Vodafone's (VOD) dividend has scored at the absolute bottom rung (41) of our "Borderline Safe" Dividend Safety Score category throughout all of 2018. Companies on this part of our scale often find themselves in a murky area, and Vodafone is no exception. In fact, a number of analysts have been speculating about a potential dividend [...]

AltaGas (ATGFF) owns energy infrastructure assets across North America. The firm started in the midstream business and expanded into the power and utilities sectors over time. While these are all capital-intensive businesses, they have mostly been steady cash flow generators as well. As a result, AltaGas enjoys an investment grade credit rating and has rewarded [...]

Last week Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) reported another disappointing set of earnings results. The main headline for income investors was unfortunately a 50% dividend cut, which helped send the stock down 9% on the news. Having looked at AB InBev about a month ago, the company seemed to deserve its "Borderline Safe" Dividend Safety Score of [...]

Founded in 2011, Physicians Realty (DOC) is a new entrant in the healthcare real estate space that sports a high 5% dividend yield. Attractive at first glance but without much of a track record, just how safe is this REIT's dividend? The good news is that Physicians Realty appears to have a stable source of [...]

Owens & Minor (OMI) has never cut its dividend since it began paying one in 1977. The company breezed through the financial crisis, growing revenue by 20% while raising its dividend 35% between 2007 and 2009. For much of the past two decades, shareholders have been rewarded with annual dividend increases north of 10%. But [...]

On October 1, GE announced it was firing CEO John Flannery after just 14 months in the top office. That's compared to 20- and 16-year tenures for Jack Welch and Jeffrey Immelt, respectively. The surprise news sent shares up 13% at one point because the new CEO, Lawrence Culp, had a great track record as [...]

Over the past few years the midstream industry, especially master limited partners (MLPs), has experienced a bear market that has disrupted its standard business model. As a result, various companies and MLPs have had to adapt, including by simplifying their business models via mergers and eliminations of incentive distribution rights. Enbridge (ENB) recently announced a [...]

The continued slump in Anheuser-Busch InBev's (BUD) stock price has caused some income investors to worry about the safety of the company's dividend. Fortunately, based on the facts we know today, a dividend cut seems unlikely. AB InBev primarily produces and distributes beer and other alcoholic beverages. The company generates over $50 billion in revenue [...]

Southern Company (SO) shareholders received good news this week. The four co-owners of the Vogtle nuclear power plant voted to continue construction on the troubled $27 billion project despite the latest set of cost overruns. Had the project been canceled instead, Southern Company's shareholders, rather than its ratepayers, could have potentially been on the hook [...]

Dominion Energy (D) has managed to significantly outperform most other regulated utilities over the past decade, establishing itself as a quality dividend growth investment. A large driver was the utility's expansion into midstream infrastructure, specifically natural gas and liquified natural gas (LNG) storage, transportation, and export capacity. However, in recent years the midstream industry has [...]

For most investors, owning dividend-paying stocks is all about the income. And dividend yield is a critical metric in the stock selection process. However, there are some important concepts investors need to understand about the dividend yield formula and how to apply it to maximize their long-term financial returns. Let's take a look at what [...]

Many retirement-aged investors lean on dividends to make ends meet. The idea is to receive a stream of passive, predictable, and growing income that is independent of fickle stock prices. Instead of worrying about where the market might head any given year or which investments to sell to generate income using the 4% rule, many dividend [...]

Preserving capital and generating safe income are core goals in retirement. So not surprisingly, conservative investors often worry about when the next recession will occur and how it will affect their portfolios. Safe dividend-paying stocks can be an appealing choice for retirees who desire a predictable income stream that can hold its ground regardless of [...]