5 Best Mid Cap Stocks To Buy For 2015

Dividend investors would be wise to focus not just on a stock's current yield, but also on the long-term growth potential of its dividends. That's because strong businesses that consistently raise their dividend payouts reward shareholders with a steadily rising income stream that essentially equates to a raise every year. And well, who doesn't like a raise?

But there are other reasons to value dividend growth so highly, and they're well supported by research. For instance, a study by C. Thomas Howard published in Advisor Perspectives found that for every percentage point a stock's yield rises, its annual return increases by 0.22 percentage points if it's a large cap, 0.25 if it's a mid cap, and 0.46 if it's a small cap. Even better, Howard found that dividend-growing stocks outperformed dividend cutters by 10 percentage points per year from 1973 to 2010 and beat both flat- and no-dividend stocks. And the icing on the cake is that Howard showed that this outperformance came with a third less volatility. Higher returns, less volatility-induced stress, and a steadily growing income stream -- what's not to love?

5 Best Mid Cap Stocks To Buy For 2015: Wolseley PLC (WOS)

Wolseley plc is a specialist trade distributor of plumbing and heating products to professional contractors and a supplier of building materials in North America, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. The Company operates in seven segments: USA, UK, Canada, Nordic, France, Central and Eastern Europe, and Group. On September 1 2009, the Company acquired Decorative Product Source, Inc, a company engaged in the distribution and supply of construction materials and services. On January 8, 2010, the Company disposed of 100% of Wolseley Ireland Holdings Limited, which comprised all the Company's businesses in the Republic of Ireland and the Brooks business in Northern Ireland. In November 2011, the Company announced that it had completed the sale of its remaining interest in Stock Building Supply to The Gores Group. In April 2012, the Company sold its Brossette, the French Plumbing and Heating business to Saint Gobain. In October 2012, the Company acquired Davis & Warshow, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Wolseley Plc (WOS) added 3.1 percent to 3,296 pence, its largest gain in more than five weeks. The world�� biggest distributor of plumbing and heating products said so-called trading profit in the 12 months through July climbed to 725 million pounds ($1.2 billion) from 665 million pounds a year earlier. Analysts had predicted earnings of 704 million pounds, according to the average of 20 estimates compiled by the company. Wolseley proposed a special dividend payout of 300 million pounds.

5 Best Mid Cap Stocks To Buy For 2015: Ironwood Pharmaceuticals Inc.(IRWD)

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. discovers, develops, and commercializes medicines targeting therapeutic needs. The company is developing Linaclotide, a first-in-class compound that is in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, chronic constipation, and other lower gastrointestinal conditions. It also focuses on the research and development of early stage product candidates and preclinical research in various therapeutic areas, including gastrointestinal disease, pain and inflammation, respiratory disease, and cardiovascular disease. The company has a collaboration agreement with Forest Laboratories, Inc. to jointly develop and commercialize linaclotide in North America; a license agreement with Almirall, S.A. to develop and commercialize linaclotide in Europe; and a license agreement with Astellas Pharma Inc. that provides Astellas Pharma with the right to develop and commercialize linaclotide in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia. It serves patients, payors, and healthcare providers. The company was formerly known as Microbia, Inc. and changed its name to Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in April 2008. Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  Flood of expenses
  Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: IRWD  ) shares fell 12% this week, after the company reported first-quarter results. A big part of the drugmaker's problems stemmed from soaring sales and administrative costs.

• [By gurujx]

  Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IRWD) Reached the 3-year Low of $10.02

  The prices of Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IRWD) shares have declined to close to the 3-year low of $10.02, which is 51.0% off the 3-year high of $19.67.

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: IRWD  ) , a specialty biopharmaceutical company, gained as much as 11% after the company reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings results.

Top Energy Companies To Watch For 2015: Arch Coal Inc. (ACI)

Arch Coal, Inc. produces and sells thermal and metallurgical coal from surface and underground mines located in the United States. As of December 31, 2013, it operated or contracted out the operation of 22 mines, and owned or controlled approximately 5.3 billion tons of proven and probable recoverable reserves. The company also owned or controlled primarily through long-term leases approximately 32,135 acres of coal land in Ohio; 22,417 acres of coal land in Maryland; 46,532 acres of coal land in Virginia; 425,038 acres of coal land in West Virginia; 107,668 acres of coal land in Wyoming; 267,024 acres of coal land in Illinois; 19,428 acres of coal land in Montana; 21,802 acres of coal land in New Mexico; and 20,166 acres of coal land in Colorado, as well as coal land in Kentucky. In addition, it owned or controlled through long-term leases smaller parcels of property in Alabama, Indiana, Washington, Arkansas, California, Utah, and Texas. The company sells coal to power pl ants, steel mills, and industrial facilities. Arch Coal, Inc. was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Alpha Natural Resources have gained 4.3% to $4.49 at 11:43 a.m., while Walter Energy has slid 5.1% to $6.83. Consol Energy has risen 2.1% a day after it released its own earnings, while Arch Coal (ACI) has jumped 2.6% to $4.70 and Peabody Energy (BTU) has dipped 0.1% to $18.99.

5 Best Mid Cap Stocks To Buy For 2015: National Retail Properties (NNN)

National Retail Properties, Inc. is a publicly owned equity real estate investment trust. The firm acquires, owns, manages, and develops retail properties in the United States. It provides complete turn-key and built-to-suit development services including market analysis, site selection and acquisition, entitlements, permitting, and construction management. The firm also focuses on purchasing and financing net-leased retail properties. It was formerly known as Commercial Net Lease Realty, Inc. National Retail Properties was founded in August 1984 and is based in Orlando, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brad Thomas]

  Other REITs mentioned: (O), (NNN), (STAG), (DCT), (EGP), (PDM), (DRE), (LRY)

  Source: Chambers Street: More Liquidity Magic On The Way In REIT-Dom

  Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

5 Best Mid Cap Stocks To Buy For 2015: Shionogi & Co Ltd (SGIOF.PK)

Shionogi & Co., Ltd. is a Japan-based pharmaceutical company. It is engaged in the research, development, purchase, manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals, as well as pharmaceutical-related businesses. The Company mainly provides vitamin preparations, analgesic antipyretics, eye care products, cold and sinus medicine, digestive medicine, dermatologic preparations, antiphlogistic analgetics, antihypercholesterolemic agents, test paper for glucose in urine and artificial teeth-related products. As of March 31, 2013, the Company had 32 consolidated subsidiaries and six associated companies. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jason Melehani]

  ViiV Healthcare, a collaborative HIV focused venture established by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Pfizer (PFE) and Shionogi & Co (SGIOF.PK), is seeking approval from the FDA and the European Union for dolutegravir, an integrase inhibitor used for the treatment of HIV. Integrase inhibitors act by preventing the reverse transcribed viral DNA from integrating into the human T cell DNA.