With a regular dividend that pays 4% and the fact that the dividend is RISING can't be ignore. With most publicly traded companies the company lies about it's profits and lies about it's growth. We all know they are lying because if they were telling the truth those stocks would be paying a dividend.
Ignore the pumers that say it is better to invest in growth versus income. What they are really saying is when there is real income there is a real ability to analys the stock therfor the stock can only rise so high. CNBC, Bank of America, Merril Lynch and all the others trade in a world of lies. Lies and "growth" is how they pump their holding into profits.
But people are tierd of the lies.
Invest in a company that proves they are making real money by paying real money back to the shareholders. Everything else is just a bet at the craps table. And in the end the house always beats the degenrate gambler.