Updating our Conservative stocks Verizon Communications Inc., Intel Corp. and Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc.

Article Excerpt

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. $36 (New York symbol VZ) will merge its local telephone operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont with FairPoint Communications Inc. on March 31, 2008. Verizon stockholders will receive about 0.0188 shares of FairPoint common stock as a special dividend for each share of Verizon they hold. This is a tax-deferred distribution, so investors will only be liable for capital gains taxes on their new shares when they sell. Best Buy. INTEL CORP. $22 (NASDAQ symbol INTC) has raised its quarterly dividend twice in the past six months. The new annual rate of $0.56 yields 2.5%. Buy. ANHEUSER-BUSCH COMPANIES INC. $48 (New York symbol BUD) plans to build up to four amusement parks near Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. These are its first parks outside of the United States. The new parks will be part of the world’s largest man-made island, which will also include shopping districts, resort hotels and restaurants. The first phase should be ready by…