LONDON: The�FTSE 100� (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE ) dipped early this morning, despite the news that the U.K. economy has so far avoided a triple-dip recession by growing 0.3% in the first quarter of the year. But sentiment seems to have settled after the index was shaken by a couple of disappointing results, and the FTSE is now 11 points up on the day, to 6,442.
So which big companies have held the FTSE back today? We take a look:
Unilever
Unilever� (LSE: ULVR ) shares fell 55p (1.9%), to 2,790p, after a first-quarter update told us of�lower-than-anticipated sales in Europe. Double-digit growth in emerging markets did, however, help drive underlying sales up 4.9%. And the firm was happy enough with these figures to lift its quarterly dividend by 10.7% to 26.9 euro cents per share.
Unilever shares have had a very good 12 months, rising by around 35%. But that does put them on a forward P/E of 20 now, which some will see as perhaps a bit overpriced for a household consumables company.
Top 10 Dividend Stocks For 2014: Public Storage(PSA)
Public Storage operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT). It engages in the acquisition, development, ownership, and operation of self-storage facilities in the United States and Europe. The company?s self-storage facilities offer storage spaces for lease on a month-to-month basis for personal and business use. Public Storage also has interests in commercial properties containing commercial and industrial rental space; facilities that lease storage containers; and ancillary operations, which include reinsurance of policies against losses to goods stored by its self-storage tenants, retail operations comprising merchandise sales and truck rental operations. As of December 31, 2008, the company had interests in 2,012 self-storage facilities with approximately 127 million net rentable square feet in 38 states; and 181 self-storage facilities with approximately 10 million net rentable square feet in 7 western European nations. It also had direct and indirect equity int erests in approximately 21 million net rentable square feet of commercial space located in 11 states in the U.S. As a REIT, the company would not be subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. Public Storage was founded in 1971 and is based in Glendale, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Mike Deane]
Public Storage (PSA) announced its third quarter earnings after the bell on Thursday, posting an increase in net income and revenues.
PSA Earnings in Brief
-Public Storage announced total quarterly revenues of $419 million, which were up from last year’s $397 million, but below the average analyst estimate of $464.58 million.
-The company’s net income came in at $231.4 million, or $1.34 per share, which was up from last year’s Q3 net income of $202.5 million, or $1.18 per share.
-PSA’s core FFO per share was up from last year’s $1.76 to $1.92 for the most recent quarter; this beat analysts’ estimates of $1.89.Dividend Raise
Public Storage announced that its board has approved to raise its dividend 12% to $1.40 per common share. This is a 15 cent raise from the company’s previous quarterly payout of $1.25 and brings the annualized payout to $5.60. The new dividend is payable on December 30 to all shareholders on record as of December 13.
Share Performance
PSA stock was down 66 cents, or 0.39%, on the day, but was up steeply in after-hours trading. YTD, the company’s stock is up 14.74%.
Top 10 Dividend Stocks For 2014: 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.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
The first thing to realize about StoneMor is that arcane and flexible accounting rules make it important to dig beneath its GAAP earnings. Growth throughout the industry has been substantial, as up-and-coming Carriage Services (NYSE: CSV ) continued to stay on pace for double-digit sales growth as it rapidly expands its reach. Even well-established player Matthews International (NASDAQ: MATW ) managed to grow revenue by nearly 14% in the quarter that ended in March, although its earnings fell slightly from the year-ago quarter. Still, StoneMor's sales haven't been able to rise as quickly as its peers, with its previous report including just a 6% gain in revenue.
10 Best Safest Stocks To Own For 2014: 3M Company(MMM)
3M Company, together with subsidiaries, operates as a diversified technology company worldwide. The company?s Industrial and Transportation segment offers tapes, coated and non-woven abrasives, adhesives, specialty materials, filtration products, energy control products, closure systems for personal hygiene products, acoustic systems products, and components and products that are used in the manufacture, repair, and maintenance of automotive, marine, aircraft, and specialty vehicles. Its Health Care segment provides medical and surgical supplies, skin health and infection prevention products, inhalation and transdermal drug delivery systems, dental and orthodontic products, health information systems, and food safety products. The company?s Display and Graphics offers optical film solutions for LCD electronic displays; computer screen filters; reflective sheeting for transportation safety; commercial graphics sheeting and systems; and mobile interactive solutions, includin g mobile display technology, visual systems products, and computer privacy filters. The company?s Consumer and Office segment provides office supply products, stationery products, construction and home improvement products, home care products, protective material products, certain consumer retail personal safety products, and consumer health care products. Its Safety, Security and Protection Services segment offers personal protection products, safety and security products, cleaning and protection products for commercial establishments, track and trace solutions, and roofing granules for asphalt shingles. The company?s Electro and Communications segment provides packaging and interconnection devices; fluids that are used in the manufacture of computer chips, and for cooling electronics and lubricating computer hard disk drives; high-temperature and display tapes; insulating materials, including tapes and resins; and related items. The company was founded in 1902 and is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Carroll]
The Dow's consumer stocks are also on the rise, with 3M (NYSE: MMM ) shares up 1.9%. More jobs and increased consumer spending should help 3M's revenue stay on course in the future, but at least one leading financial firm is cautious about the company's direction. Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock from "overweight" to "equal weight" earlier in the week, citing the stock's run-up this year as evidence that it may not have much more room to run ahead of rivals in its space. While that may be worrisome to short-term traders, it's no bother to long-term investors: 3M's a solid pick for income investors with its 2.3% dividend yield and highly manageable 38% payout ratio, and the company's consistent gains in sales over the past few years despite a sluggish economic recovery offers hope for a stable future. Perhaps Morgan Stanley is right and 3M will struggle to rise the rest of the year, but in the long term, this stock is as stable a cash cow as you can find.
- [By John Maxfield]
Alternatively, shares of 3M (NYSE: MMM ) continue to drag on the blue-chip index. The industrial conglomerate reported its earnings yesterday, sending shares in the company down nearly 3%. Like many of its peers on the Dow, 3M saw its revenue decline on a year-over-year basis, and felt compelled to lower its forward earnings guidance for the remainder of the year.
Top 10 Dividend Stocks 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 Alyce Lomax]
Even massive conglomerate Honeywell (NYSE: HON ) has delved into the demand response and energy efficiency arena. In March, Honeywell teamed up with Opower to provide an integrated energy management platform with five utilities, including PG&E (NYSE: PCG ) , to test-drive the relatively untapped residential market.
- [By Rich Duprey]
Utility operator�PG&E (NYSE: PCG ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.455 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2010.
- [By Alex Planes]
Looking for a way to invest in hydropower? California's PG&E (NYSE: PCG ) is the nation's largest hydropower utility, producing nearly 12 billion kilowatt-hours of water-sourced electricity each year. CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS ) , which currently operates 13 hydroelectric power plants in Michigan -- including one near the site of that first Grand Rapids turbine -- provides power to about 70,000 people each year from the movement of water.
- [By Richard Stavros]
There are also thermal energy storage systems that turn rooftop air conditioners and campus-wide cogeneration plants into virtual-grid, energy-shifting arrays, and PG&E Corp (NYSE: PCG) is developing a compressed-air energy storage (CAES) system. Meanwhile, Southern California Edison, a subsidiary of Edison International (NYSE: EIX), is looking into using plug-in electrical vehicles as storage, and Sempra Energy’s (NYSE: SRE) San Diego Gas and Electric has focused on microgrid projects.
Top 10 Dividend Stocks For 2014: Leggett & Platt Incorporated(LEG)
Leggett & Platt, Incorporated designs and produces various engineered components and products worldwide. Its Residential Furnishings segment offers bedding components, such as innersprings and wire forms; furniture components, including steel mechanisms, springs, seat suspensions, steel tubular seat frames, bed frames, ornamental beds, and power foundations; and structural fabrics, carpet underlay materials, and geo components. This segment serves manufacturers of finished bedding products or upholstered furniture. The company?s Commercial Fixturing & Components segment provides shelving, counters, showcases, and garment racks; standardized shelvings; point-of-purchase displays; and bases, columns, back rests, casters, and frames. This segment offers its products to retail chains and specialty shops; brand name marketers; distributors of consumer products; and office, institutional, and commercial furniture manufacturers. Its Industrial Materials segment provides steel rod s, drawn wires, steel billets, fabricated wire products, welded steel tubing, and fabricated tube components to bedding and furniture, and mechanical spring makers; automotive seating, and lawn and garden equipment manufacturers; and waste recyclers, waste removal businesses, and medical supply businesses. The company?s Specialized Products segment offers manual and power lumbar support and massage systems; seat suspension systems; automotive control cables; low voltage motors; actuation assemblies; formed metal and wire components; quilting machines; machines for shaping wire into springs; industrial sewing/finishing machines; van interiors; and docking stations, as well as specialty trailers for telephone, cable, and utility companies. It serves bedding and automobile seating manufacturers. The company sells its products through its sales representatives and distributors. Leggett & Platt, Incorporated was founded in 1883 and is based in Carthage, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dividends4Life]
Leggett & Platt Inc. (LEG) makes a broad line of bedding and furniture components and other home, office and commercial furnishings, as well as products for non-furnishings markets. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1939 and has increased its dividend payments for 41 consecutive years. Yield: 3.6%
- [By Holly LaFon]
Leggett & Platt (LEG) is a leading manufacturer of engineered products and components. As the pioneer of steel coil springs found in mattresses and furniture, the company continues to supply a variety of components to bedding and furniture manufacturers. Additionally, Leggett & Platt's broader product line includes retail store fixtures, office furniture components, automotive seating components and industrial steel wire and tubing. Customers choose Leggett & Platt as a supplier because the company's manufacturing scale and processes result in lower costs than customers can produce themselves. We believe earnings should grow based on the contribution of new products, cost reduction efforts and the improving housing market. Moreover, future dividend growth appears likely based on a 42-year record of dividend increases. We believe Leggett & Platt is an attractive investment based on its 3.8% dividend yield and positive growth outlook.
Top 10 Dividend Stocks For 2014: CCA Industries Inc.(CAW)
CCA Industries, Inc. engages in manufacturing and selling health and beauty aid products primarily in the United States and Canada. The company primarily offers toothpastes and teeth whiteners under the Plus+White brand; anti-aging skin care products under the Sudden Change brand; nail care treatments under the Nutra Nail and Power Gel brands; medicated topical and shave gels under the Bikini Zone brand; diet supplements under the Mega-T Green Tea brand; and gums and mint products under the Mega?T Green Tea brand. It also provides hair removal and depilatory products under the Hair Off brand; foot-care products under the IPR brand; sun-care products under the Solar Sense brand; shampoos and conditioners under the Wash ?N Curl brand; vanilla fragrances, including perfumes under the Parfume de Vanille brand; ear-care products under the Lobe Wonder brand; topical analgesic products under the Pain Bust*R II brand; and scar diminishing cream under the Scar Zone brand. CCA Indus tries, Inc. markets and sells its products through its sales force, independent sales representatives, and distributors to drug, food, and mass-merchandise retail chains, as well as to warehouse clubs and wholesalers. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Top 10 Dividend Stocks For 2014: Plum Creek Timber Company Inc.(PCL)
Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc. is a publicly owned real estate investment trust (REIT). The trust owns and manages timberlands in the United States. Its products include lumber products, plywood, medium density fiberboard, and related by-products, such as wood chips. The trust also focuses on mineral extraction and natural gas production, communication, and transportation. Plum Creek Timber Company was founded in 1989 and is based in Seattle, Washington.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Victor Selva]
Plum Creek Timber Co Inc. (PCL) owns 6.4 million acres of timberland across 19 states and manages timberland and manufactures wood products. The company is structured as a REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust), and so, it is not required to pay federal income taxes on earnings generated by timber harvest activities. Other earnings, like those from its wood products and real estate segments are subject to federal income tax.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
High lumber prices are the key driver of earnings growth for Weyerhaeuser, and in recent years, price trends in the industry have been quite strong. Infestations of mountain pine beetles have consumed about 12% of forested land west of the Mississippi, and that pushed lumber prices to levels not seen since the housing boom in the mid-2000s. Weyerhaeuser rival Plum Creek Timber (NYSE: PCL ) has benefited even more from the trend, because unlike Weyerhaeuser, much of Plum Creek's timberland is in areas not affected by the beetle. Nevertheless, Weyerhaeuser was able to triple its profits in the first quarter from the year-ago period, posting its best quarterly earnings in eight years.
- [By John Divine]
Plum Creek Timber (NYSE: PCL ) , which is a real estate investment trust, or REIT, also lost 4.7% today. REITs had a rough go of it Wednesday; they frequently borrow money to pay their high dividends, and with the prospect of higher interest rates around the corner as the Fed starts allowing rates to rise, REITs like Plum Creek will have to pay more just to keep their payouts stagnant.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Ordinarily, price pressure might lead to decreased demand for housing, which could send Weyerhaeuser's cyclical prospects downward. But so far, that hasn't materialized, and Plum Creek Timber (NYSE: PCL ) has seen greater investment in mills as well as expanded work-shifts at existing facilities. Furthermore, logging capacity has been under pressure, which could continue to support prices.
Top 10 Dividend Stocks For 2014: Kohlberg Capital Corporation(KCAP)
Kohlberg Capital Corporation is a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in buyouts and mezzanine investments. It focuses on mature and middle market companies. The firm structures its investments through senior debt, second lien debt, secured and unsecured subordinated debt, mezzanine debt, and equity. It invests in all sectors except cyclical industries. The firm invests equity in both minority and control transactions alongside other equity investors. It invests through its own balance sheet. Kohlberg Capital Corporation is based in the New York, New York.
Top 10 Dividend Stocks For 2014: Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings(LH)
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings operates as an independent clinical laboratory company in the United States. The company offers a range of testing services used by the medical profession in routine testing, patient diagnosis, and in the monitoring and treatment of disease, as well as specialty testing services. Its routine tests include blood chemistry analyses, urinalyses, blood cell counts, thyroid tests, Pap tests, HIV tests, microbiology cultures and procedures, and alcohol and other substance-abuse tests. The company?s specialty tests and related services comprise viral load measurements, genotyping and phenotyping, and host genetic factors for managing and treating HIV infections; cytogenetic, molecular cytogenetic, biochemical, and molecular genetic tests for diagnostic genetics; oncology tests for diagnosing and monitoring certain cancers and treatments; clinical trials testing for pharmaceutical companies, which conducts clinical research trials on diag nostic assays; forensic identity testing used in criminal proceedings and parentage evaluation services, as well as testing services in reconstruction cases; allergy testing; and occupational testing for the detection of drug and alcohol abuse. Its customers include independent physicians and physician groups, hospitals, managed care organizations, governmental agencies, employers, pharmaceutical companies, and other independent clinical laboratories. The company operates a network of 51 primary laboratories and approximately 1,700 patient service centers. In addition, it delivers a co-branded electronic health records Lite solution for physician practices. The company works with university, hospital, and academic institutions, such as Duke University, The Johns Hopkins University, the University of Minnesota, and Yale University to license and commercialize new diagnostic tests. Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Burlingto n, North Carolina.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings (NYSE: LH ) reported earnings on July 19. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings met expectations on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.
Top 10 Dividend Stocks For 2014: S&P Smallcap 600(PH)
Parker Hannifin Corporation manufactures fluid power systems, electromechanical controls, and related components worldwide. Its Industrial segment offers pneumatic and electromechanical components, and systems; filters, systems, and instruments to monitor and remove contaminants from fuel, air, oil, water, and other liquids and gases; connectors that control, transmit, and contain fluid; hydraulic components and systems for builders and users of industrial and mobile machinery and equipment; critical flow components for process instrumentation, healthcare, and ultra-high-purity applications; and static and dynamic sealing devices. This segment sells its products to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their replacement markets in the manufacturing, transportation, and processing industries. The company?s Aerospace segment provides flight control systems and components, including hydraulic, electrohydraulic, electric backup hydraulic, electrohydrostatic, and electro -mechanical components for precise control of aircraft rudders, elevators, ailerons, and other aerodynamic control surfaces. It also provides electronics thermal management heat rejection systems, and single-phase and two-phase heat collection systems for radar, ISAR, and power electronics. This segment markets its products primarily to OEMs in the commercial, military, and general aviation markets, as well as to end users. Its Climate and Industrial Controls segment offers systems and components primarily for use in the mobile and stationary refrigeration, and air conditioning industry; and in fluid control applications in various industries, such as processing, fuel dispensing, beverage dispensing, and mobile emissions. This segment serves OEMs and their replacement markets. Parker-Hannifin Corporation markets its products through direct-sales employees, independent distributors, wholesalers, and sales representatives. The company was founded in 1918 and is headquartered i n Cleveland, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Stephen Rosenman]
Can you really take a company's yearly guidance seriously? Who can predict future events a year from now? It's so hard most companies skip the ordeal. Who can blame them? So many unforeseen events can derail a company's guidance. Yet, a few daredevil companies continue giving their yearly outlook. As far as I'm concerned, that's akin to writing the front page of next year's Wall Street Journal. I've already highlighted how Caterpillar (CAT) and Parker Hannifin (PH) - two excellent companies - almost never get their yearly guidance right.
- [By Marc Bastow]
Motion and control systems manufacturer Parker-Hannifin (PH) raised its quarterly dividend 4.6% to 45 cents per share, payable on Dec. 6 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 8. The increase marks the 57th consecutive annual dividend increase.
PH Dividend Yield:�1.55% - [By Charles Mizrahi, President and CEO, Hampton Investors, Inc.]
Parker Hannifin (PH) generates strong revenue from its aerospace division, while its primary industrial segment is lagging.
Overall, we like the company's balanced portfolio. PH had solid order rates this past year with backlog of $3.6 billion between its industrial and aerospace segments.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Parker-Hannifin (NYSE: PH) is expected to report its Q1 earnings at $1.48 per share on revenue of $3.26 billion.
Textron (NYSE: TXT) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $0.47 per share on revenue of $2.97 billion.
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