• Twitter
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Feature Article

Interest Rates, Mergers, and Coal

By Roger S. Conrad on Oct. 1, 2013

Who says the bond market is washed out? Certainly not Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ).

The company’s record $49 billion bond sale has not only locked in financing for its $130 billion buyout of Vodafone Plc’s (London: VOD, NYSE: VOD) minority stake in Verizon Wireless. But it was actually doubled, eliminating the need to raise funds in Europe.

The company did pay a slight premium to prevailing rates. But the offer was decidedly weighted toward longer-term debt, and at a cost well below most of the bonds on the balance sheet.

Verizon’s successful sale assures the Vodafone buyout will be hugely accretive to its long-run growth. And I’ve added the stock to the Conservative Income Portfolio as a result, with a buy-up-to-target of 48. The company also boosted its quarterly dividend another 3 percent, a further vote of confidence by management.

Conrad's Utility Investor

Invest Smarter! Join Conrad’s Utility Investor!

What sets renowned income-investing expert Roger Conrad apart from the pretenders? His more than two decades of covering utility stocks and essential services—a wealth of knowledge and experience that you can’t find anywhere else.   

Smart investing. Taking advantage of real opportunities and not fads (and knowing the difference). Finding the companies and stocks that will deliver for the long haul, so investing lets you live instead of investing turning into your life. Roger Conrad has dedicated his career to these principles—and that’s what Conrad's Utility Investor delivers.

Subscribe today for instant access to a treasure trove of investment insight and knowledge, as well as Roger’s exclusive model Portfolios and ratings of more than 200 essential services.

MODEL PORTFOLIOS & RATINGS

ABOUT ROGER CONRAD

Roger S. Conrad needs no introduction to individual and professional investors, many of whom have profited from his decades of experience uncovering the best dividend-paying stocks for accumulating sustainable wealth. Roger b