2011 stock picks: REIT ETF’s

So you have been building up a passive income portfolio and are at a point where you want to add more diversification to what you have? REIT’s would certainly be a great addition but they are often difficult to choose from without spending a lot of time and while some of us want to spend the time to choose the best ones, many others want an easier solution. Of course, that is where ETF’s come in.We wrote about REIT ETF’s briefly last year and received a lot of positive feedback because of the lack of information about the options.


REIT ETF’s are not new but they are certainly gaining steam and right now, Vanguard’s VNQ looks like a very solid winner. It has a very low 0.13% annual fee which is by far the best you will find in the sector and pays a very reasonable 3.42% dividend yield. And things are changing fast. Last year, VNQ was the category leader but had less than $5 billion in assets under management. These days, VNQ counts on over $15 billion and has distanced itself from rivals. It has investments in 104 US REIT’s although over 40% of those assets are invested into their top 10 holdings.

Real Estate Outlook

There remains some degree of risk involved in the real estate market as many investors continue to worry about a double dip in prices and REIT ETF’s are certainly not for everyone. If you do not have much assets besides your house, you might already have a big enough exposure to the real estate market (although you would admit that exposure is not very diversified) but as your portfolio grows, gaining more exposure is probably a good thing as it will make your passive income portfolio more solid, steady and reliable in the long term.

My first recommendation would be to take a look at the 20 things that I consider when selecting ETF’s, but if you want to cut straight to the case, I would consider the two main choices here to be VNQ and RWX (an internationally diversified real estate ETF), but here are most of the options that you have:

Disclosure I am Long VNQ, REM, and KBWY.

Ticker	Name	Market Cap	Price	Fees	1Y Return	Dividend Yield
VNQ	Vanguard REIT ETF	$7,487,048,000.00	$55.37	0.12	26.417	3.42
IYR	iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate Index Fund	$3,083,396,000.00	$55.96	0.47	24.275	3.52
RWR	SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF	$1,368,794,000.00	$61.02	0.25	25.91	2.94
RWX	SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF	$1,437,894,000.00	$38.93	0.6	21.429	8.69
URE	ProShares Ultra Real Estate	$536,793,300.00	$50.62	0.95	42.814	0.77
SRS	ProShares UltraShort Real Estate	$241,879,900.00	$18.14	0.95	-49.889	0
IFGL	iShares FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Real Estate ex-US Index Fund	$378,322,000.00	$31.01	0.48	15.533	6.24
DRN	Direxion Daily Real Estate Bull 3x Shares	$178,983,000.00	$56.82	0.96	55.568	1.88
RWO	SPDR Dow Jones Global Real Estate ETF	$163,108,000.00	$37.07	0.51	23.672	7.08
DRW	WisdomTree International Real Estate Fund	$118,814,500.00	$28.63	0.58	17.51	9.29
DRV	Direxion Daily Real Estate Bear 3x Shares	$55,288,740.00	$18.01	0.95	-70.396	0
FRI	First Trust S&P REIT Index Fund	$71,052,530.00	$14.65	0.5	25.456	2.04
REM	iShares FTSE NAREIT Mortgage Plus Capped Index Fund	$102,114,500.00	$15.59	0.48	16.817	9.1
TAO	Guggenheim China Real Estate ETF	$65,004,400.00	$19.94	0.65	11.714	0.77
REZ	iShares FTSE NAREIT Residential Plus Capped Index Fund	$70,902,000.00	$39.39	0.48	30.302	3.03
FTY	iShares FTSE NAREIT Real Estate 50 Index Fund	$50,580,000.00	$33.72	0.48	24.455	3.56
FFR	First Trust FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Markets Real Estate Index Fund	$56,032,070.00	$35.02	0.6	18.518	3.87
IFAS	iShares FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Asia Index Fund	$25,488,000.00	$31.86	0.48	17.218	5.99
PSR	PowerShares Active U.S. Real Estate Fund	$16,033,500.00	$45.81	0.8	25.703	2.11
RTL	iShares FTSE NAREIT Retail Capped Index Fund	$14,065,000.00	$28.13	0.48	35.17	2.91
FIO	iShares FTSE NAREIT Industrial/Office Capped Index Fund	$9,327,499.00	$26.65	0.48	13.856	3.22
IFEU	iShares FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Europe Index Fund	$8,989,500.00	$29.97	0.48	8.649	4.09
IFNA	iShares FTSE EPRA/NAREIT North America Index Fund	$10,000,000.00	$40.00	0.48	23.943	2.73
REK	ProShares Short Real Estate	$19,945,040.00	$39.89	0.95	N/A	0
WREI	Wilshire US REIT ETF	$9,100,620.00	$30.34	0.32	N/A	0
VNQI	Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF		$65,847,700.00	$50.60	0.35	N/A	0.88

Intel Announces 15 Percent Increase to Quarterly Cash Dividend

Intel Corporation today announced that its board of directors has approved a 15 percent increase in the quarterly cash dividend to 18 cents per share (72 cents per share on an annual basis), beginning with the dividend that will be declared in the first quarter of 2011.

"Intel remains on track to have our best year ever and we continue to generate strong cash flows," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. "Our ongoing operational performance and confidence in our business going forward provide the ability to return more cash to shareholders."

Intel began paying a cash dividend in 1992 and has paid out approximately $20 billion to its shareholders in dividends. Intel cash dividends for the first through third quarters of 2010 total approximately $2.6 billion.

Intel  (INTC 21.53) , the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and blogs.intel.com.

Disclosure I am Long INTC shares.

Knight Transportation Announces Quarterly and Special Cash Dividends

Knight Transportation, Inc.(KNX Quote) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared the company's quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share of common stock. This quarterly dividend is pursuant to a cash dividend policy approved by the Board of Directors. The actual declaration of future cash dividends, and the establishment of record and payment dates, is subject to final determination by the Board of Directors each quarter after its review of the company's financial performance.

The company's dividend is payable to shareholders of record on December 3, 2010 and is expected to be paid on December 23, 2010.

Knight also announced that its Board of Directors declared a special cash dividend of $0.75 per share of common stock. The company's special dividend is also payable to shareholders of record on December 3, 2010 and is expected to be paid on December 23, 2010.

The combination of the quarterly and special dividends will pay approximately $68.9 million on Knight's 85.0 million outstanding shares, including restricted stock units. After these dividends, Knight will have returned approximately $170.4 million to its stockholders through a combination of dividends and stock repurchases since January 2008.

Disclosure None

Siemens narrows loss and boosts dividends

The German industrial giant announced its net loss for final quarter of 2010, which was 65 per cent lower than the same period last year. As an industrial giant established since 1847, its performance is considered as economic barometer. 

The net loss of the fourth quarter is 396 million euros, 65 per cent lower than the 1.06 billion euros net loss last year. The basic loss per share is down from 1.31 euros to 0.54euro this year.
This year is also the first rise in dividends of the company since 2007, which will increase from 1.60 euros to 2.7 euros per share.

For the full year, net income of the company has climbed 63 per cent to 4 billion euros.
Energy sector was the sector with the fastest growth in new orders, which produces products and carries out research and development for power generators.

The company are generating more and more income from the emerging market, there is revenue growth from China and India, 25 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. 

”Siemens is no longer a restructuring story,”

”We are a normal company and a growth company. You should expect continuity from us.” Siemens AG Chief Executive Officer Peter Loescher said. The sales of fourth quarter increased 7.7 per cent to 21.23 billion euros. The high-speed trains, power turbines and factory automation equipment maker predicted a moderate revenue growth for the coming year.” 

The payout is a strong signal that Siemens will outgrow rivals and build up its presence in emerging markets, which generate a third of its business,” Loescher told Bloomberg.

Disclosure None

Sysco Corp. (SYY) Increases Quarterly Dividend 4% to $0.26

Sysco Corporation (NYSE: SYY) declares a quarterly cash dividend to $0.26 per share, $1.04 annualized. The dividend is a 4% increase from the current rate of $0.25.

The new dividend is payable on January 28, 2011, to common shareholders of record at the close of business on January 7, 2011. The ex-dividend date is January 5, 2011.

Yield on the dividend is 3.6%.

Disclosure I am long SYY shares.

Baxter Int'l (BAX) Increases Quarterly Dividend 7% to $0.31; Yields 2.4%

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) today declared a quarterly dividend of $0.31 per Baxter common share, $1.24 annnualized. The dividend is a 7% increase over the current rate of $0.29.

The dividend is payable on January 5, 2011, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 10, 2010. The ex-dividend date is December 8, 2010.

Yield on the dividend is 2.4%.

Disclosure I am long BAX shares

3M (MMM) Declares $0.525 Quarterly Dividend; 2.5% Yield

3M (NYSE: MMM) today declared a dividend on the company's common stock of $0.525 per share, $2.10 annualized.

The dividend is payable December 12, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 19, 2010. The ex-dividend date is November 17, 2010.

Yield on the dividend is 2.5%.

Disclosure I am long MMM shares

BlackRock (BLK) Declares $1.00 Quarterly Dividend; 2.3% Yield

BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.00 per share of common stock, $4.00 annualized.

The dividend is payable December 23, 2010 to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 3, 2010. The ex-dividend date is December 1, 2010.

Yield on the dividend is 2.3%.

Disclosure None

Realty Income Declares 485th Consecutive Common Stock Monthly Dividend

Realty Income Corporation (Realty Income), The Monthly Dividend Company Stock Quote , today announced that its Board of Directors declared a common stock dividend of $0.1439375 per share, payable on December 15, 2010 to shareholders of record as of December 1, 2010. The dividend represents an annualized amount of $1.72725 per share.

Disclosure I am long O shares.

Baxter Raises Quarterly Dividend

DEERFIELD, Ill., Nov 09, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Board of Directors of Baxter International Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!bax/quotes/nls/bax (BAX 51.63, -0.04, -0.08%) today declared a quarterly dividend of $0.31 per Baxter common share. This represents an increase of approximately 7 percent over the previous quarterly rate of $0.29 per share. The dividend is payable on January 5, 2011, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 10, 2010.

Baxter continues to generate strong cash flow and has returned significant value to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases. Since the beginning of 2010, Baxter has returned approximately $2.0 billion to shareholders through dividends totaling $688 million and share repurchases of approximately $1.3 billion (or 26 million shares).

"Our disciplined capital allocation strategy and ongoing ability to generate strong cash flow allow us to continue to invest for the long-term while returning significant value to our shareholders," said Robert J. Hombach, chief financial officer.

Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.

This release includes forward-looking statements concerning the company's dividend. The statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: continued strength in the company's financial position, including cash flows; future decisions of the board of directors of the company to continue payments to shareholders in the form of a dividend on a quarterly or other basis relative to alternative uses of funds; and other risks identified in the company's most recent filing on Form 10-K and other SEC filings, all of which are available on the company's website. The company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Baxter International Inc.

Disclosure  I am long BAX shares

Recent Buys and current news

July News is in so far. On 7/6/10 I purchased EOS, FSC and PFE $8.00 each company. On 7/13/10 I purchased ED, IBM, BPT at $8.00 each. My june statement has arrived. Equities and stock for June $351.11 value at may end was $261.44. Dividends for the month Jumped to $2.25 from .79 cents the period before.


    My top three holdings for June were GE 1.594 Shares $22.99, 2nd IGD 1.9271 shares $20.06, and #3 is AOD 3.7947 shares $18.78. Top 3 dividends in June were AOD .44 cents , FRO .25 cents, DO Special Dividend .13 cents Regular Dividend .01 cent. Total of 12 buys for June. Total 33 dividends collected in June.

Well thatis it for now cheers all.

Top-Yielding Monthly Dividend Stocks

Many market-players seek shelter from volatility in dividend-paying stocks, which offer investors a stream of steady income that can ease the pain of wild gyrations in the markets. And stocks that pay monthly dividends provide regular, consistent income to investors with usually less volatility than quarterly-paying dividend stocks.

The key to owning stocks that pay monthly dividends rather than quarterly or annual dividend stocks is that your invested capital comes back to you and your money compounds much more quickly.
Lots of investors are looking for monthly dividend payments to supplement their income during retirement. Other preretirement investors love to buy stocks that pay them cash on a monthly basis to help offset their high-risk investments. No matter what type of investor you are, dividend-paying stocks can go a long way toward creating wealth.

Dividend-paying stocks can also help an investor sleep better at night, because they're usually deemed to be safer investments than stocks that don't pay dividends,  The number of stocks that now pay a monthly dividend tops over 250, including real estate investment trusts, oil income trusts, closed-end funds and other investment vehicles that own a portfolio of income-producing assets and distribute cash generated by these assets every month to investors.

Let's take a look at four monthly dividend-paying securities that look promising.

If you're bullish on the future for oil and natural gas, you might want to take a look at the Enerplus Resources Fund(ERF). This stock is an energy trust that controls operating subsidiaries to acquire, exploit and operate crude oil and natural gas assets. The company currently controls properties in red hot Marcellus Shale region in the northeastern U.S. Many industry insiders think the Marcellus Shale could be one of the most promising natural gas resources in the Appalachian Basin.
Enerplus Resources has the fifth-highest dividend yield of oil and gas production stocks, at 9.4%. The stock has near-term support around $20 a share and resistance at around $24.


If you think the real estate market is near a bottom, you should take a look at closed-end management investment company LMP Real Estate Income Fund(RIT), which invests in securities related to the real estate industry, tied to sectors such as office, health care, apartments, shopping centers and regional malls. Its current dividend yield is 8.7% This stock is trading near the 200-day moving average of $8.20 a share, which could offer a great entry point if you like the prospects of real estate here. If the 200-day doesn't hold, look for the next area of support to come in at around $7.75. The stock also has some overhead resistance at around $9 to $9.50.

Another name investors should take a look at is the MFS Multimarket Income Trust(MMT), a closed-end fund that maintains a portfolio of investments in high-yield and investment-grade corporate bonds, emerging market debt securities, U.S. government securities and international investment-grade debt securities. Considering how foreign debt markets have been rattled of late, this trust could offer a great opportunity to get in at depressed prices. The MFS Multimarket Income Trust has direct exposure to some of the PIIG nations, such as Ireland, Italy and Spain. The current dividend yield of the MFS Multimarket Income Trust is 8.2%. The stock is trading near the 50-day moving average of $6.46, and overhead resistance can be found at $6.60 to $6.70.


One last monthly-paying security to consider is the Calamos Convertible Opportunity & Income Fund(CHI), which is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The fund seeks total returns through a combination of capital appreciation and current income by investing in a diversified portfolio of convertible securities and below-investment-grade high-yield fixed-income securities.
Calamos Convertible Opportunity & Income has offered a steady distribution since inception; it has a strong historical performance and is run by an experienced management team. Some of the securities it currently holds are common stock in Freeport McMoRan(FCX), corporate bonds in Vail Resorts(MTN) and convertible preferred stock in Bank of America(BAC). Corporate bonds make up 56% of the funds asset allocation, and energy is the heaviest-weighted sector. Its current dividend yield is 9.4%.


 Disclosure  NONE

Wowzers Were did da time go.............

     I stumbled across my password the other day finally can do some updated. The wife had a heart attack I had to sell all that had at folio investing and recover the family. I now have a roth ira through sharebuilder.com Get ya own Account here. I am still using the same investing style as before. I put in 50.00 every payday and invest $5.00 for each day that I work (Kinda like a reward for having to go to work and deal with all the drama everyday that goes with work). With that being said my first deposit was on 4-16-2010. My account today stands at $346.21. I am a subscriber to the plan so I pay a flat $12.00 per month for 12 trades per month. I am long 52 different holdings in what I think is a pretty diversified portfolio. My current Holdings ranked by the amount held in the account 1 being my biggest holding and 52 being my smallest.

    My current holdings include the following, AOD, IGD, MRK, WMT, TNH, FRO, DO, GE, XOM, INTC,  PHK, EOS, PTY, DPD, IID, PHT, GDX, NLY, BMY, CTL, VNQ, CFP, CAH, KMB, O, PEP, SYY, CAT, PG, TPZ, ESD, LQD, EOI, ABT, PGX, JNK, PFF, VWO, GGN, MMM, IGI, BDX, XLF,  BAX, FSC, SPY, PFE, ED, KMP, BPT, IBM, AND BP.Those are all my holdings that i plan to stick with for now and the ones I talk about on my blog. In my challenge to beat the company sponsored 401k.

         I try to invest with a huge focus on dividends and reinvesting of the dividends you can not beat having your money working for you. Most of the time if a holding cuts its dividend I will sell it the next chance I get (however different in the case of bp). As this stock i am not sure what to do with so I will just hold it for the time being.

       Dividends Paid this month include, INTC, PFE, WMT, DO on 6-1-2010, LQD, PFF on 6-7-2010, JNK on 6-9-2010, IBM on 6-9-2010, XOM, MMM on 6-14-2010, ED, IGD, IID, and O on 6-15-2010 and CTL on 6-21-2010. All dividends are automatically reinvested back into the same stock they come from.

       I purchased DO, IGI, FRO, GDX and PHT on the 6-01-2010 value $5.00 each. On 6-8-210 I purchased AOD 2.05 shares for $13.00 and 1.1321 shares of IGD for $12.00. On 6-15-210 I purchased 0.3422 shares of MRK for $12.00 and 0.2525 shares of WMT for $13.00. And next week I plan to purchase on Tuesday $12.00 worth of IBM and $13.00 worth of ED.

      It seems like it is taken for ever to get this going all over again, but I know Rome wasn't built in a day. So I be using this blog to share my thoughts and current investments. Feel free to follow along with me as I try to once again build a nest egg of money working for me.

Getty Realty raises quarterly dividend to 47.5 cents

Real estate investment trust Getty Realty Corp. said Thursday its board raised its quarterly dividend to 47.5 cents per share.

The payout is up from its previous dividend of 47 cents per share.

The company dividend is payable on Oct. 8 to shareholders of record on Sept. 24.

Shares rose 66 cents, or 3 percent, to $22.54 in afternoon trading. They've traded between $13.25 and $23.12 in the past year.

ABOUT GTY

Getty Realty Corp. operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. The company engages in the ownership and leasing of retail motor fuel and convenience store properties, and petroleum distribution terminals. The company's properties are leased or sublet to distributors and retailers engaged in the sale of gasoline and various motor fuel products, convenience store products, and automotive repair services. As of December 31, 2006, the company owned 836 properties and leased 216 additional properties in 13 states located principally in the northeast United States. Getty Realty Corp. elected to qualify as a REIT. As a REIT, the company would not be subject to federal income tax, provided it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its shareholders. The company was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Jericho, New York.

Disclosure I am long GTY shares.

Dover (DOV) Boosts Qtr Dividend 4% to $0.26

Diversified manufacturer Dover Corp. (DOV) said Thursday it increased its quarterly cash dividend by 4 percent to 26 cents per share from 25 cents.

The increased dividend will be paid on Sept. 15 to shareholders of record as of Aug. 31.

Shares fell 15 cents to $33.86 in afternoon trading.

Disclosure I am long DOV shares.

Kellogg profit rises 13 percent in 2Q, Pays 339th Straight Dividend

Kellogg Co. reported second-quarter profits that beat expectations Thursday, saying it expects full year results at the high end of its goal.

Recently, the company declared a dividend of $0.375/share, payable on September 15, 2009, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 1, 2009. This is the 339th consecutive quarter since 1925 that Kellogg Company has paid a dividend. The current yield based on the new dividend is 3.15%.

The world's largest cereal maker said its profit rose 13 percent to $353 million, or 92 cents per share for the quarter, from $312 million, or 82 cents per share last year.

Kellogg, which makes Frosted Flakes, Cheez-Its, Eggo waffles and other popular foods, said commodity prices for key ingredients stabilized, which helped its margins, though the stronger dollar hurt the company's sales.

Revenue fell 3 percent to $3.23 billion from $3.34 billion last year.

The results beat analyst expectations of 83 cents per share in profit, as measured by the Thomson Reuters poll, but fell short of analysts' average revenue forecast of $3.27 billion. Analysts estimates typically exclude one-time items.

Kellogg saw strong sales of cereal products, particularly in North America where the category grew 4 percent. North American frozen and specialty channels rose 5 percent and North American snacks rose 3 percent.

Internationally, sales fell 13 percent but rose 2 percent excluding the stronger dollar.

The Battle Creek, Mich.-based company said it is on track to save $1 billion annually by the end of 2011. It now expects to take a charge of 26 cents per share for the cost-cutting plan in 2009, up from the 14 cents it originally expected.

Some of the savings will be reinvested in advertising, which the food maker said it plans to step up in the near term. Kellogg also announced Thursday that it will modify some of its popular products with the addition of fiber to lines like Fruit Loops.

Kellogg's widely recognized brands have proved resilient during the economic downturn and CEO David Mackay said that the company expects that strength to carry through the year.

Kellogg now expects its earnings per share to grow 8 percent to 10 percent in 2009, sharpening its earlier forecast of high single-digit growth.

That implies earnings of $3.23 to $3.29 per share -- or $2.97 to $3.03 excluding the 26 cents per share related to its cost cutting plan. Analysts predict annual earnings of $3.11 per share.

It affirmed guidance of 3 percent to 4 percent growth in revenue, excluding the effect of the stronger dollar.

Standard & Poor's reiterated its "hold" rating on Kellogg and raised its 2009 earnings estimate to $3.08 from $3.05 and its 2010 estimate to $3.36 from $3.35.

S&P Packaged Foods Analyst Tom Graves said he expects the cereal category to benefit from more people eating at home during the recession and he expects cost pressures to ease in the second half of the year. But he expects the dollar's strength to keep cutting into Kellogg's profit.

Shares of Kellogg fell 38 cents to close at $47.66.

Disclosure I am long K shares.

Chevron (CVX) Raises Qtr Dividend 4.6% to $0.68, Reports Q2 Earnings

Chevron Corp. (CVX - Quote) said Wednesday that its board hiked the quarterly dividend 4.6% to 68 cents. The dividend is payable Sept. 10 to shareholders as of Aug. 19.

Reports Q2 (Jun) earnings of $0.87 per share, $0.08 worse than the First Call consensus of $0.95; revenues fell 51.0% year/year to $39.65 bln vs the $33.41 bln consensus. Co said, "Operationally, we had another very successful quarter. In our upstream business, we had major project start-ups at Tahiti in the Gulf of Mexico and Frade offshore Brazil, and our company's net oil-equivalent production increased 5 percent from a year ago. In our downstream operations, refinery utilization was higher than in last year's second quarter."

Disclosure I am long CVX shares.

Kellogg Co.(K) sets increased dividend

Kellogg Co. today announced it will pay a 37.5-cent dividend per share on common stock, up from 34 cents per share last quarter. The payments will be made Sept. 15 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 1. The company announced plans to increase the dividend in April.

Kellogg has paid dividends to common stock shareholders every quarter since 1925.

Disclosure I am long K shares in my Consumer Goods/Services Folio.

Medtronic raises dividend 9%, to buy back 60 Million more shares

Medical device maker Medtronic Inc. said Thursday its board of directors increased its dividend by 9 percent to an annual rate of 82 cents. The increase raises the quarterly amount to 20.5 cents.

The increase is effective for the 2010 fiscal year. The quarterly dividend is payable July 31 to shareholders of record as of July 10.

The board also approved the buyback of an additional 60 million shares of common stock under a current plan. The company has about 1.12 billion shares of common stock outstanding.

Shares of Medtronic rose 74 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $33.67 in afternoon trading.

ABOUT MEDTRONIC(MDT)

Founded in 1949, Medtronic has grown to become the world's largest independent medical technology company. At the core of all we do is our Mission: to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life. It provides a clear path for all employees as we work together to take Medtronic to the next level.

Medtronic was first incorporated April 23, 1957 and became a public company as the result of a convertible debenture offering. The first shares were issued under these debentures on December 17, 1959 to our company founders, Earl Bakken and Palmer Hermundslie. Medtronic shares were traded Over-the-Counter (OTC) until we were listed on the NASDAQ in 1964. Medtronic began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on November 21, 1977 and continues to be traded on the NYSE today under the ticker symbol MDT.

Disclosure I am long MDT shares.

FactSet Research (FDS) boosts quarterly dividend 11 pct

FactSet Research Systems Inc. (FDS) said on Tuesday that it is raising its quarterly dividend 11%, to 20 cents a share from 18 cents a share. The cash dividend will be paid on June 16, 2009 to holders of record of FactSet's common stock on May 29, 2009.

FactSet offers instant access to financial data and analytics to thousands of analysts, portfolio managers, and investment bankers at the world’s financial institutions.

FactSet’s business is built on the creative use of technology and an unwavering dedication to client service. We remain on the cutting edge by continually developing and refining our software. Our tools enable clients to perform investment research at the most sophisticated level. We offer individual consultant contacts, 24-hour personal support, and dedication to our users for client service that is unsurpassed in the industry.

FactSet has been listed as one of Forbes’ “200 Best Small Companies” for 12 consecutive years.

Disclosure None