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

To: Steve Felix who wrote (8559)	4/2/2011 4:55:42 PM
From: chowder	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 34328

Nice job Steve and thanks for sharing. I had no idea how our portfolios were doing with regard to capital gain or loss. I focus on the growing dividend income and forget about everything else. I was surprised at your performance and actually surprised at how well the DOW was doing this year. I know that sounds nuts, but I don't follow anything other than the companies we own and their dividend performance. Since I posted how well my Son's dividend income was growing, I decided to go back and check his portfolio value performance. He's up 7.77% Y-T-D. I was shocked by that too. Now I'll have to go back and see where that performance is coming from. Nothing stands out at me, just a bunch of steady eddie's and all dividends are being reinvested. His dividends only account for 1% of the performance in the first quarter and I don't know how to account for the profits any reinvested dividends have earned. Anyway, it was a pleasant surprise and again, thanks for sharing your IRA performance records. EDIT - I just thought of it! 2.7% of that value has come from contributions. I feel better now knowing that. It's late in the day and I haven't had a cold one yet. I think better after a couple of cold ones.

To: Steve Felix who wrote (8559)	4/6/2011 11:07:04 AM
From: Bocor	1 Recommendation Respond to of 34328

Gas Natural (EGAS - $11.68) announced their full-year, 2010 results and growth is still on the table. Although share count increased by 43% to 6.3 million shares, earnings per share before 2009’s positive tax credits were down only slightly at $0.92 a share. Annual dividends paid last year were $0.54 a share, and are paid monthly. Gas Natural provides regulated natural gas service in Montana, Wyoming, Northern Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, Maine, and North Carolina. Gas Natural has increased their customer count to 63,000 through acquiring small, local gas utilities such as its Ohio purchases that added 25,000 customers. Management prefers to add geographic areas where natural gas market penetration is below the national average of over 50%. Natural gas operations generated 95% of 2010 operating net income, with 3% from a gathering and interstate gas pipeline and 2% from natural gas marketing and production. Gas Natural has interest in over 100 wells in the West. Driven by the Ohio acquisition made in Jan 2010, net income before the 2009 tax credit rose by 32%. Organic growth was strongest in the natural gas market of Maine and the propane oriented market in North Carolina, but these are two of their smaller assets. Maine could offer an interesting growth platform as regulated natural gas prices can be set at parity with competitive heating oil. The higher margins potentially available could be used to fund an expansion of service. Maine’s natural gas market penetration for residential heating is less than 2%, creating the opportunity for steady growth. The Northeast has historically been a heating oil market, but natural gas has been making consistent inroads due to cost advantages. In 2010, the company raised $18 million net through secondary offerings. After paying down $8 million in debt associated with the Ohio purchase, the company sits on $13 million in cash. In November, the company announced a refinancing of its $20 million current credit line, converting it to a single note payable in 2017 and adding a bit more to its cash position. This refinance should close shortly. Market capitalization is currently $72 million and EGAS is one of the three smallest publicaly traded natural gas utilities. EGAS carries total liabilities of $64 million, with $25 million classified as long-term debt. After the pending refinance, long term debt will rise to about $44 million, and should be mostly offset by a decrease in short-term liabilities. EGAS is covering about 35% of its $9 million in annual capital expenditure through operating cash flow. In 2010, operating cash flow was $6.7 million. However, after deducting $3.5 million in dividends due in 2011, there will be a shortfall funded by either a reduction in cash or more likely a bit higher debt. Gas Natural pays a monthly dividend of $0.045 per share, or $0.54 annually, and represents a 61% payout ratio. Current share prices offer a 4.6% yield, above average for the regulated gas utility sector. EGAS does not offer a dividend reinvestment plan, but shares held at a broker should be eligible for their synthetic DRIP. Monthly reinvestments of dividends are a successful method of dollar cost averaging a position over time. Share prices have been strong through the share dilution process of the last year. Share prices are up 13.3% over the past 12 months and 11.1% year to date. Even after major insider selling last year (the CEO reduced his personal holdings from 40% to about 13%) management owns about 15% of shares, which is high in the utility sector. Institutions own 13% of outstanding shares, which is quite low for the sector. EGAS has paid a dividend since at least 1990, except for a period from March 03 to Oct 05 when the company fell on hard times. At that point, the current CEO Richard Osbourne was brought in to turn the business around. In Dec 08, the quarterly dividend was changed to monthly. Dividends were increased each year from 1990 to its suspension in 03, and the current monthly dividend has been the same since 09. It shouldn’t be unreasonable to expect 10% earnings growth going forward, not including accretive acquisitions. Earnings per share could grow to the $1.10 to $1.20 range. Dividends might not be raised until the payout ratio falls to below 50%. If management continues to acquire small utilities that are accretive to earnings, share prices of $14 to $15 should also be a reasonable 12.5 times earnings. For long-term investors, annual total stock returns could conservatively be in the 14% to 16% range. Investors looking for monthly dividends supported by a relatively low payout ratio, who are willing to accept the risk of a small-cap stock, should consider Gas Natural. As I wrote in an article last November, keep an eye on Gas Natural’s cash balance and earnings over the next few quarters. A growth spurt may be right around the corner. With a low share count, relatively strong share prices, and a bit of free cash, management is well positioned to make another acquisition, adding to its customer count and future earnings. As always, investors should conduct their own due diligence, should develop their own understanding of these potential opportunities, and should determine how it may fit their current financial situation. seekingalpha.com

To: Steve Felix who wrote (8559)	4/8/2011 11:17:36 AM
From: Bocor	Respond to of 34328

Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. Declares Increased Distribution on Limited Partner Units PR NEWSWIRE 10:58 AM ET 4/8/2011 INDIANAPOLIS , April 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P.(CLMT) ("Partnership") today announced an increase in its quarterly cash distribution to $0.475 per unit ($1.90 per unit on an annualized basis) for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 on all of its outstanding limited partner units. The distribution will be payable on May 13, 2011 to holders of record of such units at the close of business on May 3, 2011. This distribution represents an increase of 1.1% over the quarterly distribution of $0.47 per unit ($1.88 per unit on an annualized basis) paid in February 2011 for the quarter ended December 31, 2010.

To: Steve Felix who wrote (8559)	4/30/2011 9:02:17 PM
From: Steve Felix	3 Recommendations Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 34328

Portfolio update: Investment Current Value Prior Value Period Change % Change Estimated Income Estimated Yield March Totals $230,809.64 $232,383.50 ($1,573.86) (0.7)% $13,671.95 5.9% April totals $238,514.40 $230,809.64 $7,704.76 3.3% $13,720.92 5.8% Since Jan. 1, 2011: My IRA $218,516 to $238,514 = +9.1% Dow 11577 to 12811 = +10.7% S+P 500 1254 to 1364 = +8.8% Nasdaq 2653 to 2873 = +8.3% Since inception Jan. 1, 2010: My IRA $178,517 to $238,514 = +33.6% Dow 10428 to 12811 = +25.4% (includes 2.5% yield for 2011 ) S+P 500 1115 to 1364 = +24.3% (includes 2% yield for 2011 ) Nasdaq 2269 to 2873 = +27.4% (includes .8% yield for 2011 ) Dividend yield of the S+P is currently ( Jan. 1, 2011 ) 1.78% Trades: NONE 2011 Trading costs $60. Bottom line, estimated income: End Jan. 2010 $11,134 End Dec. 2010 $13,160 End Jan. 2011 $13,337 End Feb. 2011 $13,454 End March 2011 $13,671 End April 2011 $13,720 March dividends: Income $1,222.55 2011 dividends: $4,494.70 Dividends: 04/29/2011 15:57:15 QUALIFIED DIVIDEND (TRP) 132.09 --- 04/29/2011 02:05:56 ORDINARY DIVIDEND (PSEC) 80.94 --- 04/29/2011 02:04:28 QUALIFIED DIVIDEND (EGAS) 67.50 --- 04/29/2011 02:02:50 ORDINARY DIVIDEND (LTC) 42.00 --- 04/28/2011 02:41:41 ORDINARY DIVIDEND (CIM) 56.00 --- 04/21/2011 02:10:16 QUALIFIED DIVIDEND (SYY) 78.00 --- 04/15/2011 01:38:19 ORDINARY DIVIDEND (O) 159.02 --- 04/15/2011 01:36:18 ORDINARY DIVIDEND (MCGC) 60.00 --- 04/14/2011 01:44:20 QUALIFIED DIVIDEND (NTLS) 42.00 --- 04/14/2011 01:43:54 ORDINARY DIVIDEND (MPW) 260.00 --- 04/11/2011 00:00:01 QUALIFIED DIVIDEND (MO) 76.00 --- 04/07/2011 01:34:04 QUALIFIED DIVIDEND (UVE) 70.00 --- 04/01/2011 05:00:57 QUALIFIED DIVIDEND (PPL) 35.00 --- 04/01/2011 04:53:19 ORDINARY DIVIDEND (BKCC) 64.00 --- Dividend reductions / eliminations: NONE Dividend raises None (way behind keeping track, hope to catch up soon) Holdings: Money Market Assets = $1729.32 Symbol Qty Mkt Val Dividend Amount Dividend Yield ABT 35 1,821.40 0.44 3.6718 BKCC 200 2,104.00 0.32 12.4151 CIM 400 1,620.00 0.14 14.0703 CL 12 1,012.20 0.58 2.7962 CLMT 124 2,737.92 0.47 8.2933 CLX 58 4,040.28 0.55 3.1523 CPLP 900 10,179.00 0.23 8.3408 CQP 100 1,842.00 0.43 9.2694 CWH 125 3,423.75 0.50 7.3341 D 100 4,642.00 0.49 4.2521 DPL 100 3,029.00 0.33 4.3822 EGAS 1500 16,845.00 0.05 4.7872 EPB 300 11,112.00 0.46 4.9396 ESP 300 8,160.00 0.22 3.2895 HTGC 158 1,698.50 0.22 8.1861 JNJ 173 11,369.56 0.57 3.4873 LTC 300 8,826.00 0.14 5.6168 MCGC 400 2,640.00 0.15 9.1603 MO 200 5,368.00 0.38 5.7036 MPW 1300 16,042.00 0.20 6.5041 NRF 773 3,903.65 0.10 7.874 NTLS 150 2,959.50 0.28 5.6738 O 1100 39,105.00 0.14 4.8094 PG 10 649.00 0.52 3.2558 PPL 100 2,743.00 0.35 5.1039 PSEC 800 9,688.00 0.10 10.1116 SFL 200 3,998.00 0.38 7.60 SGU 1000 5,960.00 0.08 5.2277 SNH 400 9,488.00 0.37 6.0981 SRV 300 3,222.00 0.22 8.4586 SYY 300 8,673.00 0.26 3.5543 TCLP 100 4,838.00 0.75 6.1665 TICC 300 3,402.00 0.24 8.5562 TRP 300 12,882.00 0.42 3.9968 UVE 700 3,787.00 0.10 7.3529 VGR 162 2,974.32 0.40 8.7671