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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Bloomberg: China's Green Energy Strategy Awash in Red Ink

While googling for the article suggested in the subject line, I ran across this little gem, at the CanadaFreePress.com [how did I ever miss it]: green energy is awash in red ink
The “green industry” with its faux “green jobs,” pushed by United Nations globalists have scared billions of people that global warming is real, and it is the result of human activity, is a multi-trillion dollar profitable hoax.
“Green jobs” were being promised all over Europe when Spanish voters swept into power the Socialist party in 2004. More entitlements and withdrawal from the war in the Middle East were the icing on the cake. The Socialists presided initially over a period of sustained economic growth. Today [published back in 2011] Spain has 5 million unemployed, a huge public debt, and the “indignados” (the indignants) who are a small and disruptive minoritarios.
And this week, from the Bloomberg article, BloombergBusinessweek, November 26, 2012, p. 61:
So what's China gotten for its [green energy] money so far? Clean power, and plenty of it. The country now has the capacity to generate 6.2 gigawatts of solar power and 68.3 gigawatts of wind, enough to replace the equivalent of about 50 coal-fired power plants.

By comparison, the US has 5.7 gigawatts of installed solar capacity and 51.6 gigawatts of wind power, according to trade association and government figures.

The downside is that China's $30 billion solar power industry is overbuilt and heavily in debt. Analysts say even billions of dollars in new government loans may not be able to pull it out of the hole.
Others are saying that, not me.

No additional comments needed. Except I liked the "faux" above.

And so it goes. 

Basin Power Electric Cooperative Looking To Triple Capacity At New Watford City Site

Link to The Bismarck Tribune here.

Current Lonesome Creek Station under construction, 13 miles west of Watford City, 45 megawatt, natural gas turbine facility; $65 million; should be on-line next summer (2013).

Now, Basin Electric is asking to build Phase II: 90 megawatts; begin construction in 2014; on-line by January 2015.

Too Hard To Believe?

Eliminating Saturday service -- delivery only -- but keeping all other Saturday service (package delivery, post offices open, etc) and the USPS says it would be $8 million "in the black" each year. And this is still an issue? Whether to shut down mail delivery on Saturdays?
He said the Postal Service would continue package delivery on Saturday and keep post offices open. In this scenario, he says the agency could be $8 billion in the black each year.

The ONEOK Bakken Crude Oil Express: Tectonic Changes In Domestic Energy

Some dots to connect regarding the announcement that ONEOK did not get the commitments needed to go ahead with their proposed crude oil pipeline from the Bakken to to Cushing.
  • the recent RBN energy stories regarding crude oil pipelines
  • ONEOK's failure to get commitments for a proposed Bakken Crude Oil Express pipeline
  • Delta Airlines refinery near Philadelphia
  • the recent story out of Tacoma, Washington -- first unit train bringing Bakken oil to that particular port
  • killing of the Keystone XL
  • Enbridge strategic business plan 
  • Cushing: glut, mixing, location
Comment that a reader sent in regarding ONEOK's failure:
The problem with this pipeline seemed two fold:

The quality of Bakken crude is so high - premium crude for refining - that the premium is lost after mixing. A pipeline to the Gulf Coast from Cushing has to be dedicated to maintain that premium, and there are few Cushing outlet pipelines sized for that rate.

The pipeline doesn't go to an end user location, and maintain integrity, without additional modes of transport.

For that matter, mixing Bakken crude with Canadian oil sand has the same loss of quality issue.
From the WSJ, October, 4, 2012, via RBN Energy, "Bakken crude prices rising, as railroad reach grows":
"Rail terminals are enabling shipments to St. James [Louisiana], East Coast and West Coast terminals, avoiding the traffic jam" at Cushing, said Rusty Braziel, president of energy consulting firm RBN Energy. "This has pulled some barrels out of the pipelines and resulted in an overall tightening of the supply-demand balance."
Idle chatter.

With all the data points above, and then the comment, almost nothing else needs to be said. It is pretty obvious what is occurring.

With regard to Keystone XL, it certainly appears timing is everything: in addition to simply bad luck with political timing, it now appears tectonic shifts in the nation's crude oil pipeline system were also occurring just as the thing was beginning to be built.

"Cushing" is now synonymous with "glut." And more oil is coming to the region. Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in an old basin, the Permian, and Bakken-fracking in a new basin, the Eagle Ford, is going to bring even more oil to Cushing and/or to the refineries along the Gulf coast.

It goes without saying that this region does not need even more oil from Canada and North Dakota.

So, what's a Bakken producer to do? Necessity is the mother of invention. In this case, the "invention" is the 100-car-unit-train concept to haul crude oil out of the Bakken. 

It was serendipitous that about this same time three refineries in the Philadelphia were slated for closure. Delta Airlines saw an opportunity. And now, unit trains to the west coast, also.

I thought the ONEOK crude oil pipeline was a slam dunk. Not. It appears that rail is offering operators flexibility and better pricing.

Wells Coming Off Confidential List Thursday; SM Energy Has a Nice Well; Early Links; Exxon Has An Oil Shortage

For investors: what's not to like -- special dividends before the end of the year in anticipation of the fiscal cliff; more federal stimulus in 2013
GDP stronger than expected (2.7) but outlook weak. 
Home sales surge to 5-year high; some say 6-year high.

Bakken Operations

Active rigs: 184 (steady)

Wells coming off the confidential list today:
  • 21294, 591, CLR, Rader 154-100-24-25-1H, Avoca, t8/12; cum 19K 9/12;
  • 21984, 228, Fidelity, Tuhy 22-15H, New Hradec, t7/12; cum 24K 9/12;
  • 22701, 1,133, SM Energy, Norby 9X-20HB, Charlson, t8/12; cum 57K 9/12;
Early Links

Mike Filloon: EOG, SeekingAlpha.com. EOG is one of my favorite independents, although in the big scheme of things, I prefer pipelines. Disclaimer: this is not an investment site; do not make any investment decisions based on anything you read at the Million Dollar Way.

RBN Energy: butane blending.

How investors should plug into the natural-gas rally, WSJ.

Exxon has an oil shortage, WSJ.
On a forested plain in Alberta next month, massive mechanical shovels will start scooping tons of oil-rich sands and loading them into three-story-tall dump trucks. 
The trucks will haul the sands to the $11 billion Kearl oil-sands-processing facility, which will sift out the prized Canadian crude and provide Exxon Mobil Corp. with up to 170,000 barrels of oil a day for decades to come.
The world's largest publicly traded oil company by market capitalization is counting on Kearl and 20 other new projects to jump-start its slumping oil and gas output, which plummeted to three-year lows in its most recent quarter.
Some analysts are skeptical the spate of projects—from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to the deep waters off West Africa—will begin by 2014 as Exxon predicts and deliver the infusion of oil and gas it anticipates. Exxon estimates the projects could increase its daily oil production by up to 880,000 barrels, or about 22% of its current daily output.
Eddy Cue: Apple's rising Mr. Fix-It, WSJ.

Small business: election dampens optimism, foreshadowing the Great Recession of 2013, WSJ
The results of the presidential election dampened the spirits of many small-business owners who now worry that forthcoming federal policies, including potentially higher taxes and health-care reform, could stunt growth and hiring at their firms. 
The survey's overall confidence index, based on responses of 740 small-business owners, fell to 83.9 from 95.3 in October. That is the lowest in the survey's six-month history.
Cue up Connie Francis.

Baby boomers catch up in eating out, WSJ: baby boomers eating out more; winners and losers in the industry that has been catering to the younger generation; winners: Panera Bread, Burger King, Wendy's; losers: Chipotle Mexican Grill, McDonald's.

Fed stimulus likely in 2013, WSJ.

Page 3, of first section (we've talked about importance of page 3 many, many times), only story: BP blocked from deals, WSJ.

This should be done immediately: close GITMO. Folks who argue against closing GITMO are unaware of current prison practices. Just don't move all GITMO prisoners to one federal prison. Spread 'em out; separate 'em. And provide for their safety the way prisons know best. Solitary confinement; 23/7.
Propaganda

"Likewise problematic when applied to the Roman Empire is the modern notion of propaganda. A representative definition of the modern term holds that propaganda is the practice and art of inducing people to behave in a way differently than they would in its absence. More recent studies find that the real power of propaganda lies in its capacity to conceal itself. This modern use of propaganda first occurred as a critical term of analysis for Roman historians in the 1920 (sic) and 1930s, when they began to see in the Augustana age a mirror for the dramatic political changes of Europe: the rise of the military dictatorships of Benito Mussolini, Francisco Franco, Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Stalin. In this analysis, Augustus Caesar thus emerges as the prototypical Fuehrer and il Duce, who rules by propaganda (organizing public opinion) through his operatives (poets such as Virgil)." -- Paul the Apostle, His Life and Legacy in Their Roman Context, J. Albert Harrill, c. 2012, pp 78-79.

Nine (9) New Permits

Bakken Operations

Active rigs: 184 (steady)

Nine (9) new permits --
  • Operators: Slawson (5), Hess (3), Baytex
  • Fields: Van Hook (Mountrail), Bear Creek (Dunn), North Tobacco Garden (McKenzie), Skabo (Divide)
  • Comments: None.
Wells coming off the confidential list were reported earlier; see sidebar at the right.


EPA Suspends BP From Further Contracts With US

Link here at Oil and Gas Journal.com.

Based on what little I know about it, it stems from the spill.

From what I read, as the lead agent, EPA has full authority to act unilaterally, banning any oil company from doing business with the federal government at any time. Interesting.
‘When someone recklessly crashes a car, their license and keys are taken away.’

The story was also picked up by Rigzone.com:
BP did not bid on any blocks in the lease sale; BOEM Director Tommy Beaudreau said it did not know BP had not submitted any bids until the bids were opened Wednesday. While BP was not barred from bidding, BOEM would not have been able to accept any bids from BP until BP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) work through an administrative agreement with BP, Beaudreau commented during the conference call Wednesday.
EPA announced Wednesday that it was temporarily suspending BP from entering into new contracts with the Obama administration due to BP's "lack of business integrity" in relation to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and response. The EPA's voluntary suspension would only apply to new leases, not to BP's existing leases in the Gulf.
Voluntary suspension?

And more links:

Page 3, of first section (we've talked about importance of page 3 many, many times), only story: BP blocked from deals, WSJ.

The Boston Globe: ‘When someone recklessly crashes a car, their license and keys are taken away.’

Why I Love To Blog: Reason #10 -- Twinkies and Mr Buffett

Earlier today I posted a link to a WSJ op-ed piece on the Twinkie debacle. Here are the facts and the dots connecting them to a most interesting "rest of the story."
  • Hostess makes a brand that a lot of folks like
  • in fact, so many folks like Twinkies that other bakeries are now lining up to bid for Hostess
  • they will bid for Hostess bakeries, Hostess brands, but NOT the Hostess delivery system
  • the Hostess delivery system is the chokepoint
  • Wal-Mart had its own distribution system -- i.e., just like Hostess
  • Wal-Mart sold its distribution system to Berkshire Hathaway (fairly recently, interestingly enough, in 2003)
McLane Company, and here's the rest of the story:
McLane Company, according to wiki, is a $34 billion supply chain services company, providing grocery and food service supply chain solutions for thousands of convenience stores, mass merchants, drug stores and military locations, as well as thousands of chain restaurants throughout the United States. McLane is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and is its single largest non-insurance business
The pieces are starting to come together: a) Hostess bakers and brands will re-surface; b) Hostess bakery and Hostess distribution will split; c) Warren Buffett will pick up another distribution system on the cheap, incorporating it into McLane. Maybe this would be a good time to convert the Hostess trucks to CNG trucks. 

As noted before, if the EPA shuts down the Bakken, I will end the Bakken blog and start blogging on Berkshire Hathaway: MillionDollarWay: All Berkshire, All The Time.

By the way, Williston's Super Wal-Mart is located on the north side of Williton, on the west side of the Million Dollar Way (US Highways 2 & 85 into and out of Williston).

Note: at the link above, when you get there, you will have to scroll down a ways for the story (another link).

Lotsa Fun -- Data Links

Don sent me another "fun" weather map link -- I've posted it at my "Data Links" page.

This is a particularly fun map to play with -- where are folks coming from who come to Williston? Where are Williston folks going? The IRS knows! When you get there, also click on Los Angeles County, southern California, and one sees immediately the problem the California tax base is facing. This is quite incredible. Or San Antonio (Bexar County), Texas (south-central Texas) -- but they need Mexico's data also for this one. Smile.

The "Data Links" page also includes real-time Bakken oil prices -- well, sort of real-time -- perhaps, daily spot prices. I haven't checked those links lately, so not sure if they all work but maybe later, if I have time.

More Wednesday Morning Links

One running shoe in the grave: new studies on older endurance athletes suggest the fittest reap few health benefits, WSJ. I'll be back in a minute. Going to get another doughnut.

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Okay, I'm back.

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Two-thirds of Britain's millionaires left to avoid 50% tax rate: hey, you have to have millionaires if you're going to tax millionaires, The Telegraph

Everyone WILL pay taxes -- in Cuba -- CNBC. Fidel's Cuba: epic fail.
The government's free market reforms introduced over the last two years, are designed to encourage small businesses, private farming and individual initiative, along with plans to pay state workers more. Under the new tax code the state hopes to get its share of the proceeds.
The government also envisions replacing subsidies for all with targeted welfare, meaning that the largely tax-free life under a paternalistic government is on its way out.
"This radically changes the state's relationship with the population and taxes become an irritating issue," said Domingo Amuchastegui, a former Cuban intelligence analyst who lives in Miami and writes often about Cuba.
The new code covers 19 taxes, including such things as inheritance, environment, sales, transportation and farm land, various license fees and three contributions, including social security.
The landmark regulations will change the relations of Cubans with their government and are a signal that market-oriented reforms, launched since President Raul Castro succeeded his brother, Fidel Castro, in 2008, are here to stay.
Traders stalk a rally for US corn, WSJ

Huge: Iowa fields attract Google, WSJ.

Add another log on the fire: front page story in today's WSJ: federal student lending swells.
Nearly all student loans—93% of them last year—are made directly by the government, which asks little or nothing about borrowers' ability to repay, or about what sort of education they intend to pursue.  [And Dodd-Frank suggests US banks are the problem. Give me a break.]
Payments on 11% of student-loan balances were 90 or more days behind at the end of September, up from 8.9% at the end of June, a rate that now exceeds that for credit cards. Delinquency rates for all other consumer-debt categories fell or were flat.
Put Another Log On The Fire, Tompall Glaser

Heightened alarm over low river, a continuing story, WSJ.

Senator vows to block any Clinton successor at SecState, WSJ. This is going to get fun.

The media choke on a Twinkie: why it has been so hard to hear what the bakery union is saying, WSJ.

A mandate to raise food prices: the cause of higher grocery bills isn't the drought. It's the federal ethanol policy, WSJ.  Cue up Connie Francis.

Obama vetoes a carbon tax, WSJ.

The feds blame the states for refusing to become ObamaCare subsidiaries, WSJ.

Tax wealth, not income. This is not going to happen; it's a throwaway article at  Yahoo's Daily Ticker, but it helps explain why Warren Buffett talks so much about taxing income; he doesn't want the talk to stray into his biggest concern: taxing wealth. 

Beating the Fiscal Cliff -- Costco: Special Dividend $7

Money On The Move: November - December, 2012
The ObamaCliff: Widening the Gap Between The Haves and the Have-Nots
This is almost becoming a Saturday Night Live parody


Colony Financial declares 2012 special dividend of $0.05 per share; changes record date for regular $0.35 dividend to Dec 27, 2012

W&T Offshore announces special cash dividend of $0.32 per share

W.R. Berkley declares special cash dividend of $1.00 per share, payable of Dec 31, 2012 to stockholders of record at the close of business on Dec 24, 2012

General Electric Board of Directors approves 12% increase in quarterly dividend; payable before the end of the year
 
MDU Resources accelerates payment of quarterly common stock dividend
 
Pulaski Financial accelerates timing of its regular quarterly dividend of $0.095 cents per share

Simulations Plus declares accelerated cash dividend of $0.14/share
 
Ryman Hospitality announces details of $6.84/share special dividend

Frequency Electronics declares special cash dividend of $0.20 per share, payable on Dec 31, 2012 to shareholders of record on Dec 24, 2012
 
Briggs & Stratton approves dividend payment date change for the dividend of $0.12/share to December 31, 2012 from January 2, 2013
 
Caterpillar maintains quarterly dividend rate and accelerates payment to December 31, 2012
 
Heartland Finl declares special cash dividend of $0.10 per share

Concurrent declares a special cash dividend of $0.50 per share of common stock

Sterling Financial announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the declaration of a special cash dividend of $0.35/common share; Board also has authorized the accelerated payment of the regular quarterly cash dividend

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock declares a special dividend of $0.25

Nutraceutical declares special dividend of $1.00 per share, payable Dec 28 to shareholders of record date Dec 21

Superior Ind to accelerate payment of 2013 cash dividends into 2012

Weyco Group, Inc. accelerates quarterly dividend

Keynote Systems declared an accelerated cash dividend of $0.06 per common share

Thor Industries announces $1.50 special dividend, accelerates payment of January dividend

Lazard declares special dividend of $0.20 per share and accelerates payment of quarterly dividend

ViewPoint Financial announces early declaration of quarterly cash dividend
 
Western Refining declares special dividend of $1.50 per share

 Dolby Labs announces one-time special dividend of $4.00 per share

CBOE Holdings announced that its Board of Directors has declared a special cash dividend of $0.75 per share on its common stock

Holdings announced that its Board of Directors has declared a special cash dividend of $0.75 per share on its common stock
 
Air Methods reports declaration of special cash dividend of $7.00 per share

Ikonics (thinly traded) declares one-time special cash dividend of $1.00 per share

John B. Sanfilippo & Son declares special cash dividend fo $1.00 per share

Shiloh Industries declares a special dividend of $0.25 per share

Worthington accelerates Q3 and Q4 cash dividend payments

CONSOL Energy accelerates declaration and payment of regular quarterly dividend

Perry Ellis announces a $1.00 per share special cash dividend

U.S. Silica declares special cash dividend of $0.50 per share

Fulton Fincl declares and accelerates payment of quarterly cash dividend

Limited announces $3 per share special dividend

Paychex accelerates dividend payments for two quarters

A. Schulman announces early payment of regular cash dividend

Janus Capital accelerates quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share

Texas Roadhouse announces special cash dividend of $0.10 per share

PETsMART declares quarterly cash dividend of $0.165 per share and accelerates dividend payable date to Dec 31, 2012

Cypress Sharpridge Investments declares Q4 2012 dividend of $0.40, special dividend of $0.52 per share

eMagin announces special dividend of $0.10 per share

Ennis accelerates payment of two quarters of dividends

RF Industries will accelerate a portion of anticipated 2013 dividend

Cardinal Financial increases and accelerates quarterly dividend 25%

Interactive Brokers declared special cash dividend of $1.00 per share

Core-Mark declares accelerated cash dividend of $0.19 per common share

TD Ameritrade declares one-time, special cash dividend of $0.50 per share; will be distributed on Dec. 31, 2012 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 21, 2012

Commercial Trust declared a fourth quarter 2012 quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per common share, down from $0.16 per common share

CapitalSource declares a special dividend of $0.50 per share in addition to regular fourth-quarter dividend

Hastings Entmt declared a special dividend of $0.35 per share. 


Rentech declares special cash dividend of $0.19 per share payable in 2012 and announces early redemption of convertible notes

The Washington Post joins the list

Hyster-Yale declares special dividend of $2.00 per share and authorization of $50 mln stock repurchase program: The dividends are payable on both the Class A and Class B Common Stock, and will be paid December 27, 2012 to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 17, 2012. 

InSteel Industries declares special cash dividend of $0.25 per share: The special dividend is payable on December 28, 2012 to shareholders of record as of December 19, 2012.

Illinois Tool accelerates regular quarterly dividend payment date to Dec 31, 2012 from Jan 8, 2013: The record date has been changed to December 18, 2012 from December 31, 2012.

Phillips 66 announces 25% increase in quarterly dividend; approves additional $1 bln share repurchase: Co's Board of Directors has approved a 25% increase in the company's dividend, effective in the first quarter of 2013, representing an annual dividend of $1.25 per share of common stock. Phillips 66's board of directors has also approved an additional $1 billion share repurchase which augments the $1 billion share repurchase plan announced in the third quarter of 2012.

Syntel announces special $2.25 dividend, early payment of regular $0.06 dividend, and discontinuance of future regular dividends: Co announced that its Board of Directors has declared a special cash dividend of two dollars and twenty-five cents ($2.25) per share, on Syntel's common stock, payable on December 28, 2012 to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 18, 2012.

Universal Health announced that its Board of Trustees voted to increase the quarterly dividend by $.005 and pay a dividend of $.62 per share on December 31, 2012 to shareholders of record as of December 17, 2012.
 
Lithia Motors declares dividend of $0.10 for 4Q2012 in lieu of dividend typically declared and paid in March; co will pay the dividend Dec 28, 2012 to shareholders of record on Dec 14, 2012.
 
DR Horton declares dividend of $0.15 per share to accelerate payment of Calendar Year 2013 dividends: Co declared a cash dividend of $0.15 per share. This dividend is in lieu of and accelerates the payment of all quarterly dividends that the Company would have otherwise paid in calendar year 2013. The accelerated dividend is payable on December 21, 2012 to stockholders of record on December 17, 2012.

Jefferies Group accelerates declaration and payment of Q1 dividend of $0.075 per share, payable on Dec 31, 2012 to stockholders of record on Dec 21, 2012.

Evolving Systems declares special dividend of $0.15 per share: This one-time special dividend will be paid to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 20, 2012, with a payment date of December 26, 2012. 

Shoe Carnival declares special cash dividend of $1.00 per share: Co announced that its Board of Directors has approved the payment of a quarterly cash dividend and a special cash dividend. The quarterly cash dividend of $0.05 per share and the special cash dividend of $1.00 per share will be paid on December 28, 2012, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 17, 2012.

RPM Inc accelerates quarterly cash dividend of $0.225 per share to Dec 28, 2012, payable to stockholders of record as of Dec 17, 2012.

Safeway announced that its Board of Directors yesterday declared and approved an acceleration of its regular quarterly cash dividend: The cash dividend of $0.175 per share will be payable on December 31, 2012 to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 17, 2012.

MSC Industrial declares an accelerated quarterly cash dividend of $0.30 per share; dividend is payable on Dec 27, 2012 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Dec 17, 2012.

Coffee Holding accelerates and increases its quarterly dividend payment of $0.06 per share: Co announces that its board of directors approved an increase to its regularly scheduled quarterly dividend and an acceleration of such dividend payment. The quarterly dividend of $0.06 will be paid on December 28, 2012 to stockholders as of the close of business on December 17, 2012.

National Healthcare declares special cash dividend of $1.00 per share.
   
Northwest Bancshares accelerates dividend declaration: Co announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per share for the first quarter of 2013 and is accelerating its payment into the fourth quarter of 2012. The cash dividend is payable on December 24, 2012, to shareholders of record as of December 17, 2012.

T. Rowe Price declares a special cash dividend of $1.00 per share payable Dec 28, 2012 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on Dec 17, 2012.

National Fuel Gas declares quarterly dividend of $0.365 per share, accelerates payment date to Dec 28, 2012.  

Sotheby's increases quarterly dividend and accelerates payment of two quarters of dividends: Co has declared an accelerated first and second quarter of 2013 cash dividend totaling $0.20 per share of outstanding common stock. This $0.10 per share per quarter dividend reflects a 25% increase from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share. This accelerated dividend is intended by the Board to be in lieu of quarterly dividends Sotheby's would have otherwise announced in the first and second quarters of 2013, and that would have been paid in calendar year 2013. This accelerated dividend will be payable on, or before, December 31, 2012 to holders of record as of December 26, 2012.

Marcus declares $1.00 per share special cash dividend; accelerates next two quarterly cash dividend payments: Co announced that its Board of Directors has declared a special cash dividend of $1.00 per common share and has accelerated the next two regular quarterly cash dividend payments totaling $0.17 per common share. The dividends are payable on Dec 28, 2012 to shareholders of record on Dec 17, 2012.

CB&I declares $0.05 interim common stock dividend: Co declared an interim dividend on common stock of $0.05 per share, payable December 31, 2012 to shareholders of record as of December 21, 2012.

McGraw-Hill approves special dividend in the amount of $2.50 per share: Co approved a special dividend in the amount of $2.50 per share on the Corporation's common stock, payable on December 27, 2012 to shareholders of record on December 18, 2012. This special dividend payment supersedes the Company's previously announced plans to repurchase up to $200 million of stock during the remainder of the year.

American Financial Group, Inc. declares special dividend of $0.25: Co announced that it has declared a special, one-time cash dividend of $0.25 per share of American Financial Group Common Stock. The dividend is payable on December 24, 2012 to holders of record on December 17, 2012. 

HCA announces special dividend of $2.00 per share: Co announced that its Board of Directors has approved a special cash dividend of $2.00 per share to be paid to shareholders of record as of December 17, 2012 with a payment date of December 21, 2012. The dividend is expected to be funded through proceeds from the Company's recent offering of $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2021.

GlobalScape announces special cash dividend of $0.07 per common share: Co announced that its Board of Directors has declared a special cash dividend of $0.07 per share of common stock. The dividend is payable on December 27, 2012 to shareholders of record at the close of business at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 17, 2012.

Transport announces special dividend of $1.00 per share: Co announced its Board of Directors has approved a special one-time dividend of $1.00 per share. The dividend is payable on December 28, 2012 to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 17, 2012.

HEICO increases Special Dividend to $2.14 to $1.14 per share: Co announces that its Board increased the previously announced special and extraordinary $1.14 per share cash dividend on both its Class A Common Stock and its Common Stock by $1.00 per share so that the total special dividend will now be $2.14 per share on both classes of common stock.  The increased special and extraordinary $2.14 per share cash dividend will be paid together with the previously announced regular semi-annual $.06 per share cash dividend.  The dividends will be paid in one payment, totaling $2.20 per share, on or before Dec 31 to shareholders of record on Dec 17.

Intrepid Potash Inc. declares special dividend of $0.75 per share: The dividend is payable on December 27, 2012, to all stockholders of record at the close of business on December 17, 2012.

Texas Pacific Land Trust announces accelerated annual dividend of $0.25 to be paid on December 21, 2012.

Oil-Dri declares accelerated dividends: Co declared accelerated cash dividends of $0.36 per share of Common Stock and $0.27 per share of Class B Stock which reflect dividends for the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2013. The dividends declared today will be payable on December 28, 2012, to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 14, 2012.

Oracle Corp. will pay three of next year's quarterly dividends this year in an apparent attempt to avoid possible tax hikes for its investors. The software company said Monday that it will pay dividends for the second, third and fourth quarters of 2013, totaling 18 cents per share, on Dec. 21 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 14.

Sun Hydraulics Board approves year-end special dividend of $1.00 per share and declares regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.09 per share: Co announced that its Board of Directors has elected to authorize a special cash dividend in the amount of $1.00 per share, payable on December 28, 2012, to shareholders of record as of December 14, 2012.

National Penn announced that the Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of ten cents per common share for the first quarter of 2013 and is accelerating its payment into the fourth quarter of 2012: Co announced today that the Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of ten cents per common share for the first quarter of 2013 and is accelerating its payment into the fourth quarter of 2012. The cash dividend will be paid on December 28, 2012 to shareholders of record as of December 13, 2012. 

TESSCO declares special one-time cash dividend of $0.75 per share: Co announces that its Board declared a special one-time cash dividend of $0.75 per share on its common stock payable on Dec 27, 2012 to shareholders of record on Dec 13.

DISH Network declares non-recurring dividend of $1.00 per share: The dividend will be payable in cash on Dec. 28, 2012, to shareholders of record as of Dec. 14, 2012. 

HCA announces intention to declare special cash dividend of $2.00 per share: The special dividend will be paid to stockholders and certain optionholders on or prior to Dec 31, 2012.

HFF Inc declares special cash dividend of $1.52 per common share, payable Dec 20, 2012 to shareholders of record on Dec 10.

Whole Foods announces special cash dividend of $2.00 per share payable December 21, 2012, to shareholders of record on the close of business on December 10, 2012.

Apple: $30/share?

Costco to pay special dividend of $7 to holders of record, link below, December 10, 2012. 

Updates

Update, general, LA Times, November 29, 2012. 

Later, 2:33 pm: Drudge is calling this segment: money on the move and starts with a story from CNBC.

Original Post

Link here.

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment decisions based on what you read here. I don't invest in Costco; never have, never will.

Lots of talk recently of many companies to announce special dividends prior to December 31, 2012. The fiscal cliff. Lots of talk about Apple with special dividend.

This is going to be a wild, wild ride.

I assume there are two reasons for these special dividends.

Wednesday Morning Links

Sent in by a reader. Great presentation, a must-read for anyone interested in the Williston Basin oil patch. I can't remember posting this before, though it's possible; I don't remember seeing it before. I have always said Whiting has some of the best presentations, and this is another example. Go the Whiting home page for presentations, and then click on the November 19, 2012, presentation: Discovery of Pronghorn and Lewis & Clark Fields.That will take you to a PDF, and a moment to download. A lot of information about the entire development of the Williston Basin with regard to the current boom. This is really a great presentation.

Baker Hughes pays for stoplights at new development, from The Dickinson Press.
When traveling on Highway 22 north of Dickinson, be prepared to stop in the coming weeks.
California-based Baker Hughes is paying more than $300,000 for traffic signals at the intersection leading into its facility, according to an agreement with the city of Dickinson.
“... a new bulk plant with double truck loading to improve delivery to location times and offers the latest technology for quicker and more consistent blends,” ....
RBN Energyeast coast NGL storage.

Some dots to connect later today:
  • the recent RBN energy stories regarding crude oil pipelines
  • ONEOK's failure to get commitments for a proposed Bakken Crude Oil Express pipeline
  • Delta Airlines refinery near Philadelphia
  • the recent story out of Tacoma, Washington -- first unit train bringing Bakken oil to that particular port
  • killing of the Keystone XL
  • Enbridge strategic business plan 
  • Cushing: glut, mixing, location
Comment that a reader sent in regarding ONEOK's failure:
The problem with this pipeline seemed two fold:

The quality of Bakken crude is so high - premium crude for refining - that the premium is lost after mixing. A pipeline to the Gulf Coast from Cushing has to be dedicated to maintain that premium, and there are few Cushing outlet pipelines sized for that rate.

The pipeline doesn't go to an end user location, and maintain integrity, without additional modes of transport.

For that matter, mixing Bakken crude with Canadian oil sand has th same loss of quality issue.