5 Best High Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2014

Until the big swoon on Friday, the stock market had been crushing just about every bullish investor's wildest dreams for positive returns, with nearly a couple dozen new record highs so far during the year. For those who believed that May would finally mark the end of the long four-year bull market, the month's overall performance was disappointing, as the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) gained almost 2% during May.

But just because the overall average rose doesn't mean that every company shared its good fortune. Fully a third of the Dow's 30 components lost ground during the month. Let's take a look at the four that lost more than 5% on the month to see what we can identify from their performance.

Verizon (NYSE: VZ  ) , down 10.1%, and AT&T (NYSE: T  ) , down 6.6%
Addressing both of the Dow's telecom giants makes sense given the common traits they share. Both of them have high dividends and rely on their extensive wireless networks for large portions of their revenue, and both have made huge investments in building up those networks over time. As a result, both were vulnerable when one analyst argued that Google Fiber could challenge the entire way that the two telecoms offer triple-play video, voice, and data to their customers. In addition, though, the drop in the bond market over the past week also isolated the two high-dividend payers, as higher interest rates make the value of the discounted stream of future revenue the two telecom giants earn less valuable in terms of present value. Neither AT&T nor Verizon need to worry about competition too much right now, but further bond-market weakness could push shares downward even from these lower levels.

Top 10 Consumer Companies To Own In Right Now: IBERIABANK Corporation (IBKC)

IBERIABANK Corporation operates as the holding company for IBERIABANK that provides commercial and retail banking products and services in the United States. It offers a range of commercial, consumer, mortgage, and private banking products and services; cash management services; deposit and annuity products; and investment brokerage services. The company, through its subsidiaries, also engages in financial services-related activities, including brokerage services and sales of variable annuities, life, health, dental, and accident insurance products. In addition, it offers various title insurance and loan closing services for residential and commercial customers; family residential mortgage loans; equity research, institutional sales and trading, and corporate finance services; and wealth management and trust services to high net worth individuals, pension funds, corporations, and trusts, as well as invests in an aircraft and purchased tax credits. As of February 25, 2013, the company had 278 combined offices, including 184 bank branch offices in Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas; 21 title insurance offices in Arkansas and Louisiana; and mortgage representatives in 62 locations in 12 states. IBERIABANK Corporation was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
  
  1. Avg. High Yield Price
  2. 20-Year DCF Price
  3. Avg. P/E Price
  4. Graham Number
  
  CTBI is trading at a premium to all four valuations above. The stock is trading at a 53.5% premium to its calculated fair value of $29.43. CTBI did not earn any Stars in this section.
  
  Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
  
  1. Free Cash Flow Payout
  2. Debt To Total Capital
  3. Key Metrics
  4. Dividend Growth Rate
  5. Years of Div. Growth
  6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15%
  
  CTBI earned one Star in this section for 1.) above. A Star was earned since the Free Cash Flow payout ratio was less than 60% and there were no negative Free Cash Flows over the last 10 years. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1988 and has increased its dividend payments for 33 consecutive years.
  
  Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
  
  1. NPV MMA Diff.
  2. Years to > MMA
  
  The negative NPV MMA Diff. means that on a NPV basis the dividend earnings from an investment in CTBI would be less than a similar amount invested in MMA earning a 20-year average rate of 3.41%. If CTBI grows its dividend at 1.5% per year, it will never equal a MMA yielding an estimated 20-year average rate of 3.41%.
  
  Memberships and Peers: CTBI is, a member of the Broad Dividend Achieve

5 Best High Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2014: Zep Inc.(ZEP)

Zep Inc. produces and markets cleaning and maintenance chemicals, and related products and services for commercial, industrial, institutional and consumer applications. Its products include anti-bacterial and industrial hand care products, cleaners, degreasers, deodorizers, disinfectants, floor finishes, sanitizers, pest- and weed-control products, air-care products and delivery systems, and various automotive maintenance chemicals. The company markets its products and services under various brands, such as Zep, Selig, ArmorAll, Niagara, Enforcer, Zep Commercial, RedMax Pro, Rubbermaid Commercial, Original Bike Spirits, Country Vet, Zep Professional, Microbemax, Misty, TimeMist, i-Chem, TimeWick, and Next Dimension brands, as well as private label and original equipment manufacturer private brands. It serves customers in industrial maintenance, janitorial/sanitation, and automotive markets; transportation, food processing, industrial manufacturing, and food service industr ies; and contractors, small business owners, and homeowners in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company was founded in 1937 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Earnings Releases Expected: A. Schulman, Inc. (NASDAQ: SHLM), Team, Inc. (NYSE: TISI), ZEP Inc. (NYSE: ZEP)

  Economic Releases Expected: Japanese current account, US consumer credit, Chilean trade balance, Swiss CPI, Spanish industrial production, German industrial production

5 Best High Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2014: Questcor Pharmaceuticals Inc.(QCOR)

Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, provides prescription drugs for the treatment of auto-immune diseases. The company?s primary product is H.P. Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection), an injectable drug for the treatment of acute exacerbations of multiple sclerosis; infantile spasms in infants and children under two years of age; nephrotic syndrome; and Lupus. Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Anaheim, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of Questcor Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: QCOR  ) , a specialty biopharmaceutical company, skyrocketed as much as 37% after the company announced a deal to purchase Synacthen and Synacthen Depot in the U.S. from Novartis (NYSE: NVS  ) .

• [By George Budwell]

  Questcor Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: QCOR  ) is a prime example. Despite Questcor being investigated by multiple agencies, there has yet to be a single charge brought against the company in over two years. In short, I don't see this investigation being a major risk for shareholders next year, and United looks like it will continue to outperform.

5 Best High Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2014: WellCare Helath Plans Inc.(WCG)

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. provides managed care services for government-sponsored health care programs in the United States. The company offers Medicaid plans, including plans for beneficiaries of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs; Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs; and ABD programs and state-based programs, such as Children?s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) and Family Health Plus (FHP) programs for qualifying families who are not eligible for Medicaid. The TANF program provides assistance to low-income families with children; and ABD and SSI programs provide assistance to low-income aged, blind, or disabled individuals. It also provides Medicare, a federal health insurance program; Medicare Advantage, a Medicare?s managed care alternative to original Medicare that provides individuals standard Medicare benefits directly through Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and coordinated care plans, which are administered through health m aintenance organizations and require members to seek health care services and select a primary care physician from a network of health care providers. In addition, the company provides prescription drug plans comprising the Medicare Part D program that offers national in-network prescription drug coverage to Medicare-eligible beneficiaries. As of December 31, 2011, it served approximately 2,562,000 members. WellCare Health Plans, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  WellCare Health Plans (WCG) has fallen 4.4% to $59.50 after the health insurer missed earnings forecasts and offered disappointed guidance for 2014.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Friday’s session are WellCare Health Plans Inc.(WCG), First Solar Inc.(FSLR) and Ellie Mae Inc.(ELLI)

• [By Russ Fischer]

  WellCare Health Plans (WCG)

  Healthcare segment. WellCare Health Plans, Inc. provides managed care services for government-sponsored health care programs in the United States. The company should be a significant beneficiary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).