Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC) reported sales and earnings per share that both topped analysts’ estimates. The company reaffirmed its previously announced 2013 guidance of $2.35 to $2.65 per share. The utility is thinking about investing as much as $3 billion over the next five years in natural gas exploration, solar assets, and other projects.
Seaspan returned in its usual steady-as-she-goes numbers, with revenue up 7.5% and cash available for distribution climbing 2.3%. The latter number is the one dividend investors want to keep growing briskly. The company continues to grow its fleet over the next couple years, which should help dividends move in the right direction. The stock looks a little pricy right now, and I won’t be surprised to see its yield rise back to above 6%.
Plum Creek Timber Co. Inc. (NYSE:PCL) reported growing revenue 1% year over year, but earnings nearly doubled, from $29 million to $56 million. Management highlighted the strength the company is seeing in each business segment and says it’s expecting good cash flow from the timber and manufacturing segments in 2013. Demand for lumber is keeping sawlog prices up for the foreseeable future.
Dividend news:
- AT&T went ex-dividend on April 8 and paid out $0.45 per share on May 1.
- Southern went ex-dividend on May 2 and pays out $0.5075 per share on June 6.
- Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC) goes ex-dividend on May 13 and pays out $0.31 per share on June 10.
- Seaspan goes ex-dividend on May 16 and pays out $0.3125 per share on May 30.
All that, of course, means more money coming into our pockets.
It’s fun to sit back and get paid, and with the market volatility, we might have a good chance to reinvest those dividends at good prices. Europe continues to be an absolute mess, and continued bad news will probably have stocks plunging again. If they do, I’ll be inclined to pick more shares up.
Foolish bottom line
I’ve been a fan of big dividends for a while, and I think this portfolio will outperform the market over time through the power of dividends. As I promised in the original article, I’ll continue to track and report on the portfolio’s progress, including news on these companies.
The article The World’s Best Dividend Portfolio originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Jim Royal .
Jim Royal, Ph.D., owns shares of the 12 portfolio stocks mentioned in the table. The Motley Fool recommends Brookfield Infrastructure, Exelon, National Grid, Retail Opportunity Investments, Seaspan, Southern, and Vodafone and owns shares of Brookfield Infrastructure, Philip Morris, Retail Opportunity Investments, Ryman Hospitality, and Seaspan.
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