Top Dividend Stocks For 2015

Top Dividend Stocks For 2015: Lorillard Inc(LO)

Lorillard, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States. The company offers 43 different product offerings under the Newport, Kent, True, Maverick, and Old Gold brand names. Lorillard, Inc. sells its products primarily to wholesale distributors, who in turn service retail outlets, chain store organizations, and government agencies, including the United States? Armed Forces. The company was founded in 1760 and is headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]Throughout the stock market, companies in many industries have boosted the level of their share buybacks, and tobacco has its share of players following that strategy. Philip Morris International, for instance, has spent more money buying back its stock since 2008 than it has in dividend payments to its investors, and Lorillard (NYSE: LO  ) has had a roughly 50-50 balance between buybacks and dividends over the past several years.
• [By Dan Caplinger]Tobacco is big business in the U.S. and around the world, and the companies that produce tobacco earn strong profits. Over time, federal and state governments have increasingly shared in the revenue from cigarettes and other tobacco products. In the two decades between 1992 and 2012, total federal tax collections on tobacco tripled to $15.6 billion, while net state tax collections have risen at almost the same pace to more than $18.2 billion in 2012. For producers, taxes have risen in concert, with Altria Group (NYSE: MO  ) having paid $6.8 billion in excise taxes on tobacco products in 2013, while Reynolds American (NYSE: RAI  ) paid $3.7 billion and Lorillard (NYSE: LO  ) added almost $2 billion more.
• [By Ted Cooper]Much attention has been focused on Reynolds American (NYSE: RAI  ) since it announced plans to acquire rival cigarette maker Lorillard (NYSE: LO  ) in a $27.4 billion deal. The merger will combine the No. 2 and No. 3 U.S. tobacco companies and change the competitive landscape. Reynolds American shareholders have already reaped gains from the proposed deal; the stock is up about 18% since rumors of the merger hit the market in February. However, past returns do not indicate future results. Investors must evaluate the facts to determine whether Reynolds American still represents a good investment at its higher price. Let's take a look.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-dividend-stocks-for-2015.html