August 2026 Stock Watch List

As I'm writing this blog post, it's currently Tuesday, July 14th. The temperature here in Central Wisconsin is set to reach a high of 94 degrees Fahrenheit later today, with a heat index above 100 degrees! In fact, there's a heat advisory in place until tonight. Needless to say, I'll be drinking even more water than usual and spending much less time outside.

Now that August is only a couple of weeks away, I will be highlighting some of the picks on my watch list for next month. Let's jump into it!

Stock #1: Accenture plc (ACN)

The first stock on my watch list for August 2026 is Accenture plc. For my investment thesis, curious readers can peruse my recent listicle with Treading Softly on The Dividend Kings.

Basically, ACN takes care of the most important business functions for over 9,000 clients in 120 countries. These include finance/accounting, human resources, supply chains, and marketing/sales. Despite meaningful geopolitical disruptions, the mid single-digit percentage topline growth (+5.6% to $18.72 billion) in Q3 2026. ACN's adjusted EPS jumped 8.9% to $3.80 during the quarter.

The company's recent launch of Accenture Edge to target the $240 billion addressable market of middle-market companies ($300 million to $3 billion in annual revenue) is a significant growth opportunity. By offering ready-to-deploy solutions that package their large-enterprise expertise for smaller clients, this is poised to drive topline growth for years to come. 

Along with a $9 billion acquisition budget for FY 2026, ACN is insulating its business against AI automation of traditional consulting services. Aside from being supported by its free cash flows, the company also leverages an AA- S&P credit rating that provides a low cost of capital for acquisitions.

This is why I'm confident that the company can put up 6% to 7% annual adjusted EPS growth over the next several years.

ACN's 4.8% dividend yield is also well-covered. That's supported by an adjusted EPS payout ratio poised to be in the upper-40% range for FY 2026. This should allow for 8% to 10% annual dividend growth over the next few years, which is very compelling when mixed with ACN's generous starting income.

GNG Research

At the current $135 share price, shares are trading at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of just 9.3. This is a fraction of the FAST Graphs 10-year average P/E ratio of 25.7 and my fair value multiple of 20 (a $291 fair value per share estimate). That implies shares are priced at a 54% discount to my fair value estimate. When using the $347 fair value per share estimate of my friends over at GNG Research, the discount to fair value is an even more striking 61%.

Stock #2: Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN)

The next stock on my watch list for next month is Amazon.com, Inc. Interested readers can find my investment thesis in a May Seeking Alpha article.

The gist is that AMZN sits at the intersection of numerous growth tailwinds, including a thriving e-commerce/Ads/subscription business, quickly growing AWS sales, and a soaring customer silicon business. 

Further e-commerce retail growth is going to be made possible by a combination of price competitiveness (the average prices of products offered on Amazon in Q1 2026 decreased versus Q1 2025), expansion of its massive selection (it added 600-plus new notable brands in Q1 2026), and leaning even more into convenience (perishable sales were up 40x year-over-year and Rufus agentic AI shopping assistant active users were up 115% while engagement was up nearly 400%).

AWS's backlog almost doubled over the year-ago period (+92.6%) to $364 billion (excluding a $100 billion deal with Anthropic in April) in Q1 2026. Sequentially, this was up 49.2% from Q4 2025.

And even though AMZN's chips business is mostly for AWS, the roughly $50 billion annual run rate would be the third biggest on the planet if it were its own business, trailing only NVIDIA and Broadcom. Of the portion sold to other customers, the annual run rate surpassed $20 billion in Q1 2026 (a triple-digit percentage year-over-year growth rate).

AMZN's balance sheet is also spectacular, with an AA S&P credit rating and a stable outlook. For these reasons, operating cash flow per share is forecasted to grow by 25%+ annually over the medium term.

At the current $247 share price, the stock is also trading at a forward 12-month P/OCF ratio of just 12.9. This is far below the FAST Graphs 10-year average P/OCF ratio of 23.5 and 36% under my $384 fair value per share estimate (a fair value P/OCF ratio of 20).

Stock #3: BlackRock, Inc. (BLK)

The third stock on my watch list for August 2026 is BlackRock, Inc. Readers can find my investment thesis in my April Seeking Alpha article.

Basically, BLK is fundamentally thriving. Robust market performance in its higher-fee public markets book and client demand for international iShares ETF exposure are driving fee expansion. Organic base fees grew 8% in Q1 2026, which was the highest first quarter growth in the past five years and seventh straight quarter over the 5% target.

As corporate profits continue to expand over time, this will also drive further assets under management/revenue/adjusted diluted EPS growth for BLK. The potential for alt-inclusive 401(k) options to begin launching in 2027 could represent a catalyst for the company in terms of significantly higher fees over time (even with relatively modest allocation to private alternatives in target-date funds).

That's why solidly double-digit percentage annual adjusted diluted EPS growth over the next few years is arguably the base case for BLK. The balance sheet is also a fortress, with an AA- S&P credit rating and a stable outlook. Combined with an adjusted diluted EPS payout ratio poised to be in the low-40% range in 2026, this makes the 2.2% dividend yield reasonably secure.

GNG Research

The stock is also a decent value. At the current $1,025 share price, BLK is priced at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 17.5. That's less than the 10-year average P/E ratio of 20.7 and is 12% below my $1,169 fair value per share estimate (a fair value multiple of 20). Relative to the GNG Research fair value per share estimate of $1,253, the discount is even more pronounced at 18%.

Stock #4: Domino's Pizza, Inc. (DPZ)

The next stock on my watch list for next month is Domino's Pizza, Inc.

Having just added this position to my portfolio earlier this month, this one is a newcomer for me. I have observed DPZ for years and covered it several times in my time at The Motley Fool. A major positive to me is that 99% of the 22,000-plus Domino's stores are owned by independent franchisees. Since franchisees fund the capex for new store openings and day-to-day operations, the parent company maintains a very efficient, capital-light profile. 

This allows for corporate cash flow to be recycled into share buybacks, dividends, and into R&D for their digital-ordering ecosystem. That is what enabled DPZ to be one of the best long-term performers in the stock market up until the stock price's peak just a few years ago. As the franchise network grows, the supply chain volume of the dough and ingredients distribution business also grows, creating operating leverage.

While DPZ's growth has slowed down from the sky-high pandemic pace, it remains respectable. The FAST Graphs analyst consensus is for diluted EPS to compound at around 9% annually over the next few years. 

The interest coverage ratio leaves a bit to be desired at 5.3x in Q1 2026, but it was an improvement over 5x in Q1 2025. It's also worth noting that the capital-light business model affords it more flexibility than most companies in this regard.

DPZ's 2.6% dividend yield is arguably sustainable, too. The diluted EPS payout ratio is likely to register in the low-40% range in 2026. That should leave plenty of room for 10%+ annual dividend growth for the foreseeable future.

DPZ's valuation is also quite appealing. At the current $310 share price, the stock is trading at a forward 12-month P/E ratio of only 15.5. This is much lower than the FAST Graphs 10-year average P/E ratio of 30.3 and is 23% below my $401 fair value per share estimate (a fair value P/E ratio of 20).

Stock #5: NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA)

The fifth stock on my watch list for August 2026 is NVIDIA Corporation. This one has been no stranger to my watch list in 2026. As such, I would refer interested readers to my July 2026 Dividend Stock Watch List blog post for the sake of brevity.

GNG Research

Concluding Thoughts:

There you have it. Applying my currently planned allocations, my weighted average net dividend yield will be just above 2.1% (I'll add a small stake in an existing high-quality income stock to bump this up to 2.3% or 2.4%). Once again, I believe this basket of stocks provides a solid mix of market-beating income, exceptional value, and double-digit percentage blended earnings/OCF growth potential.

Discussion:

Are any of ACN, AMZN, BLK, DPZ, or NVDA on your watch list for August 2026?

If not, what stocks are you watching in the coming weeks?

Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment below!

June 2026 Dividend Stock Purchases/Sale

As I'm writing this blog post, it's currently Tuesday, July 7th, 2026. The temperature here in Central Wisconsin reached a high of 86 degrees Fahrenheit (with a heat index of 90) earlier today.

Now that the month of June is behind us, I will be taking a moment to briefly outline my dividend stock purchases and sale for the month. Let's dig into it!

Dividend Stock Purchase #1: American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK)

I added another 10 shares of American Water Works at an average price per share of $122.47. In my June 2026 Stock Watch List blog post, I discussed my investment thesis for AWK. This added $35.80 to my portfolio's net annual forward dividends, which is equivalent to a 2.92% net dividend yield.

Dividend Stock Purchase #2: Mastercard Incorporated (MA)

My next purchase was two more shares of Mastercard at an average cost of $491.48 a share. Interested readers can once again reference my June 2026 Stock Watch List blog post for my investment thesis. The transaction increased my net annual forward dividends by $6.96, which equates to a 0.71% net dividend yield.

Dividend Stock Purchase #3: Main Street Capital Corporation (MAIN)

I boosted my position in Main Street Capital by 20 shares at an average price per share of $51.68. Originally, I was going to add to my position in MPLX LP. It ran up a bit too much for my liking, so I instead decided to add to MAIN. In my view, the BDC is basically a wonderful business trading just below value value from here. Along with modest NII per share growth, this should provide a path to low double-digit percentage annual total returns over the medium term. This lifted my net annual forward dividends by $87.60, which works out to an 8.48% net dividend yield.

Dividend Stock Purchase #4: Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)

My next purchase was three more shares of Microsoft at an average cost of $464.14 a share. Curious readers can peruse my investment thesis in my June 2026 Stock Watch List blog post linked earlier. The $10.92 increase in net annual forward dividends is equivalent to a 0.78% net dividend yield.

Dividend Stock Purchase #5: NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA)

I also increased my position in NVIDIA Corporation by another four shares at an average price per share of $220.62. Readers can pore over my thesis in the June 2026 Stock Watch List blog post linked earlier. This helped my net annual forward dividends to edge $4 higher, which equates to a 0.45% net dividend yield.

Stock Sale: FedEx Freight Holding Company Inc. (FDXF)

Upon receiving a couple of shares of FedEx Freight Holding Company Inc. upon completion of the spinoff from FedEx Corporation, I decided to ultimately part ways with this very small position at $165.83 apiece. Since FDXF doesn't pay a dividend, this move didn't reduce my net annual forward dividends.

Dividend Stock Purchase: Genpact Limited (G)

I redeployed the proceeds into another 12 shares of Genpact Limited at an average cost of $27.69 a share. Readers can find my thoughts in my May 2026 Stock Purchases/Sale blog post. This works out to a 2.71% net dividend yield.

Concluding Thoughts:

In June 2026, I deployed $5,622.07 in net capital (including $105.28 in net dividends from my CAIBX mutual fund holding in my former employer-sponsored account. Including the $9 increase from capital deployment, my net annual forwards rose by $154.28. That's equivalent to a 2.74% net dividend yield.

My net annual forward dividends grew by $3.478 from dividend announcements in June 2026 (not counting downward adjustments in ADR dividends due to currency translation). These variables lifted my net annual forward dividends from $7,620 heading into the month to roughly $7,770 moving into July 2026.

Discussion:

How was your capital deployment in June 2026?

Did you close any positions as I did with FDXF (or open any new positions) during the month?

I appreciate your readership and welcome your comments below!

June 2026 Dividend Income

As I'm writing this blog post, it's currently Tuesday, June 30th. The temperature here in Central Wisconsin hit a high of 92 degrees Fahrenheit and a heat index of 104 earlier today! Needless to say, I didn't spend much time at all outside today.

Now that the month is over, I'll briefly highlight my net dividend income for June 2026. Without further ado, let's dig into it!

Net Dividend Income Topped $750

In June 2026, I collected $750.91 in net dividends (including ADR fees for BAM). Sequentially, this was up 8.2% over the $694.11 in net dividends received in March 2026.

Against the $615.38 in net dividends collected in June 2025, this is equivalent to a 22% year-over-year growth rate.

In my taxable Robinhood account (formerly my Charles Schwab account), I received $427.06 from 37 companies. The lower company count versus March 2026 was specifically due to the sales of United Parcel Service (UPS) and Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) in February 2026, as well as the sale of Aflac (AFL) in May 2026.

In my Robinhood IRA portfolio, I collected $171.90 in net dividends from 16 companies. The extra company in the portfolio that paid a dividend here was Meta Platforms (META), which I added to the IRA back in February 2026.

I also received $105.28 in net dividends from my Capital Income Builder (CAIBX) mutual fund in a retirement account from my employer out of college. The higher share count led to a slight increase in my net dividends from this source.

In my Fidelity solo 401k account, I collected $25.73 in net dividends from six companies. Since this was just opened in April, all of the income from this account was new to me.

Finally, I received $20.94 from seven companies in my Webull portfolio.

Concluding Thoughts:

June 2026 represented another passive income milestone for the portfolio, with net dividend income surpassing $750 for the first time. Through the first six months of 2026, my net dividend income surged 27%. As I continue to aggressively save and invest in the months ahead, I believe that this net dividend income growth rate will slightly accelerate with the help of math and above all else, God's grace.

Discussion:

How was your June 2026 for dividend income?

Did you receive any first-time dividends as I did with Genpact Limited?

Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment below!

Scaling Passive Income: How I Grew My Forward Dividends by 60%+ in Two Years

As I'm writing this blog post, it's currently Tuesday, June 23rd. The temperature here in Central Wisconsin reached a high of 78 degrees Fahrenheit today, so I was eager to spend some time outside!

Digging into the topic of today, building wealth through dividend growth investing is often described as a slow, methodical process - a marathon rather than a sprint. The speed at which this engine fires is heavily influenced by strategy, discipline, and consistent capital allocation.

Looking back at my portfolio data from June 2024 to June 2026, I am pleased to share that I have achieved a significant acceleration in my passive income stream. Over this two-year window, my net annual forward dividends surged higher by 62.8%. More specifically, from June 2025 to June 2026 alone (the latter blog post will be out next week), I saw a 28.7% increase, with my projected annual income rising from $6,035 to $7,765.

Achieving this level of growth requires more than simply holding "blue-chip" stocks. It takes a focused strategy. Here is how I moved the needle.

1. Prioritizing Dividend Growth And Quality Over High Yield

One of the most common pitfalls for income investors is yield chasing. That's buying stocks with unsustainable, sky-high dividends (generally, anything coming close to a 10% yield isn't viable). By leaning even more into companies that retain the majority of their earnings and that have a demonstrated history of dividend growth, I haven't had a dividend cut since Medical Properties Trust slashed its dividend in August 2023.

In dividend investing, it's arguably just as important to not go backward as it is to receive generous payout raises. Along with my preference to balance income with capital appreciation, this informs why I constructed the underlying holdings in my portfolio to only pay out 45% of their expected earnings for 2026. The improved growth from this capital retention strategy gives my portfolio much better total return prospects than static high-yielders.

2. Aggressive Capital Deployment and Dividend Reinvestment

Of course, growth at this pace isn't possible through dividend hikes alone. Consistent capital injections are a must. During these two years, I consistently saved and invested anywhere from 50%+ to 70%+ of my after-tax income (typically at the very beginning of each month to automate my contributions). Since I have been investing for less than nine years now, my monthly capital contributions remain the driving force behind my compounding machine.

My capital velocity has especially picked up in recent months as my income has scaled more from my professional development. Along the way, I have also selectively reinvested my dividends back into whatever I viewed as the best opportunities at the time.

3. Sector Diversification

I have also been meticulous to not allow any one particular sector of my portfolio produce too much of my passive income. The energy sector (specifically midstream) is my biggest income contributor, contributing roughly one-quarter of my passive income. By diversifying more defensive holdings with tech-oriented dividend growers with my barbell strategy, I protected the portfolio against volatility.

This helped me to keep my cool through the selloffs over the last couple years without panic-selling, which kept mt capital working in the highest-quality companies the market has to offer.

Concluding Thoughts:

Reaching $7,765 in annual forward income has me knocking on the door of the biggest milestone for my portfolio yet: $10,000, which will mark the start of the journey from five figures to six figures. At my current pace, this is probably about a year away for me.

More important than the dollar amount, though, the portfolio is becoming self-sustaining. If one is looking to accelerate their own dividend growth, remember that the most important variables are the ones you control: your savings rate, your focus on companies that grow their payouts year in and year out, and reinvestment.

Discussion:

As you work toward your own passive income goals, what is the biggest controlled variable (e.g., savings rate or reinvestment) that has helped you maintain your momentum during market volatility?

I appreciate your readership and welcome your comments below!