Update: Dividend Stock Picks for the Week of 8/20/12 to 8/24/12

Welcome back to Dividend Stock Investing for the Common Man! Thank you stopping by and supporting the idea of investing in dividend paying stocks for the long term. I wanted to recap last week's picks for you since it is important to review all investments on a weekly, if not daily, basis.

It was a 6 for 20 week. 30%of my picks increased in value. It was a very disappointing week as a whole for the NASDAQ and NYSE. Although we made some cash this week from  Apple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL) and Annaly Capital Management, Inc.(NYSE:NLY)  it is not how many times you win short term, but rather which investments can provide you with a steady income stream over the long term. When investing in dividend paying stocks you are protecting yourself from stock market volatility. If the market goes down one quarter, the dividend payment will help recoup the losses.

Let these companies work hard so they can maintain their dividend and increase it year over year. As a shareholder, it is like receiving a raise each year. Reinvest your dividends to maximize your profits!

Keep investing as much as you can on a daily or weekly basis. Perform your due diligence and invest in companies that you feel comfortable with. Do not risk your hard earned dollars by investing in unknown, unreliable companies.

Feel free to watch the great videos below, featuring some of this week's winners!

Company Name/Stock Ticker/Stock Price at 8/20/12/Stock Price at 8/24/12
Waste Management, Inc.(NYSE:WM) $35.66 $34.28
Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) $64.14 $63.69
SPDR S&P Dividend (ETF)(NYSEARCA:SDY) $57.64 $57.28
Inland Real Estate Corporation (NYSE:IRC) $8.31 $8.39
Merck & Co., Inc.(NYSE:MRK) $43.34 $43.12
Metlife Inc (NYSE:MET) $34.79 $34.65
Scotts Miracle-Gro Co (NYSE:SMG) $43.37 $42.07
Philip Morris International Inc.(NYSE:PM) $93.38 $89.76
PowerShares Dividend Achievers (ETF)(NYSEARCA:PFM) $16.40 $16.26
Annaly Capital Management, Inc.(NYSE:NLY) $16.99 $17.16
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) $39.53 $38.47
AT&T Inc.(NYSE:T) $37.17 $36.95
CommonWealth REIT (NYSE:CWH) $15.09 $15.00
Darden Restaurants, Inc.(NYSE:DRI) $53.87 $52.35
Apple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL) $648.11 $663.22
Applied Materials, Inc.(NASDAQ:AMAT) $12.00 $11.77
Universal Health Realty Income Trust (NYSE:UHT) $42.50 $42.51
SPDR Barclays Capital High Yield Bnd ETF(NYSEARCA:JNK) $39.75 $39.99
JPMorgan Chase & Co.(NYSE:JPM) $36.98 $37.17
BP plc (ADR)(NYSE:BP) $42.72 $42.19
Annaly Presentation by Jeremy Diamond
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