LONDON -- With the FTSE 100 soaring this year, the average dividend yield of the index is down to about 3%, with forecasts for 3.1%. But that does include some companies still going for growth and paying low dividends, so if you're looking for income, you should realistically be aiming higher than that. Fortunately, we have a number of FTSE 100 companies paying 5% or better.
Here are three companies that have lifted their dividends this week.
Vodafone (LSE: VOD ) (NASDAQ: VOD )
Vodafone has a good track record of paying dividends, and it didn't disappoint on Tuesday with a 7% hike in its full-year payment to 10.19 pence per share -- and that was about 1.5 times covered. On the current share price of 194 pence, that provides a yield of 5.3%. The rest of the news was a little mixed, though, with group revenue down 4.2% to 拢44.4 billion. But adjusted earnings per share gained 5% to 15.65 pence, putting the shares on a P/E of 12.4.
Forecasts for the year to March 2014 currently suggest a mere 2% rise in the full-year dividend, though some are suggesting no rise at all. But by this time next year, the nature of Vodafone could be very different, depending on how it gets on with Verizon Communications.
Top 5 Canadian Stocks To Watch Right Now: Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE)
Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Energy Select Sector of the S&P 500 Index (the Index). The Index includes companies that primarily develop and produce crude oil and natural gas, and provide drilling and other energy-related services.
The Fund utilizes a passive or indexing investment approach to invest in a portfolio of stocks that seek to replicate the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is SSgA Funds Management, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
For smaller companies, though, those dynamics are more important. Rising natural-gas prices should help producers enhance their profits and drive more investment into the nat-gas industry again, boding well for the energy services companies that make natural-gas production possible. Investors are clearly excited, as the Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSEMKT: XLE ) has hit new five-year highs just within the past month, and if those trends continue, then energy should have more room to run.
5 Best Prefered Stocks To Invest In 2014: American Express Company(AXP)
American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides charge and credit payment card products, and travel-related services worldwide. The company?s product portfolio consists of charge and credit card products; expense management products and services; consumer and business travel services; stored value cards, including travelers cheques and other prepaid products; network services; merchant acquisition and processing, point-of-sale, servicing and settlement, and marketing and information products and services for merchants; and fee services comprising market and trend analyses and related consulting services, fraud prevention services, and the design of customer loyalty and rewards programs. In addition, it publishes luxury lifestyle magazines; business and travel resources; general interest, cooking, travel, wine, cocktail, financial, and time management books; and international and electronic editions. The company sells its products and services to consumer s, small businesses, mid-sized companies, and large corporations through direct mail, on-line applications, targeted direct and third-party sales forces, and direct response advertising worldwide. American Express Company was founded in 1850 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Kell]
MasterCard reported a 3% jump in fourth-quarter profit, as cardholders spent more on purchases and the company processed more transactions. However, results for the latest period missed Wall Street’s expectations, sending shares down 5.8% in recent premarket trading. Visa(V) and American Express(AXP) shares also appeared to be dragged down by the results.
5 Best Prefered Stocks To Invest In 2014: WPX Energy Inc (WPX)
WPX Energy, Inc. (WPX Energy), incorporated on April 19, 2011, is an independent natural gas and oil exploration and production company engaged in the exploitation and development of long-life unconventional properties. The Company focuses on exploiting its natural gas reserve base and related NGLs in the Piceance Basin of the Rocky Mountain region, and on developing its positions in the Bakken Shale oil play in North Dakota and the Marcellus Shale natural gas play in Pennsylvania. Its other areas of domestic operations include the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and the San Juan Basin in the southwestern United States. In addition, it owns a 69% controlling ownership interest in Apco Oil and Gas International, Inc. (Apco), which holds oil and gas concessions in Argentina and Colombia. As of December 31, 2010, it had proved reserves of 4,473 Bcfe, 59% of which were proved developed reserves. Average daily production as of March 31, 2011 was 1,251 MMcfe/d.
Bakken Shale
The Company acquired 89,420 net acres in the Williston Basin in North Dakota that is prospective for oil in the Bakken Shale. It acquired all of this acreage in December 2010 through the acquisition of Dakota-3 E&P Company LLC. As of December 31, 2010, it had three rigs operating on the Bakken Shale acreage. Since acquiring this acreage, the Company has drilled 10 operated wells on the Bakken Shale properties; nine Middle Bakken formation wells and one Three Forks formation well. Six of these wells have been completed and connected to sales with initial 30 day production rates ranging from 750 Boe/d to 1,100 Boe/d.
Marcellus Shale
The Company�� 99,301 net acres in the Marcellus Shale were acquired through two key transactions and additional leasing activities. In July 2010, the Company acquired 42,000 net acres in Susquehanna County in northeastern Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2010, the Company had five rigs operating in the Marcellus Shale.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Iron Mountain has gained 2.6% to $26.55 at 3:05 p.m., making it the fourth-best performer in the S&P 500, ahead of WPX Energy (WPX), which has gained 2.4% to $19.94, Pinnacle West Capital (PNW), which has gained 2.3% to $53.55 and Dominion Resources (D), which has risen 2.1% to $59.85.
5 Best Prefered Stocks To Invest In 2014: China Auto Logistics Inc.(CALI)
China Auto Logistics Inc. primarily engages in the sale and trading of imported automobiles in the People?s Republic of China. It also offers financing services, including letter of credit issuance, purchase deposit financing, and import duty advances, as well as automobile value-added services, including customs clearance, storage, and nationwide delivery services to automobile dealers and agents. In addition, the company operates Websites that provide subscribers with sales and trading information for imported and domestically manufactured automobiles. Its Websites include cali.com.cn, which provides auto living public with information about auto and auto-related products and services; at188.com that provides sales and trading information about imported automobiles, as well as parts and components information; at160.com, which provides sales and trading information about domestically manufactured automobiles; and goodcar.cn that provides information relating to automoti ve products and services, including discounted gas, car washes, emergency roadside assistance, body-shop repairs, and car maintenance. The company sells automobiles to authorized dealers, free traders or wholesalers, government agencies, and individual customers. China Auto Logistics Inc. is based in Tianjin, the People?s Republic of China.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
China Auto Logistic (NASDAQ: CALI) shares dropped 9.06% to $3.17 after the company announced 2013 results. China Auto Logistic posted its net income of $524,260, or $0.14 per share.
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