April 2022 Dividend Income: Kaio-KEN!!

 

Another month comes to a close, and thus, we mark the occasion by logging the dividends.  Will it be a surprise record breaker?  Let's dive in and find out, shall we?

PepsiCo (PEP): $1.52 (+$0.09 QoQ, +$0.32 YoY)

SpartanNash (SPTN): $0.85 

Invesco High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD): $0.15 (+$0.14 YoY)

Coca-Cola (KO): $0.93 (+$0.07 YoY)

Paramount Global (PARA): $1.21 (+$0.48 QoQ, +$0.97 YoY)

Kimberly Clark (KMB): $1.20 (+$0.03 QoQ, +$0.06 YoY)

HP (HPQ): $0.08 (- QoQ)

Iron Mountain (IRM): $3.69 (+$0.05 QoQ, +$0.21 YoY)

AGNC: $0.59 (+$0.09 QoQ, +$0.28 YoY, +$0.03 from last month)

GlobalXSuperdividend (SDIV): $0.11 (+$0.03 QoQ, +$0.08 YoY, +$0.03 from last month)

Franklin Resources (BEN): $2.57 (+$0.02 QoQ, +$0.28 YoY)

Main Street Capital (MAIN): $0.05 (+$0.02 QoQ, +$0.04 YoY, - from last month)

Stag Industrial (STAG): $0.07 (+$0.03 QoQ, +$0.06 YoY, +$0.01 from last month)

Realty Income (O): $1.26 (+$0.04 QoQ, +$0.21 YoY, +$0.01 from last month)

Leggett & Platt (LEG): $1.29 (+$0.85 QoQ, +$0.88 YoY)

Best Buy (BBY): $6.47 (+$1.35 QoQ, +$1.45 YoY)

McCormick (MKC): $0.01

Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD): $0.10 (-$0.02 QoQ, +$0.09 YoY)

Wisdom Tree (DON): $0.03 (+$0.02 YoY, same as last month)

Armanino Foods (AMNF): $0.60 (+$0.30 QoQ, +$0.35 YoY)

That brings the sub-total to $22.78, which is up $5.33 from last quarter and up $6.08 from last year.

Not too much on the 401K front, the Baird Aggregate Bond fund threw in $1.29 and that was about it.

That brings the grand total to $24.07.  Interest threw in $5.03, which isn't too shabby all things considered.

In addition to the Robinhood buys (which you can read about here, here, here, here, and here) I also made single share buys of AT&T (T), Procter and Gamble (PG, Coca-Cola (KO), SpartanNash (SPTN), and Tanger Outlet (SKT) over on E-Trade.  The AT&T buy was the impromptu one that I made when I saw that the price had dipped below $20.  

I've been trying to get all of my E-Trade positions over the one-dollar dividend mark not taking into account any Robinhood holdings.  All I have left is AGNC, Armanino, and SJW.  It's gonna be good.  It'll also be good to get back to adding to positions that aren't People's United, Tanger, and SpartanNash.  I think they've been neglected the past couple of months.

The real move made this month had nothing to do with me.  Rather, Publix announced a stock split.  This is a rather nifty little accounting hack where a company's stock price is cut to a fraction of what it was, but the number of shares goes up in the same ratio.  It's like a controlled correction.  The dividend per share is less, but doing the math, I think they snuck in a dividend increase, but we'll talk about that next month.  Suffice it to say, the number of Publix shares held increased substantially. As such, when the price goes up, the shareholder's net worth increases much faster.  Of course, the opposite holds true as well.  When it goes down, so too does the individual's net worth.  If you're just holding, you could argue it's a moot point, but it is worth bringing up. In any event, I am looking forward to being able to acquire more shares at that reduced price going forward.

The portfolio has been updated accordingly

April also brought several dividend increases.  Coke, Pepsi, Armanino, Franklin Resources, SpartanNash, Best Buy, and Tanger all upped their dividends.  That last one is the most encouraging as they had suspended their dividend at the beginning of the pandemic.  They still aren't to where they were, but that increase did close the gap quite a bit.  It's just good to see them getting back on the horse after being thrown for a loop.  Their aristocrat streak may be over, but at least they're shaking it off quick.

All in all, April went well.  The dividend numbers weren't jaw dropping, but they were solid.  It was also one of the more active months for the portfolio.  With the snowbirds going home, it was a good way to end the season.  The next few months will be interesting, as I simultaneously hunker down and try to keep some semblance of momentum going.  Throw in all the madness on the macro front and you have a bizarre tight rope to have to walk.  You do what you can with what you've got, and that's really all you can do.  Beyond that, how things play out is anyone's guess.

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Robinhood Buys: 4/27/2022

 

Vanguard US REIT Fund (VNQ): $3

Verizon (VZ): $3

Lumen (LUMN): $3 

Kinder Morgan (KMI): $3

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): $3

Paychex (PAYX): $3

General Dynamics (GD): $3

Intel (INTC): $3

Unilever (UL): $3

Chevron (CVX): $3

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Brad Thor Bibliography: 'Blowback'

 

It seems that Mr. Thor is adhering to the old "Star Trek" movie rule, where the even numbered entries are the superior.  

Honestly, this one probably tops the list and ranks as my favorite so far.  It's the most gripping entry, has the most complex plot, and even veers into incorporating science and history.  There are times where it almost feels like a genre shift.  In any event, it still works, as Harvath has to race to stop hostile parties from releasing an ancient, deadly virus.

Said virus is freaky as heck.  The scene when we're first introduced to it is a major highlight of the book.  The vampire parallels and the fact that it apparently targets specific groups almost gives it an otherworldy feel.  Sure, Thor's a "fact"ion guy, so there's a more mundane explanation and you know that that is going to be the case from the get-go, but it is still freaking creepy when it's playing out.  

This is obviously the most researched book.  As noted, it ties in both science (in regards to the virus itself) and history (Hannibal's endeavors play a pretty critical role in the plot.)  It can lead to some heavy exposition dumps, but I think that the payoff was worth it.

The story also has a lot of moving parts.  It all connects to some extent, but this is definitely the most elaborate of Thor's tomes.  It also leads to the story having the biggest scope, which is impressive considering what went down in previous books.

Really, the only weak link was the Harvath video.  Early on, he is caught assaulting someone he thinks is a terrorist.  Turns out, it wasn't and the video goes public.  It puts him in political hot water, but the narrative is very quick to absolve him of any wrong doing.  Sure, he's the hero, but at the same time, there was some potential for introspection and growth.  It gets to the point that when people bring up what happened, he just gets pissy and defensive.  It's a missed opportunity, really.

The terrorist himself is a formidable adversary.  The book tries to paint him as a sort of nemesis and the results are mixed.  As was the case with "Path of the Assassin", he and Harvath cross paths a few times with the terrorist gaining the upper hand more than once.  Unfortunately, a lot of their history has to be glossed over so the whole "nemesis" thing doesn't work as well as one would hope.  The book is already pretty thick, so there really wasn't much more that could be done, but it is what it is.

Meg Cassidy is brushed off.  Really, the fact that she held out as long as she did is kind of impressive.  Her plot does cast a shadow, though, as Harvath directly compares what he's doing with this book's partner to how he pulled Meg into the conflict.  Granted, the lady here was being directly targeted, but still. 

She works out well, she's an expert on viruses, so she is able to pull her weight and provide insight into matters that are well outside of Harvath's usual wheelhouse.  There's no attempt at a romance, which some might appreciate.  Speaking of, I did like how Harvath's ally from "Lions" made a quick appearance to provide some assistance.

It seems like Thor has hit his stride.  Will the momentum carry, or will book V be Harvath's "Final Frontier"?

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Robinhood Buys 4/20/2022

 

Starbucks (SBUX): $3

Campbell's (CPB): $3

Verizon (VZ): $3

Realty Income (O): $3

GlobalXSuperdividend (SDIV): $3

WisdomTree (DON): $3

Invesco High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD):  $3

AGNC: $3

Stag Industrial (STAG): $3

Main Street Capital (MAIN): $3

Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD): $3

SJW Group (SJW): $3

Lockheed (LMT): $3

Exxon Mobil (XOM): $3

No cannabis related investments today.  They are a thing, though, for those curious.  Don't know if they pay dividends or not, but there you go.

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Robinhood Buys: 4/13/2022

 

AT&T (T): $3

ConEd (ED): $3

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): $3 

Target (TGT): $3

McDonald's (MCD): $3

Procter & Gamble (PG): $3 

PepsiCo (PEP): $3

Emerson Electric (EMR): $3

3M (MMM): $3

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): $3 

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Robinhood Buys: 4/12/2022

 

Made an impromptu buy over on E-Trade, so I figured, why not do the same on Robinhood?  There will still be a round of buys tomorrow, but this is just a little extra somethin somethin.

Vanguard Total Market ETF (VTI): $2

Verizon (VZ): $2

Campbell's (CPB): $2

Vanguard US REIT Fund (VNQ): $2

Exxon Mobil (XOM): $2

Paychex (PAYX): $2

Lockheed Martin (LMT): $2

Target (TGT): $2

VF Corp (VFC): $2

Kinder Morgan (KMI): $2

Not a huge move, even by Robinhood standards.  Still, I'm glad I did it.  It does help move me a little closer to a goal I'm hoping to achieve over the course of the off-season.

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Robinhood Buys: 4/7/2022

 

Vanguard Total Market ETF (VTI): $4

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM): $4

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): $4

Vanguard US REIT Fund (VNQ): $4

Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG): $4

Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU): $4

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOOG): $4

Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): $4

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO): $4

General Dynamics (GD): $4

Threw in an extra buy just to even things out.  The brackets are going to be going on hiatus pretty soon anyway, so I figure might as well get the ball rolling.

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March 2022 Dividend Income: Sneak Attack

 

And just like that, the first quarter of the year is done.  With the passage of another month, comes another dividend post.  I know, you might be thinking that, given the date, that some sort of joke will come into play, but such is not the case here.  These numbers, for better or worse, are quite real.  As such, let's dive in, shall we?

Kroger (KR): $1.34  (same QoQ, +$0.21 YoY)

SJW Group (SJW): $0.50 (+$0.09 QoQ, +$0.15 YoY)

Invesco High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD): $0.07 (+$0.03 QoQ)

J.M. Smucker (SJM): $0.16 (+$0.08 QoQ)

Intel (INTC): $0.13 (+$0.08 QoQ)

Nasdaq Covered Call ETF (QYLD): $0.15 (+$0.09 QoQ)

Pfizer (PFE): $0.83 (+$0.03 QoQ, +$0.44 YoY)

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): $0.42 (+$0.10 QoQ, +$0.30 YoY)

AGNC: $0.56 (+$0.08 QoQ, +$0.26 YoY)

Exxon Mobil (XOM): $2.23 (+$1.04 QoQ, $1.39 YoY)

IBM: $0.11 (+$0.10 QoQ)

Emerson (EMR): $0.25 (+$0.05 QoQ, +$0.15 YoY)

Target (TGT): $0.21 (+$0.05 QoQ, +$0.15 YoY)

Chevron (CVX): $0.29 (+$0.14 QoQ)

Microsoft (MSFT): $0.03 (+$0.01 QoQ)

Walgreen's Boots Alliance (WBA): $1.01 (+$0.01 QoQ, +$0.05 YoY)

Yum! (YUM): $0.13 (+$0.05 QoQ)

GlobalXSuperdividend ETF (SDIV): $0.08 (+$0.02 QoQ, +$0.06 YoY)

3M (MMM): $0.35 (+$0.08 QoQ, +$0.22 YoY)

Stag Industrial (STAG): $0.06 ($0.03 QoQ)

ConEd (ED): $0.46 (+$0.10 QoQ, +$0.29 YoY)

Realty Income (O): $1.25 (+$0.07 QoQ, +$0.21 YoY)

McDonald's (MCD): $0.18 (-$0.04 QoQ, +$0.05 YoY)

Main Street Capital (MAIN): $0.05  (+$0.02 QoQ)

Wendy's (WEN): $1.18 (+$0.05 QoQ, +$0.44 YoY)

Flowers Foods (FLO): $1.37 (+$0.01 QoQ, +$0.30 YoY)

Lumen Technologies (LUMN): $1.14 (+$0.27 QoQ, +$0.59 YoY)

VF Corp (VFC): $1.09 (+$0.01 QoQ, +$0.09 YoY)

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM): $0.70 (-$0.13 QoQ, +$0.36 YoY)

Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG): $0.39 (+$0.02 QoQ, +$0.27 YoY)

Kraft-Heinz (KHC): $1.67 (+$0.44 QoQ, +$1.27 YoY)

Lockheed Martin (LMT): $0.30 (+$0.11 QoQ)

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI): $0.35 (-$0.02 QoQ, +$0.19 YoY)

Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD): $0.21 

Vanguard US REIT Fund (VNQ): $0.47 (-$0.22 QoQ, +$0.29 YoY)

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): $0.28 (+$0.01 QoQ)

Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF (VOOG): $0.05

Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU): $0.44 (+$0.07 QoQ)

Domino's Pizza (DPZ): $0.07 (+$0.02 QoQ)

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO): $0.15 

Wisdom Tree (DON): $0.03

That brings the total up to $20.72, which is down from last quarter.  While there were some negatives in the core portfolio as far as quarterlies go, the real hit was not having that Orion dividend. As I noted when I got it, that payment was a fluke. Still, even with that hit, I broke $20.  May not be much, but that's Netflix and Hulu, or a trip to the gas station.  On the plus side, it just about doubled from last year.

Over in the 401K, the dividends were as follows.

Baird Aggregate Bond Fund: $1.20 (-$0.77 QoQ, +$0.43 YoY)

DFA US Small Cap Index: $0.73 (-$23.33 QoQ)

Yeeah, that's the downside of having big numbers in December.  Just as they skyrocketed, so too do they come crashing back down in the next quarter.  

That sub-total for the 401K comes to $1.93.

Add it all together and we get a grand total of $22.65. 

Interest payments clocked in at $4.46

3M, Yum, and Wendy's all came in with dividend increases. Granted, two of those are Robinhood positions; so the effect is negligible, but it's still something.

Speaking of Robinhood, I made buys.  You can read about them here, here, here, here, and here.  In addition to that, I made single share buys of SpartanNash (SPTN), Paramount Global (PARA, which was formerly ViacomCBS), Pfizer (PFE), People's United Bank (PBCT), and Tanger Factory Outlet (SKT) over on E-Trade. 

The portfolio has been updated accordingly.

No Publix stock this time around.  That post-2020 aftershock I was expecting last year decided to wait a bit.  Actually, I just misunderstood the time table.  It's a setback, no doubt, but it's one that can be overcome.  Just have to shake it off and move forward.  On the plus side, it will be an isolated incident that never happens again.

Still nine months left in the year, plenty of time to make moves, get momentum, and set our future selves up.  

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