From the category archives:

Dividend Stock

An Un-Kodak Moment: Another Dividend Cut

by Nilus Mattive on April 30, 2009

in Dividend Stock

Lately it’s seemed like the flurry of dividend cuts we saw earlier in the year has slowed. Then today, Eastman Kodak came out and said its losses more than tripled in the first quarter of 2009.
The firm said it would be trimming executive pay, forcing employees to take an unpaid week off, and  suspending the semiannual dividend.
When [...]

I just wanted to post a quick follow-up note to my Money & Markets column this past week …
Today, GE said the finance unit will turn a profit in the first quarter of 2009. While this doesn’t prove that that the company is out of the woods, it does bring home my point that investors have [...]

After U.S. Bancorp’s recent dividend cut, Wells Fargo (WFC: 27.87 -0.45 -1.59%) was the last major financial dividend payer left standing … until today. The company said it is slashing its payment by 85% from $0.34 to $0.05 a share. All told, the company expects to save $5 billion  a year.
Wells Fargo, as you might [...]

The General Electric dividend cut …

by Nilus Mattive on March 4, 2009

in Dividend Stock, General

In the latest issue of Dividend Superstars I said a second-half GE dividend cut was possible. Well, it came sooner than expected. 
The shares are now paying an annual dividend of $0.40 from the previous $1.24 a share. That, desptite previous reassurances from CEO Jeffrey Immelt.
It’s starting to feel like Groundhog Day … another day, and another so-called [...]

My comments on Integrys …

by Nilus Mattive on March 4, 2009

in Dividend Stock, General

I apologize for the late update on this event. I was travelling and away from an Internet connection for the last few days.
Integrys shares have fallen sharply for two related reasons:
First, the company posted quartlery earnings of $0.33 vs. $1.11 and is now forecasting substantially lower earnings for the current year (a range of $2.51-$2.66 vs. [...]

McDonald’s Earnings Show Continued Strength

by Nilus Mattive on January 27, 2009

in Dividend Stock

McDonald’s (MCD: 63.97 +0.56 +0.88%), a company I’ve mentioned in Money and Markets, also posted its results yesterday. Quarterly profits beat analysts’ estimates. Moreover, December same-store sales rose 5.8% around the world.
The company did note that some international locations are starting to feel the effects of the global slowdown - including Germany and China.
The lesson [...]

Pfizer Makes Wyeth Acquisition Official

by Nilus Mattive on January 26, 2009

in Dividend Stock

If you’ ve been following some of the comment threads here on my blog, you know that I’ve been expecting Pfizer to make a bold acquisition at some point. And lately, the rumors pointed to Wyeth.
Well, now it’s official. And along with that announcement, Pfizer (PFE: 18.36 +0.25 +1.38%) also posted less-than-stellar earnings and a [...]

Quick note on Pfizer’s Dividend Announcement

by Nilus Mattive on December 17, 2008

in Dividend Stock

This week, Pfizer announced that it would not be raising its dividend for the first time in 42 years.
Look at the stock’s current yield and you’ll see why. Heck, the very fact that they’re going to maintain that payment is pretty good, don’t you think?
Sure, they could have tossed a penny onto [...]

Oh, NOW it’s official?

by Nilus Mattive on November 30, 2008

in Dividend Stock, Housing Market, Interest Rate News

I love how we finally have official word that the country is in recession. Gee, thanks NBER!
In case you missed it, the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Business Cycle Dating Committee, the most widely-followed experts on the subject just determined that the U.S. economy ended its 73-month-long period of expansion in December 2007.
Coincidentally, [...]

Deflationary forces are pushing the price of gold lower. However, beyond the short-term price for paper gold, some of the news is surprisingly bullish. I’m putting out an update to my recent gold report today, with some very interesting news on supply and demand. The director of the World Gold Council was [...]