Although I haven’t yet seen any analyst call a definitive bottom in this market, it has certainly been nice to see a 1,000+ gain in the Dow Jones Industrial Average since our last issue.
The optimism from that trend was on display last week at the World Money Show in Orlando—positive but cautious, as evidenced by the tremendous turnout for my Dividends Count! workshop. The investors I spoke with were primarily looking for undervalued companies with steady distributions, as well as moderate growth prospects. And most of the attendees reflected the current, more bullish climate, as recently reported in Investors Intelligence, AAII and Timer Digest’s Sentiment surveys.
I took the opportunity to meet with several of our contributors, who—to a person—trended bullish in the intermediate- and long-term. They were also relieved to see that February’s unemployment rate stayed steady at 4.9%, giving credence to our continuing slow but steady economic progress.
I also had the chance to meet with some prospective contributors to Wall Street’s Best Investments and Wall Street’s Best Dividend Stocks, and I’m pleased to announce that Vahan Jangigian, editor of Bottom Line’s Money Masters newsletter, has agreed to come on board as a regular contributor. I’ll reveal some additional advisors soon. As well, several of our contributors have recently published books, and I will begin reviewing those in my blog in the very near future.
The advisors in our Market Views this month remain cautious in the short-term, and hint that value stocks are beginning to look interesting. Our Spotlight Stock slides nicely into that category—a company ready to spin off into two separate organizations, as well as preparing for a major merger—yet trading at a discounted value. My Feature Article explains how spinoffs have rewarded investors in the past—contrary to popular market lore.
Health care stocks are beginning to show some momentum, and this month, our contributors offer a couple of household-name companies for your review. In Growth & Income, you’ll find a host of sectors, including industrial, leisure, eyewear and technology.
Our largest section is Rising Dividends, and I’m happy to see so many companies sharing their largesse with their stockholders. A broad array of industries is featured, including financial, food, transportation, energy and technology.
And you’ll see a nice variety of higher-yielding stocks in our High Yield, Utilities and REIT selections.
Lastly, our advisors found a lot to like about Funds and ETFs this month, making recommendations in muni bonds, hedges, debt securities and high-yield funds.
