Festival of Stocks – Blizzard of 2010 Edition
Welcome to the February 8, 2010 edition of the Festival of Stocks. This is the 179th edition of this long running blog carnival. The Festival of Stocks is a blog carnival dedicated to highlighting bloggers best posts on stock market related topics. Fat Pitch Financials is the actual birth place of this online weekly event, so it is always a special occasion when I get the chance to host this roving event.
I’ve just finished digging out from the blizzard that hit the DC area this past weekend. The street here is still not plowed and my back is a bit sore from shoveling. I’m more than happy to be sitting down to read another great edition of the Festival of Stocks with a nice cup of hot chocolate.
In addition to the normal submission to this week’s Festival of Stocks, I’m also going to highlight the top stories this week at Value Investing News. So without further delay, here are this week’s articles for the Festival of Stocks:
Top Stories at Value Investing News
Twelve Dividend Stocks Increasing Dividends (vote link) at Dividend Growth Investor. Several companies announced their intent to increase distributions to shareholders. I have separated the dividend raisers of the past week in three groups: dividend achievers, champions and aristocrats; master limited partnerships; and potential dividend achievers.
Xenoport – A Shaking Ham Hock (vote link) at Wax Ink. Simply put, we have about as much interest in this stock as hog has in the hereafter.
Magic Formula Weekly Roundup 2/6 (vote link) at MagicDiligence. Weekly roundup of stocks moving in and out of the Magic Formula Investing screen.
16 Dividend Stocks Aspiring To Be A Champion (vote link) at Dividends Value. There are winners and there are champions in every walk of life. The difference is subtle, but very real. A champion is driven for success and will not let anything stand in its way. Some dividend stocks can be classified as champions.
What I Learned Writing a Book, Part II: The Oracle Appears, Alone… Sort Of (vote link) at Jeff Matthews Is Not Making This Up. Jeff Matthews shares his observations on the atmosphere at the recent Berkshire Hathaway special meeting.
Stocks Analysis
United Technologies Corp. (UTX) Dividend Stock Analysis posted at Dividends Value, saying, “United Technologies Corp. is an aerospace-industrial conglomerate with a portfolio including Pratt & Whitney jet engines, Sikorsky helicopters, Otis elevators and Carrier air conditioners, among other products. Linked here is a detailed analysis and commentary.
Magic Formula Stock Review: Total System Services (TSS) posted at MagicDiligence, saying, “Total System Services is one of the largest providers of electronic payment processing services to banks and retailers worldwide. New contract wins overseas are helping to offset customer losses stemming from consolidation in the financial industry, but there are few near-term catalysts for growth.”
Realty Income (O) Dividend Stock Analysis posted at Dividend Growth Investor. This blogger believes that Realty Income is a good addition to any dividend growth portfolio, since it provides growing income and also provides diversification into commercial real estate.
Economy
The Deficit and Interest Rates posted at GoodFinancialCents. A look at the U.S. budget deficit and its potential impact on interest rates.
Funds and ETFs
2010 Stock Picks: REIT ETF’s posted at Intelligent Speculator, saying, “An important part of the collapse of the US & world economy was because of the huge real estate and debt bubble that had been created. Now, as things get back to normal, there are deals to be made in the real estate arena.”
iShares: A Leader in Exchange Transfer Funds (ETFs) posted at Personal Finance Analyst.
Broker Reviews
Choice Trade Review: $5 Trades, $0.99 Options posted at The Dough Roller. It looks like there is a new broker to choose from for the frequent trader.
Account Management and Planning
Why Direct Stock Purchase Plan Still Makes Sense posted at The Sun’s Financial Diary. Most of the costs and fees can be avoided by carefully choosing which plan to use.
Four Factors to Consider Before Roth IRA Conversion posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. Some factors to consider before deciding to convert your IRA to a Roth IRA.
How to Retire as a Millionaire with your 401k Plan and 7 Strategies to Achieve Growth of your 401k Plan posted at Research 401kRollover.com, saying, “Learn the story of Knute Iwaszko who saved $1 million in his 401k plan with a $60,000 annual salary and paying the costs to raise 5 kids. You do not have to be a Goldman sachs CEO or a whiz kid on Wall Street making millions!”
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That concludes this edition of the Festival of Stocks. Be sure an leave comments as you visit each of the blogs that participated in this week’s Festival of Stocks. They’ll appreciate knowing folks are reading their articles.
I’m looking for hosts for the rest of 2010. If you are interested in volunteering to host a future edition of the Festival of Stocks, just contact me right away with the name of your site, blog URL, email address, and the date your prefer to host. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Festival of Stocks using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our Festival of Stocks index page for those of you interested in reviewing the archives.