Those who are cautious on the markets are having trouble finding comfortable entry points these days, especially with economic data consistently coming in a bit better than expected. In this sort of market environment, long-term investors must stick to a discipline of putting money to work during the occasional pullbacks. This requires a bit of patience and self-control (more on these factors below).

Looking at today’s tape, earnings results boosted names like Joy Global (JOY) and DineEquity (DIN), which actually closed flat after an early ramp on news the company re-initiated its dividend payout. Target (TGT) shares ended lower despite the company’s earnings beat. Elsewhere, Wall Street analyst upgrades pushed shares of J.P. Morgan (JPM) and Eaton Corp (ETN) higher, with ETN also announcing a dividend hike.

Apple (AAPL) shares ended lower as the company held its annual shareholder meeting. Some traders had been hoping for any sort of good news in the form of a dividend hike, stock split, or share buyback, but the company did not make any specific announcement outside of telling shareholders they are appear of the company’s cash hoard and will be continuing conversations on how best to put it to use. The stock has been one of the absolute worst S&P 500 performers of the past six months, down over 33% in that time frame.

When it comes to investing, most people tend to look anywhere and everywhere for investment/trading ideas. It can be earnings results, analyst upgrades, M&A deals/rumors, financial media guests sharing ideas on TV, and so on. The thing that often sinks investors, particularly active investors, is their unrealistic expectations of how quickly they can see profitable returns. A few weeks back when news of the H.J. Heinz (HNZ) takeover deal broke, analysts were quick to put out reports on which of Heinz’s peers could be ripe for a takeover next. The financial media picked up on this and hence came the food/consumer sector analyst guests with their predictions. In the same trading session, we saw these companies pop as if their takeovers were going to be announced after the bell or within the next few days. The end result was most of those shares pulled right back, and those who were foaming at the mouth to get in on the action were hit with quick losses.

Look at today’s action and you see analyst price target increases spiking names such as Google (GOOG), Priceline (PCLN), and LinkedIn (LNKD). The buying frenzy doesn’t always take place, but when it does, the risk of capital loss only intensifies. There is a reason the success rate in trading full-time is so low. Human nature often dictates why the “house” always wins. The investing we talk about rarely harps on any one particular event, but usually a cumulative effect of matching good businesses with attractive dividend yields and entry points. This process requires patience, which isn’t often a character trait that active market watchers display.

Our new members-only eBook has just been released! This 250-page guide to investing in 2013 contains a concise economic forecast for next year, including full previews for 60 big-name stocks! Be sure to head over to Dividend.com Premium and download it and get your game plan in place for all good things dividend-related in 2013!

We want to make sure everyone understands that the stocks on our Best Dividend Stocks List are the names we currently like for new investor capital, regardless of what date the stock was first recommended on. If and when a stock is removed from the list, we will clearly state whether the stock should be sold (which is rare but occasionally will happen), or simply held in one’s account until we see a better entry point or catalyst.

And here’s one last thing to remember about what we do here at Dividend.com: it’s not just the names that we recommend that can help you build wealth, but also the things we try to steer you away from that are just as important. Forget about speculative or penny stocks, chasing unprofitable IPOs, and listening to the manic talking heads in the business media!

We now offer complete U.S. dividend data for all Dividend.com Premium members, so anyone that focuses on “Dividend Capture” trading strategies should have plenty of good stuff to research each day. Just check our enhanced Ex-Dividend Calendar, which is the best in the business, to search for upcoming payouts.

Speaking of dividend capture, Dividend.com Premium members can also access a 9-page report we published on the essential elements to any successful dividend capture strategy. Be sure to check it out here on the Premium homepage.

Thanks for reading everybody. I’ll see you tomorrow!

Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks, as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here.