Sysco: Building A Case For A Return To Growth - Seeking Alpha

Sysco: Building A Case For A Return To Growth - Seeking Alpha: This article will specifically cover Sysco (SYY) and why I believe it represents an exceptionally safe opportunity for dividend growth investors and retirees looking for yield. Specifically, it also offers a follow-up to an article on Sysco that I wrote approximately a year ago found here.

However, I have ulterior motives that go beyond this individual stock that deal with broader, and I believe, more important universal investing principles. At its core, I will use this article on Sysco to illustrate important differences between speculation and investment. Once again, I will offer a quote from Chapter 1 of legendary investor Ben Graham's highly regarded book The Intelligent Investor:

Blue-Chip Dividend Growth Stocks Today's Strong Option For Retirement Portfolios Part 2 - Seeking Alpha

Blue-Chip Dividend Growth Stocks Today's Strong Option For Retirement Portfolios Part 2 - Seeking Alpha: In part one of this two-part series (Found Here) I laid the groundwork for why I believe that blue-chip dividend paying US equities represent not only a viable, but also a safer investment choice than many give them credit for. I also pointed out why I believe the risk profile on bonds is currently upside down, arguing that for one of the few times in history they may actually be more dangerous an investment than equities.

Modern Dividend Theory Explained Part 1 - Seeking Alpha

Modern Dividend Theory Explained Part 1 - Seeking Alpha: ccording to Investopedia, Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) is defined as follows:

A theory on how risk-averse investors can construct portfolios to optimize or maximize expected [total] return based on a given level of market risk, emphasizing that risk is an inherent part of higher reward.

I've been thinking that it's time we developed a parallel Modern Income Theory. Part of that would be a Modern Dividend Theory (MDT). I am going to restrict myself to the latter, because it is my area of expertise.

Modern Dividend Theory Explained Part 2: Risk And Diversification - Seeking Alpha

Modern Dividend Theory Explained Part 2: Risk And Diversification - Seeking Alpha: Back in March, I published "Modern Dividend Theory Explained." It was an initial effort to construct a framework for an income theory that could stand beside Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT). My main goal was and remains to provide a theoretical framework for MDT (Modern Dividend Theory). At some point, MDT might be widened out to Modern Income Theory (MIT), but for the moment I am just focusing on dividends from stocks.

Before I discuss risk and diversification, I want to come closer to constructing a brief definition of MDT.

Dividend Challengers: 10 Increases Expected In The Next 11 Weeks - Seeking Alpha

Dividend Challengers: 10 Increases Expected In The Next 11 Weeks - Seeking Alpha: In compiling the Dividend Champions list. I get to see which companies are nearing the anniversaries of their previous dividend increases. Since most of these firms raise their payout about the same time every year, I can say with some confidence that they are likely to do so again.

Quiet Time Again

Since many companies announced dividend increases in conjunction with their annual shareholder meetings in April or May, we typically see a drop-off in the pace of such announcements as summer approaches. Although there are still some corporations that will raise their dividend between now and the end of July (which coincides with the "forward look" of about 11 weeks for this article), we'll probably be seeing fewer in the months ahead.

Dividend Champions: 4 Increases Expected By July 31 - Seeking Alpha

Dividend Champions: 4 Increases Expected By July 31 - Seeking Alpha: In compiling the Dividend Champions list. I get to see which companies are nearing the anniversaries of their previous dividend increases. Since most of these firms raise their payout about the same time every year, I can say with some confidence that they are likely to do so again.

Quiet Time Again

Since many companies announced dividend increases in conjunction with their annual shareholder meetings in April or May, we typically see a drop-off in the pace of such announcements as summer approaches. Although there are still some corporations that will raise their dividend between now and the end of July (which coincides with the "forward look" of about 11 weeks for this article), we'll probably be seeing fewer in the months ahead

Dividend Contenders: 16 Increases Expected By The End Of July - Seeking Alpha

Dividend Contenders: 16 Increases Expected By The End Of July - Seeking Alpha: In compiling the Dividend Champions list (found here) I get to see which companies are nearing the anniversaries of their previous dividend increases. Since most of these firms raise their payout about the same time every year, I can say with some confidence that they are likely to do so again.

105 Dividend Champions For May - Seeking Alpha

105 Dividend Champions For May - Seeking Alpha: The Dividend Champions spreadsheet and PDF have been updated through 4/30/12 and are available at here. Note that all references to Champions mean companies that have paid higher dividends for at least 25 straight years; Contenders have streaks of 10-24 years; Challengers have streaks of 5-9 years. "CCC" refers to the universe of Champions, Contenders, and Challengers.

Newsflash: The Dividend Aristocrats Found The Lost Decade - Seeking Alpha

Newsflash: The Dividend Aristocrats Found The Lost Decade - Seeking Alpha: There are many people who continue to hold a jaundiced view of stocks because they were traumatized by the last two recessions. Precipitous drops in equity prices drove them to distrust stocks and stock markets. However, I believe that most of the negative sentiment is a function of what I would describe as vague ideas about what really happened. A lot has to do with many investors failing to recognize, or make the important distinctions, that were the true causes of our last two market crashes.

WisdomTree Dividend ETFs, Plus Overall Conclusions About Dividend ETFs - Seeking Alpha

WisdomTree Dividend ETFs, Plus Overall Conclusions About Dividend ETFs - Seeking Alpha: Introduction

This is the third and last in a series of articles that look under the hoods of ETFs with "dividend" in their names. This time, I decided to focus on one fund company, WisdomTree, because my impression has been that they have been active in pursuing the income-seeking market with their growing menu of ETF offerings.

The ultimate goal of these articles is to discover if there is a dividend ETF that closely replicates the strategies, processes, and/or results of the many dividend growth investors who frequently write and comment here at Seeking Alpha. Earlier articles in the series are: