Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Expected Dividend Increases for November 2025

As I'm writing this blog post, it's Friday, October 10th. The temperature here in Central Wisconsin is set to reach a high of 67 degrees Fahrenheit later today. There will be intermittent showers throughout the day, but I'll still take this weather for this time of year.

As of yet, I haven't received any dividend raises this month. However, I'm expecting 10 raises. As these are announced, I will update this blog post accordingly.

Actual Dividend Increases for October 2025

As I noted, no dividend raises have been declared yet this month. Since I am reiterating my expectations for each company, I would refer readers to this series' prior blog post.

Expected Dividend Increases for November 2025

Expected Dividend Increase #1: Automatic Data Processing (ADP)

The first dividend hike that I'm expecting for November 2025 will come from Automatic Data Processing. I anticipate that ADP will announce a 9.7% boost in its quarterly dividend per share to $1.69.

My net annual forward dividends would surge $6.60 higher across my 11 shares of ADP from such a dividend announcement.

Expected Dividend Increase #2: Main Street Capital (MAIN)

The next dividend raise that I'm predicting for next month will be from Main Street Capital. My best guess is that MAIN will declare a 2% increase in its monthly dividend per share to $0.26.

Across my 30 shares of MAIN, my net annual forward dividends would grow by $1.80 due to such a dividend declaration.

Expected Dividend Increase #3: Merck (MRK)

The third and final dividend hike that I'm forecasting for November 2025 will come from Merck. My guess is that MRK will announce a 4.9% increase in its quarterly dividend per share to $0.85.

My net annual forward dividends would rise by $3.04 across my 19 shares of MRK from such a dividend announcement.

Concluding Thoughts:

If my dividend/distribution raises for October 2025 play out as predicted, my net annual forward dividends would soar by $48.548 from 10 raises. That would be equivalent to investing $1,618.27 at a 3% net dividend yield.

If my three raises for November 2025 materialize, my net annual forward dividends would increase by $11.44. This would be like investing $381.33 at a 3% dividend yield.

Discussion:

How has your month been to date for dividend hikes?

Have you received any first-time payout boosts in October 2025?

Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment below!

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

November 2025 Stock Watch List

As I'm writing this blog post, it's Friday, October 3rd. The temperature here in Central Wisconsin is set to reach a high of 87 degrees Fahrenheit later today. Better yet, a partly sunny forecast is predicted throughout today. Unsurprisingly, I'm going to be spending time outside today.

I have already deployed my initial capital for this month. So, I'm likely done with capital deployment for the month. That's why I will be turning my attention to potential stock buys for November 2025. Without further ado, let's jump into it!

Stock #1: Carlisle Companies (CSL)

Initially, my plan was to run back MercadoLibre from my October 2025 Stock Watch List blog post. However, I found out that Charles Schwab doesn't support fractional shares for any companies besides S&P 500 index constituents. As a result, I have pivoted to Carlisle Companies.

In my September 2025 Stock Purchases blog post, I outlined the gist of my investment thesis. Aging U.S. infrastructure and CSL's history of savvy bolt-on acquisitions are growth tailwinds. The company's investment-grade balance sheet and low dividend payout ratio give it flexibility for more bolt-on acquisitions in the future. I also believe CSL's dividend is positioned for double-digit percentage growth. At the $332 share price, the stock is priced at a P/E ratio of 15.3. This is significantly less than the 10-year average P/E ratio of 20.5 and my fair value of $400 a share (18.5 P/E ratio).

Stock #2: Novo Nordisk (NVO)

The next stock on my watch list for next month is Novo Nordisk. Interested readers can find my investment thesis in my August 2025 Dividend Stock Purchases blog post.

I believe NVO's drug portfolio and pipeline. This is why I think the company can deliver strong annual earnings growth for the foreseeable future. NVO's balance sheet is nearly flawless, with an AA S&P credit rating. The 2.6% dividend yield is also well-covered. At the current $59 share price, the stock is trading at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 15. That's well below the 10-year average P/E ratio of 27 and my fair value P/E ratio in the low-20 range ($84 a share).

Stock #3: ONEOK (OKE)

The third stock on my watch list for November 2025 is ONEOK. Curious readers can peruse my investment thesis on OKE in my October 2025 Stock Watch List blog post or my August 2025 Seeking Alpha article.

OKE continues to have catalysts to drive mid- to high-single-digit OCF per share growth in the coming years. The company's BBB S&P credit rating is another plus. Lastly, the stock is trading at a forward 12-month P/OCF ratio of 6.9 from the current $73 share price. OKE's 5.7% dividend yield is quite safe, too. This is less than the 10-year average P/OCF ratio of 9.7 and my fair value P/OCF ratio of 8.7 ($92 a share).

Concluding Thoughts:

There we have it. I'm running back OKE. I'm also eager to add to my stakes in CSL and NVO. Overall, I'm planning on a 45% weight for CSL, 30% weight for OKE, and 25% weight for NVO, respectively. These weights could provide a yield in the high-2% range, outsized growth potential, and meaningful valuation upside.

Discussion:

Are any of CSL, NVO, or OKE on your watch list for November 2025?

If not, what stocks are you considering buying next month?

I appreciate your readership and welcome your comments below!

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

September 2025 Dividend Income

As I'm writing this blog post, it's Friday, September 26th. The temperature here in Central Wisconsin is set to reach a high of 76 degrees Fahrenheit later today. Better yet, the forecast is for a mostly sunny day. So, I'm certainly hoping to spend time outside in a bit!

With that aside, the end of the month is right around the corner. Thus, I will be briefly highlighting my net dividends collected in September 2025. Without further ado, let's jump into it!

Net Dividends Are Steadily Growing

In September 2025, I received $623.20 in net dividends (including ADR fees for BAM in my taxable account). Compared to the $615.38 in net dividends collected in June 2025, that's equivalent to a 1.3% quarterly growth rate.

Against the $543.81 in net dividends received in September 2024, this equates to a 14.6% year-over-year growth rate.

In my Charles Schwab account, I collected $369.96 in net dividends from 39 companies.

I also received $138.34 in net dividends from 14 companies within my Fidelity IRA portfolio.

In my other retirement account, I collected $95.17 in net dividends from my Capital Income Builder mutual fund. A higher share count from automatically reinvesting the prior dividend led to this uptick.

Lastly, I received $19.73 in net dividends from seven companies within my Webull portfolio. The 12.5% boost in Wells Fargo's (WFC) quarterly dividend per share to $0.45 was to credit for this slight growth.

Concluding Thoughts:

The dividend growth portfolio continues to progress. By God's grace, American capitalism, and consistent capital deployment/selective dividend reinvestment, I hope to sustain this momentum.

Discussion:

How was your September 2025 for dividend income?

Did you receive any first-time dividends during the month as I did with EQIX?

Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments below!

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

September 2025 Stock Purchases/Sales

As I'm writing this blog post, it's currently Friday, September 19th. The temperature here in Central Wisconsin is set to reach a high of 73 degrees Fahrenheit later today. Thus, I'm planning on getting outside in a bit!

With that aside, I'm most likely done allocating capital this month. So, without further ado, I'm going to be outlining my stock purchases and stock sale for September 2025.

Stock #1: Amazon (AMZN)

My first stock purchase for the month was another four shares of Amazon at an average price per share of $225.03. Curious readers can find my investment thesis in my September 2025 Stock Watch List blog post and in this recent Seeking Alpha article.

Stock #2: ONEOK (OKE)

The next stock that I completed in September was an additional 12 shares of ONEOK at an average cost of $75.92 per share. Intrigued readers can check out my investment thesis in my September 2025 Stock Watch List blog post linked earlier or my August Seeking Alpha article. This move upped my net annual forward dividends by $49.44, which equates to a 5.43% net dividend yield.

Stock #3: Union Pacific (UNP)

The third stock purchase for the month was two more shares of Union Pacific at an average price per share of $222. Readers can peruse my investment thesis in my aforementioned September 2025 Stock Watch List blog post. My net annual forward dividends increased by $11.04, which is equivalent to a 2.49% dividend yield.

Bonus Stock: Brookfield Asset Management (BAM)

I also added two shares of Brookfield Asset Management at an average cost of $58.52 per share. Interested readers can find my investment thesis in a Seeking Alpha article from earlier this month. My net annual forward dividends grew by $3.50, which works out to be a 2.99% net dividend yield.

Stock Sales: Hershey (HSY) and Alphabet (GOOGL)

I closed out my five share position in Hershey at an average share price of $190.81. HSY is trading at a forward P/E ratio of nearly 30, which is significantly above the 10-year average P/E ratio of 23.5. I'm confident that HSY can execute its turnaround. However, I believe it's already priced into the stock. This move reduced my net annual forward dividends by $27.40.

I also closed an 11 share position in Alphabet (GOOGL) in my Fidelity IRA at $254.89 a share (~20% of my overall position at a 55% gain, bringing GOOGL down to just under 6% of my portfolio). To be clear, I'm still a long-term believer in the stock. I just viewed this as an opportunity to right-size the portfolio weight with no tax consequences. This reduced my net annual forward dividends by $9.24.

Stock Purchases: NextEra Energy (NEE) and Carlisle Companies (CSL)

I redeployed the proceeds into buying 13 shares of NextEra Energy at an average cost of $70.66 a share. The investment thesis for this decision can be found in my October 2025 Stock Watch List blog post. My net annual forward dividends grew by $29.458 due to this move.

I also purchased an eight share starter position in Carlisle Companies at an average cost per share of $333.85. Interested readers can check out my investment thesis in this May Seeking Alpha listicle

Basically, CSL is an established player in the building envelope products industry. Economic development means plenty of new buildings requiring the company's materials will be constructed. More than half of U.S. non-residential buildings are over 35 years old. This will lead to tons of re-roofing demand. CSL's balance sheet is also investment-grade. The 1.3% dividend yield beats the S&P 500 index and looks set to keep growing at a double-digit pace each year. Finally, the stock is trading just above 15x forward earnings. That's well below the 10-year average P/E ratio of 20.5, which positions CSL for potential multiple expansion. This move added $35.20 to my net annual forward dividends.

Concluding Thoughts:

In September, I invested $2,372.17 in capital. My net annual forward dividends from these moves rose by $63.98, which equates to a 2.70% net dividend yield. Capital redeployment increased my net annual forward dividends by $28.018.

Dividend increases have lifted my net annual forward dividends by $18.028 to this point. Upward adjustments in foreign dividend payers like BTI and NVO also were positives. If my remaining raise materialize, my net annual forward dividends would rise from $6,245 at the start of September to $6,375 to head into October.

Discussion:

How was your capital deployment for September 2025?

Did you close any positions during the month as I did with HSY?

Thank you for reading and please feel free to comment below!