Weekend Reading – June 10, 2011

Here are some excellent articles from the past week from fellow dividend growth investors.

Playing With Ex-Dividend Date
The Dividend Guy discusses whether trying to time investments based around ex-dividend dates could be a sound strategy. Obviously, I agree with him here that this is not a sound investment strategy. Is it possible to make money doing this? Perhaps. I believe that investing in quality companies and holding on for a high return on capital is a much more sound strategy.

How To Get Rich Off $30,000 Per Year
Buy Like Buffett proposes ways on how it’s possible to get rich off of a small income by saving your money and investing wisely. Saving more than half your net income and investing in quality companies is my mantra, so this article really sums up what I’m all about. The only thing I don’t espouse is investing agressively. You could certainly do that and far outpace what I will do, but I’m just a more conservative person. Stick with what you know.

Monthly Progress Review: May
Dividend Partisan reviews May’s dividends received and some generalizations about where he is in relation to his goals. His dividend income is increasing every month, and although he’s cautious on reaching some of his goals he is still doing a great job.

The Safety of Short Term Bonds
Dividend Ninja discusses short-term bond funds and why he believes now is a great time to invest in them. Are you a buyer in bond funds or individual bonds? They certainly swing opposite equities in most cases, but interest rates are rising. This could be a good play if you know what you’re doing.

Exxon Mobil (XOM) Dividend Stock Analysis
Dividend Growth Investor recently analyzed Exxon Mobil, one of my holdings. Great analysis as always, and I agree with his assertions on valuation.

7 Undervalued, Big-Name Stocks To Consider For Your Dividend Portfolio
D4L has an outstanding article here listing seven great dividend stocks that are undervalued by his standards. I agree with his valuations and opinions, and I especially like Intel, as evidenced by my recent article highlighting my interest. Good stuff here.

SumZero is the Best Way To See Your Competition
The Dividend Pig highlights SumZero and why he thinks this may give you a leg-up on your competition. He gives an example of a recent analysis this service provides. This may be something I look into.

Coca Cola (KO) Dividend Stock Analysis
Dividend Monk analyzes Coca-Cola. This is an excellent and in-depth analysis. I agree wholeheartedly with his conclusions and valuations. This is a wonderful company to own, but it is trading at a premium. Whether it is worth that premium or not is up to you, but you are getting one of the widest moats in business. I think Coca-Cola is almost always a wonderful investment, and although it is trading at a slight premium right now it is not extremely overpriced.

Short List of Stocks for June 2011
The Passive Income Earner lists a few stocks that are currently catching his eye. I like his picks on Coke and J&J, both solid picks in almost any environment. What do you think he’ll pick? It sounds like he’s trending toward Power Financial and Johnson & Johnson. Seem like solid picks to me.

Thanks for reading.