvestment of shareholder dividends into additional shares and fractional shares of the companys stock. It is a service available free of charge for eligible securities.