There’s a select, newly flush group of small banks that appear every year. They essentially mint their own pile of money by taking advantage of a financial phenomenon known as a second-step conversion. In the ensuing months and years after the event, management often shovels it back to shareholders in the form of buybacks and dividends.

The “Class of 2016” is getting ready to swing into action, and many of them will reward their shareholders with double-digit returns next year. It’s a simple formula – they’re going to use their extra cash to buy back lots of their cheap shares.

You’re probably familiar with initial public offerings, or IPOs.… Read more

Many investors think tech stocks are simply too risky to put in their income portfolios. They’re missing out, because these days, tech companies are throwing off more dividend cash than any sector this side of financials.

According to second-quarter numbers from FactSet, the tech sector paid out a combined $59.6 billion in the 12 months ending June 30, just shy of the $67.7 billion financial firms handed out to investors. The sector’s top dividend payers likely won’t surprise you: Apple (AAPL), kicked out $11.4 billion, with Microsoft (MSFT) close behind at $9.9 billion.

Even bearish analysts are giving the thumbs-up to dividend-paying tech stocks.… Read more

It happened again. Income-seeking investors piled into a 3% payer under the guise of dividend growth and safety… and they lost 10% in a single day.

Wal-Mart (WMT) lured them in and lowered their net worth this time. Before the drop, the company’s yield was at an all-time high of 3.1% thanks to 42 years of consecutive payout increases. The aristocratic allure of this dividend-payer tempted forward-looking fans. They envisioned today’s payout compounding itself in their portfolio at previous growth rates.

But Wal-Mart bulls missed several risk factors while fantasizing about their 2025 dividend payments. And they mistakenly believed a 3% yield would be sufficient to buffer any bad news.… Read more

China’s slowdown and a raft of scandals—Volkswagen’s (VW) emissions clunker being the latest—have kept nervous investors away from auto stocks this year.

Their first-level knee-jerk reactions are costing them income. Right now, General Motors (GM) and Ford Motor Company (F) offer yields around 4%. And both companies should have no trouble paying their shareholders for years to come, thanks to robust sales that, despite mainstream naysaying, actually still have plenty of room to run.

US Car Demand: Shifting Into Second Gear

US car sales have been on a tear, and that continued in September, when consumers drove 1.44 million cars and trucks off dealers’ lots, up 16% year-over-year.… Read more

Many income investors are so desperate for dividends today that they’re piling into practically any large stated yield they find. On the surface this may seem like a sound approach. After all, if the market pulls back again, dividends should support the stock prices of those that pay.

If the dividend is still there, that is. When companies slash dividends, investors typically slash their stock prices by double-digits. Recent dividend cutters have been pummeled in the months after announcing lower payouts ahead:

Fortunately it’s possible to steer clear of the next dividend disaster, thanks to a new “DIVCON screen” put together by the income strategy gurus at Reality Shares Advisors.… Read more

Is Microsoft (MSFT) still a big dividend grower?

The software giant yields a respectable 3.1% today. That’s not enough income for my high single-digit income goals. Granted, it could be in a few years if Microsoft is able to continue its breakneck rate of dividend growth.

It’s boosted its payout at an annualized rate of 17.6% in the last five years. It also managed to hold its payout steady during the dark days of the Great Recession.

But can it keep up this pace? I’m concerned that it can’t. Let’s take a closer look using some of the benchmarks I use to pick stocks for my Hidden Yields research service.… Read more

Most investors think stock prices always follow earnings. So they obsess over profits – and the sales growth needed to drive them higher.

They’re partly right – but they’re more wrong than right. Their first-level thinking is missing a couple of small but critical nuances.

First, stock prices are quoted per share. When you buy a stock, you’re not buying the entire company. Instead, you’re buying a very small percentage as represented by your shares. So as a shareholder, it’s actually irrelevant to you whether or not your company’s earnings go up in absolute terms. What matters to you is that its earnings per share (EPS) go up year-after-year.… Read more