Expected Dividend Increases for September 2021

As I'm writing this blog post, Labor Day or the unofficial end of summer is less than two weeks away. 

Even though the summer heat will soon disappear, the dividend increases in my portfolio are just starting to heat up. In this post, I'll discuss the five dividend increases that I received in August and look ahead to the 10 (yes, 10!) dividend increases that I am expecting in September.

Actual August 2021 Dividend Increases

Dividend Increase #1: British Petroleum (BP)

The first dividend increase that I received in August was from British Petroleum. 

While the cut to the quarterly dividend last year as a result of COVID still stings a bit, BP's 4% dividend increase from a quarterly dividend of $0.315/share to $0.3276/share is a start in restoring the dividend to its pre-cut level of $0.625/share.

With WTI crude's year-to-date average of $64/barrel up 62% from last year's average just below $40, BP's dividend is much better covered now than it was leading up to the dividend cut.

Across my 11 shares of the stock, my net annual forward dividends increased $0.554 as a result of the dividend increase.

Dividend Increase #2: Simon Property Group (SPG)

After slashing its quarterly dividend 38.1% from $2.10/share to $1.30/share in June 2020 to preserve liquidity in the first few months of the COVID pandemic, Simon Property Group announced a 7.7% increase to $1.40 just this June.

As a result of Americans getting vaccinated and more foot traffic to its malls, SPG increased its dividend for the second time this year in August by 7.1% from $1.40/share to $1.50/share. I'm very pleased that SPG is taking steps to restore its dividend to its pre-COVID state.

My net annual forward dividends surged $2.40 across my six shares due to the dividend increase.

Dividend Increase #3: Main Street Capital (MAIN)

The third company to increase its dividend during August was Main Street Capital. 

Improving operating fundamentals led MAIN to increase its monthly dividend 2.4% from $0.205/share to $0.21/share.

Across my 16 shares of the stock, my net annual forward dividends rose by $0.96 from its dividend increase.

Dividend Increase #4: Williams-Sonoma (WSM)

The fourth dividend increase of August was one that completely took me by surprise, which was Williams-Sonoma's massive 20.3% increase in its quarterly dividend from $0.59/share to $0.71/share. The stock already increased its quarterly dividend 11.3% from $0.53/share to $0.59/share this March.

Buoyed by three major tailwinds in the foreseeable future, Williams-Sonoma crushed analysts' revenue and earnings estimates.

As my largest winner (up about 340% as of August 26, 2021 before dividends), I am thrilled by the massive capital appreciation and 82% increase to its quarterly dividend since I purchased shares. 

This company is the very essence of dividend growth investing and I'm fortunate that it is one of the largest positions in my portfolio.

My net annual forward dividends soared by $4.32 across my nine shares of the stock as a result of the dividend increase.

Dividend Increase #5: Altria Group (MO)

The fifth dividend increase that I received in August was from Altria Group. 

MO announced a 4.7% increase in its quarterly dividend from $0.86/share to $0.90/share, which was in line with my prediction that I outlined in my previous post of this series.

Across my 17 shares of MO, my net annual forward dividends advanced by $2.72 due to the dividend increase.

Expected Dividend Increases for September 2021

Dividend Increase #1: Realty Income (O)

The first dividend increase that I'm expecting for September is from one of the steadiest companies in my portfolio, which is Dividend Aristocrat Realty Income.

I believe that O will announce a 0.2% increase in its monthly dividend from $0.2355/share to $0.2360/share. While this may sound small, it's worth mentioning that O increases its monthly dividend by small increments in March, June, September, and December, and a larger increment (typically 2-3%) every January.

Across the 13 shares of O that I own, my net annual forward dividends would be $0.078 higher if the stock increases its dividend as much as I expect.

Dividend Increase #2: W.P. Carey (WPC)

The next dividend increase that I anticipate will be announced in September is from none other than W.P. Carey, which is not far away from joining O as a Dividend Aristocrat.

Similar to O, WPC increases its dividend each quarter and I expect that September will be no different.

I'm forecasting that WPC will announce a 0.2% advance in its quarterly dividend from $1.05/share to $1.052/share.

Should my prediction prove correct, my net annual forward dividends would increase $0.056 across my seven shares of WPC.

Dividend Increase #3: General Mills (GIS)

The third dividend increase that I'm expecting for September is General Mills.

I anticipate that GIS will boost its quarterly dividend 3.9% from $0.51/share to $0.53/share.

If this dividend increase plays out, my net annual dividends would increase $0.32 across my four shares of GIS.

Dividend Increase #4: Philip Morris International (PM)

The next dividend increase that I'm forecasting for September is Philip Morris International.

Given that Yahoo Finance analysts are forecasting 18% year-over-year growth in adjusted diluted EPS for PM from $5.17 in 2020 to $6.10 this year, I believe that PM will announce a 4.2% increase in its quarterly dividend from $1.20/share to $1.25/share.

Across my 13 shares of PM, my net annual forward dividends would be boosted $2.60 if my prediction is correct.

Dividend Increase #5: Lockheed Martin (LMT)

The fifth dividend increase that I am expecting for September is Lockheed Martin.

Given LMT's guidance of $26.70-$27 in diluted EPS for this fiscal year (versus $24.58 in diluted EPS during 2020), I believe that LMT will announce a 7.7% increase in its quarterly dividend from $2.60/share to $2.80/share.

My net annual forward dividends would increase by $2.40 across my three shares of the stock if my forecast is proven right.

Dividend Increase #6: Visa (V)

The next dividend increase that I believe will be announced in September is from Visa.

In light of the fact that V's EPS is expected to jump 15.5% from $5.04 last fiscal year to $5.82 this fiscal year, I think that V will get back on track as far as dividend growth is concerned after last year's modest 6.7% increase in the quarterly dividend from $0.30/share to $0.32/share.

That's why I am confident that V will announce a 12.5% increase to take its quarterly dividend to $0.36/share.

Across my two shares of the stock, my net annual forward dividends would be boosted by $0.32 from the dividend increase.

Dividend Increase #7: STORE Capital (STOR)

The seventh dividend increase that I'm forecasting for September is STORE Capital.

Since STOR's AFFO/share is expected to mostly recover to pre-pandemic levels this year and I expect the REIT will exceed pre-pandemic levels next year, I expect a greater increase than last year's token $0.01 increase in the quarterly dividend from $0.35/share to $0.36/share.

I'm anticipating a 5.6% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.38/share, which would advance my net annual forward dividends by $1.52 across my 19 shares of the stock.

Dividend Increase #8: Verizon (VZ)

The next dividend increase that I'm expecting to be announced in September is from Verizon.

As VZ continues to build out its 5G infrastructure, the company has some room to boost its dividend.

This is precisely why I believe that VZ will increase its quarterly dividend 2.8% from $0.6275/share to $0.645/share.

Across my 18 shares of the stock, my net annual forward dividends would increase $1.26 if my prediction proves to be correct.

Dividend Increase #9: American Tower (AMT) 

The ninth dividend increase that I'm anticipating for September will come from American Tower.

For those unfamiliar, AMT raises its quarterly dividend each quarter.

Since the third quarter dividend increase is typically the second smallest behind the second quarter dividend increase, I am expecting that AMT will announce a 2.4% increase in its quarterly dividend from $1.27/share to $1.30/share.

My net annual forward dividends would advance by $0.36 across my three shares of the stock if my forecast is proven right.

Dividend Increase #10: Microsoft (MSFT)

The final dividend increase that I'm anticipating for September is from Microsoft.

With MSFT's EPS expected to advance 9% this fiscal year over the last to $8.76 and a low dividend payout ratio, I believe that MSFT can easily afford to hike its quarterly dividend 10.7% from $0.56/share to $0.62/share.

Across my three shares of the stock, my net annual forward dividends would be $0.72 higher from such a dividend increase.

Concluding Thoughts:

My net annual forward dividends skyrocketed $10.954 in August as a result of the five dividend increases that I received during the month.

This would take $312.97 in fresh capital invested at an average yield of 3.5% to replicate, which is by far my best month in my four year investing career to this point. Heading into September, my net annual forward dividends are just below $1,950.

Based on my predictions for next month's dividend increases, my net annual forward dividends would increase by $9.634 or nearly as much as August. With the overall quality of the names I'm expecting increases from next month, I wouldn't be surprised if I secured my second straight month of $10+ in additional net annual forward dividends from dividend increases alone.

I've spent the last four years laying the foundation of my portfolio and I'm so excited that things seem to meaningfully be trending in the right direction. Compounding dividends truly are the eighth wonder of the world!

Discussion:

How was your August for dividend increases?

Are you expecting any first-time dividend increases from new holdings as I am with VZ and MSFT?

As always, I look forward to reading your comments in the comment section below!

September 2021 Dividend Stock Watch List

After hitting yet another all-time high of 4,480.26 on August 16, the S&P 500 pulled back a bit to close the week just above 4,440. Delta variant concerns and signaling of reduced asset purchases ahead from the recently released minutes of the Federal Reserve's July 27-28 meeting led the S&P 500 nearly a half percent lower to close out the week.

With most of my capital deployment in the books for August 2021, I'll now turn my attention to a few dividend stocks on my watch list for September 2021.

                                           

Image Source: Pexels

Dividend Stock #1: Lockheed Martin (LMT)

The first dividend stock on my watch list for September is Lockheed Martin. 

LMT has gotten off to a great start in the first half of this year, which is evidenced by its 4.4% growth in year-to-date revenue from $31.9 billion in H1 2020 to $33.3 billion in H1 2021, per LMT's Q2 2021 earnings press release (the source for all accompanying data, unless otherwise specified).

As a result of also repurchasing $1.5 billion or 4.2 million shares in the first half of the year according to its recent 10-Q, LMT's diluted EPS advanced 10.2% from $11.87 in H1 2020 to $13.08 in H1 2021.

LMT's backlog also remained healthy at the end of the second quarter, with backlog declining slightly from $147.1 billion at the start of the year to $141.7 billion to end the quarter. For context, this is the equivalent of over two years of revenue for LMT based on its guidance of $67.3-$68.7 billion for this year.

LMT's interest coverage ratio improved from 13.4 in the first half of 2020 to 15.5 in H1 2021, which suggests that the company has no issues in covering its interest expense with earnings before interest and taxes.

A payout ratio of just under 40% in the first half of this year means that the dividend is well covered ahead of its upcoming dividend increase. And a forward P/E ratio of less than 13 based on Yahoo Finance's average analyst estimate of $28.02 and the current price of $357.17 a share (as of August 20, 2021) indicates that the stock is quite cheap.

Dividend Stock #2: Merck (MRK)

The next dividend stock on my watch list for September is Merck.

MRK caught my attention after I recently covered the company's U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to treat advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in combination with Lenmiva, which prompted me to start a position in the stock.

The FDA's approval of the drug combo is the second indication in as many months following the approval in July to treat advanced endometrial carcinoma, which is positioning Keytruda to overtake AbbVie's (ABBV) Humira in a couple years as the top-selling drug in the world. The drug also won't face any loss of exclusivity concerns until 2028 per FiercePharma, so MRK has plenty of time to diversify away from Keytruda.

MRK's interest coverage ratio of 12 (according to data sourced from MRK's Q2 2021 earnings press release, unless indicated otherwise) indicates the company's balance sheet is in decent shape.

Based on MRK's guidance for $5.47-$5.57 in non-GAAP EPS this year and a dividend per share obligation of $2.60, MRK's dividend payout ratio should clock in at a sustainable sub-50% level this year.

MRK's current price of $78.68 a share implies a current PE ratio of about 14, which is a good value for the 12.8% annual earnings growth that analysts are expecting over the next five years.

Dividend Stock #3: Visa (V)

The final dividend stock on my watch list for September is Visa (V).

Visa has benefited from the reopening global economy, which becomes clear by examining the company's results through the first nine months of its current fiscal year.

V has increased its YTD revenue by 4.8% year-over-year from $16.7 billion in 2020 to $17.5 billion in 2021 (all data sourced from V's Q3 2021 earnings press release, unless otherwise noted).

While V hasn't been able to give non-GAAP EPS guidance for this fiscal year due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID, analysts are anticipating 15.5% year-over-year growth from $5.04 in 2020 to $5.82 this year.

Compared to the $1.28 in dividends per share that will be paid out for this fiscal year, that would be a non-GAAP EPS payout ratio of just 22%. This leaves V's payout plenty of room to grow ahead of the 19.7% annual earnings growth that is expected over the next five years.

Additionally, V's interest coverage ratio improved from an already robust 28.9 in the nine months ended 2020 to 30.3 in the nine months ended this year.

While V at its share price of $231.36 isn't cheap at nearly 40 times this year's earnings forecast, its excellent growth prospects, low payout ratio, and great balance sheet are arguably worth the premium.

Concluding Thoughts:

My net annual forward dividends are likely to be around $1,945 heading into September. I'm anticipating that I will deploy somewhere in the range of $1,500-$2,000 in capital for next month and a number of dividend increases will be announced at that time, which should get me slightly beyond the $2,000 net annual forward dividend milestone.

Discussion:

Are any of LMT, MRK, and/or V on your watch list for September 2021?

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

As always, thanks for your readership and please feel free to leave your comments in the comment section below!

July 2021 Dividend Stock Purchases

The past few days have been very hot and humid in Central Wisconsin. The high temperature for today is 80 and it feels like 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, temperatures are going to cool down to the 70s starting tomorrow for the foreseeable future.

With that aside, I'll turn my attention to the dividend stock purchases that I made in July 2021.

Starting with my retirement account, I deployed $253.18 in capital to my Capital Income Builder (CAIBX) mutual fund between my 7% contribution and my employer's 3% matching contribution.

Factoring in the 3.5% sales charge for contributions, I put $244.34 in net capital to work during July 2021 within my retirement account. This helped my CAIBX share balance increase by 3.563 shares from 171.434 to begin the month to 174.997 heading into August.

Based on $2.13 in net annual forward dividends/share, my net annual forward dividends were boosted by $7.59. This works out to a 3.11% net yield based on the capital I invested during the month. It's worth noting that this will be the last regular activity in my retirement account aside from dividend reinvestment, which is due to the fact that I started writing for Motley Fool and Seeking Alpha full-time recently.

Moving to my taxable account, I started new positions in five companies during July.

I started July by initiating a 10 share position in Essential Utilities (WTRG) at an average cost of $47.41 a share. The purchase added $10.73 to my net annual forward dividends, which equates to a 2.26% net yield for my cost basis.

For those who are interested in my decision to open a position in WTRG, I would refer them to my recent Seeking Alpha article for more details. I'll just summarize by indicating that WTRG is a stock I have wanted to own for years, but I have always waited for a "better price" that never ultimately materialized.

I was willing to pay a slight premium for shares of WTRG just to get a position started and I intend to aggressively add on even the slightest of pullbacks going forward.

I followed up my purchase of WTRG with yet another utility, which was a seven share position in Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) at an average cost of $84.39 a share. This works out to a 3.93% net yield based on my cost basis and the $23.24 in net annual forward dividends that were added to my portfolio.

PNW was on my July 2021 dividend stock watch list, so it made sense to add it to my portfolio.

I also rationalized my purchase of PNW in a recent Seeking Alpha article, but the long and short of it was that I liked PNW's exposure to Arizona's steadily growing population, nice balance sheet, and safe 4% yield.

Another stock on my watch list for last month that I added to was consumer staple Kimberly Clark (KMB). 

I view KMB as a safe income play with mid-single digit dividend growth potential, which is what prompted me to purchase four shares of the stock at an average cost of $134.33 a share. This equates to a net yield of 3.39% based on the $18.24 in net annual forward dividends that the purchases added to my portfolio.

I also added another share of JPMorgan Chase (JPM) to my portfolio last month at a cost of $151.80, which added $4.00 to my net annual forward dividends. This works out to a 2.64% net yield on my purchase.

Sticking with the financial sector, I initiated a 20 share position in KeyCorp (KEY) at an average cost of $19.17 a share. Considering the $14.80 in net annual forward dividends that were added from my purchase, this equates to a 3.86% net yield.

I covered KEY in a Motley Fool article last month, which was what ultimately led me to start a position in the regional bank. 

I essentially liked the company's solid increase in noninterest income, the improving balance sheet, and huge $1.5 billion share repurchase program at a time when the bank appears to be somewhat undervalued.

The fifth and final stock that I initiated a position in during July was the consumer staple Clorox (CLX), which was also on my watch list for the month.

While I added a bit prematurely given that the stock would tank following its softened outlook in its Aug. 3 earnings press release, I like the company's above-average dividend yield with mid-single-digit dividend growth potential.

This prompted me to start a two share position in the stock at an average cost of $181.13 a share, which is a 2.56% net yield based on the $9.28 in net annual forward dividends added.

Finally, I added to my position in Viatris (VTRS). I purchased 8 shares at an average cost of $13.85 a share, which works out to a net yield of 3.18% when considering the $3.52 in net annual forward dividends added by my purchase.

As I explained in my August 2021 dividend stock watch list post, VTRS is taking the right steps to reduce its debt by $6.5 billion by 2023. The company is trading at just four times this year's forecasted EPS of $3.53, which is mind boggling.

The company is also making nice progress in getting new products approved (and eventually on the market), which is evidenced by the recent approval of Viatris and Biocon's interchangeable biosimilar for Sanofi's insulin drug Lantus that I discussed in a recent Motley Fool article.

Concluding Thoughts:

Overall, I deployed $2,854.61 in net capital during July. Compared to the $91.40 in net annual forward dividends that were added last month, this works out to a 3.20% net yield.

I also added $4.36 in net annual forward dividends due to dividend increases last month, which along with my capital deployment, led to my net annual forward dividends surging from $1,780 entering July to nearly $1,880 heading into August.

Discussion:

How was your July in regards to capital deployment?

Did you add any new positions during the month like I did with my purchases of WTRG, PNW, KMB, KEY, and CLX?

As always, thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments in the comment section below!

July 2021 Dividend Income

The financial markets worked their way to fresh all-time highs late last week after a jobs report that handily beat expectations, sending the unemployment rate tumbling to 5.4%. Impressive earnings beats from most companies that reported earnings also helped the markets to advance.

My net dividend income in July 2021 also hit a record, which really drives home the point that dividend growth investing is a strategy that can work just about no matter what the financial markets are doing.

Analysis:

During July 2021, I received $108.32 in net dividends.

This represents a 21.7% quarterly growth rate against the $89.03 in net dividends collected in April 2021. Even factoring out the $12.00 in special dividends received from T. Rowe Price Group (TROW) during the month, my quarterly growth rate was still a healthy 8.2%.

Moreover, this represents a 46.8% year-over-year growth rate compared to the $73.79 in net dividends collected in July 2020. Backing out the special dividends from TROW, this still works out to a 30.5% year-over-year growth rate.

Delving into more detail, I received $98.28 in net dividends within my Robinhood portfolio from 18 companies, $9.79 from 5 companies in my Webull portfolio, and $0.25 from 11 companies in my M1 Finance portfolio.

The following activity within my taxable accounts is what led to the $19.29 increase in net dividends from April 2021 to July 2021:

I collected an extra $0.60 in dividends from Simon Property Group (SPG) during July in my Robinhood account, which was due to the company's recent dividend increase.

My net dividends received from from Leggett & Platt (LEG) increased $0.16 within my Robinhood account, which was the result of the company's dividend increase earlier this year.

I collected an extra $0.01 in my Robinhood account from W.P. Carey (WPC) due to the company's dividend increase in June.

My net dividends received from Realty Income (O) were $0.94 higher within my Robinhood account, which was the result of both a dividend increase in June and my recent purchase of an additional 4 shares of stock.

I collected an additional $0.36 from STORE Capital (STOR) in my Robinhood account, which was due to my decision to add a share of the stock recently.

My net dividends received from Philip Morris International (PM) increased $2.40 within my Robinhood account, which was the result of picking up a couple more shares of the stock in recent months.

I collected my first dividend from American Tower (AMT) in my Robinhood account since I initiated a position in the stock back in April, which helped my net dividends to increase by $3.81.

My net dividends received from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) within my Robinhood account were $0.99 lower due to the fact that the third quarter dividend is historically lower than the second quarter dividend.

As I alluded to earlier, I collected an additional $12.00 from TROW in my Robinhood account due to the payment of its $3.00/share special dividend in July.

Concluding Thoughts:

Several dividend increases and recent capital deployment helped me to surpass the triple-digit mark in the first month of a quarter for the first time ever! Better yet -- I anticipate that new capital deployment and more dividend increases in the near future will allow me to regularly pass the $100 threshold, even without TROW's special dividend boost going forward.

Discussion:

How was your July 2021 in terms of dividend income?

Did you receive any first time dividends during the month as I did with AMT? How about TROW's amazing special dividend?

I appreciate your readership and welcome your comments in the comment section below!

August 2021 Dividend Stock Watch List

 It's hard to believe that as I'm writing this blog post, July is in the books and only five months remain in 2021. That should just motivate us to give that much more effort to achieve our goals in the time that remains this year!

With that aside, I will discussing a few dividend stocks on my watch list for August 2021.

Image Source: Pexels

Dividend Stock #1: Viatris (VTRS)

The first stock on my watch list for August is Viatris.

Since Upjohn spun-off from Pfizer with Mylan to form Viatris, I had been mostly watching from the sidelines with my initial shares received from the spin-off last November.

In recent months, I have added to my Viatris position because the company is obscenely undervalued due to the novelty of the recently formed company.

Viatris recognizes the need to pay down its $24 billion long-term debt load (data sourced from Viatris' Q1 2021 earnings press release), which is why the company is committed to paying down $6.5 billion by 2023. At around $18 billion in long-term debt by the end of 2023 and $6.5+ billion in adjusted EBIDA, the company's net debt to EBITDA ratio will be much more manageable in the not so distant future at less than 3.

The management of Viatris is taking the necessary steps possible to pay down a significant portion of its debt between now and 2023, which is reflected by the company's annualized dividend/share being $0.44 compared to analyst estimates for this year of $3.53 in EPS -- a payout ratio of just 12%!

Once the company is able to complete its deleveraging goal in a couple years, it's not unreasonable to expect healthy dividend hikes for years to come.

At less than four times this year's forecasted EPS, Viatris offers a very safe 3.1% yield with plenty of room to grow. This is a stock that I believe can realistically get to a high-single-digit yield on cost by the end of the decade for those who buy at the current price of $14.22 a share (as of August 1, 2021).

Dividend Stock #2: Pfizer (PFE)

The second stock on my watch list for August is one that I had already alluded to in the section above, which is Pfizer.

For those looking for a more in-depth explanation of why I will be adding to my Pfizer position, I would refer interested readers to my recent article on The Motley Fool on Pfizer, as well as AbbVie (ABBV).

It really comes down to the fact that even without its COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer crushed it in the second-quarter. The company grew its non-COVID-19 vaccine revenue by double-digits year-over-year in Q2 2021.

Based on the midpoint of Pfizer's updated adjusted diluted EPS guidance of $3.95-$4.05 for 2021 and the current share price of $42.81, the company is trading at less than 11 times this year's earnings!

The market is pegging this company at a valuation that suggests there is no growth in its future, but Pfizer's year-to-date operating results beg to differ.

A 3.6% yield, mid-single digit annual earnings growth potential in the long-term, and moderate valuation expansion make it likely that Pfizer will meet my 10% annual total return requirement over the next decade.

Dividend Stock #3: J.M. Smucker (SJM)

The third stock on my watch list for August is J.M. Smucker.

After a couple weaker dividend increases in 2019 and 2020, the stock crushed my dividend announcement expectations last month, raising its quarterly dividend 10% from $0.90/share to $0.99/share.

J.M. Smucker's annualized dividend/share of $3.96 is quite secure considering that analysts forecast the company will generate $8.84 in EPS this year, which works out to a mid-40% payout ratio for the year.

Based on J.M. Smucker's current $131.11 share price, the stock is trading at just under 15 times this year's predicted earnings and offers a 3% yield.

J.M. Smucker isn't going to be my biggest winner in terms of share price appreciation or dividend growth, but it's a steady company that offers a safe yield with mid-single-digit annual earnings growth at a reasonable valuation.

Concluding Thoughts:

Even though August will mark my first full month since I left my day job to focus more on writing at The Motley Fool and Seeking Alpha, I anticipate that I will be sticking in the $1,500-$2,000/month range for capital deployment.

With my net annual forward dividends at just under $1,880 heading into August, I'm positioned to pass the $1,900 mark during the month.

Discussion:

Are any of VTRS, PFE, or SJM on your watch list for the month?

If not, what dividend stocks are on your watch list for August?

I appreciate your readership and look forward to your comments in the comment section below!