No Debt High Yield Stocks

If a company has debt, it can be beneficial if the company can earn far more than the interest expense. But there are drawbacks to incurring debt. When times get tough, earnings drop, and the business can't afford the debt service, then the viability of the company is at risk. Many strong companies are debt free, such as Apple (AAPL) and Amazon (AMZN). If you put the debt free trait with a high yield, you should end up with a successful investment.

There are a selection of over ten stocks on the latest No Debt High Yield Stocks List at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which have yields ranging from 2% to above 9%, all of which are free of debt.

One example is Paychex, Inc. (PAYX), which provides human resource, payroll, and benefits outsourcing solutions to primarily small and medium size businesses. This debt free company pays a yield of 4.3%, and has been paying quarterly dividends since 1994. It trades at 17 times earnings. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 12.9%, on a 8.6% increase in revenues.

Another example is Erie Indemnity Co. (ERIE), an insurance company based in Erie, Pennsylvania, which also has no debt. The stock sports a yield of 2.6%, and a forward price to earnings ratio of 25. Net income per diluted share for the latest quarter was up 6.1% year over year, on a revenue increase of 35.9%.

Several of the stocks on the list are royalty trusts such as the Sabine Royalty Trust (SBR) which is debt free and yields 7.8%.

To see a free list of many other companies that have no debt and pay high yields, half a dozen of which pay more than 6%, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The list can be downloaded, sorted, and updated.

Disclosure: Author owns AAPL and AMZN.

By Stockerblog.com

Perfect Stocks: High Cash No Debt High Yield Stocks

What would make a perfect stock? One feature that I look for is a stock that is debt free. It is difficult for a company to go out of business when it has no debt. Then I also prefer stocks that pay dividends. Dividends provide stability to the stocks and accelerate the return of capital. The other criteria I like to see is lots of cash. The more cash per share a company has compared to its stock price, the better. Cash is a great cushion during downturns.

WallStreetNewsNetwork.com just updated its free list of High Cash No Debt High Yield Stocks, and includes more than 20 companies, showing the stock symbol, market cap, forward price-to-earnings ratio, cash per share, yield, and cash per share as a percentage of stock price.

An example is Cato Corp. (CATO), which is a North Carolina based specialty retailer of fashion apparel and accessories in the southeastern US. This debt free company has $9 in cash per share representing about 36% of the recent price per share. On top of that, the current yield is 3.8% after the company increased the dividend rate by 16.5%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 13% on a slight increase in revenues.

Garmin Ltd. (GRMN) is a $5.85 billion market cap debt free company that makes global positioning systems, also known as GPS products. The stock sports a 5% yield after doubling its payout rate over last year. It trades at 15.4 times forward earnings. It has a decent cushion of $7.63 in cash per share.

Superior Industries International, Inc. (SUP), a manufacturer of aluminum road wheels, pays a yield of 4% and carries a forward price to earnings ratio of 10.8. The stock has a substantial $5.51 in cash per share and has no debt.

Weis Markets (WMK), a retail supermarket chain, which is another debt free company, has $5.17 in cash per share, a PE ratio of 15, and a yield of 3.1%.

To see the entire list of High Cash No Debt High Yield Stocks, which you can sort, change, and update, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Speculative High Income Stocks

If you were to find a stock that has been around since 1898, pays a yield of 5.8%, has paid dividends quarterly since 1995, has increased its dividend in six out of the last sixteen years, trades at 10.5 times earnings, and just reported a 4.8% increase in revenues, you might think that this is one of the blue chip large cap stocks that is a member of the S&P 500. You would be wrong.



The company is not a large cap, nor even a mid cap stock. This stock is selling within a couple dollars per share of its 52 week low at less than ten dollars a share, closing at 9.44 on Friday. So what is this company? It is the Minnesota based company Hickory Tech Corp. (HTCO). The company is in the business of providing integrated data services, such as fiber, data and Internet, voice and voice over Internet protocol, along with distribution of telecommunications and data processing equipment. It also offers local telephone, long distance, and directory assistance services. The company has regional fiber network spanning more than 2,750 route miles serving Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Net debt position improved $5 million for the quarter and $15 million year-to-date. Equipment and broadband revenue increased 12 percent.



Amazingly, there are lots of low priced stocks with upside potential that pay dividends, and many have fairly decent yields ranging from 3% to 6%. I gave a presentation at the MoneyShow a few weeks ago about high dividend stocks, and included a discussion of speculative income stocks. Here are a few more.



Psychemedics (PMD) is an interesting company that pays a yield of 6.1% based on its current price of 7.94. It is a provider of testing services for the detection of abused substances using analysis of samples of hair. The company's services are offered to employers, law enforcement agencies, schools, and nosy parents.



This Massachusetts company was founded in 1985 and has paid quarterly dividends since 1997. The stock trades at 13 times earnings and reported quarterly income growth of 25.2% on a 14.9% rise in revenues. The company is debt free and has $4.6 million in cash.



Lincoln Educational Services (LINC) is in the private education business and owns the Lincoln Technical Institute, Lincoln College of Technology, Lincoln College of New England, Nashville Auto-Diesel College, Southwestern College, Clemens College, and Euphoria Institute of Beauty Arts and Sciences. The stock yields 10.5% based on its current closing price of 9.55. The company just started paying quarterly dividends in 2010. This company has suffered along with all the other private college businesses due to government crackdown on promises made to potential students and related issues. The company reported a 62.6% drop in quarterly earnings. The company was founded in 1946 and is based in New Jersey.



Tal International (TAL), founded in 1963, is in the business of leasing intermodal containers, and yields 7.7% based on the current stock price of 28.37. Dividends have increased every quarter for the last six quarters. The stock trades at a price to earnings ratio of 8.7. Earnings for the latest quarter increased 398% (albeit from a very low amount last year) on an earnings increase of 37.6%.



Have you seen those guys that advertise on TV telling you that you can have $2500 in your checking account tomorrow? QC Holdings (QCCO) is one of the companies involved in payday loans. The stock, which closed at 3.88 on Friday, yields 5%, and has been paying quarterly dividends for five years. The stock trades at 6.6 times earnings. Latest quarterly earnings were down substantially, over 98%.



For free lists of other high yield stocks, check out WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.



Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.



By Stockerblog.com

High Yield Long Term Dividend Increasers

Over 20 stocks have increased dividends more than 30 years in a row, more than half a dozen have increased dividends in excess of 40 years, and two companies have raised dividends for more than 50 years. Investors who are looking for dividend payers for a long term hold should take a look at some of these stocks.



According to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which has posted a list of these stocks that have increased dividends for over 30 years in a row, and several of them are in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, such as Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) which has increased dividends for over 35 years in a row, and yields 2.9%. Quarterly earnings for the company were up 5.7% on a 5.4% increase in revenues. It trades at 10.8 times current earnings.



The consumer products company Clorox Co (CLX) is another long term dividend increaser that pays a decent dividend of 3.5%. The stock has had dividend increases for over 30 years, and currently trades at 14.9 times forward earnings. Earnings and revenues were off slightly for the latest quarter.



Another high yielder is Consolidated Edison (ED) paying 4.5%, and has a history of bumping up its dividend for 36 years in a row. The forward price to earnings ratio is 15.2. For the latesst quarter, revenues were flat but earnings were down 9.8%.



To see the entire list of dividend increasers, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.



Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above stocks at the time the article was written.



By Stockerblog.com

High Yield American Stock Exchange Stocks

Whatever happened to the American Stock Exchange? The exchange started in the 1800's with a group of traders standing outside the New York Stock & Exchange Board, "on the curb," trading speculative stocks. New York Curb Market Agency was created in 1906 and was later known as the New York Curb Market in 1911. The name was changed to the New York Curb Exchange in 1929. The name was changed to the American Stock Exchange in 1953. In 2008, the American Stock Exchange merged with the NYSE Euronext (NYX).



The American Stock Exchange, also referred to as the AMEX, has many stocks which are considered to be more speculative with lower market caps than NYSE stocks, and also trades many closed end funds. Many of these companies provide high dividends according to the free list of high yield American Stock Exchange stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.



British American Tobacco plc (BTI) is one of the largest companies that trades on the AMEX, with a market cap of $91.6 billion and sports a yield of 2.8%. This marketer of cigars, cigarettes, and pipe tobacco products with brands that include Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Viceroy, Kool, and Benson & Hedges, trades at 12.8 times forward earnings. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 22.60% year-over-year on a 1.9% increase in revenues.



National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) is another AMEX traded stock that pays a decent dividend. sporting a yield of 3.6%. The company manages long-term health care centers, assisted living centers, and independent living centers. The stock trades at 15 times forward earnings.



Some of the high yield closed end funds that trade on AMEX include Eaton Vance Municipal Bond Fund (EIM) yielding 7.9%, Invesco Van Kampen Advantage Municipal Income Trust II (VKI) yielding 7.7%, and Reaves Utility Income Fund (UTG) paying 6.3%.



To access a free list of the other high yield AMEX stocks, which can be downloaded, updated, and sorted, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.



Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.



By Stockerblog.com

Stocks I Discussed at the Money Show Part 3

Last Wednesday, August 10, I gave a speech at the MoneyShow on high dividend stocks. I you missed my first two articles on the stocks I covered, you can see them here and here. My goal was to provide high yield stock ideas from various industries including energy, mortgages, inflation protection, real estate, utilities, entertainment, telecommunications, financial, and speculation.



One sector that you wouldn't expect to find high yield stocks is the entertainment field. Shaw Communications, Inc. (SJR), which closed at 20.34 last Wednesday, is in the broadband cable television business and sports a yield of 4.3%. What is really amazing is that it is one of the few straight stocks (not REITs, not CEFs, not MLPs) that pays dividends monthly. Shaw is also involved in Internet services, digital phone services, telecommunications, and satellite direct-to-home services.



The stock trades at 13.2 times forward earnings. Quarterly earnings for the latest quarter ending May 31 were up 23.2% on a revenue increase of 36.1%. The company has excellent dividend coverage; dividends incur $413.76 million in payouts, easily covered by $1.22 billion in operating cash flow.



Alaska Communications (ALSK) is a telecom company that pays an incredibly high yield of 12.1% payable quarterly, and closed at 7.07 last Wednesday. The company is involved in both landline and wireless communications. For the latest quarter, it had quarterly revenue growth of 0.5%, with enterprise revenue increasing 6.9%, and wireless revenue rising 4.9%. ALSK pays out $38.87 million in dividends which are covered by $73.81 million in operating cash flow.



The stock trades at 19.2 times forward earnings, which is a bit on the high side. The population of Alaska continues to grow. From 2000 to 2010, the population of Alaska increased by 13.3% versus 9.7% for the United States overall.



In the financial services industry, there is a high dividend payer that many investors are unaware of. The company is BGC Partners, Inc. (BGCP), which pays 10.3% payable quarterly, and closed at 6.31 last Wednesday. BGC is an interdealer investment broker which offers voice and electronic executions and operates multiple real-time electronic marketplaces.



The company pays out 75% to 85% of earnings and rewarded investors with a 21% dividend increase in May. It has $81.45 million in dividend payouts with $143.19 million in operating cash flow. The stock carries a very favorable forward PE of 7.9.



Earnings should continue to rise as electronic trading is increasing over voice. With electronic trading there are far fewer costs than voice operations. This should generate increased margins. Electronic trading grew by 31% in 2010 year over year.



If you like high dividend stock ideas, check out the numerous lists of high dividend stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, that can be downloaded, updated, and sorted. Also, stay tuned for upcoming articles on more stocks from the MoneyShow.



Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.



By Stockerblog.com

Stocks I Discussed at the Money Show Part 2

If you missed my previous article on the MoneyShow where I gave a presentation last week, you can see it here. I tried to cover a diversified group of various high income stocks in many different industries.



One area that I covered was inflation proof income stocks. One of the best ways to get inflation protection is from gold and precious metals mining stocks. Unfortunately, investors have only three choices. Goldcorp Inc. (GG) yields only 0.9% but pays dividends on a monthly basis. Because the yield is so low, you would have to invest a significant amount in order to receive a decent monthly dividend check. There is also Hecla Mining preferred B (HL-PB), sporting a yield of 6.5%, payable quarterly. Unfortunately, there is no growth potential.



Finally there is Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX), which closed at 43.50 last Wednesday when I gave the speech. It yield isn't real high at 2.2%, but still beats certificates of deposit. Dividends are paid quarterly. The company produces copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and cobalt. Revenues for the latest quarter were up an amazing 50.5% year over year, with an outstanding earnings growth of 106%. In 2010, Freeport had its best financial results in the company’s history. In the last five years, revenues have tripled.



In produces 9% of the worldwide mined copper production, with operations in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado in the United States, Peru, Chile, Indonesia, and Congo. It has the Grasberg Mining Complex in Indonesia, which has the world’s largest gold reserve, and the world's largest recoverable copper reserve. Overall, the company has 40.0 million ounces of gold, 102.0 billion pounds of copper, 2.48 billion pounds of molybdenum, and 266.6 million ounces of silver.



Another stock I covered was in the real estate field. The company is Realty Income (O), one of the few companies with a one letter stock ticker symbol. This is a Real Estate Investment Trust which yields 5.8%, payable monthly. The stock closed at 30.75 last Wednesday. It has increased its dividend for 16 years in a row and has paid dividends for 42 years. The company has 2,500 properties with an occupancy rate of 96.6%. It leases to over 100 different retail enterprises in more than 30 separate industries, with properties in almost all states.



The leases are typically for 15 to 20 years, usually triple-net leases where the tenant pays the taxes, maintenance and insurance. The properties are usually freestanding buildings in prime locations with good access and visibility. Tenants include Petsmart, Children’s World, Taco Bell, Jiffy Lube, National Tire, AMC Theatres, Boston Market, Rite Aid, La Petite Academy, Sports Authority and Pizza Hut.



The stocks has had an average compounded annual return of 17.8% since it was listed on the NYSE in 1994. The company had maintained property occupancy levels above 96% at the end of each year. No single tenant accounts for more than 10% of total lease revenue. The latest quarterly earnings growth was 26.4%.



An interesting utility is Portland General Electric (POR), which closed at 21.82 when I discussed it last week. The stock yields about 4.6%, and had a 1.9% dividend increase declared in June. Dividends have been increasing every year since 2006. The stock sports a forward price to earnings ratio of 12.2. Revenue for the latest six months grew nearly 4% over the previous year with income increasing 78%.



Earnings should increase this year, primarily due to the 3.9% rate increase in January of this year, which should bring in $65 million. The regulatory climate is improving. The company's capital spending has been declining because major projects have been completed, such as the advanced meter installation and a windfarm.



If you like high dividend stock ideas, check out the numerous lists of high dividend stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, that can be downloaded, updated, and sorted. Also, stay tuned for upcoming articles on more stocks from the MoneyShow.



Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.



By Stockerblog.com

Stocks I Discussed at the Money Show Part 1

The San Francisco MoneyShow was a great success. During this past week, I gave two presentations on high dividend stocks, one on Wednesday and one on Thursday, did a book signing, and had three videotaped interviews. The original title of my speech was Spotlight on Five Dividend Stocks; however, by the time I presented, I cam up with a few more ideas that I wanted to cover so I ended up changing the name to Spotlight on Several Dividend Stocks.



The first investment I talked about was Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP), which is a master limited partnership yielding about 6.5% and was selling at 69.72 per share when I covered it on Wednesday. Kinder Morgan is the largest independent transporter of refined petroleum products, the second largest transporter of natural gas in the U.S., the largest independent terminal operator, the largest transporter and marketer of CO2, the second largest oil producer in Texas, and the only oilsands pipeline serving Vancouver B.C. and Washington state area.



The company has minimal exposure to commodity price volatility due to limited ownership of energy products. As for the CO2 business, the company does own the commodity but hedging is used to reduce price volatility. The company does not have corporate aircraft or corporate sponsorships, nor does it provide sports tickets or executive perks to the officers. KMP is one of the few publicly traded companies that publishes its annual budget on its web site, along with its environmental, and health and safety performance.



As for the head of the company, Richard D. Kinder, he has a salary of $1 per year, and receives no bonus, no stock options, and no restricted stock grants. His compensation is from being a unitholder. KMP's compound average growth rate is 27% since 1996 and the compound average growth rate of distributions is 14% during the same period. The company has met its budgeted payout for ten out of the last eleven years, and for the year that was missed, 2006, the miss was only two cents.



One issue to be aware of with this type of investment is that MLP's send out K-1's instead of 1099's for tax purposes, which means that more time and tax forms will be involved, along with possible additional tax preparation expense from your CPA. One way to get around this is through Kinder Morgan Management LLC (KMR), which is almost identical to KMP except that it pays out its returns in shares instead of stock. It is primarily designed for retirement plans in order to avoid the UBTI or Unrelated Business Taxable Income problem. Ask your accountant before putting any retirement plan money in an MLP.



Another company I talked about was Capstead Mortgage Corp. (CMO), which was trading at 12.47 per share on Wednesday. This government guaranteed mortgage real estate investment trust, also known as a GGMREIT, sports an incredible yield of 14.9%, which it generates by investing in adjustable-rate residential mortgage securities that are issued and guaranteed by government-sponsored entities, such as Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae, which is an agency of the federal government. This gives the investment an implied AAA rating - oops I mean a AA+ credit rating after the decision by Standard & Poor's.



The high yield is generated through leverage. For the latest quarter ended June 30, 2011 the company had a 17% increase in net income per share from $0.41 in previous quarter to $0.48 for the latest quarter, a 2.55% increase in book value, and a 22% increase in net interest margins. For the last ten years, CMO's total return was 585%.



On a year over year basis, net income per common share for the quarter increased by 37%, and cash dividends per share increased by 33%. As a REIT, a 1099 would be issued.



If you like high dividend stock ideas, check out the numerous lists of high dividend stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, that can be downloaded, updated, and sorted. Also, stay tuned for upcoming articles on more stocks from the MoneyShow.



Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

High Yield Big Pharmaceutical Stocks

Between 1945 and 1964, seventy-six million American babies were born, making up what is now known as the Baby Boomers. The Boomers buy 77% of all prescription drugs and 61% of over-the-counter medications.

Many income investors are looking for dividend stocks in the health care sector due to the increasing age of the Baby Boomers and their parents. These include the major drug manufacturers, the generic drug manufacturers, diagnostic companies, healthcare plans, hospitals, medical appliances, medical instruments, and medical laboratories.

Based on the free list of high yield big pharmaceutical stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are ten pharmaceutical stocks with yields of 1.5% or more, with two stocks paying more than 5%. One example is GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK), the third largest pharmaceutical company in the world by revenues, after Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Pfizer(PFE). Glaxo's products include Aquafresh, Boniva, Dexedrine, Levitra, Nicoderm, Nicorette, Sensodyne, Tums, and Valtrex. The stock pays a generous yield of 5.1% payable quarterly. It trades at 10.5 times forward earnings. Although sales were down for the latest quarter, earnings were up 13.8% year over year.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), the world's largest pharma company, is a manufacturer of pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods. The company, which was founded in 1886, yields 3.4% and has a forward price to earnings ratio of 12.4. Revenues for the latest quarter were up 3.4% but earnings were down 23.2%.

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), another big pharmaceutical, yields 4.2% and trades at 9.1 times forward earnings. Earnings for the latest quarter were up almost 250% on flat revenues.

If you want a list of other high yield pharma stocks, that can be downloaded and sorted, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author owns PFE.
By Stockerblog.com

Top Yield Technology Stocks: A Contrarian Play

Income investors looking to diversify their portfolio beyond utilities, REITs, and oil income trusts, may want to consider gradually allocating funds towards high yield technology stocks. Tech has dropped fairly significantly during the last month, with the SPDR Morgan Stanley Technology (MTK) ETF dropping over 9.5% during this time frame.

One of the larger firms that pays a decent dividend is the integrated circuit manufacturer Intel Corporation (INTC), yielding 3.4% payable quarterly. The stock trades at 8.9 times forward earnings. Earnings were up 29.4% on a 24.7% increase in revenues for the latest quarter.

Maxim Integrated Products Inc. (MXIM) is another high yield quarterly dividend payer, yielding 3.5%. This maker of linear and mixed-signal integrated circuits has a forward price to earnings ratio of 13.1. Revenues for the latest quarter were 19.2% year over year.

On other high dividend tech stock is Microchip Technology Inc. (MCHP), which makes and markets semiconductor products. The yield is a generous 3.9%, payable quarterly and the forward PE is 13.6. Earnings for the latest quarter were up an amazing 65.7% on a 36.7% rise in revenues.

The above excludes the telecommunication stocks, which although are considered to be part of the tech sector, is basically a different industry from other technology companies. The telecoms also pay very high yields. For a free downloadable list of high yield telecom stocks, which can be sorted and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

6% Yield Stocks That Pay Monthly

What pays a yield of 6% or more, makes distributions monthly, is liquid, and has no minimum investment? The answer is monthly dividend closed end funds, also known as CEFs. Although technically not stocks, they are investment companies that hold high yield stocks and/or bonds and trade like stocks.

Some of the advantages to receiving monthly dividends as opposed to quarterly or annual dividend stocks include the fact that the invested capital is returned faster, compounding takes place more quickly, and there is generally less price volatility of the CEF. In addition, many of monthly dividend investments pay dividends that are tax free if they own municipal bonds in their portfolios.

According to the list that was recently updated at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, there are over 200 different companies that pay dividends monthly, many of which have high yields, over 175 of which pay yields of 6% or more.

An example is the Calamos Convertible & High Income Fund (CHY), which pays a fairly yield of 7.3%. The management fee is on the high side at 1.13%. This CEF, founded in 2003, invests in high yield fixed income securities and convertible securities.

Another example is the MFS Multimarket Income Trust (MMT), which sports a yield of 7.8%. The stock trades at a slight discount to net asset value. The company, which has been around since 1987, has a management fee of 0.82%.

When choosing these investments, avoid the ones with high management fees, and also avoid the ones with low liquidity. Talk to your CPA if you invest in municipal bond closed end funds, in regards to the Alternative Minimum Tax. Try to chose the ones that trade at a discount to net asset value, and avoid the ones using excessive leverage.

To see the latest updated list of over 200 monthly dividend stocks, including many that have yields of 8% or more, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Remember, very high yields may not be sustainable.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

High Yield Short Squeeze Plays

Investors in dividend paying stocks might want to take a different approach to looking for stocks. Many stock traders look for short squeeze plays. These are stocks that have a large number of shares that have been shorted. Traders are hoping that on any good news, the short sellers will jump at buying in their shares, driving up the stock's price.

Short interest in a stock could indicate that the stock is well positioned for a short squeeze in the event a positive catalyst occur. A short squeeze takes place when a heavily shorted stock is quickly bought back in by the short-sellers in order to cover their bearish positions, driving the price of the stock up sharply. The most common measurement for short interest is the short ratio, which measures the numbers of days it would take the short-sellers to cover their positions based on recent average daily volume. Surprisingly, there are several high dividend stocks listed on some of the high yield lists at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com that have been heavily shorted.

For example, Rogers Communication (RCI), the Canadian media company that yields 3.9%, has a Days to Cover Ratio, also known as a Short Interest Ratio, of 62.8. This means that if the short sellers decided to cover, it would take them almost 63 days to buy in their shares, based on the current daily volume of the stock. Rogers trades at 10.6 times forward earnings.

The egg distributor Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CALM), has a short ratio of 27.1 and yields a generous 6.4%. The stock carries a forward price to earnings ratio of 15.

TransAlta Corp. (TAC) is a non-regulated electric utility that generates electricity from coal, natural gas, hydroelectric, wind, geothermal, and biomass that yields 5.6%. The stock has a short ratio of 29.4 and a forward PE of 17.

Alexander's Inc. (ALX), the real estate investment company that own New York real estate, has a yield of 2.9% and a short ratio of 29.8. The stock trades at 32 times earnings.

For free lists of high yield stocks, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerbog.com

Green Christmas Stocks: High Yield Retailer Companies

If the economy really is starting to turn around and consumers are buying again, then this could end up being a green, as in money, Christmas. Amazon (AMZN) should be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the holiday buying season, but it doesn't pay a dividend. Obviously, there are plenty of retail stocks, sometimes referred to as consumer cyclical stocks, to choose from, but not that many that pay high dividends. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has developed a list of over 35 retailers that pay yields ranging from 2% to greater than 6%.

Mattel Inc. (MAT) is the largest toy company in the United States, known for its Barbie Dolls, Hot Wheels, Matchbox toys, View-Masters, and numerous other toy products. The stock yields 3.3% and trades at 13 times forward earnings. Quarterly earnings were up 23% on a 2.3% rise in quarterly revenues. Total dividend payouts of $297 million are easily covered by operating cash flow of $846 million.

Cherokee Inc. (CHKE) markets apparel and footwear under the brand names of Cherokee, Sideout, Carole Little, Saint Tropez-West, Chorus Line, and All That Jazz. the company gives out a substantial dividend yield of 7.9%, which is paid out on a quarterly basis. The stock has a price to earnings ratio of 15. The company just reported a 16% drop in earnings per share, but on the positive side, its balance sheet remains debt free.

Philips Electronics NV (PHG) makes everything from MP3 players to digital picture frames to flat panel TVs to electric toothbrushes. The stock pay a dividend of 2.6% and trades at 14 times forward earnings. Earnings for the latest quarter were up an incredible 201% on a 9.6% rise in revenues. The stock has 6.32 in cash per share.

To see a free downloadable Excel list of high yield retailer stocks, which can be sorted and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author owns AMZN and MAT.

By Stockerblog.com

Top Yielding Stocks Selling Below Book Value

Imagine that you own shares of a company that has a million shares that are trading for $10 per share. This would give the company a market capitalization of $10 million. Now further imagine that if you add up all the assets of the company, such as bank accounts, inventory, equipment, and real estate, it comes to $15 million, then adding all the liabilities such as debt and short term loans amounts to $3 million. When you subtract the liabilities from the assets, it gives the company a net worth of $12 million. Divide that number by the million shares and you end up with a $12 per share book value, in very simple terms. What that means is, also in very simple terms, if you buy the stock today and the company goes out of business today, you would end up with a $2 or 20% increase in your investment.

Many stocks sell below book value for numerous reasons. The industry or sector could fall out of favor, tax selling, and a bearish stock market are just a few examples. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has turned up a list of over 25 stocks selling at or below book value, most of which have yields above 3.5%. One example is Telecom Italia S.p.A. (TI), the large Italian telecom company which provides fixed-line and mobile telecommunications, Internet, and media services throughout the country. The Italian government may be suffering but Italians are still making phone calls. The stock is trading at two thirds of book value and pays a yield of 3.5%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up over 207% on flat revenues. The stock trades at 15 times forward earnings.

Great Plains Energy Incorporated (GXP) is another discounted stock. This electric utility, which serves Missouri and Kansas, is selling at 87% of book value and sports a yield of 4.3%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 67% on a 24% revenue increase. It sports a forward price to earnings ratio of 12.

The shares of Brandywine Realty Trust (BDN) are trading at 77% of book and yield 5.5%. This REIT owns office and industrial properties. The stock trades at 8.5 times forward earnings.

To see the complete list of the major high yield stocks trading below book value, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Fourteen of the stocks have yields above 5% and four provide yields over 7%.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.


By Stockerblog.com

A Great Combo: Debt Free, High Cash, High Yield

When investors look for stocks, they often run screeners, which extract stocks that meet certain criteria. Conservative investors always look for high yields; but beyond that, there are screens that narrow the list to more quality companies. This additional criteria can include low or no debt and a high cash position. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com just updated its free list of High Cash No Debt High Yield Stocks, and includes over 20 companies, showing the stock symbol, market cap, forward price-to-earnings ratio, cash per share, yield, and cash per share as a percentage of price.

Garmin Ltd. (GRMN) is a company that fits this criteria. This is the $5.85 billion market cap debt free company that makes global positioning system, or GPS products. The stock sports a 4.9% yield and forward PE ratio of 11.8. It has a nice cushion of $6.50 in cash per share.

Superior Industries International, Inc. (SUP), a manufacturer of aluminum road wheels, pays a yield of 3.1% and carries a forward PE of 13. The stock has an amazing $5.09 in cash per share and has no debt.

Weis Markets (WMK), a retail supermarket chain, which is a $1.06 billion market cap company, has $5.03 in cash per share, a PE of 15, and a yield of 3.0%.

To see the entire list of High Cash No Debt High Yield Stocks, which you can sort, change, and update, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Top Yielding Stocks Selling Below Book Value

Imagine that you own shares of a company that has a million shares that are trading for $10 per share. This would give the company a market capitalization of $10 million. Now further imagine that if you add up all the assets of the company, such as bank accounts, inventory, equipment, and real estate, it comes to $15 million, then adding all the liabilities such as debt and short term loans amounts to $3 million. When you subtract the liabilities from the assets, it gives the company a net worth of $12 million. Divide that number by the million shares and you end up with a $12 per share book value, in very simple terms. What that means is, also in very simple terms, if you buy the stock today and the company goes out of business today, you would end up with a $2 or 20% increase in your investment.

Many stocks sell below book value for numerous reasons. The industry or sector could fall out of favor, tax selling, and a bearish stock market are just a few examples. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has turned up a list of over 25 stocks selling at or below book value, most of which have yields above 3.5%. One example is Telecom Italia S.p.A. (TI), the large Italian telecom company which provides fixed-line and mobile telecommunications, Internet, and media services throughout the country. The Italian government may be suffering but Italians are still making phone calls. The stock is trading at two thirds of book value and pays a yield of 3.5%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up over 207% on flat revenues. The stock trades at 15 times forward earnings.

Great Plains Energy Incorporated (GXP) is another discounted stock. This electric utility, which serves Missouri and Kansas, is selling at 87% of book value and sports a yield of 4.3%. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 67% on a 24% revenue increase. It sports a forward price to earnings ratio of 12.

The shares of Brandywine Realty Trust (BDN) are trading at 77% of book and yield 5.5%. This REIT owns office and industrial properties. The stock trades at 8.5 times forward earnings.

To see the complete list of the major high yield stocks trading below book value, which can be downloaded, sorted, and updated, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. Fourteen of the stocks have yields above 5% and four provide yields over 7%.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.


By Stockerblog.com

High Yield No Debt Stocks

Debt can have its advantages, such as leverage, but can also be a burden. Many successful companies are debt free, such as Apple (AAPL) or have very low debt relative to cash, such as Amazon (AMZN). If you combine the debt free feature with a high yield, you may have a recipe for a successful investment.

There are over ten stocks on the latest High Yield No Debt Stock List at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which have yields ranging from 2% to 7.7%, and all of which are debt free.

An example is Paychex, Inc. (PAYX), a provider of payroll, human resource, and benefits outsourcing solutions. Its market is primarily small and medium size businesses. This debt free company pays a yield of 4.5%, and has been paying quarterly dividends since 1994. It trades at 21 times earnings. Earnings for the latest quarter were up 6.7%, on a 3.6% increase in revenues. In August, Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock from a Sell to a Hold.

Another example is Erie Indemnity Co. (ERIE), an insurance company based in Erie, Pennsylvania, which also has no debt. The stock sports a yield of 3.2%, and a PE ratio of 22. Net income per diluted share for the latest quarter was up 36% year over year, with gross margins rising 21.1%.

To see a free list of many other companies that have no debt and pay high yields, five of which pay more than 6%, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. The list, which is in an Excel format, can be downloaded, sorted, and updated.

Disclosure: Author owns AAPL and AMZN.

By Stockerblog.com

Spotlight on a 9% Yield Stock

Some income investors are so jittery, that they don't want to risk their money in stocks, are almost as concerned about corporate bonds, and even want to avoid state and local municipal bonds. There isn't much left, except bank CD's and United States Government backed bonds. Thirty year Treasury bonds yield less than 4%, and you are lucky to get 1.5% on a CD.

However, there is one type of income investment that is gaining favor with income investors, and that is the government guaranteed mortgage real estate investment trusts. These REITs purchase residential mortgage pass-through securities which are guaranteed by government-sponsored entities, and use leverage to increase the yield. An example is Capstead Mortgage Corp. (CMO), which generates a yield of 9.4%.

Capstone is a Dallas, Texas based REIT that has been around since 1985, and has paid quarterly dividends since 1987. The company invests in adjustable-rate mortgage securities issued and guaranteed by government-sponsored entities, either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, or by Ginnie Mae, an agency of the federal government. Technically, with the explicit and implicit guarantees of the U. S. Government, the securities in the portfolio have an implied AAA credit rating. Although after what happened to the rating agencies and many of the companies and securities that they rated as triple A, I'm not sure that AAA means as much.

However, that is probably the biggest risk of this type of investment. Will the government entities, and behind them, the US Government, continue to guarantee the timely payment of principal and interest payments on these mortgages (with an emphasis on the word 'timely')? Assuming the government does come through, then a major risk of this type of investment is eliminated.

What about the risk of rising interest rates? Remember, when interest rates rise, bonds drop in value. Hopefully, the fact that Capstead invests in adjustable rate mortgages, as opposed to fixed rate mortgages, will help to alleviate that risk. But there is always the risk of a sharp increase in rates causing the REIT to drop somewhat.

Capstead has a current price to earnings ratio of 9 and trades at 7.5 times forward earnings. Although heavily in debt to increase the payout, the company does have $3.82 in cash per share. The price per share is about 7% below the book value of 11.87. The third quarter 2010 earnings conference call will be held October 28, 2010 at 9:00 AM Eastern time.

For more high yield REITs, check out the free list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which can be downloaded, sorted, and added to.

Disclosure: Author does not own the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Top Yield Residential REITs: Why 4.7% is better than 16.9%

In spite of the fact that 30 year mortgages are at the lowest rate in over 50 years, it is still very hard for potential home-buyers to get a mortgage. Lenders require higher down-payments, greater proof of income, and higher credit scores. The free-for-all loans of a few years ago are long gone. So what do the non-homeowners do? If they don't move in with their parents or in-laws, they rent. The best way for an investor to play this opportunity is through residential equity real estate investment trusts, such as Home Properties Inc. (HME).

Of course, there are mortgage income REITs with extremely high yields, such as Two Harbors Investment Corp. (TWO), which yields 16.9%, but I don't think that kind of yield is sustainable; plus, the trust invests in mortgages that include Alt-A mortgage loans, subprime mortgage loans, and derivatives.

However, Home Properties directly owns and operates apartment communities throughout the eastern United States. The stock trades at 17 times forward earnings. The operating cash flow of $151.5 million significantly exceeds its dividend payouts of $87 million by over 70%. Home Properties yields 4.7%, much higher than some of its competitors, such as Apartment Investment & Management Co. (AIV) which yields 1.8%, and AvalonBay Communities Inc. (AVB) which yields 3.2%. On September 30, KeyBanc Capital Markets upgraded Home Properties from a Hold to a Buy.

Another residential equity REIT with a decent yield is Mid-America Apartment Communities Inc. (MAA), which pays 4.1%, and serves the Sunbelt area. The stock trades at 16 times forward earnings. The operating income of $129.8 million greatly exceeds the total dividend payouts of about $80 million. Jeffries recently initiated coverage on the company, giving it a Hold rating.

If you like the idea of investing in residential REITs, you should check out the free list at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com, which includes the stock symbols, market caps, forward PE ratios, and yields.

Disclosure: Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com

Top Yielding S&P 500 Stocks (over 6%)

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index is the primary benchmark for comparison to portfolios. Over 370 of those five hundred stocks pay dividends. The following is a list of the top six, all of which yield over 6%. Please note, in the interest of full disclosure, that I own two out of the six (the top two).

Frontier Communications Corp (FTR) 8.69% PE ratio: 20

Windstream Corporation (WIN) 8.15% PE ratio: 18

CenturyLink, Inc. (CTL) 7.29% PE ratio: 14

Pitney Bowes Inc. (PBI) 6.62% PE ratio: 13

Altria Group, Inc. (MO)6.19% PE ratio: 15

Reynolds American, Inc. (RAI) 6.09% PE ratio: 14

If you like high yield stocks, check out the free lists of high yield electric and gas utilities at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author owned FTR and WIN at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com