Top 5 Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015

It's usually a sign of underlying buying interest in a stock, when it gains in price on a day when the overall market is negative, suggests John Dobosz, editor of Forbes Dividend Investor.

That's what happened recently with Switzerland-based Transocean (RIG), the world's largest offshore contract driller for oil and gas wells.

There's a lot to like about Transocean these days. Last month, it struck a deal with Carl Icahn, who owns nearly 6% of the company, and was agitating for a number of changes.

He got another one of his people on the board of directors, and Transocean also cut the number of board seats from 14 to 11, giving existing members greater weight. Icahn also extracted a pledge that Transocean will boost profits by $800 million, through cost cutting, and increased efficiency.

Most significant for dividend investors is that Icahn succeeded in getting the company to agree to pay a $3 per share dividend next year, up 33.4% from the current $2.24 annual rate. Transocean will also explore spinning off some of its assets into a master limited partnership structure.

Top 5 Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: Pitney Bowes Inc(PBI)

Pitney Bowes Inc. provides mail processing equipment and integrated mail solutions worldwide. It offers a suite of equipment, supplies, software, services, and solutions for managing and integrating physical and digital communication channels. The company?s Small & Medium Business Solutions group engages in the sale, rental, and financing of mail finishing, mail creation, and shipping equipment and software; provision of supply, support, and other professional services; and provision of payment solutions. Its Enterprise Business Solutions group sells, supports, and offers other professional services for high-speed production mail systems, and sorting and production print equipment; and sells and provides support services for non-equipment-based mailing, customer relationship and communication, and location intelligence software. This group also offers facilities management services; secure mail services; reprographic document management services; and litigation support and eDiscovery services, as well as provides presort mail services and cross-border mail services; and direct marketing services. Pitney Bowes Inc. markets its products and services through its sales force, direct mailings, outbound telemarketing, and independent distributors and dealers to various business, governmental, institutional, and other organizations. The company, formerly known as Pitney Bowes Postage Meter Company, was founded in 1920 and headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Finally, mail logistics software solutions company Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI  ) jumped 3.7% after announcing the appointment of Roger Pilc as executive vice president and chief innovation officer. Pilc will be a welcome face for Pitney Bowes, which has struggled under the weight of lower physical mail volume and increasing competition. Pilc, who comes over from CA Technologies (NASDAQ: CA  ) , helped head CA's cloud development segment, which may transform CA back into a high-growth company over the next few years as it invests heavily in R&D. Pitney Bowes certainly needs as many ideas as it can get to stem a precipitous downtrend in sales, so we'll have to see how this move works out for all parties involved.

• [By Jim Woods]

  While the company still plans to dole out dividends, it is altering 2013 payments that were slated to be paid out next year. For one, the cash payment due in January was cancelled. Also, BBVA said it would increase the dividend payout due in April to help compensate for the January suspension, but in the end, BBVA stock will end up cutting its total payouts from 2013 from 0.42 euros to 0.37 euros.

  Pitney Bowes (PBI)
  

  What do you do when you��e essentially a print-oriented company trapped in a digital world?

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  AP, Showtime From a high-end apparel retailer making a down-market move to the leading video service adding to its growing library, here are the wonders and blunders of the week. Amazon.com (AMZN) -- Winner Apple (AAPL) may have hit the market with the new iPad Air on Friday, but it was Amazon making the most of the launch -- to promote its own platform. Amazon has spent most of the week pushing its new 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX tablet at the top of the popular e-tailer's home page, pitting it against the iPad Air. Amazon points out that its Kindle Fire HDX is 20 percent lighter, packs 950,000 more pixels, and will set shoppers back $120 less than the somewhat comparable iPad Air. You have to admire Amazon's moxie here. Apple just moved more than 14 million iPads in its latest quarter -- and that was the older models during a non-holiday quarter. Amazon's willing to butt heads with the top brand in tablets, and it's doing it on a site that it knows will be getting very busy in the coming weeks as holiday shoppers begin to research the best tablet to buy this season. Well played, Amazon. lululemon ahtletica (LULU) -- Blunder When it comes to selling high-end yoga clothing, no one does it as well as lululemon athletica. Sure, there was that embarrassing episode earlier this year where its black Luon yoga pants were too sheer, resulting in the departure of its head of merchandising. However, how do you justify filling that opening by bringing in Kmart's head of apparel to be your new chief products officer? Kmart has struggled with years of declining comps, and it's a lackluster discount department store chain. Even if she was more than qualified for the gig, investor -- and more dangerously customer -- perceptions may mark down lululemon's image. Pitney Bowes (PBI) -- Winner Metered mail may be a fading industry, but that didn't stop Pitney Bowes from hitting a fresh 52-week high this week after posting encouraging quarterly results. The key here is tha

• [By John Divine]

  Communication equipment and mail logistics company Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI  ) rounds out today's list, having shed 2.9%. Shares enjoyed a brief boost earlier this week, and even made it on the day's 3 Best Stocks list, when the company appointed Roger Pilc as its Chief Innovation Officer on Tuesday. Pilc has direct experience directing market share growth at CA Technologies, an enterprise management software provider. Despite the fresh look, it appears the excitement has already worn off as investors, once again, face the bleak future in direct mail-related services.

Top 5 Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: FirstEnergy Corporation(FE)

Firstenergy Corp. operates as a diversified energy company. The company, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, involves in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, as well as energy management and other energy-related services. It serves approximately 6 million customers within 67,000 square miles through 10 utility operating companies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia and Maryland. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Akron, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  A large part of that drop came in late May, following very poor results from power-grid operator PJM's auction of electrical capacity governing the 2016-2017 delivery year. With the grid operator managing to secure nearly 170 gigawatts of capacity at a price more than 55% below the previous year's auction, analysts downgraded Exelon and rival FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE  ) because of the adverse long-term implications on electricity demand. New natural-gas-fueled power plants were a major part of the capacity jump, and as gas prices continue to remain relatively low, producers like FirstEnergy and Exelon are facing profit squeezes well into the future.

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE  ) reported earnings last Tuesday, beating on both top and bottom lines. But what should've been a day to celebrate for FirstEnergy shareholder ended with a 1% dip in share prices. Let's take a deeper look to see why this dividend stock didn't deliver.

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  FirstEnergy (FE) fell 5.7%. The power company last week narrowed its full-year outlook.

  Denbury Resources (DNR) shares dropped 5.9% after oil-and-natural-gas explorer on Sunday announced that it will initiate quarterly dividend and raised its share repurchase plan to $250 million from the $109 million remaining in its program.

Top Warren Buffett Companies To Watch In Right Now: National CineMedia Inc.(NCMI)

National CineMedia, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates a digital in-theatre network in North America. It develops, produces, sells, and distributes various versions of a branded, pre-feature entertainment, and advertising program called ?FirstLook? on theatre screens and advertising programming on its lobby entertainment network; and sells various forms of advertising and promotions in theatre lobbies. The company distributes Fathom business and consumer entertainment events through digital content network and live digital broadcast network utilizing its proprietary digital content software. It also facilitates business meetings, church services, and corporate marketing/communication events in the movie theatres throughout its theatre network; and distributes entertainment programming products, which include live and pre-recorded concerts, opera, symphony, concert and DVD product releases, theatrical premieres, Broadway plays, and other music events, as well as live sports and other special events. In addition, the company provides its services to third-party theatre circuits through network affiliate agreements. As of August 4, 2011, its advertising network had approximately 18,100 digital screens. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado.

Top 5 Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: People's United Financial Inc.(PBCT)

People?s United Financial, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for People?s United Bank that provides commercial banking, retail and business banking, and wealth management services to individual, corporate, and municipal customers. Its Commercial Banking segment provides commercial and industrial lending, commercial real estate lending, and commercial deposit gathering services, as well as equipment financing, cash management, correspondent banking, and municipal banking services. The company?s Retail and Business Banking segment offers consumer and business deposit gathering services; consumer lending products, including residential mortgage, home equity, and indirect auto lending; business lending; and merchant services. Its Wealth Management segment provides trust services, corporate trust, brokerage, financial advisory services, investment management services, and life insurance and other insurance services, as well as private banking services. The company also offers online and telephone banking, and investment trading services, and automated teller machine (ATM) services. As of March 31, 2011, it operated a network of approximately 341 branches, including full-service supermarket branches, investment and brokerage offices, and commercial banking offices, as well as approximately 518 automated teller machines in Connecticut, Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. The company was founded in 1842 and is headquartered in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  I went out on a limb last week, and now it's time to see how that decision played out.

  I predicted that People's United Financial (NASDAQ: PBCT  ) would close higher on the week. The regional banker had come up short on the bottom line in its two previous quarters, and the prior week closed with uninspiring earnings news out of the banking behemoths. People's United managed to match expectations on an operating basis, but the market was skeptical of financial services institutions this week. People's United Financial shares closed lower on the week. I was right. I predicted that the tech-heavy Nasdaq would outperform the Dow Jones Industrial Average. (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) . This has been a tricky call lately, so how did it play out this time? Well, the market was rocked hard this week, and secondary stocks led the way down. The Nasdaq fell 2.7% on the week. The Dow managed to close just 2.1% lower. I was wrong. My final call was for United Rentals (NYSE: URI  ) to beat Wall Street's quarterly profit target. The provider of equipment rentals with 836 outlets across the country has been beating Wall Street estimates consistently over the past year. Why should that end? Analysts were looking for a profit of $0.47 a share during the quarter, and it came through with adjusted net income of $0.58. I was right.

  Two out of three? I can do better than that.

Top 5 Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: Kimberly-Clark Corporation(KMB)

Kimberly-Clark Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and marketing of various health care products worldwide. The company operates in four segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, K-C Professional & Other, and Health Care. The Personal Care segment provides disposable diapers, training and youth pants, and swimpants; baby wipes; and feminine and incontinence care products, and related products. It offers its products primarily for household use under various brand names, including Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, Kotex, Lightdays, Depend, and Poise. The Consumer Tissue segment offers facial and bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, and related products for household use under the Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, Viva, Andrex, Scottex, Hakle, and Page brands. The K-C Professional & Other segment offers facial and bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, wipers, and a range of safety products for the away-from-home marketplace und er Kimberly-Clark, Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech, KleenGuard, Kimcare, and Jackson brand names. The Health Care segment offers disposable health care products, such as surgical drapes and gowns, infection control products, face masks, exam gloves, respiratory products, pain management products, and other disposable medical products under the Kimberly-Clark, Ballard, and ON-Q brand names. The company sells its products to supermarkets; mass merchandisers; drugstores; warehouse clubs; variety and department stores; retail outlets; manufacturing, lodging, office building, food service, and health care establishments; and high volume public facilities. It markets its products through wholesalers, distributors, and direct sales. The company was founded in 1872 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tannor Pilatzke]

  K-C is 2 for 3 in regards to value creation at the parent (KMB) but they are batting 0.333 when it comes to providing lucrative deals for the capital markets to absorb. It is early, and much of the information regarding the deal will be coming in 2014 so I can not say wether the deal is enticing to me or not, but the health care business priced attractively, could be a big winner by 2017.

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Memberships and Peers: PG is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index and a Dividend Champion. The company�� peer group includes: Clorox Corporation (CLX) with a 3.1% yield, Colgate-Palmolive Co. (CL) with a 2.1% yield, and Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB) with a 3.1% yield.

Top 5 Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)

Philip Morris International Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. Its international product brand line comprises Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, Chesterfield, Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris, and Red & White. The company also offers its products under the A Mild, Dji Sam Soe, and A Hijau in Indonesia; Diana in Italy; Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in the Russian Federation; Morven Gold in Pakistan; Boston in Colombia; Belmont, Canadian Classics, and Number 7 in Canada; Best and Classic in Serbia; f6 in Germany; Delicados in Mexico; Assos in Greece; and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It operates primarily in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Other large-cap stocks didn't do quite so well over the last year but could see their fortunes change in years to come. Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM  ) , for example, gained 5% and yields 4.1%. With domestic tobacco companies challenged by tightening regulations, rising taxes, and a shrinking smoking base, many have assumed that Philip Morris is the best bet in tobacco. But in the third quarter, it posted the weakest results, with volume taking a sizable drop and a strong dollar reducing its earnings. Bulls like its innovation and share buybacks.

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  As the world's second largest tobacco company, Philip Morris International (PM) is the prototypical sin stock. It boasts recognizable brands, a sticky customer base, and a hefty dividend payout -- and the payout looks due for a dividend hike. As I write, Philip Morris International currently pays out a 85 cents each quarter, adding up to a 4.05% yield.

  Philip Morris owns almost 30% of the world's tobacco market. And much of that success is thanks to a single iconic brand: Marlboro. The firm has owned Marlboro (as well as second-tier names such as L&M and Parliament) internationally ever since Altria (MO) split up its international and domestic operations. Between the two markets, PM owns the more attractive franchise by far. After all, the international market is the only one that's actually growing.

  While the U.S. market for tobacco products is rife with regulation and demographic shifts are turning away from smoking, international tobacco sales are up -- especially in emerging markets. Premium positioning in markets like India, China and Indonesia translates into substantial cash flows for PM investors. And while the strength of the dollar has been a challenge post-2008, the potential for a Fed taper could strengthen this stock's payout in 2013.

Top 5 Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Reeves and David Meier]

  Look at the amazing results of McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) over the past several decades, for example. The company has been able to deliver outstanding total returns by paying out higher and higher dividends each year over an extremely long time horizon. Ultimately, investors are willing to pay higher and higher prices for shares that offer a growing stream of dividends.

• [By Dimitra DeFotis]

  Wednesday’s top DJIA laggard stocks were higher, up less than a point, headed into the early�1 p.m. close today.�McDonald’s�(MCD),�Disney�(DIS),�Chevron�(CVX)�Procter & Gamble�(PG) were up, though�ExxonMobil�(XOM) shares were flat headed into the close.�

• [By Lu Wang]

  McDonald�� (MCD) declined 2.6 percent to $100.20 for the worst retreat in the Dow. The world�� biggest restaurant chain said sales at stores open at least 13 months fell 0.6 percent in April as growth slowed in its Asia-Pacific region. Analysts estimated a 0.5 percent drop, the average of estimates from Consensus Metrix.

• [By Neha Marwah]

  However, other players too got adversely affected and suffered softer sales throughout the year. McDonald�� (MCD) and Starbucks (SBUX), both reported decline in sales and experienced a slowdown in same store sales.

Top 5 Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation(RL)

Ralph Lauren Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, marketing, and distribution of lifestyle products. The company offers men?s, women?s, and children?s clothing; and accessories comprising footwear, eyewear, watches, jewelry, hats, and belts, as well as leather goods, including handbags and luggage. It also provides products for homes, including bedding and bath products, furniture, fabric and wallpaper, paint, tabletop, and giftware; and fragrance products for women men. In addition, the company licenses its products, such as men?s sportswear, men?s tailored clothing, men?s underwear and sleepwear, eyewear, fragrances, cosmetics, and color and skin care products. It offers its products under the Polo by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren Women?s Collection, Black Label, Blue Label, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, RRL, RLX, Rugby, Ralph Lauren Childrenswear, American Living, Chaps, and Club Monaco brand names. Ralph Lauren sells its products to department stores, specialty stores, and golf and pro shops; full-price retail stores, factory retail stores, and concessions-based shop-within-shops; and online through RalphLauren.com and Rugby.com. As of April 3, 2010, it operated 179 full-price retail stores and 171 factory stores worldwide, as well as 281 concessions-based shop-within-shops and 2 e-commerce Websites. The company was formerly known as Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation and changed its name to Ralph Lauren Corporation in August 2011. Ralph Lauren Corporation was founded in 1967 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  Piper Jaffray reported on Wednesday that it has downgraded Ralph Lauren Corp (RL) to “Neutral.”

  The firm has cut its rating on RL from “Overweight” to “Neutral,” and has lowered its price target on the company from $200 to $170. This new price target suggests a 6% upside from the stock’s current price of $159.64.

  An analyst from the firm noted: ��s we think about the RL stock (not the company) over the next 6-12 months, we are stepping to the sidelines, moving our rating from OW to Neutral ($170 PT). To be clear, we view RL as a core holding for the longer-term oriented investor (2 yrs+) as we believe global growth initiatives in China, accessories & the prospects for accelerated sq-ftage (Polo stores in Europe) will create margin expansion opportunities over time. That said, in the absence of a compelling apparel spending environment and with a multi-year investment cycle underway, we believe earnings upside could be more limited. We believe money flow will favor equities but expect investors will pay up for visibility in beat & raise stories as we navigate through the evolving global retail landscape.��/p>

  Ralph Lauren shares were down 92 cents, or 0.57% during Wednesday morning trading. The stock is up 7% YTD.

• [By Grace L. Williams]

  Two very different retailers–supermarket chain Kroger (KR) and�high-end apparel retailer Ralph Lauren (RL)–caught our eye this afternoon for the same reason: analyst downgrades that slammed stock prices.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  They also drove up the share prices of its suppliers and department store rivals. Nordstrom (JWN) and Kohl�� Corp. (KSS ), both reporting Thursday, rose more than 2% each. Its suppliers Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL) and Calvin Klein parent PVH Corp. (PVH) saw their shares up 2% and 4% each.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Ralph Lauren (RL) shares are on the rise today after the fashion icon reported solid results for the second quarter. This represents a departure from the lackluster earnings reports from previous quarters so let’s dig into the details and see if we should dress up our portfolio with this stock.

Top 5 Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: Federated Investors Inc. (FII)

Federated Investors, Inc. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm provides its services to individuals, including high net worth individuals, banking or thrift institutions, investment companies, pension and profit sharing plans, pooled investment vehicles, charitable organizations, state or municipal government entities, and registered investment advisors. Through its subsidiaries, it manages separate client-focused equity, fixed income, and money market mutual funds and separate client-focused equity, fixed income, and balanced portfolios. The firm invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. It invests in growth and value stocks of small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap companies. The firm makes its fixed income investments in ultra-short, short-term, and intermediate-term mortgage-backed, U.S. Government, U.S. Corporate, high yield, and municipal securities. It employs a fundamental and a quantitative analysis to make its equity investmen ts. The firm also makes sector-focused equity investments. Federated Investors was founded in 1955 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with an additional office in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Lately, though, T. Rowe Price hasn't benefited as much from share-price gains. Competitor Invesco (NYSE: IVZ  ) has managed to expand its margins and produce growth among its current lineup of funds, with exposure to a big range of markets that leaves it broadly placed to serve its customers' needs. But for T. Rowe Price and peer Federated Investors (NYSE: FII  ) , investors haven't been putting as much money to work in their funds as analysts had expected to see, and that has led to some growth shortfalls. Federated in particular missed its earnings estimates in its most recent quarter, and analysts see growth there slowing to just 3%. T. Rowe Price has better prospects, retaining its double-digit revenue growth, but after a substantial move upward at the beginning of the year, its stock has treaded water.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  For money market fund managers, the debt ceiling drama is just the latest in a long series of challenges. Low rates have forced Federated Investors (NYSE: FII  ) , Schwab (NYSE: SCHW  ) , and many other major money market fund managers to subsidize their funds, accepting reduced management fees just to keep their interest rates from going negative. As the graph below shows, fund levels have fallen sharply in response to those low rates as well, hurting fund managers' profitability.

Top 5 Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: Abbott Laboratories(ABT)

Abbott Laboratories engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of health care products worldwide. The company offers adult and pediatric pharmaceuticals for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, and Crohn's disease; dyslipidemia; HIV infection; prostate cancer, endometriosis and central precocious puberty, and anemia caused by uterine fibroids; respiratory syncytial virus; adult males who have low or no testosterone; secondary hyperparathyroidism; hypothyroidism; and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, as well as anesthesia products. It also provides diagnostic products, such as immunoassay systems; chemistry systems; assays used for screening and/or diagnosis for drugs of abuse, cancer, therapeutic drug monitoring, fertility, physiological, and infectious diseases; instruments that automate the extraction, purification, and preparation of DNA and RNA from patient samples, and detect and measure infections agents; genomic-b ased tests; hematology systems and reagents; and point-of-care diagnostic systems and tests for blood analysis. In addition, the company offers a line of pediatric and adult nutritional products. Further, it provides coronary, endovascular, vessel closure, and structural heart devices, such as drug-eluting stent systems, coronary metallic stents, balloon dilatation products, coronary guidewires, vessel closure devices, carotid stent systems, percutaneous valve repair systems, and drug eluting bioresorbable vascular products. Additionally, the company provides blood glucose monitoring meters, test strips, data management software, and accessories for people with diabetes; and medical devices for the eye, including cataract surgery, lasik surgery, contact lens, and dry eye products, as well as branded generic pharmaceutical products. Abbott primarily serves retailers, wholesalers, hospitals, and health care facilities. Abbott was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Abbott Park, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoff Gannon]

  I was looking at the fundamental of 18 stocks; I own 5 of them: Apple (AAPL), Abbott Laboratories (ABT), Autodesk (ADSK), Cisco (CSCO) and Exelon (EXC). Others were ideas collected from places like news, etc.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  After completing a $5 billion buyback program started late 2008, Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT  ) is ready to buy another $3 billion worth of Abbott Laboratories stock.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  ��Drug manufacturer Abbott Laboratories (ABT) reported revenue growth that was below expectations due to its exposure to the slower growth economies in Europe and the emerging markets. Despite the recent weakness, Abbott is a high-quality company with shares that we believe to be attractively priced. In addition, its management team has a strong record of investing capital prudently.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, health care giant Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

Top 5 Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: ProLogis(PLD)

Prologis Inc. is an independent equity real estate investment trust. It invests in the real estate markets across the globe. The firm engages in the ownership, development, management, and leasing of industrial distribution and retail properties. It was previously known as Security Capital Investment Trust. Prologis Inc. was formed in 1991 and is based in San Francisco, California with an additional office in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Industrial real estate developer Prologis� (NYSE: PLD  ) �has declared regular and preferred dividends for the second quarter of 2013. The company plans to distribute $0.28 per share of its common stock on June 28 to shareholders of record as of June 11. For its�8.54% Series Q cumulative redeemable preferred stock, Prologis will distribute $1.0675 per share, which will be paid on July 1 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 18.

• [By Dimitra DeFotis]

  Among real estate trusts:

  American Tower��(AMT),�the diversified �REIT, is the best performer in the index.�It was�up 4.6% after saying�Friday it will buy the parent of tower operator Global Tower Partners for $4.8 billion. HCP (HCP), a healthcare REIT, was�up 3.3%. Prologis (PLD) an industrial REIT, was�up 2.8%. Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) was�up 2.7%. Boston Properties (BXP), the office REIT, was�up 2.3%. Equity Residential (EQR), a residential REIT, was�up 2.4%. Ventas (VTR), a healthcare REIT, was�up 2%.

   

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  But the S&P 500′s biggest losers show the kind of carnage long predicted by those fearful of higher yields. How’s this for evidence: Real-estate investment trusts,�whose yields look more paltry with every tick higher in the 10-year Treasury, made up half of the top-10 losers. Prologis (PLD) fell 8.4% to $35.08, the Macerich Co. (MAC) dropped 8.2% to $56.72 and Health Care REIT (HCN) was off 8.1% at $58.57.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Prologis (NYSE: PLD  ) has announced that it will sell 31 million new pieces of itself. That's the number of common shares it will float in an upcoming, underwritten public stock offering. The price of the shares will be $41.60 apiece, and the company's underwriters have been granted a 30-day purchase option for up to an additional 4.65 million shares to cover overallotments, if any.

Top 5 Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: Prospect Capital Corporation(PSEC)

Prospect Capital Corporation is a mezzanine finance and private equity firm that specializes in late venture, middle market, mature, mezzanine, buyouts, recapitalizations, growth capital, development, and bridge transactions. It makes secured debt and equity investments. The firm typically invests across all industry sectors, with a particular expertise in the energy and industrial sectors. It invests in oil and gas production, coal production, materials, industrials, consumer discretionary, information technology, utilities, pipeline, storage, power generation and distribution, renewable and clean energy, oilfield services, healthcare, food and beverage, education, business services, and other select sectors. The firm prefers to invest in the United States and Canada. It seeks to invest between $5 million to $50 million in companies with EBITDA between $$ million and $75 million, sales value up to $500 million, and enterprise value of up to $250 million. The firm also co- invests for larger deals. It seeks control acquisitions by providing multiple levels of the capital structure. Prospect Capital Corporation was founded in 1988 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Business development company�Prospect Capital (NASDAQ: PSEC  ) announced today�that based on its earnings expectations for the rest of the year it set dividends for the following four months: