When you purchase a share of stock in a company, you are buying into more than just the belief that capital gains will be earned over time. Each share represents a stake in the company itself. From time to time, issues crop up at these major companies that require shareholder input, and this is when your share of the pie really becomes important.
Shareholders of Transocean (NYSE: RIG ) should be busy this weekend reading up on how the two proposed dividends could affect the company financially and about the backgrounds of the nominees to the Board of Directors. Each of these decisions will likely weigh heavily on the future outlook of Transocean which resides in a competitive and growing industry.��
What makes this particular vote especially important is the fact that an activist shareholder is involved. Carl Icahn has been calling for a dividend that is 79% higher than the $2.24 per share the company has indicated it wants to pay. Management believes that Icahn has his sights set on short-term gains, and the $4 per share that he is looking for would leave the company in a tight spot. Check out the video below for more details on the importance of being an engaged shareholder.
Top 10 Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Educational Development Corporation(EDUC)
Educational Development Corporation operates as a trade publisher of a line of children?s books in the United States. It distributes children?s books published by Usborne Publishing Limited in the United Kingdom. The company offers various books, including Touchy-Feely board books, jigsaw puzzle books, activity and flashcards, adventure and search books, art books, sticker books, and foreign language books, as well as science and math titles, and chapter books and novels. It sells books through two divisions, Usborne Books and More, and Publishing. The Usborne Books and More division distributes books through independent consultants, who hold book showings in individual homes; and through book fairs, direct sales, and Internet sales. It also distributes these titles to school and public libraries. The Publishing division markets books to bookstores, toy stores, specialty stores, museums, and other retail outlets. It distributes books through commissioned trade representati ves who call on book, toy, specialty stores, and other retail outlets; and through in-house marketing by telephone to the trade. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Top 10 Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Becton Dickinson and Company(BDX)
Becton, Dickinson and Company, a medical technology company, develops, manufactures, and sells medical devices, instrument systems, and reagents worldwide. The company?s BD Medical segment produces medical devices that are used in various healthcare settings. This segment?s products include needles, syringes, and intravenous catheters for medication delivery; prefilled IV flush syringes; syringes, pen needles, and other drugs to treat diabetes; prefillable drug delivery systems; anesthesia needles and trays; sharps disposal containers; and closed-system transfer devices. Its BD Diagnostics segment provides products for the safe collection and transport of diagnostics specimens, as well as instrument systems and reagents to detect various infectious diseases, healthcare-associated infections, and cancers. This segment?s products consist of integrated systems for specimen collection; safety-engineered blood collection products and systems; automated blood culturing systems; molecular testing systems; microorganism identification and drug susceptibility systems; liquid-based cytology systems for cervical cancer screening; rapid diagnostic assays; and plated media. The company?s BD Biosciences segment produces research and clinical tools that facilitate the study of cells and their components. This segment?s products comprise fluorescence-activated cell sorters and analyzers; monoclonal antibodies and kits for performing cell analysis; reagent systems for life science research; cell imaging systems; laboratory products for tissue culture and fluid handling; diagnostic assays; and cell culture media supplements for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. It markets its products through independent distribution channels and independent sales representatives to healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry, and the general public. The company was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Becton Dickinson (BDX) has gained 1.2% to $101.97 this morning after�Piper Jaffray�raised the stock to Overweight from Neutral. Analysts�William Quirk and�David Clair�explain why they’re optimistic about the medical technology company:
Associated PressObservations from multiple diagnostic conferences all suggest significant interest in�microbiology investment. This interest spans track systems (Kiestra), new identification�technologies (Maldi/BioTyper) and Molecular (gram +/- assays). When considering�AST (antimicrobial susceptibility testing) recall from Siemens, we believe BD’s�microbiology business is poised to accelerate its performance over the next several years.�Combined with a delayed JNJ/Ypsomed pen needle launch and incremental European�safety adoption, we believe numbers for BD will continue to climb…
They also raised their price target to $117 from $91.
While Becton has gained today,�Johnson & Johnson�(JNJ) has dropped 0.6% to $88.50,�Medtronic�(MDT) has fallen 1%to $53.43,�Boston Scientific�(BSX) has declined 0.9% to $11.79 and Edwards Lifesciences (EW) is off 1.2% at $70.90.
Hot Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: Pacific Gas & Electric Co.(PCG)
PG&E Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as a public utility company that engages in electricity and natural gas distribution primarily in northern and central California. The company also involves in the generation, procurement, transmission, and distribution of electricity; and procurement, transportation, storage, and distribution of natural gas. It owns and operates electricity generation facilities, transmission and distribution lines, and substations; and an integrated natural gas transportation, storage, and distribution system, as well as has underground natural gas storage fields in California. The company serves residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, public street and highway lighting, and other electric utility customers. As of December 31, 2009, it served approximately 5.1 million electricity distribution customers and approximately 4.3 million natural gas distribution customers. The company also operated 18,650 circuit miles of intercon nected transmission lines and 141,213 circuit miles of distribution lines for electricity; and 42,142 miles of distribution pipelines, 6,438 miles of backbone and local transmission pipelines, and 3 storage facilities for natural gas. PG&E Corporation was founded in 1905 and is based in San Francisco, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Richard Stavros]
The Top Low-Carbon Utilities
PG&E Corp (NYSE: PCG) Exelon Corp (NYSE: EXC) Entergy Corp (NYSE: ETR) Public Service Enterprise Group Inc (NYSE: PEG) NextEra Energy Inc (NYSE: NEE) Dominion Resources Inc (NYSE: D) Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE)But that is not to say that, over the long term, high-carbon utilities might not be able to crack the technology and cost issues that would make “clean coal” competitive with other low-carbon energy sources. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz has said, “No discussion of US energy security and reducing global CO2 emissions is complete without talking about coal and the technologies that will allow us to use this resource more efficiently and with fewer greenhouse gas emissions.”
- [By David Dittman]
PG&E Corp (NYSE: PCG), Edison International (NYSE: EIX) and Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE) are the parent entities of California’s investor-owned utilities.
Top 10 Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Regal Beloit Corporation(RBC)
Regal Beloit Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells electric motors and controls, electric generators and controls, and mechanical motion control products primarily in the United States and Asia. The company operates in two segments, Electrical and Mechanical. The Electrical segment manufactures and markets AC and DC commercial, industrial, and commercial refrigeration electric motors and blowers, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) electric motors and blowers. It also provides precision servo motors, electric generators, automatic transfer switches and paralleling switchgear, and control electric power generation equipment; AC and DC variable speed drives and controllers, and other accessories for industrial and commercial applications; and capacitors for use in HVAC systems, high intensity lighting, and other applications. The Mechanical segment manufactures and markets a range of mechanical motion control products, i ncluding worm gears, bevel gears, helical gears, and concentric shaft gearboxes; marine transmissions; after-market automotive transmissions, and ring and pinions; custom gearing; gearmotors; electrical connecting devices; and manual valve actuators, which are used in oil and gas, water distribution and treatment, and chemical processing applications. The company sells its products to original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and end users through its direct sales people and manufacturer?s representative organizations. Regal Beloit Corporation was founded in 1955 and is based in Beloit, Wisconsin.
Top 10 Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: United Bancorp Inc.(UBCP)
United Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for The Citizens Savings Bank that provides various commercial and retail banking products and services in the northeastern, eastern, southeastern, and south central Ohio. Its deposit products include interest-bearing deposits, certificates of deposit, demand deposits, savings accounts, NOW accounts, and money market deposits. The company?s loan portfolio comprises commercial, real estate, installment, and consumer loans, as well as letters of credit and lines of credit. It also offers brokerage, night deposit, safe deposit box, and automatic teller machine services. United Bancorp provides banking services through its main office and stand alone operations center in Martins Ferry, Ohio; and 19 branches in Belmont, Harrison, Jefferson, Tuscarawas, Carroll, Athens, Hocking, and Fairfield counties, as well as in the surrounding localities. The company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Martins Ferry, Ohio.
Top 10 Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)
McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jon C. Ogg]
This week we have seen dividend hikes from Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)�components Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) and McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD). 24/7 Wall St. expects that there will be five, maybe six, more big dividend hike announcements from major companies before the end of 2013.
- [By ]
McDonald�� is a well-recognized company that fulfills cravings and demand for quick and delicious food choices that many consumers across the globe enjoy. The company continues to adopt new technologies in order to enhance their customer experience. The stock has been rising in recent years but is now pulling back a bit as investors book gains. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been on the rise, however, investors have expected a little more from the company. Relative to its peers and sector, McDonald’s has been an average year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what McDonald’s does this quarter.
- [By Douglas A. McIntyre]
The�Fast Food Forward movement to increase pay for people who work at fast-food companies like McDonald�� Corp. (NYSE: MCD)�and Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM)�seems to have a fair point. These workers cannot live much above the poverty level if they make only $7.25 an hour, or even $8 or $9. The movement continues to push for a pay level of $15 an hour. Whether or not�that hourly figure would lift these workers to a level where they make enough to support them at a lower middle class level, one aspect of the movement has undercut the Fast Food Forward efforts and will continue to do so. The leader of one of the movement’s largest supporters, the�Service Employees International Union (SEIU), makes well in excess of $250,000 a year. As a matter for fact, the union’s president,�Mary Kay Henry, made nearly $300,000 in 2011.
Top 10 Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Matthews International Corporation(MATW)
Matthews International Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets memorialization products and brand solutions for the cemetery and funeral home industries in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company's Bronze segment offers cast bronze memorials and other memorialization products; and cast and etched architectural products, as well as builds mausoleums. Its Casket segment provides wood and metal caskets; and casket components, such as stamped metal parts, metal locking mechanisms for gasketed metal caskets, adjustable beds, interior panels, and plastic ornamental hardware, as well as provides assortment planning and merchandising, and display products to funeral service businesses. The company's Cremation segment offers cremation equipment; cremation caskets; equipment service and supplies; and cremation urns and memorial products, as well as offers environmental systems; crematory operations and management services; and cremation col umbarium and niche units. Its Graphics Imaging segment provides brand management, pre-press services, printing plates, gravure cylinders, steel bases, embossing tools, special purpose machinery, engineering and print process assistance, print production management, digital asset management, content management, and package design services. The company's Marking Products segment offers a range of marking and coding products and related consumables, and industrial automation products for identifying, tracking, and conveying consumer and industrial products, components, and packaging containers. Its Merchandising Solutions segment provides merchandising displays and systems, such as permanent and temporary displays, custom store fixtures, brand concept shops, interactive kiosks, custom packaging, and screen and digitally printed promotional signage; and offers design and engineering services. The company was founded in 1850 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Top 10 Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: United Bancshares Inc.(UBOH)
United Bancshares, Inc. operates as a bank holding company for The Union Bank Company that engages in the provision of commercial banking services to small and middle-market businesses and individuals. It accepts various deposit products, including checking accounts, savings and money market accounts, time certificates of deposit, time deposits, and demand deposits. The company also offers various loan products that consist of commercial, consumer, agricultural, residential mortgage, and home equity loans. In addition, it provides automatic teller machine services, safe deposit box rentals, and other personalized banking services. The company serves primarily in the Ohio counties of Allen, Hancock, Putnam, Sandusky, Van Wert, and Wood, as well as with office locations in Bowling Green, Columbus Grove, Delphos, Findlay, Gibsonburg, Kalida, Leipsic, Lima, Ottawa, and Pemberville, Ohio. United Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Columbus Grove, Ohio.< /p>
Top 10 Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Xcel Energy Inc.(XEL)
Xcel Energy Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial customers, as well as to public authorities in the United States. The company generates electricity using coal, nuclear, natural gas, hydro, wood, diesel, and wind energy. It also engages in the purchase, transportation, distribution, and sale of natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The company serves customers in portions of Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin. As of December 31, 2010, it provided electricity services to 3,391,611 customers; and natural gas services to 1,893,250 customers. Xcel Energy, through its joint venture interests in WYCO Development LLC, develops and leases natural gas pipeline, storage, and compression facilities. The company was founded in 1909 and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Shauna O'Brien]
Jefferies announced on Wednesday that it has raised its rating on Xcel Energy Inc (XEL).
The firm has upgraded XEL from “Hold” to “Buy,” and has raised the company’s price target from $31 to $32.50. This new price target suggests a 15% upside from the stock’s current price of $27.72.
Analyst Paul B. Fremont commented: “The stock is currently trading at an 8% P/E discount to our 2015E group average multiple.”
“Despite a difficult political environment in Minnesota the company was able to achieve a reasonable outcome in its NSP-Minnesota rate case,” the analyst added.
Looking forward, the firm has increased its FY2014 outlook from $1.95 to $2.00 per share.
Xcel Energy shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Wednesday. The stock has been mostly flat YTD.
Top 10 Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Littelfuse Inc.(LFUS)
Littelfuse, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells circuit protection devices for use in the automotive, electronic, and electrical markets in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. The company offers electronic circuit protection products, such as fuses and protectors, positive temperature coefficient resettable fuses, varistors, polymer electrostatic discharge suppressors, discrete transient voltage suppression diodes, TVS diode arrays and protection thyristors, gas discharge tubes, and power switching components, as well as fuseholders, blocks, and related accessories under PICO II, and NANO2 SMF, TECCOR, SIDACtor, and Battrax brand names. It offers its electronic circuit protection products for use in wireless telephones, consumer electronics, computers, modems, telecommunications equipment, telephones, data transmission lines, and alarm systems. The company also provides automotive fuses that are used in automobiles, trucks, buses, and off-road equipment to protec t electrical circuits and the wires that supply electrical power to operate lights, heating, air conditioning, radios, windows, and other controls, as well as offers fuses for the protection of electric and hybrid vehicles. It markets its automotive fuse products under ATO, MINI, MAXI, MIDI, MEGA, MasterFuse, JCASE, and CablePro brand names. In addition, Littelfuse manufactures various low-voltage and medium-voltage circuit protection products, such as power fuses that are used in the protection from over-load and short-circuit currents in motor branch circuits, heating and cooling systems, control systems, lighting circuits, and electrical distribution networks to electrical distributors and their customers in the construction, original equipment manufacturers, and industrial maintenance and repair and operating supplies markets. Littelfuse sells its products through direct sales force and manufacturers? representatives. The company was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
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