The identity of the sector in the S&P 500 with the fastest dividend growth may come as a surprise to a lot of investors…  #-ad_banner-#Information systems.  Dividends were once anathema to the tech industry, as the standard was to plow back profits and cash flow back into R&D. Credit Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), two of the biggest tech names of the time, for turning the tide on dividend payments. Intel was actually well ahead of the game, starting up its dividend payout in 1993, while “Mr. Softy” initiated its dividend in 2003.  Where are we… Read More

The identity of the sector in the S&P 500 with the fastest dividend growth may come as a surprise to a lot of investors…  #-ad_banner-#Information systems.  Dividends were once anathema to the tech industry, as the standard was to plow back profits and cash flow back into R&D. Credit Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), two of the biggest tech names of the time, for turning the tide on dividend payments. Intel was actually well ahead of the game, starting up its dividend payout in 1993, while “Mr. Softy” initiated its dividend in 2003.  Where are we today? The 32 dividend-paying IT stocks in the S&P 500 in 2010 yielded 0.94%. That figure grew to 1.13% among the index’s 44 dividend payers at the end of 2013. Of course, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the second-biggest payer in terms of dollars (after Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM)), helped boost the number, but others like Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) are helping to move the needle, too.  Microsoft and Intel may be the current rock stars for long-term tech dividend investors, but what about the rising stars of the industry? I’m looking for investments you can buy and hold… Read More

Once you get a certain impression about a stock, it can be tough to change your mind. #-ad_banner-#For instance, when I think of the three stocks I’m going to talk about today, my mind goes back to the times over the past couple of years when all three looked like they were on the verge of collapse.  Yet today those stocks have shown tremendous gains over the past year, and bullish sentiment is on the rise. But before you invest in these comeback kids, beware…  These stocks may set you up for a tumble down the road —… Read More

Once you get a certain impression about a stock, it can be tough to change your mind. #-ad_banner-#For instance, when I think of the three stocks I’m going to talk about today, my mind goes back to the times over the past couple of years when all three looked like they were on the verge of collapse.  Yet today those stocks have shown tremendous gains over the past year, and bullish sentiment is on the rise. But before you invest in these comeback kids, beware…  These stocks may set you up for a tumble down the road — particularly if you buy into recent high prices.  After all, revenue growth is still the name of the game, and these companies are all struggling to find it for the long haul. Let’s take a closer look. Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI ) It’s hard to believe, but Pitney Bowes is up over 80% in the past year. That’s hard to believe because just over a year ago, the company reported a jaw-dropping year-over-year drop in earnings of 58% — fallout from a steep multi-year sales decline — and cut its dividend in half.  ​… Read More