Hot Dow Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now

It's been a wonderful year to be a stock investor. Not only is 2013 shaping up to deliver the best returns of the past 10 years, it's also offered one of the smoothest rides.

The S&P 500 is up just over 27% through Monday, putting it on pace to be the best single-year return since the 28.7% it climbed in 2003. What's made the returns even better, though, is the fact that they've come with the lowest volatility since before the financial crisis.

The Dow Jones industrial average, for example, has had only 24 days in which it finished up or down 1% or more, according to the December issue of the Independent Adviser for Vanguard Investors. That's the fewest such days since 2006. There also have been only four days that the blue-chip barometer finished up 2% or more; again, the most since 2006. The median number of days with 2% moves or more from 2007 to 2012 was 42.

Top 10 Tech Companies To Buy For 2015: Network Exploration Ltd (NET)

Network Exploration Ltd. is an exploration and development-stage company. The Company�� principal business activities include the exploration of minerals in its mineral properties. It focuses on base and precious metal properties in North and South America. Its activities include the process of exploring its mineral properties, reviewing and subsequently acquiring mineral properties and conducting exploration programs to determine whether these properties contain ore reserves that are recoverable. The Picha copper-silver project is located within the Tertiary Volcanic Arc of Southern Peru. The Pistala project is located east of the NW-SE trending Incapquio fault system in the Department of Tacna, Southern Peru. The Company is in the business of mineral exploration in Canada, Chile and Peru. Network Exploration Chile Limitada is its wholly owned subsidiary. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  The IVA Worldwide Fund Class A, at net asset value, returned 8.00% over the one year period ending September 30, 2014 compared to the MSCI All Country World Index (Net)* (the ��ndex�� return of 11.32% over the same period.

Hot Dow Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Tropicana Entertainment Inc (TPCA)

Tropicana Entertainment Inc. (TEI) is an owner and operator of regional casino and entertainment properties located in the United States and one casino resort development located on the island of Aruba. TEI�� United States properties include three casinos in Nevada, three casinos in Mississippi, and one casino in each of Indiana, Louisiana and New Jersey. Its properties offer a range of gaming options. TEI�� properties include Tropicana AC in the East; Casino Aztar in Central; Tropicana Laughlin, River Palms and MontBleu in the West; Lighthouse Point, Jubilee, Belle of Baton Rouge, Horizon Vicksburg and Tropicana Aruba in the South and Other.

Tropicana AC

Tropicana Casino and Resort, Atlantic City (Tropicana AC) is situated on a 14-acre site with approximately 660 feet of ocean frontage in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In addition to gaming facilities, the property features The Quarter, a Havana-themed, Las Vegas-style, approximately 200,000 square-foot indoor entertainment and retail center, hosting several restaurants, shops and an IMAX theatre. Other amenities include a 2,000-seat showroom, a full service spa and salon, a health club and indoor pool, a beach and pool bar and approximately 99,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.

Casino Aztar

Casino Aztar Evansville (Casino Aztar) is a casino hotel and entertainment complex in the state of Indiana. Over 60% of Casino Aztar's revenues come from customers within a 50-mile radius. The property's casino operations are located dockside on the three-deck City of Evansville riverboat. Located adjacent to the casino, the Company owns two distinctive hotels: the Casino Aztar Hotel, a 251-room hotel that offers guests a restaurant, conference rooms and banquet facilities; and Le Merigot Hotel, a luxurious 96-room boutique hotel with an upscale martini lounge. A 44,000-square-foot pavilion adjacent to the riverboat features three restaurants, an entertainment lounge, gift shop, coffee shop, pla! yers club and VIP lounge. The District at Casino Aztar includes two restaurants and the Le Merigot Hotel. Casino Aztar also includes a seven-story parking garage, as well as surface parking.

Tropicana Laughlin

Tropicana Laughlin Hotel and Casino (Tropicana Laughlin) is located on an approximately 31-acre site on Casino Drive, Laughlin. The casino at Tropicana Laughlin features a gaming floor. Non-gaming amenities include a heated outdoor swimming pool, seven restaurants, three full service bars, an entertainment lounge with live music, a lounge for high-end players, an 800-seat multi-purpose showroom and concert hall, meeting space, retail stores, an arcade and a covered parking structure. The property features 1,495 hotel rooms.

River Palms

River Palms Hotel and Casino (River Palms) is located on an approximately 35-acre site also on Casino Drive, with approximately 1,300 feet of frontage on the Colorado River. Non-gaming amenities include 1,001 hotel rooms, 10,500 square feet of meeting and convention space, an outdoor pool, fitness center, three restaurants, three full service bars, a showroom, two entertainment lounges with live music and a covered parking structure.

MontBleu

MontBleu Casino Resort & Spa (MontBleu) is situated on approximately 21 acres in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada surrounded by the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In addition to the casino, the property offers guests a choice of three restaurants and various non-gaming amenities, including retail shops, two nightclubs, a 1,500-seat showroom, approximately 14,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, a parking garage, a full service health spa and workout area, an indoor heated lagoon style pool with whirlpool and a 120-seat wedding chapel.

Lighthouse Point

Lighthouse Point Casino (Lighthouse Point) is a 210-foot, three-deck, dockside riverboat located in Greenville, Mississippi. In addition to slot machines, the riverboat inc! ludes a d! eli and bars on each floor while the dockside facility includes a buffet, a bar and 386 onsite surface parking spaces.

Jubilee

Bayou Caddy's Jubilee Casino (Jubilee), a 240-foot dockside riverboat, is located in Greenville. In addition to the casino facilities, the property includes a bar on each floor, a deli and approximately 700 parking spaces. The property also owns and operates the Greenville Inn & Suites, a 41-room suite hotel located less than a mile away, which offers free shuttle service to and from Jubilee and Lighthouse Point.

Belle of Baton Rouge

Belle of Baton Rouge Casino & Hotel (Belle of Baton Rouge) is a dockside riverboat situated on approximately 23 acres on the Mississippi River in the downtown historic district of Baton Rouge, across from the River Center, a 70,000-square-foot convention center. The three-deck, dockside riverboat casino is one of two casino facilities in the Baton Rouge market. Baton Rouge is located 75 miles north of New Orleans. Non-gaming amenities include 300 hotel rooms, 25,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, an outdoor pool, a fitness center, two restaurants, a deli, and an entertainment venue inside a 50,000-square-foot glass atrium that also encloses a tropical lobby.

Horizon Vicksburg

Horizon Vicksburg Casino (Horizon Vicksburg) is a dockside riverboat situated on approximately six acres in downtown Vicksburg, Mississippi. The property features a 297-foot multi-level, antebellum style, dockside riverboat casino housing. Additional amenities include 117 hotel rooms, a restaurant, two covered parking garages as well as additional surface parking. In December 2010, the Company entered into an agreement to sell all of the assets and certain liabilities associated with the operation of Horizon Vicksburg.

Tropicana Aruba

The Company operates timeshare and rental units at Tropicana Aruba Resort & Casino (Tropicana Aruba), a casino resort und! er develo! pment in Noord, Aruba. This resort will have approximately 361 timeshare and rental units, an approximately 16,000 square foot permanent casino, two pools, a swim-up bar & grill, a fitness center and tennis courts, which will be located on approximately 14 acres near Eagle Beach.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Igor Greenwald]

  A majority stake in casino operator Tropicana Entertainment (TPCA) also began with a Chapter 11 restructuring.

  From January 1, 2000 to June 10, 2013, Icahn Enterprises has averaged a 20% annual return, multiplying investors' money nearly 12-fold. Berkshire-Hathaway (BRK-B) has managed only a triple over the same span.

Hot Dow Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: AbbVie Inc (ABBV)

AbbVie Inc. (AbbVie), incorporated on April 10, 2012, is a research-based pharmaceuticals company. The Company discovers, develops, and commercializes advanced therapies. AbbVie's portfolio of products include a line of adult and pediatric pharmaceuticals, which includes HUMIRA, metabolics/hormones products, virology products, endocrinology products, dyslipidemia products and other products.

AbbVie products are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), cystic fibrosis complications, low testosterone, thyroid disease, Parkinson's disease and complications associated with chronic kidney disease, among other indications. In October 2012, AbbVie initiated a comprehensive Phase III program for hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype one.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Believe it or not, a nearly 20% drop in profit margin since 2009 is not all that bad for a member of big pharma. Investors can still find investments trending in the opposite direction. Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE  ) net income and profit margin rose to four year highs in 2012, while AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV  ) has witnessed profit margins decline by just over 10%.

• [By Keith Speights]

  By the numbers
  Abbott reported net earnings for the quarter of $476 million, or $0.30 per diluted share. That's a 72% decline from the same quarter a year ago. However, Abbott Labs was a much different company one year ago. That was before the spinoff of AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV  ) with its profit-generating Humira.

• [By Alanna Petroff]

  1. Pharma deal on the brink: Shares in the U.K. pharmaceutical giant Shire (SHPG) dropped like a rock this morning -- down by as much as 29% -- following indications that U.S. drugmaker AbbVie (ABBV) may ditch its $55 billion takeover of the company.

Hot Dow Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Apollo Investment Corporation(AINV)

Apollo Investment Corporation is business development company and operates as a closed-end management investment company. The company invests in middle market companies. It provides direct equity capital, mezzanine and senior secured loans, and subordinated debt and loans. It also seeks to invest in PIPES transactions. The company may also invest in public companies that are thinly traded and may acquire investments in the secondary market. It prefers to invest in warrants, makes equity co-investments, and may also invest in cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less, high-yield bonds, distressed debt, non-U.S. investments, or securities of public companies that are not thinly traded. The company typically invests in building materials, business services, cable television, chemicals, consumer products, direct marketing, distribution, energy and utilities, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, media, publishing, retail and transportation. It primarily invests between $20 million and $250 million in its portfolio companies. The company seeks to make investments with stated maturities of five to ten years.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  Here are a couple private equity-powered dividend stocks on my radar right now:

  Apollo Investment (AINV)

  Apollo Global Management (APO) is one of the world�� largest asset management and private equity firms with more than $100 billion under management. Its largest publicly offered vehicle is Apollo Investment (AINV), a business development company that invests in and ends to middle-market companies and pays out 90% of its net income to shareholders.

• [By James Brumley]

  The seller will let up as soon as the news is a fading memory, which should be soon.

  Apollo Investment Corp. (AINV)

  AINV Dividend Yield: 9.7%

• [By MONEYMORNING]

  He's much better off in "total return" holdings, like Apollo Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: AINV) which we covered right here, and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (NYSE: KMP), another long-term winner.