Hot High Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014

One of the best ways to make a lot of money in stocks is to invest in dividend-paying stocks. After all, a company that is able to commit to regularly rewarding its shareholders with a payout of cash is a company that's relatively stable, with a sufficiently predictable profit stream. There are pitfalls within the world of dividend investing, though. Here are some tips to help you avoid common blunders.

Don't overshoot
It's easy to be drawn to sky-high dividend yields. Who wouldn't favor a 10% yield over a 3% one, after all? Plenty of 10% yields are solid, but plenty are tied to companies on shaky ground. The best explanation for that is math: A dividend yield is simply a ratio, dividing a stock's annual dividend payout by its current stock price, and then expressing that result as a percentage. Thus, if the stock price falls sharply, you'll be dividing the dividend by a smaller number, and the yield will be bigger. Huge dividend yields are sometimes due to a company simply having a lot of excess cash to distribute, but sometimes they reflect a company in temporary or permanent trouble that has seen its price plunge.

10 Best Semiconductor Stocks To Own For 2015: South Jersey Industries Inc.(SJI)

South Jersey Industries, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the purchase, transmission, and sale of natural gas for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. It also sells natural gas and pipeline transportation capacity on a wholesale basis to various customers on the interstate pipeline system, as well as transports natural gas purchased directly from producers or suppliers to their customers. In addition, it markets natural gas storage, commodity, and transportation assets on a wholesale basis for energy marketers, electric and gas utilities, and natural gas producers in the mid-Atlantic, Appalachian, and southern regions of the United States. Further, the company develops and operates energy-related projects, which provide cooling, heating, and emergency power; and operates landfill gas-fired electric production facilities and solar projects. Additionally, it provides services for the acquisition and transportation of natural gas and electricity for re tail end users; markets total energy management services; installs and services residential and light commercial HVAC systems; provides plumbing services; and services appliances, as well as offers meter reading services. As of December 31, 2010, the company served 347,725 residential, commercial, and industrial customers primarily in southern New Jersey. The company was founded in 1910 and is headquartered in Folsom, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Energy services holding company South Jersey Industries (SJI) raised its quarterly dividend 6.7% to 47.25 cents per share, payable on Dec. 27 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 10. The increase marks the 15th consecutive increase to the annual dividend.
  SJI Dividend Yield: 3.41%

Hot High Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014: Elray Resources Inc (ELRA)

Elray Resources, Inc., incorporated on December 13, 2006, is an exploration stage company. The Company was engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties with a view to exploiting any mineral deposits discovered.

Elray owned a 100% interest in Porphyry Creek, a 90 square kilometer gold and copper claim located in Cambodia. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company has not generated any revenues.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap entertainment or gaming stocks Soul and Vibe Interactive Inc (OTCBB: SOUL), Elray Resources Inc (OTCMKTS: ELRA) and Players Network (OTCMKTS: PNTV) focus on entertaining consumers. However, its important to remember that consumers can be very fickle when it comes to entertainment or games. So should you be entertaining any of these small caps? Here is a closer look and a reality check:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, ELRA remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.160 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed:� 1:13PM EDT July 2, 2013).

  Elray Resources, Inc. through its online gaming and turnkey solution subsidiary Elray Gaming, previously reported the launch and operations of the Golden Galaxy online casino.

  Golden Galaxy is a licensed online casino, and whilst it complies fully with the UIGEA (The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006) and does not accept US players it is targeted towards other regulated and rapidly growing markets. Golden Galaxy’s software is provided and maintained by Playtech Limited, the world’s largest online gaming software supplier traded on the London Stock Exchange�� Main Market, offering cutting-edge, value added solutions to the industry’s leading operators. Since Playtech’s inception in 1999 the world�� leading online gaming software company, and bears the official approval of the Technical System Testing of North America Inc. (TST), which has periodically verified that the games are true and fair.

Hot High Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014: Intercontinentalexchange Group Inc (ICE)

IntercontinentalExchange Group, Inc., incorporated on March 6, 2013, is a network of regulated exchanges and clearing houses for financial and commodity markets. The Company delivers transparent and accessible data, technology and risk management services to markets around the world through its portfolio of exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange, ICE Futures, Liffe and Euronext. In February 2014, Intercontinentalexchange Group Inc completed the acquisition of Singapore Mercantile Exchange.

In November 2013, the Company announced the acquisition of NYSE Euronext. In November 2013, Financial Technologies (India) Ltd announced that Financial Technologies Singapore Pte. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Financial Technologies (India) Ltd., sold its ownership in SMX (together with its wholly owned subsidiary SMX CC) to ICE Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., an entity owned by the Intercontinentalexchange Group Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anna Prior]

  IntercontinentalExchange Inc.(ICE) and NYSE Euronext sa(NYX)id Friday they had received the necessary regulatory approvals to close their deal. ICE’s $9.4 billion acquisition of NYSE will close Wednesday, the companies said.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  But even with markets trading in a range since July, there was plenty of action in individual stocks, even as earnings season nears an end. CME Group (CME), for instance, gained 4% to $74.44, its biggest move two months, after the exchange operator said trading volume in its Brent crude oil futures contracts climbed above 100,000 for the first time on Aug. 8. CME is trying to woo traders away from IntercontinentalExchange’s (ICE) dominant futures contract. Xerox (XRX), meanwhile, finished up 3.4% at $10.49 after Citigroup upgraded its stock to Buy from Neutral and the company announced that it would acquire a Canadian company.

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  Analysts at Barclays maintained an Overweight rating on IntercontinentalExchange Group (NYSE: ICE) with a price target lowered to $234 from a previous $239. Shares lost 2.78 percent, closing at $196.55.

• [By Matt Egan]

  IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), which owns NYSE, didn't get much of a bump from the news. Its shares were slightly higher. Nasdaq OMX Group (NDAQ)actually rose more than 1% despite losing out on Alibaba.

Hot High Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014: Enerplus Corporation (ERF)

Enerplus Corporation, together with subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and development of crude oil and natural gas in United States and Canada. As of December 31, 2011, it had 322 MMBOE of proved plus probable reserves. The company also held a portfolio of approximately 380,000 net acres of land comprised of 75,000 net acres at Fort Berthold targeting the Bakken and Three Forks; 65,000 net acres in the Duvernay; 33,000 net acres in the Montney; 67,000 net acres in the Stacked Mannville; 30,000 net acres in the Cardium and other emerging oil plays in Canada; and 110,000 net acres in the Marcellus. In addition, it had 120 gross producing wells. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Canadian Trusts- Baytex Energy Trust (BTE) | Yield: 6.1%
  - Enerplus Resources Fund (ERF) | Yield: 5.6%
  - Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGH) | Yield: 7.1%

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Canadian oil and gas producer Enerplus (NYSE: ERF  ) announced today its August monthly dividend of $0.09 Canadian per share, which is equivalent to $0.09 U.S. per share at an exchange rate of 0.9674.

• [By RichardCox]

  The first stock choice we look at here is Enerplus Corp. (ERF), which has most of its resources invested in Western Canadian properties that are in the mature development stage. This puts the company in a solid position (as far as risk protection) for two reasons: The company is largely shielded from potential supply disruptions if Middle East conflicts cause transport blockages at the Suez Canal. Furthermore, Canada holds its position as the largest source of U.S. oil imports -- nearly doubling what is sent annually by Saudi Arabia. Yearly numbers for 2012 put Canadian oil imports at roughly 2.8 million barrels in a supportive trend that helped second-quarter earnings at Enerplus rise by 10%. The fundamental sector outlook is suggestive of additional runs higher in Enerplus, and these should begin to gain traction once the external uncertainties (political gridlock, stimulus tapering) begin to resolve themselves. The stock also comes with a 6.4% dividend yield, which will help investors weather the storm if the recent declines in oil extend further.