Karin Hernandez

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• The Strategy Behind my Perfect Dividend Portfolio

  By Karin Hernandez - May 24, 2013 | Tickers: ABBV, CVX, EPD, LMT

  The problem with most investors is that they do not have a portfolio strategy at all.

  They may pick up a stock here or there, because they read a great write-up about it on CNBC.com, or they heard Jim Cramer really recommended it, or their brother-in-law gave them a hot tip.

  They probably have a mish-mash of individual stocks and mutual funds, some that they are now carrying at more »

• 5 Dividend Companies in a Bubble?

  By Karin Hernandez - May 24, 2013 | Tickers: KO, CSX, PSX, PG

  The latest word I’ve been hearing in regards to the popularity of dividend companies is “bubble.” People are arguing that many dividend stocks are being bid up in a frenzy of income hunting, and that eventually the frenzy will hit a saturation point and the bubble will burst.

  I argue that dividend companies, by their very nature, are incapable of sustaining bubble-like price increases. Because the dividend yield is more »

• Do You Want These 3 “Superior” MLPs for Your Dividend Portfolio?

  By Karin Hernandez - May 23, 2013 | Tickers: CQP, EPD, PAA

  Today, I’m examining the three MLPs (Master Limited Partnerships) that were listed in a recent article on InvestorPlace.com. The author, Jeff Reeves, likes these three for what he calls their “triple threat” of high yield, good share appreciation, and stability as a company.

  An MLP is great for an income portfolio because it pays out a large part of its income as distributions to its partners, i.e more »

• 5 High-Yield Dividend Companies that Pay Monthly

  By Karin Hernandez - May 22, 2013 | Tickers: ARCP, IRC, LTC, O, SJR

  If you’re investing for income, you probably want that income to hit your bank account as smoothly and as frequently as possible, so that you can plan your expenditures with a relative degree of confidence. A roller-coaster ride of highs and lows in your bank balance would make it more difficult to pay bills on time, unless you are extremely good at sticking to a rigid budget.

  To that more »

• Coke vs Pepsi: The Cola Wars Rematch

  By Karin Hernandez - May 21, 2013 | Tickers: KO, PEP

  About a year ago, I examined the pairing of Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) and PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) to determine which I thought was the better investment. Today I am revisiting them to evaluate how well my prediction worked out, and whether or not I will change my opinion at this time.

  A year ago, I suggested that both companies held opportunity for investment, but Coca-Cola offered the greater potential gain. At more »

• Top 5 Dividend Companies of Warren Buffett

  By Karin Hernandez - May 20, 2013 | Tickers: COP, GCI, GD, GE, GSK

  TheStreet.com recently ran an article outlining five companies that Warren Buffett holds in his portfolio that yield 3% or better. I decided to take a look at these five companies, since I love dividend companies, and to some degree I love Warren Buffett. (I like to read what he is doing, but I don’t own any of Berkshire Hathaway’s stock.)

  I’ve been writing about dividend stocks more »

• The Top 5 Dividend Companies of First Eagle Investment Management

  By Karin Hernandez - May 16, 2013 | Tickers: CINF, INTC, MSFT, SYY

  I’ve been writing about dividend stocks for nearly a year, and have written close to a hundred articles. I have devised my own ratings system and put together my top ten companies into what I call my Perfect Dividend Portfolio.

  My ratings criteria include factors such as yield, number of years paying and raising dividends, five-year Dividend Growth Rate (DGR), five-year projected Earnings Growth Rate (EGR), total return for more »

• Do Dividend Investors Need These 3 Dow Stocks?

  By Karin Hernandez - May 7, 2013 | Tickers: MMM, KO, PG

  The Motley Fool recently put out a Special Advisor Report by Dan Caplinger with the title “Three Dow Stocks that Dividend Investors Need.” His picks promise dividend growth as well as a current attractive yield, and he looks to the Dividend Aristocrats for his proof of longevity and future staying power. These companies have a record of paying and raising dividends for at least twenty-five years, which makes them incredibly more »

• 5 Dividend All Stars Going Ex-Dividend in May

  By Karin Hernandez - April 30, 2013 | Tickers: CMS, NU, PAA, SJR, WEC

  I’ve been analyzing and writing about dividend companies for nearly a year, looking to build what I believe is the Perfect Dividend Portfolio. I developed a complete ratings system, through which I assign scores to a company based on seven separate criteria I have chosen to represent superior dividend-paying potential, as well as possible gains in share price. I've written nearly a hundred articles, and I've examined more »

• Home Depot vs Lowe's One-Year Rematch

  By Karin Hernandez - April 29, 2013 | Tickers: HD, LOW

  A year ago, I examined the pairing of Home Depot (NYSE: HD) and Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) to determine which of the two stocks I thought was the better investment. Today I am revisiting them to evaluate:  1.) how well my prediction worked out and 2.) whether or not I will change my opinion at this time.

  A year ago, I suggested that both companies held opportunities for investment, but more »

• My Perfect Dividend Portfolio - Chevron

  By Karin Hernandez - April 12, 2013 | Tickers: BP, CVX, XOM

  This is part nine of a ten-part series, which began in December, 2012. You can see Part One here, Abbott Laboratories; Part Two, PartnerRe Limited; Part Three, Enterprise Products Partners; Part Four, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store; Part Five, Meredith Corp; Part Six, Lockheed Martin; Part Seven, Sunoco Logistics Partners; Part Eight, Williams Companies; and Part Nine, Leggett & Platt.

  I began constructing my Perfect Dividend Portfolio in December after studying more »

• Three High-Yielders With 10+ Year Records

  By Karin Hernandez - March 26, 2013 | Tickers: GIS, O, WPC

  I saw an article on Investorplace recently listing three high-yielding stocks that had recently raised their dividends and that had also been raising their dividends for at least ten years. Since I examine dividend stocks, I noticed that two of the names are companies that I have not yet analyzed closely, and the third I rejected some time ago, so I decided to take another look.

  In my examination, I more »

• Building My Perfect Dividend Portfolio - Leggett & Platt

  By Karin Hernandez - March 18, 2013 | Tickers: FLXS, GPC, LEG

  This is part nine of a ten-part series, which I will be publishing until the entire portfolio has been introduced. You can see Part One here, Abbott Laboratories; Part Two, PartnerRe Limited; Part Three, Enterprise Products Partners; Part Four, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store; Part Five, Meredith Corp; Part Six, Lockheed Martin; Part Seven, Sunoco Logistics Partners; and Part Eight, Williams Companies.

  I have been analyzing dividend companies for nearly more »

• My Perfect Divided Portfolio - Summary and Update

  By Karin Hernandez - March 15, 2013 | Tickers: ABT, ABBV, EPD, LMT, MDP, PRE, SXL, WMB

  In December, I started building what I call my Perfect Dividend Portfolio – one company at a time, and analyzing each company using a rating system I developed myself.

  I review the stocks on seven different criteria; I feel that my selection covers the company’s past dividend-paying history, its potential future earnings growth, and the valuation of the company.

  The company must be yielding at least 3.0% annually, it more »

• Three Smart Money Dividend Companies

  By Karin Hernandez - March 15, 2013 | Tickers: ADM, CHK, JNJ

  I’ve been developing my own Perfect Dividend Portfolio over the past 4 months, and I actually am quite pleased with how it has been going.

  I still have two more companies to select, however, and I have been having a difficult time finding ones that meet my admittedly overly-strict criteria. Today I am looking at three companies that are being accumulated by the so-called smart money, to see if more »

• Three Small-Cap Dividend Achievers

  By Karin Hernandez - March 7, 2013 | Tickers: OMI, SSS, SKT

  I've been feeling lately, after writing about dividend stocks for almost a year, that there is nothing new for me to discover. That I have already covered every dividend stock of interest, and there are no more good ones.

  Which is a discouraging thing, because I have not yet completed my 10-stock perfect dividend portfolio. I have only chosen eight companies, and I need to select two more.

  But more »

• 5 Dividend Companies Favored by Top Investors

  By Karin Hernandez - February 20, 2013 | Tickers: BP, ETR, GSK, MRK, VOD

  I've been examining dividend stocks for nearly a year now, selecting what I feel are the absolute best for my own dividend portfolio. I’m actually getting close to completing my portfolio (I’ve chosen eight stocks out of ten), but I’m running into a problem. There aren’t enough companies that meet my criteria.

  While I ponder what to do about the last two selections for my more »

• Building My Dividend Portfolio - Williams Companies

  By Karin Hernandez - February 14, 2013 | Tickers: EPD, KMP, WMB

  This is part eight of a ten-part series, which I will be publishing every week until the entire portfolio has been introduced. You can see Part One here, Abbott Laboratories; Part Two, PartnerRe Limited; Part Three, Enterprise Products Partners; Part Four, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store; Part Five, Meredith Corp; Part Six, Lockheed Martin; and Part Seven, Sunoco Logistics Partners.

  I have been analyzing dividend companies for close to a more »

• Four Dividend All-Stars Going Ex-Dividend in February

  By Karin Hernandez - February 5, 2013 | Tickers: CMS, HCN, MMP, SXL

  I’ve been analyzing and writing about dividend companies for over six months, looking to build what I believe is the best Dividend Portfolio. I developed a complete ratings system, through which I assign scores to a company based on seven separate criteria I have chosen to represent superior dividend-paying potential, as well as possible gains in share price.

  So far I have selected seven companies for my Portfolio. I more »

• Evaluating the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats

  By Karin Hernandez - February 4, 2013 | Tickers: CAH, EMR, LEG, NUE, SWK

  Over the past year, I (along with many other investors) have recognized the awesome beauty of dividend stocks. Once considered the stodgy old men of the investing world, dividend-paying companies have become young and hip, and very, very attractive.

  One of the most famous lists of high-quality dividend-paying companies is the S&P 500 list of Dividend Aristocrats, defined as large-cap, blue chip companies within the S&P 500 that more »

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