Dividend growth investors usually focus their attention on companies that have been able to sustain consistent dividend growth over several decades, and this is certainly an intelligent way to invest. However, some high-quality companies, such as Costco (NASDAQ: COST ) , Nike (NYSE: NKE ) , and Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX ) have the fundamental quality to continue raising payments in the long term, even if their dividend-growth track records aren't among the longest ones in the market.
Do they deserve a place in your dividend growth portfolio?
Costco for smart shoppers
Costco has been a unique success story in the retail industry over the past few years. The company makes most of its profits from membership fees, as opposed to margins on product sales, which allows Costco to charge amazingly low prices for its merchandise and keep its customers happy and coming back for more.�
In addition, this smart business model based on subscription fees provides stability and predictability to the company's cash flows, an enormously valuable trait when evaluating a company's ability to consistently raise dividends over time.
Top Transportation Companies To Watch For 2015: Meredith Corp (MDP)
Meredith Corporation, incorporated on September 8, 1905, is a media and marketing company serving American women. The Company operates two business segments: national media and local media. The national media segment includes magazine publishing, brand licensing, digital and customer relationship marketing, digital and mobile media, database-related activities, and other related operations. The local media segment consists of the operations of network-affiliated television stations, related digital and mobile media, and video creation operations. In February 2014, Gannett Co Inc completes the sale of KMOV-TV in St. Louis, MO, to Meredith Corp.
National Media
The Company�� national media segment includes national consumer media brands delivered through multiple media platforms, brand licensing activities, and business-to-business marketing products and services. It focuses on the home and family market and is a publisher of magazines serving women. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 (fiscal 2013) the Company published in print twenty subscription magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Ladies' Home Journal, Parents, FamilyFun, American Baby, EveryDay with Rachael Ray, and Fitness, and approximately 120 special interest publications under approximately 75 titles primarily under the Better Homes and Gardens brand. 20 if the Company�� brands are also available as digital editions on various platforms. The Company�� national media segment's extensive digital media presence consists of over 40 Websites, almost 30 mobile-optimized Websites, and about 30 applications (apps). Of those websites and apps, the Allrecipes' brand accounts for 18 websites, 18 mobile sites serving 23 countries in 12 languages, and 11 mobile apps. The national media segment also includes digital and customer relationship marketing, which provides specialized marketing products and services to some of America's companies; a large consumer database; brand licensing activities! , and other related operations. National media segment represented 74 % of the Company�� revenues in fiscal 2013. The Company�� magazines offer regional and demographic editions that contain similar editorial content but allow advertisers to customize messages to specific markets or audiences. The Company sells two primary types of magazine advertising: display and direct-response. Advertisements are either run-of-press (printed along with the editorial portions of the magazine) or inserts (preprinted pages).
The Company also possesses a marketing unit, Meredith 360掳, which provides clients and their agencies with access to a range of media products and services it has to offer, including many media platforms. Its subscription magazines, except American Baby, Ser Padres, and Successful Farming, are also sold by single copy. Single copies sold on newsstands are distributed primarily through magazine wholesalers, who have the right to receive credit from the Company for magazines returned to them by retailers. National media has 22 apps focused on food, parenthood, and health. National media's 30 websites and 10 mobile-optimized Websites provide ideas and inspiration. These branded websites focus on the topics that women care about most-food, home, entertaining, and meeting the needs of moms-and on delivering content geared toward lifestyle topics, such as health, beauty, style, and wellness.
Local Media
The Company�� local media segment consists of 12 network-affiliated television stations located across the United States. The television stations consist of six CBS affiliates, three FOX affiliates, two MyNetworkTV affiliates, and one NBC affiliate. Local media's digital presence includes 20 Websites and mobile Websites and 36 apps focused on news, sports, and weather-related information. Local media segment represented 26% of the Company�� revenues in fiscal 2013. The principal sources of the local media segment's revenues are local advertising focusing on ! the immed! iate geographic area of the stations, national advertising, retransmission of its television signal to satellite and cable systems, advertising on the stations' Websites and mobile Websites, station operation management fees, and payments by advertisers for other services, such as the production of advertising materials. The stations sell commercial time to both local/regional and national advertisers. The Company broadcasts local newscasts in high definition in six of its markets and in wide screen format in its other four markets. Meredith Video Studios (MVS) is its development, production, and multiplatform distribution company that produces video for use by the Company�� television stations and its local and national media Websites, and is producing custom video for clients as well.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Douglas A. McIntyre]
That leaves the only viable long-term strategy which has promise as mergers and acquisitions. Time Inc. did buy American Express Publishing recently. However, the revenue of the publisher of Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine is too insignificant to affect Time Inc.’s sales by any meaningful measure. Time Inc. has limited options if it wishes to make a large purchase within its own industry. Early this year, publisher Meredith Corp. (NYSE: MDP) had talks with Time Warner about buying most of Time Inc. Time Inc.’s management may have considered buying Meredith, but the market cap of the publisher of women’s magazines, which also holds broadcast properties, is $2.29 billion. Time Inc. would need to offer a large premium to the current share price to convince Meredith’s board that such a deal would be fair for shareholders. And Time Inc. is unlikely to gamble that sum of money to improve its revenue moderately. Alternatively, Time Inc. could try to buy Meredith’s magazine assets.
- [By Tyler Laundon]
Publishing company Meredith Corporation (MDP), which yields 3.4%, is also among the top ten holdings. This company has a long history of dividend growth dating back to the mid-1990s and is a perfect fit for the DGRS.
- [By Marc Bastow]
Media and marketing company Meredith (MDP) raised its quarterly dividend 6.5% to 40.75 cents per share, payable on Dec. 13 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 29. The increase marks the 20th consecutive increase in Meredith’s annual dividend.
MDP Dividend Yield: 3.08%
- [By John Udovich]
Meanwhile, Tremor Video announced it had reached agreement with Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP) to serve as its exclusive third party partner to monetize their unsold desktop pre-roll inventory. Under the agreement, Meredith Digital�� video inventory on sites�like Allrecipes.com, BHG.com and Parents.com will only be available through Tremor Video�� and Meredith Digital�� sales forces and the press release noted that such�partnerships have enabled the company to create a ��obust online video ecosystem��of over 500 premium websites and mobile applications.
Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: NVIDIA Corporation(NVDA)
NVIDIA Corporation provides visual computing, high performance computing, and mobile computing solutions that generate interactive graphics on various devices ranging from tablets and smart phones to notebooks and workstations. It operates in three segments: Graphic Processing Unit (GPU), Professional Solutions Business (PSB), and Consumer Products Business (CPB). The GPU segment offers GeForce discrete and chipset products, which support desktop and notebook personal computers plus memory products. The PSB segment provides its Quadro professional workstation products and other professional graphics products, including its NVIDIA Tesla high-performance computing products used in the manufacturing, entertainment, medical, science, and aerospace industries. The CPB segment offers Tegra mobile products, which support tablets, smartphones, personal media players, Internet television, automotive navigation, and other similar devices. This segment also licenses video game consol es and other digital consumer electronics devices. The company sells its products to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, add-in-card manufacturers, consumer electronics companies, and system builders worldwide that utilize its processors as a core component of their entertainment, business, and professional solutions. NVIDIA Corporation was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Aaron Smith and James O'Toole]
Martoma's trial follows last month's conviction of Michael Steinberg, who was also a portfolio manager at SAC, for shorting Dell (DELL, Fortune 500) and Nvidia (NVDA) stocks based on inside information. Steinberg is scheduled to be sentenced in April.
Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: TeliaSonera AB (TLSN)
TeliaSonera AB is a Sweden-based company engaged in the provision of network access and telecommunication services to individual and business customers. The Company is organized into four business segments: the Mobile Services segment provides mobile services, which include mobile voice and data, mobile content, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Hotspots, mobile broadband and Wireless Office to the consumer and enterprise markets; the Broadband Services segment provides services for connecting homes and offices, including broadband over copper, fiber and cable, television (TV), voice over Internet, home communications services, Internet Protocol- Virtual Private Network (IP-VPN)/Business Internet, leased lines and traditional telephony; the Eurasia segment comprises mobile operations in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, Moldova and Nepal, and the Other operations segment comprises Other Business Services, TeliaSonera Holding and Corporate functions. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonathan Morgan]
TeliaSonera (TLSN) slid 1.9 percent to 47.56 Swedish kronor. Solidium Oy, Finland�� equity-asset manager, sold 1.6 percent of shares in the Stockholm-based company in an accelerated book building to institutional investors, it said in a statement.
- [By Adam Ewing]
A sale would provide the shareholders with cash, while potentially strengthening DNA against larger rivals Elisa Oyj (ELI1V) and TeliaSonera AB. (TLSN) The IPO could be the biggest in Finland, home of Nokia Oyj (NOK1V) and ��ngry Birds��maker Rovio Entertainment Oy, since 2005.
Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Entertainment Properties Trust (EPR)
EPR Properties, a real estate investment trust (REIT), develops, owns, leases, and finances entertainment and related properties in the United States and Canada. Its properties include megaplex theatres, entertainment retail centers, and destination recreational and specialty properties. As of December 31, 2007, the company had a real estate portfolio of 79 megaplex theatre properties located in 26 states in the U.S. and Ontario, Canada; 1 additional theatre property under development; 8 entertainment retail centers located in Westminster, Colorado, New Rochelle, New York, White Plains, New York, Burbank, California, and Ontario, Canada; and 1 additional entertainment retail center under development and land parcels leased to restaurant and retail operators. EPR Properties qualifies as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code and would not be subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. The company wa s founded in 1997 and is based in Kansas City, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Entertainment properties real estate investment trust EPR Properties (EPR) raised its monthly dividend 28.5 cents per share, payable Feb. 18 to shareholders of record Jan. 31. EPR stock is the highest yielder of this week’s dividend stocks.
EPR Dividend Yield: 6.77% - [By Monica Gerson]
EPR Properties (NYSE: EPR) closed a deal to acquire the Camelback Mountain Resort in Tannersville, PA, for around $70 million. EPR Properties shares gained 0.31% to close at $48.59 on Friday.
Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: Liquidity Services Inc.(LQDT)
Liquidity Services, Inc. operates various online auction marketplaces for surplus and salvage assets in the United States. Its auction marketplaces include liquidation.com, which enables corporations and selected government agencies located in the United States to sell surplus and salvage consumer goods and capital assets; govliquidation.com that enables government agencies to sell surplus and scrap assets; govdeals.com, which enables local and state government entities, including city, county, and state agencies, as well as school boards and public utilities located in the United States to sell surplus and salvage assets. The company also operates secondipity.com that provides consumers a source of products and a socially conscious online experience through donating a portion of the proceeds of every sale to charity; and truckcenter.com, a marketplace for the sale of idle, surplus, and used fleet and transportation equipment. Its marketplaces provide professional buyers a ccess to supply of surplus and salvage assets presented with customer focused information, including digital images and other relevant product information along with services to complete the transaction; and enable corporate and government sellers to enhance their financial return on excess assets by providing liquid marketplaces and value-added services that integrate sales and marketing, logistics, and transaction settlement. The company offers approximately 500 products organized into various categories, including consumer electronics, general merchandise, apparel, scientific equipment, aerospace parts and equipment, technology hardware, energy equipment, industrial capital assets, fleet and transportation equipment, and specialty equipment. Liquidity Services, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Liquidity Services (NASDAQ: LQDT) shares tumbled 12.61 percent to $18.23 after the company announced that it withdrew bid for rolling stock surplus contract.
- [By Luke Jacobi]
Shares of Liquidity Services (NASDAQ: LQDT) dropped 11.53 percent to close at $28.99 after Bank of America downgraded the stock from Buy to Underperform.
- [By Selena Maranjian]
Among holdings in which Diamond Hill increased its stake were Liquidity Services (NASDAQ: LQDT ) and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) . Liquidity is a commercially focused online auctioneer and a Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendation. It benefits from a relatively capital-light business model and solid profit margins, and it specializes in surplus, wholesale, and salvage assets. Some worry about slowing growth and competition and didn't like the company lowering expectations last quarter. But the stock jumped recently on a big revenue increase.
- [By Chuck Carnevale]
Liquidity Services Inc. (LQDT)
Our final example of fast growth looks at Liquidity Services Inc. Although somewhat cyclical, we see that stock prices have tracked earnings growth very closely. Moreover, we see that the market has typically applied a fair value PE ratio that equates very closely with the company�� earnings growth rate, thereby providing additional evidence of the validity of the PE equals growth rate valuation concept applies to fast growth above 15%.
Best Low Price Stocks To Invest In 2014: (AUQ)
AuRico Gold Inc. engages in the exploration, development, and production of gold and silver projects and properties in Canada, Mexico, and Australia. Its principal property includes the Ocampo mine covering approximately 15,000 hectares located in Chihuahua State. The company was formerly known as Gammon Gold Inc. and changed its name to AuRico Gold Inc. in June 2011. AuRico Gold Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Toronto, Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
Endeavour has also suffered company-specific issues. In January, the company lowered its production guidance for its key El Cubo mine. As Motley Fool contributor Christopher Barker noted at the time, former mine owner AuRico Gold (NYSE: AUQ ) did a poor job of managing and operating El Cubo, leaving Endeavour with a massive opportunity to refurbish and expand the mine. Yet at least in the short run, the company still faces a big challenge there, especially in light of a recent fatality of a contractor employee at the mine last month.
- [By Garrett Cook]
Basic materials sector was the top loser in the US market on Tuesday. Top decliners in the sector included Kraton Performance Polymers (NYSE: KRA), Molycorp (NYSE: MCP), and AuRico Gold (NYSE: AUQ).
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