The market took an early breather today, as economic headlines
out of Europe continue to have some analysts and investors worried
about further slowdowns, but we did see some of that early month
buying pick up in the afternoon to help us close off the lows.
Looking specifically at the big earnings movers today, we saw
some red for Chesapeake Energy (
CHK
). The natural gas producer has its hands full following
its recent earnings report
, and specifically the controversy surrounding its CEO/founder's
recent financial dealings. Meanwhile, stocks like Allergan (
AGN
), Anadarko Petroleum (
APC
), Devon Energy (
DVN
), and Mastercard (
MA
) were also down on their earnings news.
On the flip side, investors were buying the earnings story in
stocks like IAC/Interactive (
IACI
), CBS Corporation (
CBS
), and CVS Caremark (
CVS
). For a full rundown of today's big earnings reports, be sure to
check out
The Dividend Daily
.
Keeping the Right Score
Last night, I had the job of keeping score for my son's baseball
team. Wouldn't you know, the other team's coach had accounted for a
run that never happened. Despite my explaining the entire inning
sequence to them, the team insisted on what they saw on their score
sheet. As the umpire eventually had to explain to our opponents,
they'd counted a run scoring on a pop-out during the final out of
the inning (baseball fans out there will immediately recognize this
situation and know that run doesn't count).
As in baseball, keeping proper score in your investing life is
extremely important. The best approach is to watch what analysts
do, rather than what they say. This line of thought pertains to
company executives as well. Sometimes management will paint nothing
but blue skies, while they in fact are selling shares or divesting
their own interests in the company.
For those who are comfortable with handling their own financial
dealings, watching over your own investment portfolio is a great
idea. As I always say, no one will care about your money more than
you!
The Company You Keep
Growing up, I remember parents and teachers telling us to "be
careful of the company you keep." As I've gotten older, I've
noticed that the company you keep tends to stay with us throughout
our lives.
Surround yourself with slackers and you could soon find yourself
looking for the easy way out, or even adopt a hate-to-work-hard
attitude. I've heard it all from people during my years in the
business world: "I don't work retail, I don't work weekends, etc."
Instead, if you fall in with an ambitious group of individuals, you
might find yourself developing a drive you never thought you
had.
We don't even have to leave our homes these days to find the
right environment for success. It's easy to find some great online
resources to both inform and inspire you. At Dividend.com, we try
to show individuals a better way to invest, but also share thoughts
about staying inspired, staying hungry, and building a
success-focused mindset.
At the end of the day, as we get older, it is on us to find the
right environment where we can reach out potential. All it takes is
a willingness to take charge of our finances, consult the best
sources, and consistently make the right decisions.
An Important Note Regarding the Best Dividend Stocks List
We want to make sure everyone understands that the stocks on our
Best Dividend Stocks List
are the names we currently like for new investor capital,
regardless of what date the stock was first recommended on. If and
when a stock is removed from the list, we will clearly state
whether the stock should be sold (which is rare but occasionally
will happen), or simply held in one's account until we see a better
entry point or catalyst.
And here's one last thing to remember about what we do here at
Dividend.com: it's not just the names that we recommend that can
help you build wealth, but also the things we try to steer you away
from that are just as important. Forget about speculative or penny
stocks, chasing unprofitable IPOs, and listening to the manic
talking heads in the business media!
Our
Beat The Markets with Dividend Stocks
eBook Has Arrived!
We just debuted our brand new 275-page eBook, exclusively on
Dividend.com! In this digital-only book, we look ahead to 2012 and
the main factors that could affect dividend investors. A $39.95
value, the eBook is a
free download
for paid
Dividend.com Premium
subscribers.
Beat The Markets with Dividend Stocks
contains a full economic forecast for 2012, including in-depth
analysis on 65 of the biggest dividend stocks out there. It's a
great way to get prepared for your investing next year! So head
over to the
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now to download your copy.
A Dividend Capture Strategy for Active Investors
We now offer complete U.S. dividend data for all
Dividend.com Premium
members, so anyone that focuses on "Dividend Capture" trading
strategies should have plenty of good stuff to research each day.
Just check our enhanced
Ex-Dividend Calendar
, which is the best in the business, to search for upcoming
payouts.
Speaking of dividend capture, Dividend.com Premium members can
also access a 9-page report we published on the essential elements
to any successful dividend capture strategy. Be sure to check it
out here on the
Premium homepage
.
Dividend.com's Very Own National TV Commercial Has Debuted
Our first-ever television commercial! has started running on
CNBC and the feedback has been wonderful. If you haven't seen the
link yet,
you can check out our commercial here
.
Thanks for reading everybody. I'll see you tomorrow!
Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the
Best Dividend Stocks
, as well as a detailed explanation of
our ratings system here
.