Companies hiked their dividend payouts by $12.7 billion in the fourth quarter of 2013, vs. $8.4 billion the same period in 2012. Standard and Poor's Dow Jones Indices says that 885 companies raised dividends in the quarter, well below 2012's 1,266 increases, but notes that 2012's increases were prompted by tax incentives.
All told, 2,895 companies raised their dividend rate last year, vs. 2,887 in 2012 and 1,953 in 2011.
2013 STOCK LAGGARDS: Dump them or buy them?
The companies that doled out the most dividends were -- surprise -- technology companies. The information technology sector paid out 15.35% of all dividends in 2013, up from 10.29% in 2011. Financial services paid out 13.75% of all dividends last year.
Top 10 Stocks To Buy For 2015: Tornier N.V.(TRNX)
Tornier N.V., a medical device company, designs, manufactures, and markets devices for joint replacement and soft tissue repair that enable surgical specialists to enhance patients? lives by restoring motion and physical vitality. It principally serves surgeons treat musculoskeletal injuries and disorders of the shoulder, elbow, hand, wrist, ankle, and foot. The company offers approximately 90 product lines, including joint replacement, trauma, sports medicine, and biologic products to treat the extremities. It also provides joint replacement products for the hip and knee in certain international markets. Tornier N.V. sells its products in approximately 35 countries worldwide. The company is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Tornier (Nasdaq: TRNX ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Seth Jayson]
Basic guidelines
In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Tornier (Nasdaq: TRNX ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Tornier doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, pretty well. Trailing-12-month revenue increased 7.3%, and inventory increased 5.8%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks decent. Revenue increased 11.0%, and inventory grew 5.8%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks healthy. Revenue grew 4.6%, and inventory dropped 2.7%.
5 Best Information Technology Stocks To Own Right Now: Gas Natural Inc. (EGAS)
Gas Natural Inc. engages in the distribution and sale of natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Montana, Wyoming, North Carolina, and Maine. The company distributes approximately 30 billion cubic feet of natural gas to approximately 63,500 customers through regulated utilities operating in Montana, Wyoming, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. It also markets approximately 1.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas to commercial and industrial customers in Montana and Wyoming, and manages midstream supply and production assets for transportation customers and utilities. In addition, the company owns a 48% working interest in 160 natural gas producing wells and gas gathering assets. Further, it owns the Shoshone interstate and the Glacier gathering natural gas pipelines located in Montana and Wyoming. The company was formerly known as Energy, Inc. and changed its name to Gas Natural Inc. in July 2010. Gas Natural Inc. was founded in 1909 an d is headquartered in Great Falls, Montana.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By David Dittman]
Gas Natural Inc (NYSE: EGAS) distributes and sells natural gas to approximately 73,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers through regulated utilities operating in Montana, Wyoming, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maine, North Carolina and Kentucky.
5 Best Information Technology Stocks To Own Right Now: Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH)
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., incorporated on February 21, 2011, is a global cruise line operator, offering cruise experiences for travelers with a variety of itineraries in North America (including Alaska and Hawaii), the Mediterranean, the Baltic, Central America, Bermuda and the Caribbean. The Company offers a variety of cruises ranging from one day to three weeks. During the year ended December 31, 2010, the Company docked at over 125 ports worldwide, with itineraries originating from 17 ports of which ten were in North America. In June 2010, the Company took delivery of its largest cruise ship, Norwegian Epic (4,100 Berths), which offers 21 dining options.
The Company�� ships have passenger amenities, including up to 21 dining options together with hundreds of private balcony cabins on each ship. As of March 31, 2011, 48% of its cabins have private balconies. Five of its ships offer a complex of private courtyard villas, each with up to approximately 570 square feet, which provide personal butler service and access to a private courtyard area with private pools, sundeck, hot tubs, and fitness center. In addition, six of its ships have garden villas with up to 6,694 square feet. These garden villas offer three separate bedroom areas, spacious living and dining room areas, as well as around-the-clock, on-call butler and concierge service.
Norwegian Epic offers its passengers itineraries to the western and eastern Caribbean, as well as Europe. The ship offers its customers an aqua park, sports complex, two three-lane bowling alleys and its two-story Wii Wall. In addition, the ship features a spa facility and fitness center with more than 31,000 square feet. Entertainment is offered aboard Norwegian Epic with the addition of entertainment choices, including Blue Man Group, Cirque Dreams & Dinner, Legends in Concert and Nickelodeon at Sea. It offers entertainment in its jazz and blues club and its comedy club features the comedy troupe, The Second City.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rick Munarriz]
Ever since Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL ) introduced outdoor rock walls for daring climbers, cruise lines have tried to raise the stakes in attracting young passengers who can't be wooed by mere spa treatments or midnight buffets. Carnival (NYSE: CCL ) , Royal Caribbean, and the recently public Norwegian Cruise Lines (NASDAQ: NCLH ) have added zip lines, indoor bowling alleys, and even bumper cars to make sea life more appealing to young families with toddlers and young adults.
5 Best Information Technology Stocks To Own Right Now: JMP Group Inc (JMP)
JMP Group Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as an investment banking, asset management, and corporate credit management company in the United States. The company provides various investment banking products and services, such as capital raising, mergers and acquisitions transaction, and other strategic advisory services to corporate clients. It also offers sales and trading services, which include distributing equity research products, communicating proprietary investment recommendations, executing equity trades on behalf of institutional clients, and marketing the securities of companies, as well as related brokerage services to institutional investors. In addition, the company provides proprietary equity research in five industries, including consumer, financial services, healthcare, real estate, and technology industries. Further, it provides asset management products and services to institutional investors, and high net-worth individuals; and involves in the man agement of collateralized loan obligations. JMP Group Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California with additional offices in New York, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; and Alpharetta, Georgia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Full-service investment banking, asset management and corporate credit management firm JMP Group (JMP) raised its quarterly dividend 13% to 4.5 cents per share, payable April 11 to shareholders of record as of March 28.
JMP Dividend Yield: 2.41%
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