This week’s distribution increases were mainly focused on two of the energy majors and several master limited partnerships. In one occasion with master limited partnerships both the general and the limited partners received distribution increases, while in another only the general partners received a raise in quarterly distributions. Dividend increases ...

Dividend increases aren’t the only thing the Kellogg Company (NYSE:K) is known for. For anyone over the age of two, Snap, Crackle and Pop are very familiar characters.[More...]

Curtis Hesler, editor of Professional Timing Service, says rates are rising as the dollar falls, and he recommends investors hold only tangible assets.

By Kate Stalter Posted 05/28/2009 02:13 PM ET Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP), which mines and markets coal to U.S.-based customers, was among stocks moving up in heavy volume Wednesday. It’s from the No. 26-ranked Energy-Other industry group. Earnings grew 70% in the most recent quarter. That followed a series of year-over-year earnings declines. You’d like to sales grow at a better rate. Most recently, revenue was up 16%. Alliance is a small cap that trades only 95,000 shares per day. That’s extremely thin. Such thin trade increases the risk of volatility. Return on equity is good, at 44%. Alliance has an Up/Down Volume Ratio of 1.5, indicating heavy demand recently. It has a strong Composite Rating, 95. Chart Analysis The stock rallied out of a cup-with-handle pattern (Point 1). It rallied less than 20% from its buy point before pulling into a new correction (Point 2). Currently, it may be shaping a flat base. That formation takes shape over at least five weeks, and corrects less than 15% within itself. Stock Checkup Alliance Resource Partners has a Composite Rating of 95. There’s a lot of strength in the 75-member Energy-Other group, so Alliance only notches the 12th-best Composite Rating. Its SMR Rating, which measures sales, profit margins and return on equity, is the group’s eighth highest.