Investors have sought out the highest dividend paying stocks they can find in order to maximize their income in a low-interest rate environment. But despite the popularity of high-yield dividend stocks, their laser focus on current yield at the expense of other desirable characteristics often make them less-than-ideal long-term investments.
Too much of a good thing?
In general, dividend paying stocks are a great place for investors to start in their quest for solid investment opportunities. By paying a dividend, a company demonstrates its ability to generate dependable cash flow as well as its commitment to reward shareholders for investing in its stock. Moreover, companies tend to want to avoid making dividend cuts in the future, and so they tend to wait until they're absolutely sure that they'll be able to sustain their quarterly payouts before they initiate or boost a dividend.
But companies that pay high dividend yields often don't have the same favorable traits you'll find in their lower-yielding counterparts. All too often, a high yield comes about because of a decline in the company's overall business prospects that sends the stock price plunging. Although companies sometimes are able to sustain dividend levels even in light of faltering business conditions, the highest dividend paying stocks usually succumb to the pressure to reduce their payouts.
Top Cheapest Companies To Buy Right Now: Acuity Brands Inc (AYI)
Acuity Brands, Inc. (Acuity Brands), incorporated on September 20, 2007, is the parent company of Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. (ABL), and other subsidiaries. Acuity Brands is a provider of lighting solutions for commercial, institutional, industrial, infrastructure, and residential applications throughout North America and select international markets. The Company's lighting solutions include devices, such as luminaires, lighting controls, power supplies, prismatic skylights, light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, and integrated lighting systems for indoor and outdoor applications utilizing a combination of light sources, including daylight, and other devices controlled by software that monitors and manages light levels while optimizing energy consumption (collectively referred to herein as lighting solutions). Effective March 14, 2013, the Company acquired eldoLED Europe BV.
The Company manufactures lighting devices primarily in North America, Europe and Asia. The Company's lighting solutions are marketed under numerous brand names, including Lithonia Lighting, Holophane, Peerless, Mark Architectural Lighting, Hydrel, American Electric Lighting, Gotham, Carandini, RELOC, Antique Street Lamps, Tersen, Winona Lighting, Synergy Lighting Controls, Sensor Switch, Lighting Control & Design, Dark to Light, ROAM, Sunoptics, acculamp, Pathway Connectivity, and Healthcare Lighting. As of August 31, 2012, the Company manufactures products in 18 facilities in North America and two facilities in Europe.
Principal customers include electrical distributors, retail home improvement centers, electric utilities, municipalities, lighting showrooms, and energy service companies located in North America and select international markets serving new construction, renovation, and facility maintenance applications. In North America, the Company's lighting solutions are sold primarily by independent sales agents, electrical wholesalers, and factory sales representatives who cover specific geographic areas! and market channels. Products are delivered directly or through a network of distribution centers, regional warehouses, and commercial warehouses using both common carriers and a company-owned truck fleet. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), North American sales accounted for approximately 98% of net sales. The Company has one operating segment serving the North American lighting market and select international markets.
The Company provides a range of lighting solutions, as well as services used in the applications, such as lighting solutions and services. Lighting solutions and services includes commercial and institutional, industrial, infrastructure, residential and services. Commercial and Institutional includes stores, hotels, offices, schools, and hospitals, as well as other government and public buildings. Lighting solutions that serve these applications include recessed, surface, and suspended lighting products, recessed down lighting, track lighting, day lighting, and lighting controls (occupancy sensors, photocontrols, relay panels, architectural dimming panels, and integrated lighting controls systems), as well as special-use lighting products. The outdoor areas associated with these applications are addressed by a range of outdoor lighting products, such as area and flood lighting, decorative site lighting, and landscape lighting. Industrial includes primarily warehouses and manufacturing facilities, which utilize a range of general purpose, day lighting, and special-use lighting solutions. Infrastructure includes highways, tunnels, airports, railway yards, and ports. Products that serve these applications include street, area, high-mast, off-set roadway, sign lighting, poles, and integrated controls systems. Residential includes a combination of decorative, utilitarian, and down lighting products. Services include monitoring and controlling of lighting systems through network technologies.
The Company competes with Cooper Industries plc, Hu! bbell Inc! orporated, Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., OSRAM AG, Schneider Electric and General Electric Company.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Acuity Brands Inc. (NYSE: AYI) was raised to Neutral from Underperform at Sterne Agee�on better-than-expected unit growth and nonresidential construction recovery.
- [By Mike Deane]
Before the opening bell on Tuesday�morning, Acuity Brands, Inc. (AYI)�reported its third�quarter earnings, posting record quarterly revenues,�which still couldn’t top analysts’ estimates.
AYI’s�Earnings in Brief
Acuity Brands�reported third�quarter revenues of $6.03 billion, marking an 11.5% increase over last year’s Q3 revenues of $541.5 million. Adjusted net income�for the quarter came in at $43.3 million, or $1.00 per share, which is up slightly from last year’s Q3 figures of $41.9 million, or 97�cents per share. AYI missed analysts’ estimates of $1.12 EPS on revenues of $609.09 million.CEO Commentary
AYI chairman, president and CEO Vernon J. Nagel had the following comments:�“We were pleased with our fiscal 2014 third quarter results as we continued to execute our strategies to extend our leadership position in North America. The year-over-year increase in net sales reflects continued favorable trends in our�order rates as well as the continued adoption of LED lighting solutions, which nearly doubled over the prior year. Sales of LED-based lighting solutions now represent over a third of our net sales.”
AYI’s�Dividend
Acuity Brands has not raised its dividend since it 2007, when it cut its quarterly payout�from 15 cents to 13 cents. The company’s next dividend is payable on August 1, and the stock goes ex-dividend on July 16.
Stock Performance
AYI stock was inactive in pre-market trading. YTD, the company’s stock is up 28.43%.
AYI�Dividend SnapshotAs of Market Close on June 30, 2014
Click here to see the complete history of AYI dividends.
- [By Roberto Pedone]
One diversified electronics player that insiders are loading up on here is Acuity Brands (AYI), which designs, produces and distributes lighting solutions, components, and services for commercial, institutional, industrial, infrastructure and residential applications in North America and internationally. Insiders are buying this stock into solid strength, since shares have ripped higher by 22% so far in 2014.
Acuity Brands has a market cap of $5.7 billion and an enterprise value of $5.5 billion. This stock trades at a reasonable valuation, with a trailing price-to-earnings of 33 and a forward price-to-earnings of 21.9. Its estimated growth rate for this year is 24.9%, and for next year it's pegged at 23.6%. This is a cash-rich company, since the total cash position on its balance sheet is $552.50 million and its total debt is $353.60 million.
A director just bought 8,000 shares, or about $983,000 worth of stock, at $122.94 per share.
From a technical perspective, AYI is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock recently pulled back right to its 50-day moving average and then subsequently bounced off that level and trended back above its 200-day moving average. That move is now starting to push shares of AYI within range of triggering a big breakout trade above some key overhead resistance levels.
If you're bullish on AYI, then I would look for long-biased trades as long as this stock is trending above its 200-day moving average of $126.02 a share or its 50-day moving average of $124.43 a share and then once it breaks out above some key overhead resistance levels at $135.57 to $138.16 a share and then above some past resistance at $140.20 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 375,008 shares. If that breakout materializes soon, then AYI will set up to re-test or possibl
- [By Monica Gerson]
Analysts are expecting Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI) to have earned $$1.02 per share on revenue of $569.33 million in the fourth quarter. Acuity Brands shares rose 0.95% to close at $92.02 yesterday.
5 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Own For 2014: Fast Retailing Co Ltd (FRCOF)
FAST RETAILING CO., LTD. is a Japan-based holding company primarily engaged in the clothing business. The Company operates in three business segments. The UNIQLO segment is engaged in the sale of casual clothing such as men's, women's, children's and babies' clothing, as well as other goods in domestic market and overseas markets under the brand name of UNIQLO. The Global Brand segment is engaged in the planning, manufacture and sale of clothing under the brands of COMPTOIR DES COTONNIERS, PRINCESSE TAM.TAM, Theory, Helmut Lang, PLST and others in domestic and overseas markets. The Others segment is involved in the leasing of real estate and others. As of August 31, 2012, the Company had 91 consolidated subsidiaries and six non-consolidated subsidiaries. In December, 2012, it acquired a 80.1% stake in United States-based J Brand Holdings, LLC. In September 2013, it established a wholly owned subsidiary, J Brand Japan Co., Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:- [By MARKETWATCH]
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks weakened in early Thursday trading as the yen rose and Wall Street ended mixed, with the Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) falling 1.2% to 15,929.74 after a 1.9% advance a day earlier. With the yen (USDJPY) slightly firmer than in the previous session, some investors sold currency-sensitive exporters, with Fanuc Corp. (JP:6954) (FANUF) down 2%, Kyocera Corp. (JP:6971) (KYOCF) off 1.9%, and Fujitsu Ltd. (JP:6702) (FJTSY) losing 2.3%. News that China would lift a ban on some sales of videogame consoles had sent shares of Nintendo Co. (JP:7974) (NTDOF) shooting 11% higher on Wednesday, but apparent profit-taking sent the stock down 4.2% in early Thursday action. Shares of rival Sony Corp. (JP:6758) (SNE) , however, followed with a 4% rise, also possibly buoyed by a Nikkei Asian Review report that it was planning a "smartphone offensive" in the U.S. and China. Canon Inc. (JP:7751) (CAJ) fell 2% on a separate Nikkei report that the company's 2013 operating profit would miss forecasts. Toshiba Corp. (JP:6502) (TOSYY)
- [By WWW.MARKETWATCH.COM]
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks have ended with losses in every session this week, and sure enough, the Nikkei Average (JP:NIK) was down 0.6% in early Friday trade, though off an opening 0.8% defecit, while the Topix carried a 0.7% loss. Overnight losses for the U.S. and further strength in the yen (with the dollar falling to 楼101.28 from 楼101.56 a day earlier) helped drag the market lower, as did results from Fast Retailing Co. (JP:9983) (FRCOF) , the shares of which hold the heaviest weighting on Nikkei Average. Fast Retailing said that while its Uniqlo brand was doing great business, weakness for its J Brand luxury demin label helped send September-May profit down 4% and prompted another cut to Fast's full-year outlook. Consequently, its shares traded 0.7% lower, though rivals Takashimaya Co. (JP:8233) and J. Front Retailing Co. (JP:3086) (JFROF) also saw losses of 0.6% and 0.5%, respectively. Among other decliners, Sony Corp. (JP:6758) (SNE) lost 0.7%, Toshiba Corp. (JP:6502) (TOSYY) fell 2.1%, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (JP:7012) (KWHIY) fell 1.5%, Toyota Motor Corp. (JP:7203) (TM) and Nissan Motor Co. (JP:7201)
- [By MARKETWATCH]
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Stocks in Japan started with losses Friday, the final session before the release of the closely watched U.S. jobs report later in the day. The Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) shed 0.3% to 15,836.37, as the yen edged higher against the U.S. dollar overnight, and the broader Topix gave up 0.5%. Tech issues were mostly lower, including a 3.3% pullback in Trend Micro Inc. (JP:4704) (TMICY) , and a 2.7% decline in Nintendo Co. (JP:7974) (NTDOF) . Nintendo shares rallied Thursday after China temporarily lifted a ban on manufacturing and selling video game consoles within in the country. But among Friday's best performers were shares of Fast Retailing Co. (JP:9983) (FRCOF) , up 4.4% after the company posted a nearly 9% rise in its fiscal first-quarter net profit to 楼41.85 billion ($399 million). Sales were driven by a nearly 80% gain in Fast Retailing's overseas sales at Uniqlo stores.
5 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Own For 2014: Syntel Inc.(SYNT)
Syntel, Inc. provides information technology (IT) and knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) services worldwide. It operates in four segments: Applications Outsourcing, KPO, e-Business, and TeamSourcing. The Applications Outsourcing segment provides software applications development, maintenance, testing, migration, and infrastructure services. The KPO segment offers a host of outsourced solutions for knowledge and business processes. It focuses on middle and back-office business processes of the transaction cycle in the capital markets, banking, healthcare, and insurance industries. The e-Business segment provides technology services in the areas of architecting, implementing, and maintaining Web solutions, data warehousing/business intelligence, enterprise application integration, business process management, and enterprise resource planning solutions. The TeamSourcing segment offers professional IT consulting services directly to customers on a staff augmentation basis. It s services include systems specification, design, development, implementation, and maintenance of complex IT applications involving computer hardware, software, data, and networking technologies and practices. Syntel, Inc. provides services to a range of companies primarily in the financial services, healthcare and life sciences, insurance, manufacturing, automotive, retail, logistics, and telecom industries. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Troy, Michigan.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Brian Pacampara]
Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, IT services specialist Syntel (NASDAQ: SYNT ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.
5 Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Own For 2014: Direxion Daily FTSE China Bear 3X Shares ETF (YANG)
Direxion Daily China Bear 3x Shares (the Fund) seeks daily investment results of 300% of the inverse (or opposite) of the price performance of the BNY China Select ADR Index (the China Index). The China Index is a free float-adjusted capitalization-weighted index designed by the Bank of New York to track the performance of a basket of companies who have their primary equity listing on a stock exchange in China and which also have depositary receipts that trade on a United States exchange or on the National Association of Securities and Dealers Automated Quotation. Under normal circumstances, it focuses on creating short positions, by investing at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities that comprise its underlying index and/or futures contracts; options on securities, indices and futures contracts; equity caps, collars and floors; forward contracts; repurchase agreements, and reverse repurchase agreements. The Fund�� investment adviser is Rafferty Asset Management LLC. Advisors' Opinion:- [By pamatlarge]
Three short ETFs are designed to profit from China�� economic downward slide. The ProShares Short FTSE China 25 (YXI), an unleveraged ETF, holds shares in iShares FTSE China Large-Cap (FXI) swaps. Investors looking to magnify their returns can choose from two leveraged short ETFs: ProShares Ultra Short FTSE China 25 (FXP) and Direxion Daily China Bear 3x Shares (YANG). Both ProShares Ultra Short and Direxion Daily hold shares that increase in value three times faster than an unleveraged ETF. The downside is that the per share price of these leveraged ETFs also drops three times faster.
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