Thursday, December 15, 2016

Dividend income & raise - November 2016

November was another nice month.
No all time record this time, but still very satisfied with the result of the small portfolio!

T - $23.52
PG - $8.70
OHI - $28.67
ABT - $3.90



Total November (gross): $64.79


Comparison with last year
November 2016: $64.79
November 2015: $73.56

This is a 11.92 YoY decrease.

Reasons for this, are 2 sold positions that both paid dividends in November: KMI & CAT.
KMI was sold after they cut their dividend and CAT was sold after a disappointing Q2 ' 16 earnings report.

Dividend raises

On November 18th, UNP increaseed their quarterly dividend from $0.55 to $0.605.
This is a 10.00% increase. Due to this change, my YOC is now at 3.70%.

Double digit increase! Really happy with this news.

How was your November?
Thanks for reading.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Dividend income & raises October 2016

October is usually a slow month.
However, we still managed to get a great YoY increase.

Dividend income

KO $14.70
GE $9.20
CSCO $5.46
UNP $4.40
GPS $10.35
VIAB $4.60

Total Octoer: $48.71 (pre tax)
Net received: $41.40



Comparison with last year (gross)
October 2015: $22.73
October 2016: $48.71

This is a 111% YoY increase. Boom! Loving the double up. :)

Dividend raises

Quite a few this month!

On October 13th, OHI increaseed their quarterly dividend from $0.60 to $0.61.
This is a 1.67% increase. Due to this change, my YOC is now at 7.29%.

On October 26th, AFL increaseed their quarterly dividend from $0.41 to $0.43.
This is a 4.88% increase. Due to this change, my YOC is now at 2.73%.

On October 26th, CVX increaseed their quarterly dividend from $1.07 to $1.08.
This is a 0.93% increase. Due to this change, my YOC is now at 4.01%.

Update on goals
My goal is to receive $750 in net dividends in 2016.
With only 2 months to go, 2017 is well in reach.

Net dividends received so far: $547.64, while it should have been $625.
Still behind, but it will be a close race!

I hope to deploy a little bit of fresh capital after the elections, which may be just in time to reach the goal, but nonetheless I'm very proud of the result the portfolio have given me so far!

How was your October?

Thanks for reading!

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Dividend income - September 2016

September broke records! Both good and bad records.

Unrelaized gains
At 9/1 the total unrealized gains on the portfolio were at $2328.
At 10/1 the total unrealized gains on the portfolio were at $1773.
That's a 23% loss, but obviously it's not that important. Price is just a number.
Value is what we care about!

New dividend income record
Much more interesting is the alltime high on dividend income.
I'm very pleased to announce my very first 3-digit monthly dividend income!

September 2016 earned me an amazing amount of $113.61 in dividends.

Here's the breakdown.

Dividend income

JNJ - $12.80
TGT - $16.80
AFL - $7.79
MCD - $4.45
CVX - $10.70
TROW - $6.48
QCOM - $7.42
WFC - $13.30
WMT - $2.50
ADM - $6.90
F - $6.75
BA - $8.72
VLO - $9.00

Total: $113.61 (pre tax)
Net received: $96.57



Comparison with last year (gross)
September 2015: $67.62
September 2016: $113.61

This is a 68% YoY increase. Wow!

Dividend raises
On September 28th, MCD increaseed their quarterly dividend from $0.89 to $0.94.
This is a 5.62% increase. Due to this change, my YOC is now at 3.97%.

Update on goals and Q3 result
My goal is to receive $750 net dividends in 2016.
As we are at the end of Q3, I'm afraid I am behind on schedule..
Net dividends received so far: $493.09, while it should have been $562.50.
It should still be possible to reach the goal, but it will be hard.

New to the series is the quarterly dividend income graph.

There's a 62% growth compared to Q3 2015. Looking good!

Thanks for reading.
How was your September?

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Dividend income - August 2016

August was a great month!
It's not an all time record, but I'm very satisfied nonetheless.

T - $23.52
PG - $8.70
OHI - $28.20
CAT - $9.24
ABT - $3.90

Total August (gross): $73.56


Comparison with last year
August 2016: $73.56
August 2015: $59.11

This is a 24.4% YoY increase!

There were no recent dividend increases for my portfolio unfortunately.

How was your August?

Thanks for reading.

Editted at 12/15, because BA didn't pay in August, but in September

Sunday, July 31, 2016

Dividend income & raise July 2016

In contrary to June, July is a slow month. Not many companies pay their dividends.
Despite that, it was a good month compared to last year!

Dividend income

KO $14.70
GE $9.20
CSCO $5.46
BA $10.35

Total July: $39.71 (pre tax)
Net received: $33.75



Comparison with last year (gross)
July 2015: $22.73
July 2016: $39.71

This is a 175% YoY increase. I think I'm in love with this compounding strategy! It's amazing to see these results in just 12 months of steady investing.

Dividend raises

On July 14th, OHI increaseed their quarterly dividend from $0.58 to $0.60.
This is a 3.45% increase. Due to this change, my YOC is now at 7.17%.

That makes OHI my first position that is reaching the 10% YOC. Reaching 10% in 10 years is great, but if the company keeps raising dividends at this pace, we will reach 10% YOC in just 5 years!

Update on goals
My goal is to receive $750 in net dividends in 2016.
Time flies, as 2016 is already over for 58%. Only 5 months remain!

Net dividends received so far: $339.73, while it should have been $435.
I'm way behind and I'm a little bit concerned about this goal, but I will keep investing as good as I possibly can.

How was your July?

Thanks for reading!

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Recent sell - CAT

Today I sold my position in CAT.

One reason for this is the disappointing Q2 earnings report, which went public last Tuesday.
EPS down to $0.93, from $1.31 last year. Despite the bad news, the share price was very close to hitting the 52-week top value of $84.29.

Of course, bad news could also be a reason to buy more.
In this case however, the outlook for CAT does not look promising at all to me. Growth in China is halting and commodities are low. The company basically struggles with all their sectors.

Let's see what happened during my time as a shareholder of CAT.

08/09/15 - Bought 12 shares at $73.75 for $885.00
11/01/15 - Received $9.24 in dividends
02/01/16 - Received $9.24 in dividends
05/01/16 - Received $9.24 in dividends
08/01/16 - Yet to receive $9.24 in dividends
07/28/16 - Sold 12 shares at $83.45 for $1001.40
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net profit: $153.36 (17%)

Any thoughts?
Are you concerned about CAT's nearby future as well?

Thanks for reading!

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Dividend income & raise - June 2016

June was a great month, despite Great Brittain choosing to leave the EU.
As a matter of fact, the portfolio achieved its alltime high dividend income!
Hopefully my first 3 digit income, soon. :)

Here's the breakdown.

Dividend income

JNJ $12.80
TGT $15.68
AFL $7.79
MCD $4.45
CVX $10.70
TROW $6.48
QCOM $7.42
WFC $6.46
ADM $6.90
UNP $4.40

Total June: $89.58 (pre tax)
Net received: $76.14



Comparison with last year (gross)
June 2015: $54.02
June 2016: $89.58

This is a 66% YoY increase. Once again, I'm very happy with this progress!

Dividend raises

On June 8th, TGT increased their quarterly dividend from $0.56 to $0.60.
This is a 7.14% increase. Due to this change, my YOC is now at 4.09%.

Update on goals
My goal is to receive $750 net dividends in 2016.
With the first half year already in the books, I'm afraid I am behind on schedule..
Net dividends received so far: $300.24, while it should have been $375.

Due to a recent car accident, I had to buy another (used) car.
Good news however: the accident did not harm me in any way.
I'm very happy to be alive, as it was an accident at the highway due to aquaplaning.

Bad news: it was an old car, so my own costs to replace it, are not insured. That's why I have to refill my emergency funds, lowering the amount I could invest for the next 10~11 months.
But after all, that's just money and my health is a lot more important than that!

How was your June? Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Recent sales and (not so) recent buy

Recently, I haven't been very active at the blog.
However, I did make some transactions!

In the USA and Canada your portfolio is protected by the SIPC and the CIPF, in case your broker goes broke. In The Netherlands, we do not have such a fund available, unfortunately.

This is the reason why I'm setting up another account, at a second broker. Just for safety reasons.
This broker required me to deposit a fairly large amount of money, so these sales are related to that fact.

Another reason for selling these stocks, is to reduce my stake in them.

Recent sell - WMT
At 5/20 I sold 8 shares of WMT for $70.10 a piece

10/26/2015 bought 13 shares for $58.29
2016 Dividends received - $11.92
5/20/2016 sold 8 shares for $70.10
---------------------------------------------
Total profit $106.40

Recent sell - MCD
At 5/19 I sold 6 shares of MCD for $124.99 a piece

8/25/2014 bought 11 shares for $94.77
2014 Dividends received - $5.10
2015 Dividends received - $20.64
2016 Dividends received - $5.34
5/19/2016 sold 6 shares for $124.99
-----------------------------------------------
Total profit $212.14  

Recent buy - UNP
At 4/1 I bought 8 shares of UNP for $78.82 a piece

This railroad giant was on sale.

Besides that, you can't ignore a 25% average growth over the past 5 years, combined with a reasonable 2.5% yield and an aveage payout ratio of 41%.

Did you buy any stocks?
Seems to me, people are not investing at the moment!

Thanks for reading!

Friday, June 3, 2016

Dividend income - May 2016

May was a great month! I love posting messages like these.

T - $23.52
PG - $8.70
OHI - $26.10
CAT - $9.24
ABT - $3.90

Total May (gross): $71.46



Comparison with last year
May 2016: $71.46
May 2015: $22.56

This is a 317% YoY increase.
Looks like this strategy is working out quite well!

How was your May?

Thanks for reading.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Dividend income & raises, April 2016

April was another great month for me!

Dividend income

KO $14.70
WMT $6.50
GE $9.20
CSCO $5.46

Total April: $35.86 (pre tax)
Net received: $30.48



Comparison with last year (gross)
April 2015: $13.53
April 2016: $35.86

This is a 265% YoY increase. That's the power of steady investing, combined with the power of compounding. Great to see the total amount received getting more than doubled!

Dividend raises

On Arpil 14th, OHI increaseed their quarterly dividend from $0.57 to $0.58.
This is a 1.80% increase. Due to this change, my YOC is now at 6.93%.

On Arpil 28th, JNJ increaseed their quarterly dividend from $0.75 to $0.80.
This is a 6.67% increase. Due to this change, my YOC is now at 3.12%.

Update on goals
My goal is to receive $750 in net dividends in 2016.
One third of this year is already over! Can you imagine? Time flies!

Net dividends received so far: $163.35, while it should have been $250.
Looks like there is lots of work to do. Fortunately, I should receive a bonus which will be partially used to purchase some new stocks, this month.

Stay tuned!

How was your April?

Thanks for reading!

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Dividend income & raise - March 2016

March was a nice month for me, in terms of dividends received.

Dividend income

JNJ $12.00
TGT $15.68
AFL $7.79
MCD $9.79
CVX $10.70
QCOM $6.72
WFC $4.50
ADM $6.90

Total March: $74.08 (pre tax)
Net received: $62.67



Comparison with last year (gross)
March 2015: $53.22
March 2016: $74.08

This is a 39% YoY increase. Great progress once again!

Dividend raises

On March 8th, QCOM increaseed their quarterly dividend from $0.48 to $0.53.
This is a 10.42% increase. Due to this change, my YOC is now at 3.40%.

Update on goals
My goal is to receive $750 net dividends in 2016.
With the first quarter in the books, we are way behind on schedule.
Net dividends received so far: $127.36, while it should have been $187.50.

I have to invest consistantly in order to fix this issue in time!

How was your March?
Thanks for reading!

Monday, February 29, 2016

Dividend income & raises February 2016

February was a great month. Several dividend raises, multiple stocks paid dividends and best of all: it was a much bigger paycheck than last years February!

T - $23.52
PG - $8.62
OHI - $18.81
CAT - $9.24

Total February (gross): $60.19



Comparison with last year
February 2016: $60.19
February 2015: $22.56

This is a 267% YoY increase. Nothing to complain about, I would say.

Dividend raises

This section of the monthly dividend update is my favorite.
What's not to like about receiving these increasing paychecks, right?

On February 17th, TROW increaseed their quarterly dividend from $0.52 to $0.54.
This is a 3.85% increase. Due to this change, my YOC is now at 2.83%.

On February 18th, KO increased their quarterly dividend from $0.33 to $0.35.
This is a 6.06% increase. Due to this change, my YOC is now at 3.39%.

On February 18th, WMT increased their quarterly dividend from $0.49 to $0.50.
This is a 2.04% increase. Due to this change, my YOC is now at 3.43%.

How was your February?

Thanks for reading.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Recent buy - February 2016

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)
Buy 23 shares @ $36.60 at 12/31/2015

My last purchase of last year was ADM.
This large agricultural processor has shown a substantial decline last year.
With their 52-week high at $53.31, the discount I got was 31%.

As this is a Dividend Champion, the potential discount that presented itself, was reason for me to dig deeper into this company. Their business is pretty straightforward. They manufacture seeds for many different agricultural products like corn, grain and oilseeds. They have been doing this for over a century.

The decline in the stock price is a result of declining commodity prices, strong dollar and a weak Q3 earning report. However, is this still a quality company, worth investing in?

My answer would be yes. As we have seen in recent weeks, many DGI bloggers agree.

Crunch some numbers
ADM has increased their dividends for 40 years in a row. At $36.60 the yield is 3.01%, which is a little under my portfolio average of 3.9%. However, this minor flaw is compensated by the amazing growth numbers of ADM.

DGR-1: 16.7%
DGR-3: 17%
DGR-5: 13.3%
DGR-10: 12.7%

All double digits! This is not very common amongst Dividend Aristocrats.
As a matter of fact, only 17 of the 108 Champions show growth numbers of over 10% in all 4 categories.

From a valuation point of view, ADM has an EPS of 39% with a P/E of 12.3, which should leave more than enough room for future growth.

This looked like an offer I could not resist!

Omega Healthcare Investors Inc. (OHI)
Buy 12 shares @ $27.87 at 2/10/2016

This REIT was on sale, yesterday and earlier today! It traded at a 9% discount, so I added some shares right away.
This purchase reduced my average purchase price from $35.49 to $33.46, increasing the YOC from 6.31% to 6.69%.

Abbott Laboratories (ABT)
Buy 15 shares @ $37.28 at 2/10/2016

Abbott develops and produces healthcare products. It is one of the largest healthcare companies in the US.

At $37.28 ABT is trading at a 28% discount rate, compared to their 52-week high.
The dividend payout is $1.04 annually, which puts their yield at a smaller than average of 2.79%. They have been raisng their dividends for more than 42 consecutive years.

David Fish decided to remove them from his CCC list, after they split the company into ABT and ABBV, back in 2012, but ABT's dividend strategy did not change one bit.

This is a new position.

Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC)
Buy 5 shares @ $46.95 at 2/10/2016

I liked WFC a lot at $51.32, what's not to like at $46.95? Their business did not change.
This is an addition to a current position.

Due to this purchase I averaged down on WFC.
My average purchase price is now at $50.03 with an YOC of 3%.

My portfolio has been updated to reflect these changes.
What do you think of these purchases?

Thanks for reading!

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Dividend income - January 2016

April was not the most lucrative month of all times, but every penny helps.

Dividend income

GE $9.20
WMT $6.37
Total $15.57 (net $13.23)

Despite the small amount of dividends received, it's still a 100% increase, as I did not receive any dividends in January last year.




Dividend raise

Over the last couple of weeks, I received several dividend raises! That's one of the best parts of this strategy, as we all know. All I did was waking up in the morning to receive these raises. They are small, but steady.

T raised their annual dividend from $1.88 to $1.92. +2.13%
OHI raised their annual dividend from $2.24 to $2.28. +1.79%

Thanks for reading!

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Welcome to 2016! Let's set some goals

Dear readers,

Thank you for an amazing 2015. Back in 2014 I would not have believed I could have received 24.000 pageviews in just 1,5 year.

More suprising is the amount of dividend income I collected.

Last year I received over $400 in dividends, with my small investing portfolio. An amazing result, if you'd ask me. Especially if you compare this result to what my local bank would have provided in interest, during this very same period of time.

Thank you for being here.
Let's continue this success story in 2016!

Update on the goals

2015 was an easy year, as I had only 1 goal to reach. This year I'd like to challenge myself a little bit more!

#1 Post at least twice a month
Despite my hesitation to create longer posts, because of my minor knowledge of the English language, I would love to post at least twice a month in 2016. I consider this the least amount necessary to keep people interested.

#2 Reach at least 50 followers at Twitter
In order to inspire more people to start working on their financial future - even if they don't have a large stream of active income - I've started an account on Twitter.
Because to this, I met a lot of new interesting blogs and people, which is a very interesting side effect!

In 2016 I'd like to find at least 50 followers at Twitter.

#3 Gain some basic understanding of Wordpress
Last year, several bloggers switched from Blogger.com to a Wordpress website, hosted on an own domain. Even I experience some limitations concerning Blogger.com, but I do not have enough knowledge to switch yet. In 2016 I'd like to aqcuire some basic understanding of Wordpress to eventually make the switch as well.

#4 Hit the $100 dividend income per month mark
Although this goal is more fun oriented, it would feel good to hit this mark. After 2,5 years of consistent investing, I do think this should be possible to reach. I will be prepared for those triple digit dividends, that's for sure!

#5 Reach $850 in dividends
In total I'd like to set the goal to $850. A thousand seems too much, but according to my Dividend Meter (as part of my portfolio sheet), I'm currently at $676.57 for a complete year. At an average yield of 3.67% yield I have to add $4726 capital as soon as possible to reach this goal. Unfortunately, that's not possible, as I usually invest about $600~$700 per month.
Despite this fact, I do think this goal should be within reach, because of the growing nature of the dividends, as well as some bonusses I should receive in January and May.

Last, but not least, I hope you all will keep following me in this interesting and life changing journey!