STOCKS END LOWER THIS WEEK

The stock market rebounded slightly on Friday, but not enough to regain losses from earlier in the week.  I added some shares of Australia's largest telecom to my IRA account.  As it turned out, I could have saved nearly 10% by waiting until the end of this week, but it should all work out in the end. 

I don't put much stock in the new jobs stimulus program.  The only beneficiaries of the last stimulus were big banks and bank executives, who promptly paid themselves large bonuses.  I figure this program will prove more of the same.  So much for change in Washington, although I noticed from a CNBC article that Nancy Pelosi's net worth increase during the past year by over 50%.  Wonder how that happened?

Well, enough of that.  After work today I'm off to the Lake of the Ozarks for some much needed R&R.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

NEW ZEALAND TELECOM

It's been kind of a slow week for me investment wise.  End of the month I guess.  Anyway, collected a nice dividend from New Zealand Telecom (NZT).  The stock itself didn't hold up well in the downturn, but I believe in the company and they carry a dividend of 11.31% on their recent price of $7.70.  So I'm keeping the stock for the yield and looking for some recovery.  I'm thinking it will happen, just may take some time.

Put in an order with my IRA account to purchase more shares of S&P 500 Index SPDR (SPY).  While the dividend is not so impressive (2.10%), I'm expecting to collect some decent capital gains with this fund.  SPY is definitely one of my long term holdings for my retirement account.  I also like the fact that SPY invests in some sectors currently not represented in my overall investment portfolio. 

On a personal note, looking forward to the latest round of "Dancing With the Stars" and the new season of "Glee" on television!  Also looking forward to the November elections, it will be interesting to see how that plays out.

November So Far

Well it's the first week of November, the stock market is down and I'm back to work. A little disappointed in the stock market, but it does allow me to pick up stocks at a cheaper price. Been having a little difficulty getting back into the work environment again, but I'm glad to have a job when so many people are out of work still. I ended up taking a much lower position with a lot less pay than at my last job, but work is work. I still recall the 1970's when so many people were unemployed for what seemed like forever. It was hard times then and any job you could get was considered a good job. Don't want to find myself in that position if I can avoid it.

This is a big month for dividends from my taxable portfolio. I'll be receiving payments from over 10 different companies and most of them are high yielding stocks. I'm beginning to like Canadian energy trusts with their monthly payouts and love the master limited partnerships!

My IRA is doing well. Just added more AT&T shares. A friend of mine was telling me a story about a former co-worker who ended up homeless and called him asking for help. He was stunned that the guy had no where to live, no money and no car, but he had a cell phone. That's why I love telecoms. They're not really in favor right now, so I'm picking up shares at bargain prices. When homeless people are carrying phones, you can't hardly go wrong owning telecom stocks.

Changes To My Stock Investments

In the previous article, I mentioned I was selling my stake in Altria Group (MO) since I'm pretty much convinced they are in a declining business. I've decided to re-invest the money in three stocks:

Advance America Cash Advance (AEA)

I previously invested in Advance America for a quick trade profit and made over a 97% gain. I've come back for a second, longer term investment for the dividend.


Windstream Corp. (WIN)

A rural telecom with promising numbers and a great dividend payout.


Merck & Company Inc. (MRK)

I'm adding to my long term investment in Merck. I've made quite a bit of money trading their shares in the past. Now I'm holding on for some dividend cash.


By dividing the money up between the above stocks I should lower my risks and increase my dividend income per dollars invested.