December 2022 Dividend Income

As I'm writing this blog post, it's hard to believe that the end of the first month of 2023 is already almost upon us. After weeks of warmer than average weather, it is certainly feeling like January again here in Central Wisconsin: The low temperature for today (Friday, January 27, 2023) will be a frigid 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

Earlier this month, I alluded to my net dividend income for December 2022. But let's use this blog post as an opportunity to dig deeper into the figure.

During the month of December 2022, I received $423.00 in net dividends. Compared to the $343.64 in net dividends that I collected in September 2022, this is a 23.1% quarterly growth rate.

Put up against the $353.38 in net dividends that I received in December 2021, my net dividend income surged 19.7% higher over the year-ago period.

Breaking my net dividends down by account, I collected $253.60 in net dividends from 44 stocks in my Robinhood account. My net dividends received from the Capital Income Builder (CAIBX) mutual fund within my retirement portfolio was $153.67 (after including the $10 annual fee charged during the month). I collected $15.25 in net dividends from six stocks in my Webull account. Finally, I received $0.48 in net dividends from 22 stocks within my M1 Finance portfolio.

The $79.36 increase in my net dividends collected from September 2022 to December 2022 was the result of the following activity in my investing accounts:

My net dividends received from Broadcom (AVGO) were $1.50 higher within my Robinhood and Webull portfolios. This was due to the 12.2% hike to the quarterly dividend per share last month.

I collected an extra $0.38 in net dividends from Crown Castle International (CCI) in my Robinhood account, which was the result of a 6.5% boost to the quarterly dividend per share in October.

My net dividends received from Lockheed Martin (LMT) were $0.80 more within my Robinhood and Webull portfolios. This was due to the 7.1% increase in the quarterly dividend per share back in September.

I collected an additional $0.45 in net dividends from Simon Property Group (SPG) in my Robinhood account, which was thanks to the 2.9% lift in the quarterly dividend per share last November.

My net dividends received from Main Street Capital (MAIN) were $0.12 higher within my Robinhood portfolio. This was due to the 2.3% increase in the monthly dividend per share announced in November.

I collected an extra $0.42 in net dividends from McDonald's (MCD) in my Robinhood account, which was the result of the 10.1% raise in the quarterly dividend per share last October.

My net dividends received from Realty Income (O) were an extra $1.00 within my Robinhood portfolio. This was due to my purchase of four more shares in November and the 0.2% dividend increase last month.

I collected an additional $4.40 in net dividends from Coca-Cola (KO) in my Robinhood account, which was because the timing of the dividend payment.

My net dividends received from KeyCorp (KEY) were $0.39 higher within my Robinhood portfolio. That was due to the 5.1% raise in the quarterly dividend per share in November.

I collected an extra $2.56 in net dividends from STAG Industrial (STAG) in my Robinhood account, which was the result of my purchase of 21 shares in October.

My net dividends received from Exxon Mobil (XOM) within my Robinhood and M1 Finance portfolios were $0.34 greater. This was due to the 3.4% raise in the quarterly dividend per share declared in October.

I collected an additional $0.55 in net dividends from American Electric Power (AEP) in my Robinhood account, which was the result of the 6.4% raise announced last October.

My net dividends received from Microsoft (MSFT) were $0.18 higher within my Robinhood portfolio. This was due to the 9.7% dividend hike announced in September.

I collected an extra $0.37 in net dividends from Visa (V) in my Robinhood and Webull accounts, which was the result of the 20% boost to the quarterly dividend per share declared last October.

My net dividends received from Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) within my Robinhood portfolio were $0.11 more. This was due to the 1.8% dividend increase announced in October.

I collected an additional $77.73 in net dividends from my CAIBX mutual fund in my retirement account during the month, which due to a higher share count and the special dividend payment.

My net dividends received from PepsiCo (PEP) were $4.62 less within my Robinhood and M1 Finance portfolios. This was the result of the timing of the dividend payment.

I also collected $7.32 less in net dividends from Digital Realty Trust (DLR) in my Robinhood account, which was due to the dividend payment's timing.

Concluding Thoughts:

As I continue to deploy between $3,000 and $3,500 in capital each month and I receive more dividend hikes from my holdings, my portfolio should really pick up steam in 2023 and beyond. In fact, I anticipate that March 2023 will probably be my final end-of-quarter month with net dividend income under $400.

Discussion:

How was your dividend income last month?

Did you receive any first-time dividends in December 2022?

Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment below!

February 2023 Dividend Stock Watch List

As I'm writing this blog post, it is January 19th. The temperature here in Central Wisconsin is a balmy 30 degrees Fahrenheit, which is above-average for this time of the year!

With that aside, the end of January will be here before we know it. That's why I will be sharing three dividend stocks that are on my watch list for next month.

Image Source: Pexels

Dividend Stock #1: Digital Realty Trust (DLR)

The first dividend stock that I am watching for next month is Digital Realty Trust (DLR). For readers interested in my investment thesis, I would refer them to my Motley Fool article from earlier this month.

The gist of it is that DLR is a leader in the growing data center industry. On top of that, the stock's 4.6% dividend yield is well-covered and much higher than the S&P 500 index's 1.7% yield. And at a price-to-FFO-per-share ratio of 15.6, the stock is a good value at the current $105 share price (as of January 19, 2023).

Dividend Stock #2: Fastenal (FAST)

The next dividend stock on my watch list in February is Fastenal (FAST). FAST's 12.9% hike in its quarterly dividend per share yesterday to $0.35 grabbed my attention.

Analysts believe that the construction equipment distributor will generate high-single-digit annual earnings growth over the medium term. Paired with the stock's 3% dividend yield, this is a nice mix of starting income and growth potential. That's especially the case given that FAST's dividend payout ratio will still be manageable in the low-70% range for 2023.

At a current year P/E ratio of 24.1, FAST isn't the cheapest stock out there. But since the stock just became a Dividend Aristocrat, it is arguably worthy of the premium valuation that it garners at the current $47 share price (as of January 19, 2023).

Dividend Stock #3: WEC Energy Group (WEC)

The third dividend stock that I am paying attention to for next month is WEC Energy Group (WEC). Even though my previous Motley Fool article on the stock (and Main Street Capital and Energy Transfer) was last June, the investment thesis remains intact.

Nearly 5 million customers throughout the Midwest depend on WEC for electricity and natural gas services. As the company updates and expands its infrastructure, analysts expect 6.4% annual earnings growth over the next five years. Coupled with a 3.4% dividend yield, WEC could offer strong total returns. And the stock is trading at a reasonable forward P/E ratio of 19.9 at the current $92 share price (as of January 19, 2023).

Concluding Thoughts:

It's hard to believe that the first month of 2023 will soon be over. I will likely have deployed between $3,000 to $3,500 in capital in January. And I believe that I'll be able to maintain that pace of capital deployment in February as well.

Discussion:

Are any of DLR, FAST, or WEC on your radar for next month?

If not, what stocks are on your watch list for February 2023?

Thanks for your readership. I welcome your comments below!

December 2022 Dividend Stock Purchases

As I'm writing this blog post on January 13, 2023, the year of 2022 is nearly two weeks behind us at this point.

Thus, I will be going over my dividend (and non-dividend) stock purchases for the final month of last year. Last month was my slowest for capital deployment in all of 2022 as I closed out the year by building my emergency fund up to just beyond six months of living expenses. Without further ado, let's dig into the few purchases that I made in December 2022.

My $153.67 in net dividends (regular dividends and special dividends less the $10 annual fee) received from the Capital Income Builder (CAIBX) mutual fund in my retirement account were automatically reinvested. This purchased 2.452 shares, which boosted my net annual forward dividends by $5.22 based on an annualized dividend per share of $2.13. That works out to a 3.40% net dividend yield.

I started off the month in my taxable accounts by adding yet another share to my position in Amazon (AMZN) at a cost of $94.80. As I alluded to in a previous post a while back, AMZN is the leader in e-commerce and cloud computing. And while the stock doesn't pay a dividend right now, it almost certainly will in the next six or seven years.

On that same note, I increased my position in Alphabet (GOOGL) by a share for the price of $100.18. GOOGL is the dominant digital advertising company in the world. And like AMZN, I suspect that it will likely begin paying a dividend by the end of this decade.

My first dividend stock purchase for the month was when I opened a starter position of three shares in Tractor Supply (TSCO) at an average cost per share of $210.95. For readers interested in the rationale on why I made this stock purchase and the two that will follow, my December 2022 dividend stock watch list post can provide more details. This transaction added $11.04 to my net annual forward dividend income, which equates to a 1.74% net dividend yield.

The next dividend stock purchase that I completed in December was one share of Union Pacific (UNP) at a price of $205.71. This buy boosted my net annual forward dividends by $5.20, which is equivalent to a 2.53% dividend yield.

The third and final dividend stock purchase that I executed last month was one share of FedEx (FDX) at a cost of $167.43. This transaction increased my net annual forward dividends by $4.60, which works out to a 2.75% net dividend yield.

Concluding Thoughts:

I deployed $1,354.65 in capital during December 2022. These purchases lifted my net annual forward dividends higher by $26.06, which is a 1.92% weighted average net dividend yield.

Along with the $18.794 increase to my net annual forward dividends from dividend increases last month, this pushed my net annual forward dividends up to just below $3,355 heading into January 2023.

Discussion:

How was capital deployment in December 2022 for you?

Did you open any new positions like I did with TSCO?

I appreciate your readership and look forward to your comments below!

Review of 2022 Financial/Personal Goals

As I'm writing this blog post, it's New Year's Eve. The temperature for today is expected to reach a high of 30 degrees Fahrenheit here in Central Wisconsin. That is a lovely and ideal temperature for this time of the year. If only every winter day were this temperate!

With just hours left in 2022, now is an appropriate time to take a look back at my goals for the year and how I fared at accomplishing each of them.

Image Source: My portfolio

2022 Financial Goals:

1. Collect at least $2,700 in net dividends - Success

As a preview of my December 2022 dividend income, my net dividends were $423.00 during the month. This brings my net dividend income for the year to $2,828.60, which was reasonably above my goal of at least $2,700.

2. Reach net annual forward dividends of at least $3,200 by the end of the year - Success

I also accomplished my second goal of ending 2022 with net annual forward dividends of at least $3,200. My net annual forward dividends are set to head into 2023 at $3,353.99, which was moderately more than my goal.

3. Top $100,000 in investments and reach a net worth of at least $110,000 - Fails

I came up just short of amassing $100,000 in investments and a net worth of $110,000 in 2022. My investments are worth approximately $93,000 at the time of this blog post. Had I not chose to build an emergency fund worth just over $8,000, my investments would likely be just over $100,000 right now. 

But it's nice to know that I have a six-plus month emergency fund at my disposal if I need it. And my net worth of $107,000 is only below my goal of $110,000 because of the broader market selloff in 2022. If my portfolio had just been flat instead of down 3% during the year, my net worth would have been only a few hundred dollars shy of my goal.

2022 Personal Goals:

1. Publish at least 300 articles for Motley Fool - Success

Having published 392 articles for The Motley Fool in 2022, I blew this goal out of the water. This is because I became more efficient at writing articles as the year progressed, which allowed me to up my productivity without really upping my workload. 

2. Publish one Seeking Alpha article every week - Fail

I only published 30 Seeking Alpha articles in 2022. I made up this reduced production over at Seeking Alpha with more articles at Motley Fool, which was also part of the reason that I published so many articles for the latter during the year. The decision was made that I would stop writing weekly articles at Seeking Alpha effective in August because the pay wasn't on par with what I was earning at Motley Fool. Since I have shifted my focus to monthly articles at Seeking Alpha and have covered more popular stocks, my average article earnings have been much better.

3. Publish one blog post each week - Success

I published 52 blog posts in 2022, which met my goal for the year. As I discussed in my previous blog post, I believe I have an obligation to this blog because it was basically responsible for launching my writing career. And just as importantly, I also want to demonstrate to readers that attaining financial independence as a "normie" isn't just possible with the right mindset: But it can be a probable outcome.

Concluding Thoughts:

2022 was another year of incredible progress in my journey to financial independence and professional development. I'm thrilled to continue this momentum heading into the new year and beyond!

Discussion:

What were your goals in 2022?

Were there any you fell just short of accomplishing?

Thanks for your readership. Please feel free to comment below!

My Financial & Personal Goals for 2023

It's hard to believe, but there is just a day left in 2022 at the time of my writing this blog post. And with the high temperature set to be just below freezing today, it really doesn't feel like late-December here in Central Wisconsin.

At any rate, now is as good of a time as any to look ahead to my personal and financial goals for 2023. Without further ado, here goes.

Image Source: Pexels

My Financial Goals for 2023

1. Collect at least $4,200 in net dividends

The first financial goal that I have for 2023 is to receive at least $4,200 in net dividends. Since I cleared more than $2,800 in net dividends in 2022 (spoiler alert for the next blog post of this series), I think this is a doable goal. This is because investing around $40,000 at a 3.5% net dividend yield adds $1,400 in net dividends alone (depending on the timing of the investments), not counting dividend raises.

2. End the year with net annual forward dividends of at least $5,000

My next financial goal for next year is to end the year with net annual forward dividends at or above $5,000. Given that I am going to begin 2023 with net annual forward dividends of around $3,354, I would only need to boost my portfolio's income by $1,646. If I can achieve my reasonable goal of investing $40,000 (via both fresh capital and dividend reinvestment) during the year, I should be very close to accomplishing this goal with dividend hikes considered.

3. Top $135,000 in investments and $150,000 in net worth

The final financial goal that I have for 2023 is to surpass $135,000 in investments and $150,000 in net worth by the end of the year. Depending upon what the markets do today (Friday, December 30), my investments will be worth approximately $93,000 heading into 2023 and my net worth will be about $107,000. Simply reaching my goal of investing $40,000 for the year will get me very close to attaining this goal.

My Personal Goals for 2023

1. Publish at least 450 articles for Motley Fool

My first personal goal for next year is to get a minimum of 450 articles published over at The Motley Fool. This averages out to a bit less than nine articles a week, assuming one week of vacation a year that I have yet to ever really take. With my additional computer monitor that I recently purchased, my productivity has meaningfully increased. That makes this goal pretty manageable in my opinion.

2. Publish one Seeking Alpha article each month

The next personal goal that I have for 2023 is to publish one Seeking Alpha article each month. Back in July, I made a decision that would go into effect in August that I would cut back my Seeking Alpha production from one article a week to one a month. That's because the pay wasn't quite on par with Motley Fool since I was typically covering underappreciated and underfollowed stocks when writing on a weekly basis. Since I have switched to a monthly basis, I can write about the more followed stocks and make pay that is more even with Motley Fool.

I don't envision ever stopping writing for Seeking Alpha since they are what got me into the game of paid writing. SA was the bridge between my blog and ultimately Motley Fool, so I am forever grateful for the platform.

3. Publish at least one blog post each week

My final personal goal for next year is to keep publishing one blog post here each week. As my post linked to in the prior subhead discusses, I may not have ever been on Seeking Alpha or Motley Fool without first starting this blog. I owe much of my life to this venture, so I am very glad that I started it.

Concluding Thoughts:

2022 has been an exciting year overall. It was my first full year of writing for Motley Fool. Needless to say, I'm stoked to keep pushing on in 2023!

Discussion:

What are your goals for 2023?

Do you expect any of your goals to be more difficult to attain than all the others?

Thanks for reading and I welcome your comments below. Best of luck to everyone on achieving their goals in 2023!