THE RESEARCH DESK / DIVIDEND LANTERN
Invest in the business behind the dividend.
Original, source-linked guides to the questions that matter: cash coverage, growth, dates, debt and the price you pay.
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Plain-English research for U.S. dividend investors.
PepsiCo vs. Coca-Cola Dividends: The Cash-Flow Detail That Changes the Answer
A source-based comparison of PepsiCo and Coca-Cola dividend coverage, including the fairlife payment, asset-sale proceeds, and the latest available 2026 results.
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Would This Dividend Survive a Bad Year? Build a Simple Stress Test
Replace a single payout ratio with a three-scenario cash plan that makes downturn risk visible.
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The 10-Minute Dividend Earnings Review: Look Past the Headline
A practical earnings-season reading order, illustrated with October 2026 filings from Fastenal and UnitedHealth.
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Dividend Raises or Buybacks: What Actually Builds Shareholder Income?
A cash dividend and a repurchase can both return capital, but they affect an income investor in very different ways.
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The Debt Maturity Wall Behind a Stable Dividend
Read a company's debt calendar, refinancing cost and dividend restrictions before trusting a stable payout.
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Can Free Cash Flow Really Cover the Dividend?
A four-step way to test dividend coverage without treating one free-cash-flow number as a promise.
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Build a Dividend Watchlist That Tells You What to Investigate
Turn a list of tickers into a repeatable process for following income, risk and valuation.
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REIT Dividend Safety: Read Beyond the Payout Ratio
Why a REIT's EPS payout ratio can mislead, and how to read FFO, AFFO and debt together.
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Ex-Dividend, Record and Payment Dates: What Your Income Calendar Really Shows
Know which dividend dates establish eligibility and which mark the cash payment.
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Dividend Growth vs. Starting Yield: When Does the Income Catch Up?
A simple, honest break-even calculation for two very different dividend strategies.
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A 7% Dividend Yield Is a Question, Not an Answer
A practical checklist for testing a high dividend yield before calling it income.
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