Q3 2009 Earnings Call

October 30, 2009; 9:00 am ET

By Patrick Watson

Today the Oklahoma ETF began trading on NYSE Arca under the symbol OOK. This is the first state-based ETF. If ETF investors had been asked a year ago which state would be first to have its own ETF, I doubt that Oklahoma would have been a popular guess. The Oklahoma based sponsors have plans for a similar Texas fund. Both will feature a portfolio of companies headquartered in their respective states.

10/28/09

The “Oklahoma Fund”, an exchange traded fund comprised of a basket of the Oklahoma state stocks, is set to be released tomorrow on the NYSE under the symbol (OOK). It will be interesting to see how well an ETF based primarily on state pride will be digested by the investment community.

Since the Dow broke 10,000, maybe you've decided to take some profits, and want to move your funds into something that pays a fairly decent yield. Electric utility stocks may be what you are looking for. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has come up with a list of 31 electric utility stocks that pay a dividend over 4%.

Utilities have always been known as 'widows and orphans' stocks throughout history, meaning that they have been considered very conservative investments. Recently, that has shown to be not so true in recent history with respect to certain companies although overall, during long periods of time, utilities have paid favorable dividends with low volatility.

By Hao Jin

The Fed is going to keep interest rates near zero for the foreseeable future. With 10-Year Treasury yields around 3.5%, solid blue chip companies offering decent dividends become popular. Not only do they offer current income and the possibility of capital gains, they also have better protection against inflation than regular bonds. No wonder Warren Buffett wrote, “Buy American. I Am.” in The New York Times last October.

The Fed is going to keep interest rates near zero for the foreseeable future. With 10 year treasury yields around 3.5%, solid blue chip companies offering decent dividends becomes popular. Not only do they offer current income and the possibility of capital gains, they also have better protection against inflation than regular bonds. No wonder Warren Buffett wrote “Buy American. I Am” article on The New York Times last October. (source: NY Times)

However, the economy is still in the bottoming process. There is a potential risk for the economic to backslide. Which blue chips are relatively safe?

Q2 2009 Earnings Call Transcript

August 5, 2009 9:00 am ET

Q1 2009 Earnings Call

May 6, 2009 9:00 a.m. ET

Q4 2008 Earnings Call Transcript

February 13, 2009 9:00 am ET

Bullish Calls:

Con Edison (ED): “I’ve got stocks like Con Ed…it is so obvious Con Ed has bottomed here.”
BP (BP): “I am going to buy BP because I want yield.”
Salesforce.com (CRM): “If you are a believer in a high growth stock and if you think we are going to have a strong second half and if you like fabulous management…then I think you should buy…I am a little more conservative. I don’t have a good dividend, I don’t have a recession resistant stock, but I am not going to tell anyone not to buy that stock.”
Philip Morris International (PM): “Now you know you got a winner there…I think PM at $41 is a knock down drag out buy right here.”
Wells Fargo (WFC), JP Morgan (JPM): “There are only two banks I am going to recommend…JP Morgan on the way down and Wells Fargo on the way down.”

Investors occasionally use a stock trading technique called 'Buying Dividends,' which is the technique of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend. This technique generally works only in bull markets.

If you are interested in buying dividends, there are many stocks in many different industries to choose from. In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can't sell the stock until after the ex date. The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks.

Last week marked yet another rollercoaster performance in the stock market

You can't spend earnings. At first glance, this probably seems like an odd statement, possibly even incorrect. However, it is not only correct, but an important investing axiom for any type of investor. Through fraud and manipulation an income statement can be made to look quite impressive.

An increasing cash dividend keeps pressure on management to ensure the company is well run. If there are too many missteps, then eventually a dividend will slip. Earnings can be manufactured, cash can not. Always follow the cash and it just might lead you to a great company. Here are eight stocks striving to be a great by raising their cash dividends:

• Stryker (SYK) Boosts Dividend 21% to $0.40/Share (0.88%)
• Lincoln Electric (LECO) Raises Qtr. Dividend by 8% to $0.27/Share (2.27%)
• OGE Energy (OGE) Boosts Annual Dividend 3c to $1.42/Share (5.57%)
• J & J Snack Foods (JJSF) Boosts Qtr. Dividend by 5.4% to $0.0975/Share (1.22%)
• Wisconsin Energy (WEC) Raises Qtr. Dividend by 25% to $0.3375/Share (2.61%)
• AXIS Capital (AXS) Increases Qtr. Dividend by 8% to $0.20/Share (3.05%)
• Ecolab Inc. (ECL) Increases Qtr. Dividend by 8% to $0.14/Share (1.47%)
• Universal Health Realty (UHT) Raises Qtr. Dividend to $0.59/Share (1.47%)

Q3 FY08 Earnings Call

October 30, 2008, 9:00 AM ET

Oklahoma is a land of innovation. After all, the first parking meter came out of this state. Today Oklahoma is a top producer of automobiles and planes. Centrally located, mild temperatures and low cost of living make Oklahoma a very attractive state. Here are some interesting facts about Oklahoma:

1. Oklahoma’s top exports are pumps for liquids, and liquid elevators.
2. Oklahoma offers an incentive program for new employers generating employment within the state. Its quality jobs program pays up to 5% of the total payroll expense for up to ten years.
3. The cost of doing business in Oklahoma is the tenth lowest in the country.
4. It is estimated that Oklahoma will be the second largest provider of wind power by 2030.
5. The state’s aerospace industry employs over 143,000 people.
6. There are four foreign trade zones within the state.
7. It is expected that service providing industries in Oklahoma will account for 99% of all new employment between 2004 and 2014.
8. By contrast, manufacturing is one the fastest declining industries in the state.
9. Oklahoma’s finance industry provides almost 4% of all jobs in the state.
10. Top industries in the state within the finance industry are: commercial banking and insurance agencies & brokerages.

The following companies are headquartered in Oklahoma:

One way to analyze electric utility stocks is to look at what types of fuel they use to run their generators, and how much exposure to oil and natural gas that they have. If you believe the price of oil and gas has peaked and will continue to drop, then it may be time to take a close look at the electric utility stocks with the highest usage of these fuels.

Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (PNW) has one of the heaviest exposures, with 24% of their electric energy coming from oil and natural gas. About 35% comes from coal and 21.5% from nuclear. This Phoenix, Arizona based company has a PE of 10, a PEG of 3.55 and a yield of 6%.

Q2 FY08 Earnings Call

July 31, 2008, 9:00 AM ET

Q1 FY08 Earnings Call

May 7, 2008, 9:00 AM ET

4Q FY07 Earnings Call

February 28, 2008, 9:00 AM ET

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As of the end of last week, the price per ton was $38.75, far below its high of $63 back in August and September of 2004.