Dividend Ninja, Author at The Dividend Ninja

Why Should I Invest in Bonds? 3 Reasons Investors Are Spooked

These days, bonds are getting a bad name. But, that shouldn’t be the case. You should invest in bonds. Stock markets are off to a tremendous start, dividend stocks are outperforming, and not surprisingly investors are losing their confidence in government issued bonds. There are three main reasons why investors are spooked with bonds. First and foremost, are the sovereign debt woes in Europe and the antics of the U.S. government to raise the debt ceiling, which sent ripples around world markets last August. Second is the global and record low interest rate environment, with the potential threat of increasing …

Why You Should Be Using Stop Loss and Limit Orders

by Dividend Ninja

Investing is a percentage game. The lower you can buy a stock and the higher you can sell, then the more money can be gained. But in reality finding the exact bottom or the exact top of a stock is impossible, and most investors will tell you when to sell is the most difficult decision. The key is to use charts to buy a stock near its 52-week low and then firmly decide when you are going to sell (or buy and hold). Using Stop Loss and Limit orders helps you achieve these goals, and protects you from downside risk. …

Why Dividend Cuts May Be a Good Thing for Investors

by Dividend Ninja

Life isn’t perfect and for whatever reason, we purchase stocks we shouldn’t have bought, lured in by the high yield, or still hang on to stocks we should have sold. Investor confidence in a company can be sudden and swift. In the case of TransAlta Corp (TA) for example (which I don’t own) this was pointed out in a recent post by John Heinzl. Management decisions over the sale of the Sundance coal plants, and the looming threat of a dividend cut have pummelled the stock price. TA closed at $16.81 per share today, down -20.5% from a recent high …

Buying Bonds? Think Short Term – The Safety of Short Term Bonds

by Dividend Ninja

Bond funds have been out of favor these days, especially with the threat of rising interest rates. With dividend stocks paying juicy yields and returning phenomenal capital appreciation, investors have been reluctant to purchase fixed income securities. Investors forget that when times are good, that all of that can change on a dime! This week the TSX and S&P 500 are already showing signs of a correction, with some dividend stocks off 10% from their highs. This should be a reminder to investors of why asset allocation is important. That’s where short term bond holdings come into play! Bonds with …