The day was mixed for investors seeking dividends. McDonald's increased its dividend 70% while Kodak cut its dividend (formerly a fat 6.7%) 72%. If you hold both stocks, perhaps it's a wash, but when does a high dividend yield signify a weak business? And when can you lick your chops over juicy payouts from a strong company?

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In today's Motley Fool Take:

Dell Steps on Sony's Turf

Like your Dell(Nasdaq: DELL) PC? How about a flat-panel television to go along with it? Watch out Sony(NYSE: SNE), the world's master of direct sales efficiency and low-cost manufacturing announced today that it will enter the consumer electronics field with products available in time for the Christmas season.

Announcing his company's new direction, Michael Dell said, "By introducing high-performing consumer electronics products that closely integrate with the computer, we are delivering what is most important to consumers -- content and experience -- at a better value than they're currently getting."

Some will say Dell's entrée into consumer electronics is a sign that its core PC business is softening. Maybe so, but it's also a natural growth avenue given trends in home networking. As home networking grows in popularity, the PC is becoming an important part of the home entertainment system -- and vice versa. As this trend prospers, Dell may well be able to grow its brand beyond the office and into the living room.

Dell's move follows similar success from Gateway(NYSE: GTW) who last November launched a 42-inch plasma television that is reportedly the best-selling product in its category. That said, unlike Gateway, Dell doesn't have retail stores to show off the clarity of its televisions. Consumers may be reluctant to commit to a major TV purchase without an up-close inspection.

In addition to televisions, Dell's initial slate of consumer electronics will also include a digital music player, an online music service, a home entertainment projector, and a wireless handheld. If these products feature the great quality and value Dell is known for, there seems no reason Dell shouldn't be able to carve out a nice new niche of growth with this push.

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Oil's Not Well

If you've been waiting for gas prices to settle down, as many experts expected they would after Labor Day weekend, you might want to stop waiting. Our friends at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (a.k.a. OPEC) have just agreed to decrease their oil output by 3.5%. And you know what generally happens to prices when supply shrinks, right? Right.

In fact, the price of a barrel of crude oil pretty much immediately shot up, rising by a full 4% to $28.24. The decrease of nearly a million barrels will put OPEC's daily output at 24.5 million barrels, about a third of the planet's total oil usage.

According to TheNew York Times, OPEC members cited the following reasons for the move: "the still-sluggish global economy, including a 'jobless recovery' in the United States, and rising production at non-OPEC countries." But others speculate that politics is another major factor. Some OPEC members might have been chafing at the United States sending an Iraqi delegation to the meeting, while others simply don't like the U.S. urging them to increase production to keep prices in check. Iraq, for its part, is busy increasing its oil output significantly, which could pressure prices downward, if OPEC members don't stick to their plans.

Meanwhile, the jump in oil prices will hurt more than just those of us who fill auto gas tanks regularly. It's also likely to mean higher heating bills in the winter, for starters. Many companies will also be pinched, such as chemical firms, which use a lot of oil as both a raw material and also as a fuel. The oil news was likely behind price drops in the stock of DuPont(NYSE: DD), Dow Chemical(NYSE: DOW), Rohm & Haas(NYSE: ROH), Ecolab(NYSE: ECL), and PPG Industries(NYSE: PPG).

The chemical industry has already been struggling, so this isn't welcome news. DuPont, for example, recently warned of lower-than-expected earnings in the second half of its fiscal year, while Rohm & Haas reported flat demand.

Quote of Note

"When things have reached their peak, they decline." -- Chinese proverb

Bed, Bath & Be Long

There's no place like home. Bed, Bath & Beyond(Nasdaq: BBBY) can vouch for that. The housewares superstore posted minty-fresh results for its fiscal second quarter, growing earnings by 29% on a 23% surge in sales. While the top-line growth was due mostly to the concept's expansion, the company still achieved a healthy 5.9% uptick in comps at the store level.

Don't be surprised, Toto. Climbing rates may have cooled off the new home and refinancing markets, but rumors of their deaths are greatly exaggerated. With homebuilder Lennar(NYSE: LEN) hiking its annual dividend 20-fold earlier this week, one can argue that homemakers are feeling pretty rosy about the future.

But isn't the lackluster economy and the recent climb in borrowing costs bad for Bed, Bath & Beyond? Not really. Think about it. If home prices are still high and mortgage rates appear equally out of reach, won't homeowners simply stay put and upgrade?

And, yes, we may still be in an economic lull, but isn't that only likely to make folks stay in more -- and appreciate the little things like a new comforter set for the bedroom or replacing that moldy shower curtain (yes, we noticed).

Discounters like Wal-Mart(NYSE: WMT) and Target(NYSE: TGT) held up well during the economy's downtime because they delivered value. While Bed, Bath & Beyond can play that game too, it is also serving up comfort food to a country smitten with home redecorating shows like While You Were Out and Trading Spaces.

So, nicely done, Bed, Bath & Beyond. We hear that every gray cloud has a silver linen.

Discussion Board of the Day: Interior Design & Decorating

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And Finally...

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