October 15, 2008: Stocks For Your Buy List

Regular readers know I am running a series of screens to isolate securities that may be researched and included on a "buy" list when individuals speculate that a market bottom is at hand. Knowing that market timing is, at best, a hopeful guess, the stocks I list do not come with any elaborate raging buy scenarios. The list is intended only as a point of reference.

Today I screened the following: Stocks with a market cap of at least $10b, listed on the NYSE, a Standard and Poors Rating of 4-Stars or 5-Stars and a dividend yield of 6% or higher as of the close Wednesday. Eleven stocks made the list:

MO - Altria yielding 6.55%
BBV - Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria ADR 6.63%
Bristol Myers Squibb 6.63%
France Telecom ADR 10.62%
ING Groep ADR 11.52%
KMP Kinder Morgan Energy MLP 8.20% (note: earnings were lightafter hours Weds., buy on weakness)
NGG National Grid ADR 6.95%
PGN Progress Energy 6.36%
SSL Sasol Limited ADR 7.43%
DOW Dow Chemical 6.47%
VZ Verizon 6.36%

I believe that investors should look at historically exemplary companies that presently have a dividend of at least 5%. This will likely provide a floor for the stock and pay the investor a nice dividend until the markets head north.