10/26/07

Economics

a disruption in global oil supplies (It is not the price of oil but its availability that will cause severe economic dislocation.).

http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2007/10/crude-oil-above.html

Politics

Domestic

International War Against Radical Islam

The Market

Technical

Fundamental

News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

A positive write up on UPS (Dividend Growth Portfolio):

http://www.zacks.com/newsroom/commentary/index_pdf.php?id=6194

Microsoft (Aggressive Growth Portfolio) reported its first fiscal quarter earnings per share of $.45 versus expectations of $.39 and $.35 recorded in the comparable quarter of 2006.

EPS: 2006 $1.20, 2007 $1.45, 2008 $1.70; DVD: $.36 YLD 1.4%

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=MFST

Penn Virginia Resource Ptrs (High Yield Portfolio) raised its quarterly distribution per unit by $.01 to $.43.

FFO: 2006 $2.85, 2007 $2.75, 2008 $2.90; DVD: $1.72 YLD 6.0%

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=PVR

Southern Co (High Yield Portfolio) reported third quarter earnings per share of $1.00 versus $.99 recorded in the comparable 2006 quarter.

EPS: 2006 $2.10, 2007 $2.25, 2008 $2.30; DVD: $1.60 YLD 4.5%

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=SO

Federated Investors (Dividend Growth Portfolio) reported third quarter earnings per share of $.57 versus $.43 recorded the in the comparable 2006 quarter.

EPS: 2006 $1.80, 2007 $2.20, 2008 $2.40; DVD: $.81 YLD 2.7%

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=FII

Synovus Financial (Dividend Growth Portfolio) reported third quarter operating earnings per share of $.45 versus $.47 recorded the in the comparable 2006 quarter. It also announced shareholder approval of the spin off of TSYS, one of the world’s largest providers of outsourced payment services. SYN shareholder will receive .48 shares of TSYS per share plus a cash dividend of $3.04 per distributed share of TSYS (approximately $1.46 per SYN share).

EPS: 2006 $1.90, 2007 $1.95, 2008 $2.15; DVD: $.81 YLD 3.2%

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=SNV

Simpson Mfg (Aggressive Growth Portfolio) reported third quarter earnings per share of $4.6 versus $.56 recorded in 2006’s third quarter.

EPS: 2006 $2.10, 2007 $1.84, 2008 $2.13; DVD: $.32 YLD 1.2%

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=SSD

More Cash in Investors’ Hands

Accenture is buying back $3 billion in stock.