4 Steps to Premium Dividends

Fact: Dividend-paying companies outperform nonpayers over time. And for you nonbelievers, there are stats to prove it. Unfortunately, it's not easy being a dividend investor. The search for high yields can lead to complicated industries such as banking, real estate, utilities, and -- gasp -- telecom.

Believe me, it's a jungle out there. Lurking in the shadows of such industries are strange and scary creatures. Look out for the net interest margin! Beware of adjusted funds from operations (AFFO)! In this unfamiliar world, gross margins and inventory turnover are nowhere to be found.

Fortunately, we're here to help. You're going to need a plan if you want to find the best dividend-paying companies in these industries, and we've outlined four easy steps to get you started.

Step 1: Pick one industry
It's better to know a lot about one industry than to know a little about four. So pick one and know the key metrics and players -- in and out, backward and forward.

I prefer banking. Maybe it's the vaults full of cash or the stately marble pillars. (Or maybe it's the jar of lollipops.) Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are also appealing because they provide exposure to high-priced real estate. You'll soon realize it's easier to follow businesses that you find interesting.

Step 2: Make a list
Pick 10 companies in your industry of interest, and map out the key ratios for each. This will give you a framework for evaluating any company in that industry. Here's a sample table for REITs that wheel and deal in office properties:

This table provides ranges across the industry. For instance, the price-to-funds from operations (FFO) multiples for these office REITs fall in a range of 14 to 34. A REIT with a multiple of 10, then, is out of the ordinary -- and may be too good to be true.

Step 3: Forget Yahoo! Finance
Internet portals such as Yahoo! Finance and MSN Money are great for finding surface information about retailers and manufacturers. However, as you search for superior returns in the jungle of high-yield stocks, you are going to need more specific data. Unfortunately, many of the metrics and ratios provided by Yahoo! just don't apply to these industries.

Instead, you need to go straight to the source: the company's SEC filings and earnings announcements. For example, in the table above I used price/FFO rather than a traditional price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. FFO adjusts net income for property sales and depreciation, and it is an important metric for evaluating a REIT's performance. FFO cannot be found on Yahoo! Finance or MSN Money. You can only find FFO in the company's filings.

Step 4: Learn from others
It's easier to survive in the jungle if you've got reinforcements. Learning from other investors will certainly prepare you to venture out on your own.

You can do this by starting or joining an investment club. Or better yet, you can join Fool dividend guru Mathew Emmert at his Motley Fool Income Investor newsletter free for 30 days. Mathew's collection of dividend-payers has bested the market by more than 4 percentage points since 2003. And with your trial you'll also enjoy access to discussion boards devoted to helping you understand the ins and outs of market-beating dividend investing.

Foolish bottom line
These four steps will help you navigate the jungle of dividends and get back on track to becoming a better income investor. Along the way, don't be deterred by strange acronyms or creepy accounting entries -- "amortization of deferred financing costs" just sounds foreign, doesn't it? But with a little time and patience, you too can be a market-beating, high-yield expert.

This article was originally published on Feb. 3, 2006. It has been updated.

Joseph Khattab does not have a position in any of the companies mentioned. The Fool has a disclosure policy.