Poetic Portfolios

When I took a look at the Against the Sky Portfolio at the end of last quarter, I noted that I was going to be targeting stable large cap companies. I’ve spent some time taking a close look at some core portfolio stocks. I’ve added most of these to the portfolio during the quarter. Below is a summary of these companies as well as my investment thesis for each. (more…)

ADP continues to hold steady in the current economy based on their first quarter earnings report. Revenues compared to the first quarter of 2009 declined 4% to $2.1 billion. ADP notes that net earnings from continuing operations increased 2% while diluted earnings per share from continuing operations increased 4% from $0.54 to $0.56 per share. (more…)

Dividend Growth Investor has a nice summary of ADP with four graphs summarizing historical earnings per share, returns on equity, dividend growth, and dividend payout ratios. (more…)

Yesterday ADP announced earnings that were surprisingly good given the level of job losses over the past year. Over the past year, revenue grew by 1% to $8.9 billion for the year. Excluding one-time items, diluted earnings per share from continuing operations grew 10% to $2.39.

(more…)

ADP (NYSE: ADP) is the type of stock that everyone wishes they had in their portfolio over the past year. It has held steady despite the economy’s massive job losses. The share price continues to hold up despite the “headwinds” that management acknowledged in their earnings release earlier this month.

Flash Player 9 or higher is required to view the chart
Click here to download Flash Player now

(more…)

ADP continued their strong performance as a company in their fiscal second quarter of 2008, posting 15% year-over-year revenue growth and 22% earnings growth from continuing operations. In addition, ADP guided to 12-13% revenue growth, and 18-21% diluted earnings per share growth in 2008. The market is certainly not pricing the company as if it expects these targets to be achieved. ADP also continues to pay a $0.29 per share dividend per quarter. That’s over a 3% dividend yield. (more…)

I first purchased Automatic Data Processing (NYSE: ADP) during the last recession after a poor earnings report that broke a string of 25 years of double digit earnings growth. Since then, the company has offered steady returns and a nice level of dividend growth. This is a Warren Buffet type stock: simple business, great operating history, and rational management. Long-term prospects also remain solid. The key, of course, is getting this for a great price. (more…)