Furthermore, when low yield dividend stocks are compared to high yield dividend stocks, considering conservative dividend growth rates, low yielding stocks will often lag by significant amount.

Trend Analysis

ADM has approximately 230 plants location worldwide. It is one of the world’s largest processors of agricultural commodities, such as oilseeds, corn, wheat, protein meal, corn sweeteners, flour, biodiesel, ethanol, and other food and feed ingredients.

What is ironic is there is very less similarity among these countries except that they are supposed to be the new growing economies. Each of these countries have different governance structure, different governance policies, different types of economies, different strengths, different financial markets, different values, etc.

NGG is an international dividend achiever and has been paying growing dividends for the last 12 years. In one of my earlier posts, I listed a few companies that may have potential for international dividend growth investments. I had shortlisted NGG for more analysis. Keeping with that, my objective here is to analyze if NGG is a good dividend growth stock and how it will rate on my scale of risk-to-dividends.

BDX is a dividend achiever and has been paying growing dividends for last 10 years. In one of my earlier post, I listed few companies that may have potential for dividend growth investments. I had shortlisted BDX for more analysis. Keeping with that, my objective here is to analyze if BDX is a good dividend growth stock and how it will rate on my scale of risk-to-dividends.

I continue to believe that every asset class has its significance and its own importance. Every asset class has a role to play in investment portfolios. However, individual investors need to understand these factors in the context of their own portfolios. Being a do-it-yourself investor, I like to ignore the market noise and understand how any asset class will affect my portfolio objectives. In earlier posts, I have discussed about my investing approach with respect to commodity asset class, international developed/emerging asset class, and the investment vehicles that I like to use.

In its recent update, the S&P reported that dividends paid by companies in S&P500 index were reduced by approximately 15% (for first quarter of this fiscal year). This actually captures the whole gamut of companies that are above average, average, and below average. While I do agree that there has been a reduction in dividend payments, I do not believe this is the right parameter to demonstrate strain on dividends. One cannot compare a bunch of the good, the bad, and the ugly (index), with the bunch of the exemplary (aristocrat). Division I teams do not play with Division III in the league. Leagues are among equals.

Sysco Corporation (SYY): SYY was one of the most non-glamorous stocks when I had initiated my position. My current dividend yield on cost is 5.35%. As of March 2009, my total return has been 13.1% including dividends (my analysis).

Qualcomm manufactures and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services based on its code division multiple access (CDMA) technology and other wireless communication technologies. QCOM is neither a dividend aristocrat nor a dividend achiever. QCOM has started showing some dividend growth trends in last five years. My objective here is to understand if QCOM has any potential to be a dividend investment.

• Is Buffett ideology more than mere value investing?
• Are we individual investors falling into the value trap?
• Do we individual investors fail to realize or fail to put Buffett’s ideology in proper context?

Standard and Poor’s “S&P North American Technology Sector Index” (henceforth referred as Tech index) is widely used to benchmark the technology sector in North America. As of February 2008 the Tech index had a weightage of approximately 20% to 23% in overall S&P500 index.