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Friday, 12 March 2010 - 6:07 AM EST

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Downunder Dogs

Flea-bitten may be a bit harsh for some of these stocks but they are nevertheless this month’s Downunder Dogs – the stocks with the highest dividend yields among the largest 50 companies on the Australian Stock Exchange.

So what qualifies them as dogs? If you make the rather simplistic assumption that dividend levels remain more or less stable, then the dividend yield should rise as the share price falls. So by buying companies with high dividend yields you are buying shares that are out of favour – hence, “dogs”. And why would you want to buy a dog? The theory – based on the US stock-picking system known as the Dogs of the Dow – is that this year's dogs often turn out to be next year's prize pooches. Do you own these puppies?

Table 1.

The stocks with the highest dividend yields among the largest 50 companies on the Australian Stock Exchange

Code Company name Market cap Dividend yield Price
ITO Intoll Group $2,544,448,554 17.78% $1.13
TEL Telecom NZ $3,353,083,731 10.91% $1.77
TAH Tabcorp $4,114,337,645 9.60% $6.77
TLS Telstra $36,955,930,840 9.43% $2.97
SGP Stockland $9,600,933,874 8.37% $4.06
GPT GPT Group $5,334,611,227 7.83% $0.58
WDC Westfield $27,739,439,429 7.82% $12.02
CFX CFS Retail Property Trust $4,770,382,575 6.58% $1.90
QBE QBE $21,935,753,665 5.98% $21.40
NAB National Aust. Bank $53,920,266,780 5.74% $25.44

Source: Aspect Huntley.

Table 2.

The stocks with the highest dividend yields among the largest 50 companies on the Australian Stock Exchange (listed property trusts excluded)

Code Company name Market cap Dividend yield Price
ITO Intoll Group $2,544,448,554 17.78% $1.13
TEL Telecom NZ $3,353,083,731 10.91% $1.77
TAH Tabcorp $4,114,337,645 9.60% $6.77
TLS Telstra $36,955,930,840 9.43% $2.97
QBE QBE $21,935,753,665 5.98% $21.40
NAB National Aust. Bank $53,920,266,780 5.74% $25.44
AMC Amcor $7,241,144,722 5.73% $5.93
FGL Foster's $10,404,877,080 5.06% $5.39
AMP AMP Limited $12,168,952,262 5.05% $5.94
SUN Suncorp-Metway $10,853,462,788 4.68% $8.54

Source: Aspect Huntley.

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