Great Dividend Stocks In 2014

The top 10 performers in the benchmark S&P 500 so far this year aren't easy to characterize. They range from Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold to Bank of America.

 

The S&P 500 gained 4.4% in January, the biggest increase for that month in 15 years, helped by signs the European sovereign debt crisis that has hung like a cloud over the markets might be coming to a resolution soon. And, perhaps secondarily, the Federal Reserve said it would remain active in boosting the economy and keep inflation in check.

 

The top 10 companies in the S&P 500 in January had share gains that were clustered in the 27% to 39% range, with DVD and digital entertainment deliverer Netflix the outlier with a whopping 77% jump.

 

Still, if you look back to the end of 2014, many of these stocks are still in the hole, so a month or so of increases doesn't wipe that out.

 

In inverse order of return, here are the S&P 500's 10 best-performing stocks of March 2014:

Great Dividend Stocks In 2014:21st Century Holding Company (TCHC)

 21st Century Holding Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in insurance underwriting, distribution, and claims processing primarily in the United States. The company underwrites homeowners? multi-peril, personal umbrella, commercial general liability, commercial excess liability, personal and commercial automobile, fire, allied lines, workers? compensation, business personal property, and commercial inland marine insurance. It also provides premium financing to its insured?s, as well as third party insured?s. The company markets and distributes its own and third-party insurer?s products and other services through contractual relationships with independent agents, and general agents. 21st Century Holding Company was founded in 1991 and is based in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida.

Great Dividend Stocks In 2014:L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. (LLL)

 L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, L-3 Communications Corporation, provides command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C3ISR) systems; aircraft modernization and maintenance; and government services in the United States and internationally. Its C3ISR segment offers fleet management sustainment and support, such as procurement, systems integration, sensor development, modifications, and periodic depot maintenance for signals intelligence and communications intelligence systems; strategic and tactical signals intelligence systems; secure data links; secure terminal and communication network equipment and encryption management; and communication systems. The company?s Government Services segment provides communication software support, information technology services, and various engineering development services and integration support; engineering and information systems support services; teaching and training; human intelligence support services; command and control systems and software services; and technical and management services. Its Aircraft Modernization and Maintenance segment offers modernization and refurbishments, upgrades and sustainment, maintenance, and logistics support services, as well as turnkey aviation life cycle management services for military and various government and commercial customers. The company?s Electronic Systems segment provides components, products, subsystems, systems, and related services across various business areas, including power and control systems, electro-optic/infrared, microwave, simulation and training, precision engagement, warrior systems, security and detection, propulsion systems, avionics and displays, telemetry and advanced technology, undersea warfare, and marine services. L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in New York, New York.

Great Dividend Stocks In 2014:Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY)

 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, a global biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and delivers innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. The company focuses on areas of serious unmet medical needs, such as cardiovascular disease, mental illness, cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, solid organ transplantation, and Alzheimer's disease. Its principal products include PLAVIX for protection against fatal or non-fatal heart attack or stroke; AVAPRO/AVALIDE for the treatment of hypertension and diabetic nephropathy; ABILIFY, an agent for adult patients with schizophrenia, bipolar mania disorder, and depressive disorder; and REYATAZ for the treatment of HIV. The company?s principal products also comprise SUSTIVA for the treatment of HIV; BARACLUDE, an inhibitor of hepatitis B virus; ERBITUX to target and block the epidermal growth factor receptor; SPRYCEL for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia in adults; IXEMPRA to treat breast cancer; ORENCIA to severe rheumatoid arthritis in adults; and ONGLYZA for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Its products under Phase III clinical trials include ELIQUIS to prevent and treat venous thromboembolic disorders and stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation; NULOJIX to prevent solid organ transplant rejection; Brivanib to block the VEGF and the FGF receptors; Dapagliflozin to treat diabetes; YERVOY to treat metastatic melanoma; and Necitumumab for anticancer treatment. The company sells its products to wholesalers, distributors, retailers, hospitals, clinics, government agencies, and pharmacies. It has strategic alliances with sanofi-aventis; Pfizer, Inc.; AstraZeneca PLC; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Eli Lilly and Company; and Gilead Sciences, Inc. The company was formerly known as Bristol-Myers Company and changed its name to Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in 1989. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

B y Tom Hutchinson At 2011-9-20

Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) markets drugs worldwide and is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The company sells at a higher price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio (14) than most Big Pharma companies (the industry average is 13), but still lower than the overall market (15.4). Bristol also pays a solid 5.2% dividend yield, compared with 2.1% for the overall market and 4.5% for the pharmaceutical industry.

Like most major drug companies, Bristol faces costly patent expirations.  Blockbuster drugs Plavix (cholesterol) and Abilify (anti psychotic drug), which account for nearly half of net sales, will lose patents in 2011 and 2012. Also, most of Bristol's sales are generated in the United States, meaning the company will be negatively affected by the new health-care reform bill, which requires discounts on drugs for patients using Medicaid. However, these problems are already reflected in the stock price and the company has solid prospects going forward.

Bristol Meyers has sold off most of its noncore businesses and is focusing exclusively on drugs. The company has cut $2.5 billion in operation expenses in the past few years as well, and has more than $5 billion in cash that it can use for acquisitions. It also has a robust pipeline of cancer drugs with a strong track record of FDA approval. The stock has an excellent chance to impress going forward, and the dividend is well supported with a 61% payout ratio.

Great Dividend Stocks In 2014:E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DD)

 E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company operates as a science and technology company worldwide. It operates in seven segments: Agriculture & Nutrition, Electronics & Communications, Performance Chemicals, Performance Coatings, Performance Materials, Safety & Protection, and Pharmaceuticals. The Agriculture & Nutrition segment provides hybrid seed corn and soybean seed, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, value enhanced grains, and soy protein under the Pioneer brand name. The Electronics & Communications segment supplies materials and systems for photovoltaic products, consumer electronics, displays, and advanced printing. The Performance Chemicals segment offers fluorochemicals, fluoropolymers, specialty and industrial chemicals, and white pigments for various markets, such as plastics and coatings, textiles, mining, pulp and paper, water treatment, and healthcare. The Performance Coatings segment supplies high performance liquid and powder coatings for motor vehicle original equipment manufacturers (OEM); the motor vehicle after-market; and general industrial applications, such as such as coatings for heavy equipment, pipes and appliances, and electrical insulation. The Performance Materials segment provides polymers, elastomers, films, parts, and systems and solutions for the automotive OEM and associated after-market industries, as well as electrical, electronics, packaging, construction, oil, photovoltaics, aerospace, chemical processing, and consumer durable goods. The Safety & Protection segment primarily offers nonwovens, aramids, and solid surfaces for the construction, transportation, communications, industrial chemicals, oil and gas, electric utilities, automotive, manufacturing, defense, homeland security, and safety consulting industries. The Pharmaceuticals segment represents its interest in the collaboration relating to Cozaar/Hyzaar antihypertensive drugs. The company was founded in 1802 and is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware.

Advisors' Opinion:

• By Fit! z Gerald At 2012-1-11

  DuPont rated very well on our EquityAnalytics scoring led by its focus on specialty chemicals that have higher economic moats than more general chemicals that have higher competition. The company, additionally, offers an outstanding dividend at 3.5%. We believe the company is also undervalued at a 12.7 PE ratio and should be trading at a higher multiple in 2012. The company has done a solid job of improving profitability over the past three years, and we believe that improvement should continue in 2012. If margins do get a bump, the PE ratio becomes even more suspect at these levels. We have a $59 PT.

  Allocation: $2500

  Entry: 46.85

  Target: $51.54, $56.22, and $59

• By David Sterman At 2011-12-6

  DuPont Co. (NYSE: DD) is a diversified chemical giant with operations in 90 countries. Smart acquisitions, strong earnings growth from emerging markets and “Megatrends” in alternative energy and food production could lead to annual earnings growth of about 12% in the next five years. Dupont shares offer an above average yield and represent a great value at current prices.

  < /Reasons>

• By Lowell At 2011-10-6

  DuPont offers agriculture and food, building and construction, electronics and communications, general industrial and transportation products and services. Cramer holds 500 shares of DD stocks. DD has a dividend yield of 3.57% and returned -3.52% since the beginning of this year. It has a market cap of $42.94B and a P/E ratio of 12.77. Phill Gross and Robert Atchinson had $55 million in DD shares.

• By Karim At 2011-9-28

  EI DuPont de Nemours & Co. (NYSE:DD): Down 2.86% to $40.46. E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company is a global chemical and life sciences company, with businesses that include agriculture and industrial biotechnology, chemistry, biology, materials science and manufacturing. The Company operates globally and offers a wide range of products and services for markets including agriculture and food, building and construction, electronics and communications.

• By Harding At 2011-9-10

  DuPont (NYSE:DD) offers a broad range of products for agricultural and the food industries, building and general industrial and transportation sectors of the economy.?The stock is in a broad and powerful bull market supported by a major breakout on the long-term charts when it hit a new high at $57 in late April. The recent market decline resulted in profit-taking on DD, which drove it to its major support line at $49 where is reversed up on heavy volume.?The reversal popped the stock through a short-term resistance line (red dash) confirming the reversal.

  DD is a “cornerstone” stock for many institutional buyers, and fundamental analysts from several sources indicate a 12-month target of $60-plus.?Technically, if the stock is successful in holding above the major support, look for it to break above this year’s high with a possible run to the mid-$60s.?The annual dividend is $1.64 providing a yield of 3.17%.?Insiders have been very strong buyers, especially in the last three months.

• By Jim Cramer At 2011-9-7

  CEO Ellen Kullman may very well be the one of the most transformative managers in America, taking a company many thought was the ultimate cyclical chemical business, one totally at the mercy of worldwide growth -- or lack of it -- and remaking it into a life sciences, agricultural and health care powerhouse with some terrific chemical production. Do you remember when, last year at this time, people believed a cut in the dividend could be in the cards? I expect her to RAISE the dividend. DuPont could trade to $58 as more and more people recognize this is not the same old dowdy company that always fell on hard times when the U.S. construction industry took a header. No more. Kullman doesn't get enough credit. Maybe 2011 will change that. Fabulous for the shareholders.

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