Monday, December 14, 2015

November 2015 Dividend Update

Retirement Plan Stock Image
We are almost halfway through December now and it is time to report my November dividend income. I just finished my final exam in my capstone course for my Finance degree. Should be only 2 more electives before I graduate with my BBA of Finance.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Recent Buy


On November 23, 2015 I bought 1.2648 shares of The Walt Disney Company (DIS) at $117.79.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Recent Buy


On November 13, 2015 I initiated a position of 5 shares in Target Corporation (TGT) at $72.69. With a current dividend rate on their second payment at $0.56/share this will add $11.20 to my annual dividend total all else being equal.

I finally added Target to my portfolio after wanting to when it fell down lower than where Walmart is due to the security breach, but never found the chance to. Happy to be on board with both of these retailers now.

Photo Source:http://www.forbes.com/companies/target/

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Twitter Account

A quick note here:

For those who are not aware I have created a Twitter account to attach with this blog.

If I have missed you or you are interested in following my Twitter posts on dividend stocks feel free to add me and say hello at @DividendSWAN

Thank you for reading and all of your ideas shared within our blogging community.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

October 2015 Dividend Update

Retirement Plan Stock Image
It is already in November now and the portfolio continues to perform well in terms of dividends and capital appreciation. Of course my main focus is how much income I received in October in the form of dividends. October was as expected a decent month in terms of dividends. School is moving along quickly as I am in my hardest semester taking my capstone and financial modeling which are probably the 2 toughest classes my program has to offer. Here is the dividends I received for October:

RECENT BUY


On November 5, 2015 I purchased 10 shares of The Buckle, Inc.(BKE) for $35.32. I have been following the company and watching the price decline for a couple months and am attracted to  not only the quarterly dividend that is not a big yield at all, but the special cash dividend that has been paid in varying amounts 7 out of the last 8 years. The company is still opening new stores and has no long term debt along with a strong balance sheet.

Photo Source:http://seekingalpha.com/article/3264055-the-buckle-should-get-aggressive-on-its-expansion-plans



Monday, November 2, 2015

Recent Buy



On October 30, 2015 I initiated a position of 10 shares of Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) for $27.38. I have followed the company for a long time and remember when they merged KMP together and eliminated K-1's while I was on vacation a couple years ago. I just missed the Ex-Dividend date unfortunately. The price continues to get cheaper with the oil prices depressed. They are one of the largest if not the largest pipeline in the country and founder/CEO Richard Kinder has $7B invested in the company himself. While there is risk in everything it is another small position for me to boost my income once I start receiving dividends next year from them. They may have to slow down the dividend growth or stall it if things remain depressed.

Photo Source:http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/

Thursday, October 29, 2015

101 Dividend Investing Tips from the Experts

Ever wondered how to get started in Dividend Investing. I recently was given the opportunity to contribute to this wonderful article on dividend investing alongside many experts. Although, between 49 of us we came up with over 300 different tips here were the top 101 chosen to be featured in this article. I hope many people are able to share and enjoy these. They have worked well for many of us!

http://dividendreference.com/guides/dividend-investing-tips/

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Recent Buy

On Wednesday October 14, 2015 I purchased 4 shares of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) for $60.20 a share. The company suffered the worst percentage decline since 1988 and followed up with another decline today. I think the selloff is overdone and happy I was able to add some more shares at a lower cost basis. The company announced a 2 year $20 Billion stock buyback plan. I would obviously like to see a bigger dividend take precedence over a sizable buyback, but at a current $0.49/quarterly dividend this should add $7.84+ to my annual dividend total.


Photo Source:http://www.abc10.com/story/news/local/sacramento/2015/08/26/sacramento-walmart-hiring/32411319/


Tuesday, October 6, 2015

September 2015 Dividend Update

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September has ended and brought with it another month of dividends reinvested into many companies in my portfolio. I am sad to see the warm weather and summer ending again. Work and school seem to be going along pretty well which is good, but I do not like the cold and long winters here very much. Maybe dividends can one day help give a more favorable spot for the winter one day.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

July 2015 Dividend Update

Retirement Plan Stock Image

July is over and we are over 7 months through with 2015. Time just keeps on moving as we are busy with work, school, and everything else. It is time to report on dividends received in July. This is income that comes to shareholders no matter what they are doing. You could buy some shares in high quality companies and then go to sleep and wake up knowing on the payable date the dividend money will be deposited into your account.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Recent Buy

Continuing with the recurring investments on July 27, 2015 I acquired an additional 1.2454 shares of The Walt Disney Company (DIS) for $119.62. The stock continues to climb to new highs. Just when you think it starts to pullback it pops higher again. The semi-annual dividend policy change is a very nice surprise for me. It makes more sense to me than only once a year. A good dividend raise and a rising share price is great. I will continue to acquire shares on a monthly basis. 


Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Recent Buy


On Wednesday July 22, 2015 I purchased 12 shares of General Motors Corporation (GM) for $30.24.  The recent drop caught my attention and I should have bought the stock below $30 today. GM reports earnings before the bell tomorrow morning. We could get a quick bump if it comes out better than expected. If not and it drops can reinvest a nice dividend yield. At the current dividend rate of 0.36 per share this will add an additional $17.28 to my annual dividend total not counting reinvestments.

Although not much of a track record and the bailout I decided to pull the trigger. Give the new company a chance and think it is a decent value. The stock is lower than it was when it IPO'd again and now has a dividend that was recently increased by 20% with some $9K bonuses that went to several factory workers a few months ago. Activists have succeeded in convincing them to focus on buybacks too even though I prefer the dividend method there is room for both. Earnings can be inconsistent with autos and at 12 shares I am relying on them for a small portion in a much larger portfolio of income replacement.

What do you think of GM? Good value move or too risky? Future dividend grower or not?

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Recent Buy

On Tuesday July 21, 2015 I purchased 7 shares of Walmart (WMT) for $72.86. The stock started to rise at the end of the day and I decided to just go ahead and add it to my portfolio. With a 0.49/share quarterly dividend that should add $13.72 to my annual dividend totals not counting reinvestments. The company has 2 consecutive years of only a penny raise in the dividend and a payout ratio that seems to be reasonably. Over the long term the company can raise dividends and perform well at the same time in my opinion. 

What do you think about WMT here?

Thursday, July 2, 2015

June 2015 Dividend Update

Retirement Plan Stock Image

The month of June has ended and we are officially past the half way point of the year. June is usually a good month for dividend income because many quarterly companies pay during this cycle. It is time for me to see how I actually did for the month.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Recent Buy

On June 22, 2015 I purchased 1.3416 shares of The Walt Disney Company (DIS) at $111.05/share. This is another regular recurring investment in my long term plan. The strategy is to build as many shares as possible of this powerhouse company. It continues to rise steadily, but I still believe it is a smart move since there is no limit to the price a stock can reach. A split in the future is not completely ruled out either. The yearly dividend can be raised also.

Friday, June 12, 2015

Recent Buy

 

On June 12, 2015 I purchased 15 more shares of the luxury handbag maker Coach Inc (COH) for $35.12. Slightly above my initial 9 share purchase over a year ago at $34.75. They have struggled in recent years to grow market share with a lot of competition. The dividend has been steady instead of growing while they execute a turnaround strategy. A lot of rumors have been swirling around of a possible acquisition for more than shares are worth today. History shows between 2002-2005 they had three different 2 for 1 splits according to Morningstar. They have a long history dating back to 1941 and I think their new strategy of becoming a lifestyle brand, the new designers with experience, and recent acquisition will pay off in the long term.

Photo Source:http://www.haneda-airport.jp/inter/en/premises/tenant/5200100030900000/

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

May 2015 Dividend Update




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May was a busy month with school and a study abroad trip I took throughout Europe. Just because you get busy does not mean some things don't happen still. Regular recurring investments still occur while away and so does receiving dividend income. Final exams and a pile of papers are due by next week as I try to wrap up another semester before starting again. Here are the dividends I received in May in my regular brokerage account.

Friday, June 5, 2015

Recent Buy




It has been quite a while since I have made a purchase outside of my regular Disney investments I have started and my contributions to my work retirement plans. Earlier today on June 5, 2015 I added another 12 shares of CocaCola (KO) stock at $40.15. This will add another $3.96 to the next quarterly dividend. Not only am I a happy shareholder of the company, but a fan of the company and their classic products. I consume a lot of CocaCola and Pepsico products and find no reason not to own shares in these wonderful businesses in my portfolio.

About the Company: The Coca-Cola Company is a beverage company. The Company owns or licenses and markets more than 500 nonalcoholic beverage brands, primarily sparkling beverages but also a variety of still beverages, such as waters, enhanced waters, juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and energy and sports drinks. It owns and markets a range of nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands, which includes Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite. The Company makes its beverage products available to consumers throughout the world through its network of Company-owned or controlled bottling and distribution operations as well as independent bottling partners, distributors, wholesalers and retailers. The Company's segments include Eurasia and Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, Asia Pacific, Bottling Investments and Corporate. The Company markets, manufactures and sells beverage concentrates, and finished sparkling and still beverages.

What do you think about KO?

Source: E*trade Financial

Photo Source: https://plus.google.com/+Coca-Cola/videos

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Recent Buy

 

A buy has been scheduled to close on The Walt Disney Company (DIS) for 1.3491 shares on March 26, 2015 at the price of $110.42.

The stock just continues to outperform and boost my overall net worth. The future looks bright and I want to be a part of it. Cannot wait to see the upcoming couple years of stuff propel them even higher. Would not be opposed to a split and a repeat of the rally in the stock over time. I would also welcome a more frequent than just a once a year dividend if possible.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Technology and Finance

Many bloggers use a lot of cool apps and budgeting techniques with their gadgets these days. There are a few that I have tried and overall they worked pretty well. I do not really use any right now, but may go back to certain ones in the future. I have downloaded a lot of apps that I deleted only to not use due to storage and also safety concerns. I don't like when there is a 25 page disclaimer ridding the app of any reliability for mishaps.

With that said, I have personally used the AMEX credit card app, the Fidelity investments app for my retirement account. The one app I still use most would probably be my seeking alpha one to read articles on a wide range of securities. I've used, but minimally traded on the E*TRADE app.

An iphone app that I really enjoyed and worked well while I had it was Dividend Predictor by moneypeeps. You can put in your whole number of shares of each stock and it will tally up about what you monthly dividend amount will be, goes down to each day, and also a yearly total and total portfolio yield to account balance.

Anyone else try these apps? Do you use any cool apps to track your investments?

Monday, May 4, 2015

April 2015 Dividend Update


Retirement Plan Stock Image



 
April is over and this semester of classes is picking up with homework, tests, papers, and quizzes. Trying to do my best to balance work, school, and all the costs. Stocks performed well again in April for the most part. Disney has been going up consistently as I add more shares. Marathon Petroleum announced a split which should help my rather small position I have in my Roth IRA.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Recent Buy


A buy has been scheduled for April 27 of The Walt Disney Company (DIS) at the price of $107.80 adding 1.3820 shares to my total. This is part of my regular monthly contributions to try and build up my Disney shares over the long term. The price has jumped to $109 as of the close today which makes the price reasonable. The long term outlook looks really good for most Disney followers. Dividend growth, a split, and buybacks all may be in the future for shareholders.






About Walt Disney via E*Trade: The Walt Disney Company together with its subsidiaries and affiliates is a diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. Media Networks comprise an array of broadcast, cable, radio, publishing and digital businesses across two divisions the Disney/ABC Television Group and ESPN Inc. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (WDP&R) is a provider of family travel and leisure experiences. The Walt Disney Studio brings movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Disney Consumer Products (DCP) delivers product experiences across thousands of categories from toys and apparel to books and fine art. Disney Interactive is a creator of interactive entertainment across all current and emerging digital media platforms.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

CSX Raises Dividend and more



CSX reported a good quarter and decided to raise the dividend and announce a buyback. This holding has been a nice steady contributor both with price slowly moving higher along with a growing dividend. They are building back up from their 3 for 1 split a few years ago. I am happy to own a little bit, but it may be beneficial to look at adding to my position to enjoy more of this news.

From the press release: The CSX of Directors has approved a 13% increase in its quarterly dividend to 18 cents a share, along with a new $2 billion buyback. The new dividend will be paid June 15 to shareholders of record as of May 29.


Photo Source: http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH29241

Monday, April 13, 2015

Market thoughts and 50,000 Pageviews

The stock market has been bouncing around during the first quarter from positive, to negative, and back to unchanged on the year. The volatility is likely to stay around most believe and may be a normal part of investing for the foreseeable future many believe. Traders usually either love or hate this kind of market depending on what side they fall on. There is no reason you cannot be successful at both, but long term dividend investors like many of us tend to ignore the market gurus. Just keep on doing what we need to do to achieve our goals and ambitions to make our way to freedom. There are a lot of interesting headlines and an upcoming election that may influence market direction. I am usually a bullish investor, but also like accumulating at cheaper prices if a correction does occur.

A few stocks to watch that are relatively cheap today I think would be CocaCola, BP, and XOM. I see no reason why these companies would have any trouble over the long term creating shareholder value through dividends and capital gains. The only problem I see potentially being hit out of those 3 names is BP being hurt by the oil price decline and all those fines from the Gulf spill. I still would be willing to put investment money into BP because they are gearing up for tough times and have the dividend as a priority.

I will continue to be investing in The Walt Disney Company stock on a monthly basis and hopefully accumulate a nice stake over time.

On another note my blog has hit 50,000 pageviews since I started it. I am happy and excited for the future posts and interactions with other bloggers and investors. I have been happy with this dividend blogging community and look forward to the rest of 2015 and beyond.

Disclosure: Long DIS, BP, KO, XOM

Thursday, April 2, 2015

March 2015 Dividend Update


Retirement Plan Stock Image




Time seems to be moving fast and I am looking forward to some warmer weather coming our way soon. Well here we are starting the second quarter of the year already. As for many March is usually one of the bigger dividend months for companies because companies like McDonalds, Boeing, ExxonMobil, and Kellogg pay. On top of those and many more Realty Income pays EVERY month. The process and plan seems to be more and more appealing as I watch that income hit all our accounts and enable further growth. School and work are both moving forward in the right direction and I am happy to be able to provide another update.

Friday, March 20, 2015

Recent Buy











I have not been doing much recently except trading a few options here and there. I was looking to get back into regularly buying solid stocks. I realized the opportunity to regularly accumulate more shares of Disney stock than what I already held in an ESPP since the end of 2009, but has now been transferred into a DSPP. The result of that will be monthly contributions of DIS stock which I received in both February and March 2015. Imagine if I was accumulating these shares for the last 5+ years from the cheap prices of those 2008 days. Here are the results of my investments:

Transactions show on March 2, 2015 I bought 1.4132 shares of The Walt Disney Company (DIS) at $105.41 per share.

Transactions show on March 23, 2015 I will have bought 1.4043 shares of The Walt Disney Company (DIS) at $106.08 per share.

Even though these prices are maybe 5 times what I have paid in the past I feel this is a great company for the long term. The annual dividend is not my favorite aspect, but the company just keeps on moving higher. I would like to acquire as many shares as I can and then if a split happens down the road and they move higher again I'll be a very happy shareholder. People will continue watching and buying their movies, merchandise, theme park tickets, and all the different wide range of activities their business participates in. Not even the recent downgrade by an analyst seems to stop the momentum.

What do you think about Disney at these price levels? Thanks for reading.


Photo Source: The Walt Disney Company: Press Release (Google Images)

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

February 2015 Dividend Update

Now that we have 2 months of 2015 in the books it is time to update my dividends for February 2015. This is one of the favorite aspects for many of us when we can tally up our passive income. When it grows consistently we know we are going in the right direction month after month and year from year. Each day I like to believe the light of covering expenses with passive income is getting closer. I would definitely much rather work a job I enjoy than have to settle for ones I don’t exactly desire one day. I would like to thank everyone for their comments and support as you share your journeys and insights.

Monday, February 2, 2015

January 2015 Dividend Update and Goals



It is that time to report on the dividends received over the last month. The last couple years were exciting as we watched more dividend investors take the journey towards focusing on passive income. I personally look forward to many more years of great dividends. I accomplished the goal of paying my car off early and made some progress towards my BBA degree over the last year or so. I did not reach my goal of $2700 in dividends mainly because I could not afford to put too much capital to work and taking on school related debt. I will set the 2015 dividend goal of $2800. I would be really happy to hit $3K this year, but depending how things happen $2800 is a challenge as well. I decided to cut my hours at work nearly in half during the year last year. Another goal is to finish my Bachelor's degree by this year in December if possible.

Friday, January 9, 2015

December 2014 Dividend Update

December was another great month to end the year for dividends. Many are scheduled to pay out in December and a couple companies do special dividends yearly or semi annually on top of their regular payments. Some BDC's, CEF's, and MLP related oil stocks had to cut the dividend. They had to start the new year with a more reasonable dividend policy due to low oil prices and unsustainably high payout ratio. I received 44 dividend payments in December.