March 2026 Stock Purchases

As I'm writing this blog post, it's Saturday, April 4th. It's Easter weekend, but it doesn't feel like it here in Central Wisconsin. The high temperature is set to reach just 42 degrees Fahrenheit today (10+ degrees below the average for this time of year). At any rate, I'm still thrilled that it's Easter weekend.

With that aside, I will be highlighting my stock purchases in March 2026. Let's get into it!

Stock Purchase #1: Automatic Data Processing (ADP)

The first stock purchase that I completed in March 2026 was an additional three shares of Automatic Data Processing at an average price per share of $215.71. In my March 2026 Stock Watch List blog post, I laid out the rationale for why I've been adding ADP lately. The $20.40 boost in my net annual forward dividends is equivalent to a 3.15% net dividend yield.

Stock Purchase #2: Amazon.com (AMZN)

I also purchased another four shares of Amazon.com last month at an average cost of $203.92 per share. Readers can peruse my March 2026 Stock Watch List blog post linked above for my investment thesis.

Stock Purchase #3: Microsoft (MSFT)

The third stock purchase that I executed in March 2026 was an additional two shares of Microsoft at an average price per share of $396.17. Curious readers can find my investment thesis in my March 2026 Stock Watch List blog post linked earlier. The $7.28 in net annual forward dividends added from this transaction works out to a 0.92% dividend yield.

Stock Purchase #4: Western Midstream Partners (WES)

I also added another 22 units of Western Midstream Partners at an average cost of $41.49 a unit. Once again, I outlined my investment thesis in the March 2026 Stock Watch List blog post earlier. That lifted my net annual forward distributions by $81.84, which equates to an 8.97% net distribution yield.

Stock Purchase #5: VICI Properties (VICI)

The fifth stock purchase that I executed in March 2026 was three more shares of VICI Properties at an average price of $27.05 per share. I would refer interested readers to my April 2026 Stock Watch List blog post for my investment thesis for the net lease REIT. This added $5.40 to my net annual forward dividends, which is equivalent to a 6.65% net dividend yield.

Bonus Stock Purchase #1: Broadcom (AVGO)

I also picked up another three shares of Broadcom at an average cost per share of $315.38. I won't dive too deeply into it, but I'm basically very encouraged by AVGO's immense compounding potential (66%, ~60%, and ~22% non-GAAP EPS consensus growth projections for FY 2026 through FY 2028), the reasonable valuation of its shares (the forward 12-month P/E ratio is currently around 22x), an A-rated balance sheet, and a dividend with room to keep compounding at a double-digit percentage rate annually. That raised my net annual forward dividends by $7.80, which works out to a 0.82% net dividend yield.

Bonus Stock Purchase #2: BlackRock (BLK)

Finally, I purchased one share of BlackRock at a price of $937.97. Readers can find my most recent investment thesis in a Seeking Alpha article co-produced with Treading Softly. Essentially, I believe the string of private markets acquisitions will be instrumental in improving the company's adjusted operating margin. That would especially be the case if the trillions of dollars in retirement accounts were allowed to be modestly allocated to private equity/credit. BLK's AA- S&P credit rating makes it a juggernaut with a low cost of capital that can scoop up complementary assets. The recent double-digit percentage dividend hike and manageable payout ratio are additional positives. Finally, shares are also cheap relative to my fair value estimate above $1,100. This move added $22.72 to my net annual forward dividends, which equates to a 2.42% net dividend yield.

Concluding Thoughts:

In March 2026, I put $5,237.83 in net capital to work (including CAIBX mutual fund dividend reinvestment in my former employer-sponsored retirement account). My net annual forward dividends grew by $148.642 from capital deployment, which is equivalent to a 2.84% weighted-average net dividend yield.

In addition, my net annual forward dividends rose by $9.238 from the dividend raises that I received in March 2026. That's how my net annual forward dividends jumped from around $7,090 entering the month to nearly $7,235 at the end of the month (including modest downward adjustments in ADR net annual forward dividends, including Enbridge, British American Tobacco, Novo Nordisk, and GSK).

Discussion:

How was your March 2026 for capital deployment?

Did you open any new positions or close any positions during the month?

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

March 2026 Dividend Income

As I'm writing this blog, it's Saturday, March 28th. The high temperature is set to reach 45 degrees Fahrenheit here in Central Wisconsin, which is about what one would expect for this time of the year.

Since the month is almost complete, I will take a moment to highlight my net dividend income for March 2026. Let's get into it!

Net Income Was Almost $700

In March 2026, I received $694.11 in net dividends (including ADR fees for BAM in my taxable accounts). Sequentially, this is down 2% over the $708.24 in net dividends collected in December 2025. Backing out $85.67 in net special dividends in December (after the $10 annual fee), my net dividends would have grown by 11.5% sequentially.

Compared to the $583.10 in net dividends that I received in March 2025, this equates to a 19% year-over-year growth rate.

In my Charles Schwab account, I collected $397.81 in net dividends from 40 companies. The timing of PepsiCo's (PEP) dividend payment was only partially offset by the timing of Coca-Cola's (KO) dividend payment and my sale of Viatris (VTRS) in February 2026. My additions to Microsoft (MSFT) and Meta Platforms (META) in December 2025 also contributed to this uptick in income. Additions to Visa (V) in January 2026 chipped in as well.

I received $170.87 in net dividends from 15 companies within my Robinhood IRA. Purchases of BAM, MSFT, and META drove this uptick in income in the portfolio.

My net dividends collected in retirement account (when I was an employee at my first full-time job) from the Capital Income Builder (CAIBX) mutual fund was $104.64. A 3.2% uptick in the quarterly dividend per share and a higher share count from dividend reinvestment were behind this higher income.

In my Webull portfolio, I received $20.79 in net dividends from seven companies.

Concluding Thoughts:

March 2026 was yet another robust month for the portfolio. Through the first quarter of 2026, my net dividends were up 24% over Q1 2025. By the grace of God, I believe that this compounding can not only continue but accelerate through greater capital contributions moving forward than I would have anticipated only a few months ago.

Discussion:

How was your March 2026 for dividend income?

Did you receive any first-time dividends in the month?

Thanks for your readership and please feel free to comment below!

Expected Dividend Increases for April 2026

As I'm writing this blog post, it's currently Friday, March 20th. The temperature here in Central Wisconsin is going to reach a high of 57 degrees Fahrenheit later today. Tomorrow is going to be even better, with the high set to be 65 degrees. Needless to say, I'm aiming to spend some time outside over the next few days!

Now that the month is almost over, I have received all the dividend raises that I'm expecting for March 2026. With that said, I will be going over the raises announced in recent weeks and looking ahead to next month. Let's get into it!

Actual Dividend Increases for March 2026

Dividend Increase #1: American Tower (AMT)

American Tower declared a 5.3% raise in its quarterly dividend per share to $1.79. This was $0.01 shy of my prediction of a 5.9% boost to $1.80.

My net annual forward dividends grew by $2.16 across my six shares of AMT from this dividend declaration.

Dividend Increase #2: General Dynamics (GD)

As anticipated, General Dynamics announced a 6% increase in its quarterly dividend per share to $1.59.

Across my six shares of GD, my net annual forward dividends rose by $2.16 due to this dividend announcement.

Dividend Increase #3: Realty Income (O)

As I predicted, Realty Income, declared a 0.2% bump in its monthly dividend per share to $0.2705.

My net annual forward dividends edged $0.918 higher across my 153 shares from this dividend declaration.

Dividend Increase #4: Williams-Sonoma (WSM)

Once again, Williams-Sonoma came up big for me. The company upped its quarterly dividend per share by 15.2% to $0.76. Across my 10 shares of WSM, my net annual forward dividends rose by $4 due to this dividend announcement.

Dividend Freeze: JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced a $1.50 quarterly dividend per share, which was in line with the previous. Barring stress test results this summer, that changes my expectations for the next raise in September to a 10% raise to $1.65.

Expected Dividend Increases for April 2026

Expected Dividend Increase #1: Agree Realty (ADC)

The first dividend raise that I'm expecting for April 2026 will be from Agree Realty. My best guess is that ADC will declare a 2.3% increase in its monthly dividend per share to $0.268 (it's also worth noting that ADC raises its payout twice a year).

My net annual forward dividends would rise by $1.44 across my 20 shares of ADC from such a dividend declaration.

Expected Dividend Increase #2: American Water Works (AWK)

The next payout boost that I am predicting for next month will come from American Water Works. I believe that AWK will announce a 7.6% raise in its quarterly dividend per share to $0.89.

Across my eight shares of AWK, my net annual forward dividends would grow by $2 due to such a dividend announcement.

Expected Distribution Increase #3: Energy Transfer (ET)

The third distribution bump that I'm projecting for April will be from Energy Transfer. My guess is that ET will declare a 0.7% increase in its quarterly distribution per unit to $0.3375.

My net annual forward distributions would rise by $2.07 across my 207 units from such a distribution declaration.

Expected Dividend Increase #4: Alphabet (GOOGL)

The final dividend raise that I am expecting for next month will come from Alphabet. My best guess is that GOOGL will announce a 4.8% increase in its quarterly dividend per share to $0.22.

Across my 43 shares of GOOGL, my net annual forward dividends would grow by $1.72 due to such a dividend announcement.

Concluding Thoughts:

My net annual forward dividends grew by $9.238 in March 2026. That would be like investing $307.93 at a 3% yield.

If the four raises that I'm projecting for April 2026 materialize, my net annual forward dividends will have increased by $7.23. This would be equivalent to investing $241 at a 3% net dividend yield.

Discussion:

How was your March 2026 for dividend raises?

Did you receive any first-time payout boosts during the month?

I appreciate your readership and welcome your comments below!

April 2026 Stock Watch List

As I'm writing this blog post, it's Monday, March 16th. The temperature here in Central Wisconsin is expected to reach a high of 22 degrees Fahrenheit later today. On top of this seasonally cold weather, we have received about 18 inches of cumulative snowfall in less than 48 hours.

Now that I have completed my stock purchases for March 2026, I'm going to look ahead to stocks on my watch list for next month. Let's dive into it!

Stock #1: Automatic Data Processing (ADP)

Once again, the first stock on my watch list for the next month is Automatic Data Processing (running it back again after it was my first pick in my March 2026 Stock Watch List blog post and my February 2026 Stock Watch List blog post). Interested readers can find my investment thesis in this Seeking Alpha article from earlier this month.

Basically, ADP beat analyst estimates for revenue and adjusted diluted EPS (doing so in 19 and 20 out of the last 20 quarters, respectively). The HCM software company is now guiding for 9% to 10% adjusted diluted EPS growth in FY 2026 (up from 8% to 10%). Realistically, I believe that high single-digit to low double-digit percentage annual adjusted diluted EPS growth can continue through mid single-digit percentage annual revenue growth, incremental margin expansion, and share buybacks.

The nearly 3.3% dividend yield is also secure, with the adjusted diluted EPS payout ratio poised to be in the high-50% range for FY 2026 and the FCF payout ratio positioned to be in the low-50% range for FY 2026. ADP's balance sheet continues to enjoy an AA- S&P credit rating with a stable outlook.

GNG Research

Finally, shares are substantially discounted. My friends over at GNG Research peg ADP's fair value at $345 a share (a nearly 40% discount to fair value). While I apply a slightly more conservative fair value multiple of 25.5 (in line with the 20-year average P/E ratio and about one standard deviation below the FAST Graphs 10-year average multiple of 28.6), this still produces a fair value per share estimate of $298. Relative to the current $209 share price, that equates to a still very compelling 30% discount to fair value (a forward 12-month P/E ratio of just 17.9).

Stock #2: Microsoft (MSFT)

The second stock on my watch list for April 2026 is Microsoft. Just like I've been pounding the table on ADP, I've been doing so even more on MSFT. It has appeared in each of my first four stock watch list blog posts to begin 2026.

Just as I indicated in my previous blog post, MSFT's growth outlook remains tremendous. At a macro level, cloud computing and enterprise software are fast-growing markets to fuel teens percentage annual non-GAAP diluted EPS growth for the foreseeable future. On a more company-specific level, MSFT's commercial remaining performance obligation backlog more than doubled to $625 billion in its most recent quarter, as I outlined in this Dividend Kings listicle.

Then, there's the fact that it's the only tech company with a flawless AAA S&P credit rating. Along with an EPS payout ratio set to be in the low-20% range for FY 2026, this makes the 0.9% yield very safe. This is why I contend that MSFT should have no problem delivering 10%+ annual dividend growth to become a Dividend Aristocrat by the end of the decade.

From the current $399 share price, the stock is trading at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of just 21.8. That's well below the 10-year average P/E ratio of 29 and 22% under my fair value P/E ratio of 28 ($513 a share).

Stock #3: NVIDIA (NVDA)

Next up on my watch list for next month is NVIDIA. This is a pick I haven't added to since last May.

On its face, it would seem insane to claim that after rallying 61% over that time, I like NVDA about as much now as I did almost 10 months ago... Until I consider that the company's non-GAAP diluted EPS rocketed about 60% higher in FY 2026 to $4.77.

This growth is showing no signs of slowing down in FY 2027, either. The analyst consensus is for non-GAAP diluted EPS to soar another 70% to $8.11. CEO Jensen Huang noted on the most recent earnings call that the agentic AI era has arrived. These autonomous systems will perform more complex tasks than earlier generative AI, which will require continuous, high-performance inference, which should broaden demand beyond initial model training.

Even as hyperscalers are developing internal silicon to address supply bottlenecks amid soaring customer demand, NVDA's Blackwell architecture appears to have exceptional pricing power. That's helping the company to routinely maintain gross margins above 70%.

NVDA's balance sheet is phenomenal, too. The company boasts an AA- S&P credit rating with a stable outlook.

Bringing everything full circle, shares are trading at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of just 21.7 at the current $183 share price. This is well below the 10-year average P/E ratio of 44.3 and the 20-year average P/E ratio of 35.1. I believe that NVDA's move into software and networking can conservatively support a fair value P/E ratio of around 30. That would imply a fair value per share of $252, which would be a 28% discount to fair value.

Stock #4: UnitedHealth Group (UNH)

The fourth stock on my watch list for next month is UnitedHealth Group. I haven't added to this one since last August at $236 a share. Curious readers can find my updated and comprehensive thesis in this Dividend Kings deep dive.

The gist of my investment thesis is as follows: I'm convinced that UNH can unlock cost savings through AI efficiencies, become more efficient by leaving unprofitable markets, and further tapping into value-based care. Beyond the high single-digit adjusted diluted EPS growth forecasted for this year, these moves should return UNH to double-digit percentage growth in 2027 and beyond.

In the meantime, the managed care giant sports an A+ S&P credit rating with a stable outlook. The 3.1% dividend is also well-supported by a payout ratio slated to be in the high-40% to low-50% range for 2026. That has me confident that UNH can return to double-digit percentage dividend growth in 2027.

GNG Research

From the current $285 share price, the stock is priced at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 15.7. For more context, that's well below the 10-year average of 20.5 and 21% below my fair value per share estimate of $364 (20 P/E ratio). This also represents a roughly 22% discount to the GNG Research fair value per share estimate of $365.

Stock #5: VICI Properties (VICI)

The final stock on my watch list for April 2026 is VICI Properties. My investment thesis is basically unchanged from when I last added to my position in January 2026.

The crux of my thesis is that VICI's world-class experiential properties are irreplaceable. Its annual contractual lease escalators and incremental acquisition activity provide a realistic path to 3% to 4% annual AFFO per share growth over the long haul.

VICI's 6.2% dividend yield is also arguably sustainable. The payout ratio is likely to be in the mid-70% range in 2026, which gives the net lease REIT the retained AFFO needed to keep fueling future growth, and a cushion for further payout raises. VICI's BBB- S&P credit rating with a stable outlook is another positive.

GNG Research

At the current $29 share price, the stock is trading at a forward 12-month P/AFFO ratio of 11.7. This is well below the seven-year average P/AFFO ratio of 15.7 and 16% less than my fair value per share estimate of $34 (14 P/AFFO ratio). That's also about 12% below the GNG Research fair value per share estimate of roughly $33.

Concluding Thoughts:

That's it for today. I'm planning on a 24% allocation to VICI, a 22% allocation to NVDA, a 20% allocation to UNH, a 19% allocation to MSFT, and a 15% allocation to ADP. This blend of value and growth offers a high-2% starting yield and potentially strong capital appreciation over the next several years.

Discussion:

Are any of ADP, MSFT, NVDA, UNH, or VICI on your watch list for April 2026?

If not, what stocks are you watching for next month?

Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment below!