When talking about dividend increases, this is us talking about dividend investing, at it’s finest! Given another quarter-end had recently passed, I wanted to reflect on what occurred over the last full-year. I do not mean just any old reflection, but I am going to be specifically talking about dividend increases and their impact on my portfolio this year. Tax reform has been rewarding, as companies have been sending portions of the cost savings to their shareholders.
No everyone, this is not an elaborate April Fools joke. I am actually posting my dividend income article before Lanny this month. Somehow, some way, he has always managed to publish his article first. Well not so fast my friend! I am ready to roll here and review my March dividend income. The final month of every quarter is always my favorite because a large percentage of companies pay their dividend in this month, so each day is action packed. It really makes each day exciting! Let’s take a look and see how much dividend income I received this year and how it compares to the same month last year.
Oddly, this isn’t the first time this thought has popped in to my mind. Last year I wrote a piece title “3 Reasons I Would Sell a Stock.” The listing was created to help me identify holdings that have fallen out of favor in my portfolio or have not performed. After elaborating on the 3 reasons I would sell, I reviewed my portfolio for any stocks that met the criteria. Any takers on guessing which one of the stocks that was discussed in the article? First Energy! Shocker, right? After one heck of a run by the stock that has brought me close to break even, I now find myself asking the question again. Is it finally time to sell my stake in First Energy?
As a dividend investor, I carry a buy and hold mentality with each stock purchase. Once a stock enters my portfolio, it rarely leaves. At least, that is the plan. However, as we all know, whether it is investing or life, circumstances change over time and we have to adapt to the constantly changing environment. For our investments, not all changes are positive and the changes may force us into a corner. Do we continue to hold the stock? Or do we sell? Man does it suck typing that word out. In this article, I am going to discuss 3 scenarios that would cause me to consider selling an investment and review my portfolio to see if any of my holdings fit 1 of the 3 descriptions.
I recently reloaded my Sharebuilder (now Capital One Investing…I know, it will take some time getting used to) with some extra capital and was ready to make a purchase. We recently built a small watch list that had me focused on buying two stocks I already own. But man, what a difference a week can make and after some time, a new stock entered the picture for me. This is a stock Lanny and I have been watching for a while and are huge fans of the stock. Not only is it a Dividend Aristocrat, but it is one of the five stocks we consider a foundation stock for any dividend portfolio. Unfortunately my title gave the purchase away, so let’s see why I initiated a position in Consolidated Edison this week.
I am getting ready to move into a new apartment on July 1st. It is going to start the beginning of an amazing new chapter in my life. I cannot wait. One of the pre-move chores is to set up your new place’s utilities. I shopped the price around to eventually settled on the lowest cost provide. This got me thinking, why not spend some time and run each of the companies I shopped around through the Dividend Diplomats Stock Screener? Continue reading to see how FirstEnergy (Ticker: FE), AEP (Ticker: AEP) and Dominion Resources (Ticker: D) measure up against each other.
As you all can see, Lanny has been littering our blog with posts. I figured it was about time I threw an article out so you all can hear from someone else. This article will discuss a few basic metrics that Lanny and I use while screening for potentially under-valued dividend stocks. The metrics are just the tip of the iceberg, as the investing requires a lot more research. But throughout my investing experience, I have found it very helpful to have a consistent set of metrics while performing the initial stock screening. 
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