Dividend Changes: June 20-26, 2020

In this article series, we provide a weekly summary of dividend increases, suspensions, and cuts. A summary table provides relevant data and key statistics for dividend increases.

We also include a table of ex-dividend dates for the next two weeks and we highlight an interesting candidate for your consideration.

We now monitor dividend change announcements for stocks listed in Dividend Radar, a weekly auto-generated spreadsheet of stocks with dividend streaks of five years or more. Dividend Radar provides up-to-date fundamentals and added value data, including total trailing returns, a fair value indicator, and trailing dividend growth rates.

10 Dividend Growth Stocks For June 2020

In my monthly series of 10 Dividend Growth Stocks, I rank a selection of dividend growth stocks in Dividend Radar and present the 10 top-ranked stocks for consideration.

To rank stocks, I use DVK Quality Snapshots to obtain quality scores and break ties by considering additional metrics.

This month, I'm presenting stocks yielding at least 3% that are trading below fair value.

Top Holdings Of Dividend ETFs (Part 3: Hidden Gems In June 2020)

Part 1 of this article presented the top 50 holdings of 47 dividend-paying ETFs, ranked by using a proportional scoring system that favors larger investments and larger ETFs. Part 2 presented the top 7 stocks in each GICS sector, providing investors who want to diversify their portfolio with potential candidates to consider.

In Part 3, I'm showcasing high-quality stocks not ranked in the top 50. These are hidden gems that contrarian investors may find interesting, who seek investment opportunities outside the prevailing sentiment of the time.

Dividend Changes: June 13-19, 2020

This weekly article series covers dividend changes. A summary table provides relevant data and key statistics of dividend increases.
The article includes a section listing dividend cuts and suspensions. It also includes a table of ex-dividend dates for the next two weeks and highlights an interesting candidate for your consideration.

We now monitor dividend change announcements for stocks listed in Dividend Radar, a weekly auto-generated spreadsheet of stocks with dividend streaks of five years or more. Dividend Radar provides up-to-date fundamentals and added value data, including total trailing returns, a fair value indicator, and trailing dividend growth rates.

Expired Options (June 2020)

After options expiration day, I like to post an article to summarize expirations and any actions I took prior to the expiration day. I also like to present potential replacement trades for the expired options.

I had several options that expired on Friday, 19 June. Most were deep out of the money, meaning I didn't really need to take any protective actions to avoid assignment.

As usual, I'll report on my other options trades in an upcoming article.

Top Holdings Of Dividend ETFs (Part 2: The Top 7 By Sector In June 2020)

In Part 1 of this article, I presented the top 50 holdings of dividend ETFs, ranked by using a proportional scoring system that favors larger investments and larger ETFs.

The top-ranked stock in June 2020 is Apple (AAPL), followed by Microsoft (MSFT) and Verizon Communications (VZ).

The top holdings are not distributed evenly among the 11 GICS sectors. For example, the Information Technology sector has 11 representatives in the top 50 holdings, whereas the Materials sector has none. For investors looking to build a diversified portfolio, an uneven distribution is not very helpful. That's why I'm showcasing the top seven stocks in each GICS sector in Part 2 of this article, regardless of ranking.

Top Holdings Of Dividend ETFs (Part 1: The Top 50 In June 2020)

Compiling a list of the top holdings of Dividend ETFs is insightful. It helps me to identify candidates for further analysis and possible investment.

When I compare my portfolio to the top holdings of Dividend ETFs, I first notice stocks I don't (yet) own. Perhaps I've considered them before and decided not to invest at the time, or perhaps I've never even taken a detailed look. Invariably, I ask the question: if these stocks are so popular, why don't I own them?

The compilation is interesting in another way, too. The top holdings are not distributed evenly among the 11 GICS sectors. For example, the Information Technology sector has 11 representatives in the top 50 holdings, whereas the Materials sector has none. For investors looking to build a diversified portfolio, an uneven distribution is not very helpful. That's why I'll present the top 7 stocks in each GICS sector in Part 2 of this article, regardless of ranking.

In Part 3, I'll showcase high-quality stocks not covered in Part 1 and Part 2 of this article. I consider such stocks to be hidden gems. They may be of interest to contrarian investors who seek investment opportunities outside the prevailing sentiment of the time.

Dividend Changes: June 6-12, 2020

This article series provides a weekly summary of dividend changes. We provide a summary table of relevant data and key statistics of dividend increases and list dividend cuts and suspensions.

We also provide a table of ex-dividend dates for the next two weeks and highlight an interesting candidate for your consideration.

We now monitor dividend change announcements for stocks listed in Dividend Radar, a weekly auto-generated spreadsheet of stocks with dividend streaks of five years or more. Dividend Radar provides up-to-date fundamentals and added value data, including total trailing returns, a fair value indicator, and trailing dividend growth rates.

Options Update: May 2020

Welcome to another edition of Options Update, a monthly article series in which I summarize options trades and keep track of DivGro's options income.

My options activity has quieted down significantly since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, and May was no exception. It is not that there are fewer opportunities; rather, I've been working from home and consumed with other activities that have kept me away from my usual routine. We'll see how it goes in the next month or so!

I've dug myself into a hole and it remains highly unlikely that I will achieve my 2020 goal of collecting at least $24,000 in options income.

Home Run Number 20

Ten months ago I celebrated my 19^th home run, a designation I give to stocks in my portfolio that crosses the 100% mark in total returns.

My last home run was Xcel Energy (XEL), a Dividend Contender with a streak of 17 consecutive years of higher dividend payments.

Given the current market conditions, it is perhaps surprising to report a new home run stock. But the stock that doubled my initial investment is one that has done particularly well and even strengthened its position during the pandemic.

This article presents my 20^th home run stock, a list of previous home runs, and shortlist of home run contenders.

Dividend Changes: May 30-June 5, 2020

This article series provides a weekly summary of dividend increases, cuts, and suspensions. We provide a summary table of relevant data and key statistics of dividend increases. We also list dividend cuts and suspensions.

The article concludes with a table of ex-dividend dates for the next two weeks and we highlight an interesting candidate.

I now monitor dividend change announcements for stocks listed in Dividend Radar, a weekly auto-generated spreadsheet of stocks with dividend streaks of five years or more. Dividend Radar provides up-to-date fundamentals and added value data, including total trailing returns, a fair value indicator, and trailing dividend growth rates.

Monthly Review Of DivGro: May 2020

Every month, I write a review of my portfolio of dividend growth stocks, DivGro. I present details of any buys or sells, and I provide a summary of dividends collected. I also consider the impact on DivGro's projected annual dividend income (PADI).

In May, I opened one new position and added shares to three existing positions. Four DivGro stocks announced dividend increases in May. Unfortunately, the pandemic finally impacted my portfolio, as three stocks suspended their dividends and one of my closed-end funds cut its distribution. The net result of these changes is that PADI decreased by about 1.6% in May. Year over year, PADI increased by 12.8%.

As for dividend income, in May I received dividends totaling $1,536 from 20 stocks in my portfolio, a year over year decrease of 7%. So far in 2020, I've collected $10,112 in dividends or about 37% of my 2020 goal of $27,000.

The Top-Ranked Dividend Growth Stocks In The Consumer Staples Sector

While the stock market has recovered much of the losses suffered in late February and March, the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic remains significant. Nearly 40 million Americans have filed unemployment claims in April and May, and GDP numbers will soon show the largest contraction since the Great Depression. In my view, it is crucial for dividend growth investors to focus on quality even more than before!

In April, I presented the three top-ranked dividend growth stocks in each of the GICS sectors. Following a reader's suggestion, I decided to start a new series of articles ranking dividend growth stocks in each GICS sector by quality score. The first article presented the top-ranked Industrials.

This article presents the ten top-ranked dividend growth stocks in the Consumer Staples sector.

Spotlight on James Marino Sr of Portfolio Insight

Regular readers may have noticed that I now use Dividend Radar, a weekly auto-generated spreadsheet of stocks with dividend streaks of five years or more. Dividend Radar provides up-to-date fundamentals and added value data, including total trailing returns, a fair value indicator, and trailing dividend growth rates.

I'm collaborating with James Marino Sr and James Marino Jr of Portfolio Insight to produce and maintain Dividend Radar, a free resource for dividend growth investors!

In this article, I'm shining the spotlight on James Marino Sr. We share a passion for do-it-yourself dividend growth investing and co-authored a Seeking Alpha article to introduce Dividend Radar.

Dividend Changes: May 23-29, 2020

This article series provides a weekly summary of dividend changes.
We provide a summary table of relevant data and key statistics of dividend increases. We also list dividend cuts and suspensions.

The article concludes with a table of ex-dividend dates for the next two weeks and we highlight some interesting candidates.

I now monitor dividend change announcements for stocks listed in Dividend Radar, a weekly auto-generated spreadsheet of stocks with dividend streaks of five years or more. Dividend Radar provides up-to-date fundamentals and added value data, including total trailing returns, a fair value indicator, and trailing dividend growth rates.