Top Five Watch List Performance Review
In our ongoing review of the NLO Dividend Watch List, we have taken the top five stocks on our list from October 11, 2013 and have checked the performance one year later. The top five companies on that list can be seen in the table below.
| Symbol | Name | 2013 Price | 2014 Price | % change |
| XOM | Exxon Mobil Corp. | 86.95 | 91.60 | 5.3% |
| SCG | SCANA Corporation | 46.14 | 49.41 | 7.1% |
| MAC | Macerich | 56.25 | 66.04 | 17.4% |
| PM | Philip Morris International | 85.03 | 84.28 | -0.9% |
| IBM | IBM | 186.16 | 185.93 | -0.1% |
| Average | 5.8% | |||
| DJI | Dow Jones Industrial | 15,237.11 | 16,544.10 | 8.6% |
| SPX | S&P 500 | 1,703.20 | 1,906.13 | 11.9% |
Philip Morris (PM) was the worst performer with a loss of -0.9%. Last year, analysts' estimated that PM profits would rise by +10%. The actual result didn't pan out and the net income was virtually flat while shares remained at 16x earnings. A change in the expectation of profits was the likely cause for sub-par performance.
On the opposite end of the performance spectrum was Macerich (MAC) which gained +17.4%. When our watch list was published, the company was expected to grow their bottom line by +4%. Currently, analysts are expecting the profits to rise by only +1.4%. Even if the profits weren't expected to grow, shares can still outperform the market. Even more interesting is the fact that Macerich is an independent real estate investment trust or REIT. The key attribute for the increase in price can be point to multiple expansion for the stock.
We highlighted the low valuation of C.H. Robinson (CHRW) and price rose by +9.7% while earnings were expected to rise by +12%.
U.S. Dividend Watch List: September 26,2014
It was a volatile week for the market as the S&P 500 shed -3% and the volatility index (VIX) rose +46%. The Russell 2000 has broken a critical support level and is trading at the 52-week low. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has erased all the gains for 2014. The large number of companies on our watch list is an indicator of market weakness. With that said, we are starting to see good values as prices continue to fall. Our watch list expanded to 163 companies but we will display 37 companies that are of strongest interest to us.