Aflac Dividend Increase

On 2 December, Aflac (AFL) increased its quarterly dividend by 16%, from 50¢ to 58¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 3 March 2025 to shareholders of record on 19 February 2025. The ex-dividend date is 19 February 2025.

AFL's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $64 to $464.

Nike Dividend Increase

On 15 November, Nike (NKE) increased its quarterly dividend by 8.11%, from 37¢ to 40¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 2 January 2025 to shareholders of record on 2 December 2024. The ex-dividend date is 2 December 2024.

NKE's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $39.60 to $528.

Snap-on Dividend Increase

On 8 November, Snap-on (SNA) increased its quarterly dividend by 15.1%, from $1.86 to $2.14 per share.

The dividend will be paid on 10 December to shareholders of record on 21 November. The ex-dividend date is 21 November.

SNA's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $67.20 to $513.60.

The Dividend Aristocrats Ranked By Quality Scores: November 2024

The S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index contains 66 dividend growth stocks called the Dividend Aristocrats. With a few exceptions, the Dividend Aristocrats are S&P 500 companies with higher dividend payouts every year for 25 or more years. 

In this article, I rank the 66  Dividend Aristocrats by quality scores, categorizing them into undervalued and overvalued stocks.

I consider stocks undervalued if they pass three valuation screens.

November 2024 Newsletter

Welcome to the NOVEMBER edition of my DivGro 2.0 newsletter!

In this month's edition, I provide a quick market recap and an overview of my DivGro portfolio (as of 31 October 2024).

I'm back with four new top-10 lists. If you're looking for undervalued stocks, these lists will provide you with some candidates for further research and possible investment. 

Evergy Dividend Increase

On 7 November, Energy  (EVRG) increased its quarterly dividend by 3.89%, from 64.25¢ to 66.75¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 20 December to shareholders of record on 21 November. The ex-dividend date is 21 November.

EVRG's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $30 to $801.

Atmos Energy Dividend Increase

On 6 November, Atmos Energy (ADP) increased its quarterly dividend by 8.07%, from 81¢ to 87¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 9 December to shareholders of record on 25 November. The ex-dividend date is 25 November.

ATO's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $52 to $696.

Automatic Data Processing Dividend Increase

On 6 November, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) increased its quarterly dividend by 10%, from $1.40 to $1.54 per share.

The dividend will be paid on 1 January 2025 to shareholders of record on 13 December 2024. The ex-dividend date is 13 December 2024.

ADP's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $56 to $616.

Main Street Capital Dividend Increase

Main Street Capital (MAIN) increased its monthly dividend by 2.08%, from 24.5¢ to 25¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 15 January 2025 to shareholders of record on 8 January 2025. The ex-dividend date is 8 January 2025.

MAIN's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $12 to $600.

Home Run Number 54

I'm happy to announce that DivGro just delivered its 54^th Home Run! When a stock in my portfolio doubles my original investment in total returns, I assign it Home Run status. 

I'm primarily a dividend growth investor. I invest in high-quality dividend growth stocks with long histories of increasing annual dividend payouts. 

Unless the underlying fundamentals change, there's rarely a reason to sell these stocks. And if I hold them long enough, they'll eventually double my original investment in total returns and become Home Run stocks!

Updating my Quality Scoring System

I use a quality scoring system modeled after David Van Knapp's Quality Snapshots, an elegant system for assessing the quality of dividend growth stocks.

This article describes my (updated) quality scoring system and how I rank dividend growth stocks by quality scores. It also explains how my system differs from Quality Snapshots.

The main purpose of using a quality scoring system is not to make final buy or sell decisions but to identify candidates for further research. The scoring system is stringent, but that doesn't mean the highest-quality stocks are always suitable for investment. Valuation must be considered after vetting a candidate's suitability through further research.

AbbVie Dividend Increase

On 30 October, AbbVie (ABBV) increased its quarterly dividend by 5.81%, from $1.55 to $1.64 per share.

The dividend will be paid on 15 February 2025 to shareholders of record on 15 January 2025. The ex-dividend date is 15 January 2025.

ABBV's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $36 to $656.

Visa Dividend Increase

On 29 October, Visa (V) increased its quarterly dividend by 13.46%, from 52¢ to 59¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 2 December to shareholders of record on 12 November. The ex-dividend date is 12 November.

V's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $28 to $236.

Brown & Brown Dividend Increase

On 23 October, Brown & Brown (BRO) increased its quarterly dividend by 15.38%, from 13¢ to 15¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 13 November to shareholders of record on 6 November. The ex-dividend date is 6 November.

BRO's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $22.40 to $168.00.

October 2024 Newsletter

Welcome to the OCTOBER edition of my DivGro 2.0 newsletter!

I apologize for being late with this edition. Work is getting busy, and we have several looming deadlines. The first is to finish a trailer for our 2025 film, Elio.

In this month's edition, I provide a quick market recap and an overview of my DivGro portfolio (as of 30 September 2024). Check back next month for new top-10 lists.

Starbucks Dividend Increase

On 23 October, Starbucks (SBUX) increased its quarterly dividend by 7.02%, from 57¢ to 61¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 29 November to shareholders of record on 15 November. The ex-dividend date is 15 November.

SBUX's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $27.20 to $414.80.

Rollins Dividend Increase

On 22 October, Rollins (ROL) increased its quarterly dividend by 10%, from 15¢ to 16.5¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 10 December to shareholders of record on 12 November. The ex-dividend date is 12 November.

ROL's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $18 to $198.

Home Run Number 53

Recently, DivGro delivered my 53^rd Home Run stock. When a stock in my portfolio doubles my original investment in total returns, I assign it Home Run status. 

I invest in high-quality dividend growth stocks. Unless the underlying fundamentals change, there's rarely a reason to sell these stocks. And if I hold them long enough, they'll eventually double my original investment in total returns and become Home Run stocks!

Undervalued Dividend Kings: October 2024

Dividend Kings are exceptional dividend companies that have increased their annual dividend payouts for 50 or more consecutive years. This achievement is remarkable because these companies have delivered ever-increasing dividends to investors through economic recessions, market crashes, technological revolutions, and changes in consumer tastes!

In this article, I rank the Dividend Kings by quality score and present undervalued stocks for further research and possible investment. 

To determine if stocks are undervalued, I use these valuation screens:

Lockheed Martin Dividend Increase

On 3 October, Lockheed Martin (LMT) increased its quarterly dividend by 4.76%, from $3.15 to $3.30 per share.

The dividend will be paid on 27 December to shareholders of record on 2 December. The ex-dividend date is 2 December.

LMT's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $24 to $528.

Honeywell International Dividend Increase

On 27 September, Honeywell International (HON) increased its quarterly dividend by 4.63%, from $1.08 to $1.13 per share.

The dividend will be paid on 6 December to shareholders of record on 15 November. The ex-dividend date is 15 November. 

HON's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $16 to $452.00.

Accenture Dividend Increase

On 26 September, Accenture (ACN) increased its quarterly dividend by 14.73%, from $1.29 to $1.48 per share.

The dividend will be paid on 15 November to shareholders of record on 10 October. The ex-dividend date is 10 October. 

ACN's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $60.80 to $473.60.

McDonald's Dividend Increase

On 26 September, McDonald's (MCD) increased its quarterly dividend by 5.99%, from $1.67 to $1.77 per share.

The dividend will be paid on 16 December to shareholders of record on 2 December. The ex-dividend date is 2 December. 

MCD's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $30 to $531.

Microsoft Dividend Increase

On 17 September, Microsoft (MSFT) increased its quarterly dividend by 10.67%, from 75¢ to 83¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 12 December to shareholders of record on 21 November. The ex-dividend date is 21 November.

MSFT's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $25.60 to $265.60.

Realty Income Dividend Increase

On 10 September, Realty Income (O) increased its monthly dividend by 0.19%, from 26.30¢ to 26.35¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 15 October to shareholders of record on 1 October. The ex-dividend date is 1 October.

O's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $1.50 to $790.50.

Broadcom Dividend Increase

On 5 September, Broadcom (AVGO) increased its quarterly dividend by 0.95%, from 52.5¢ to 53¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 30 September to shareholders of record on 19 September. The ex-dividend date is 19 September.

This is an unusually small increase for AVGO, likely aimed at smoothing out its fractional dividend following the company's 10-for-1 stock split. I expect AVGO to announce a more significant increase in December. 

AVGO's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $2 to $212.

Verizon Communications Dividend Increase

On 5 September, Verizon Communications (VZ) increased its quarterly dividend by 1.88%, from 66.50¢ to 67.75¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 1 November to shareholders of record on 10 October. The ex-dividend date is 10 October.

VZ's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $25 to $1355.

September 2024 Newsletter

Welcome to the SEPTEMBER edition of my DivGro 2.0 newsletter!

The September Newsletter provides a quick market recap and overview of my DivGro portfolio (as of 31 August 2024). It also reveals four new top-10 lists of discounted stocks!

In August, I added shares to six positions and trimmed four positions. DivGro still contains 76 positions.

I'm continuing to align DivGro more closely to its desired target weights. 

10 Undervalued Dividend Growth Stocks: August 2024

After taking two months off from my 10 Dividend Growth Stocks series, I'm refocusing the series to identify top-ranked undervalued stocks. 

By implication, such stocks are suitable candidates for your dividend growth portfolio because they're high-quality dividend growth stocks trading at or below fair value. 

This month, I'm presenting the ten top-ranked undervalued DG stocks in Dividend Radar. In future articles, I'll use additional screens to focus on other aspects of dividend growth investing. 

Altria Dividend Increase

On 22 August, Altria (MO) increased its quarterly dividend by 4.08%, from 98¢ to $1.02 per share.

The dividend will be paid on 10 October to shareholders of record on 16 September. The ex-dividend date is 16 September.

MO's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $48 to $1,224.

August 2024 Newsletter

Welcome to the AUGUST edition of my DivGro 2.0 newsletter!

The August Newsletter provides a quick market recap and overview of my DivGro portfolio (as of 31 July 2024). It also reveals four new top-10 lists!

In July, I opened two new positions and added shares to three existing positions. Additionally, I closed two positions and reduced my holdings in two positions.

I'm continuing to align DivGro more closely to its desired target weights. 

Illinois Tool Works Dividend Increase

On 2 August, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) increased its quarterly dividend by 7.14%, from $1.40 to $1.50 per share.

The dividend will be paid on 11 October to shareholders of record on 30 September. The ex-dividend date is 30 September.

ITW's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $34.00 to $510.

American States Water Dividend Increase

On 1 August, American States Water (AWR) increased its quarterly dividend by 8.30%, from 43¢ to 46.56¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 3 September to shareholders of record on 16 August. The ex-dividend date is 16 August.

AWR's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $34.08 to $446.88.

Mondelez Dividend Increase

On 1 August, Mondelez (MDLZ) increased its quarterly dividend by 10.59%, from 42.5¢ to 47¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 14 October to shareholders of record on 30 September. The ex-dividend date is 30 September.

MDLZ's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $36 to $376.

Home Run Number 52

Today, DivGro delivered my 52^nd Home Run stock. When a stock in my portfolio doubles my original investment in total returns, I assign it Home Run status. 

This is a milestone worth celebrating!

As a dividend growth investor, I invest in high-quality dividend growth stocks. Unless the underlying fundamentals change, there's rarely a reason to sell these stocks. And if I hold dividend growth stocks long enough, eventually they'll double my original investment in total returns and become Home Run stocks!

Ten-Bagger Number One

Today, I'm starting a new series of milestone articles, similar to my series of articles on DivGro's Home Runs.  

Articles in this series will be exceptionally rare! 

In fact, I would be surprised to write more than three of these articles in the next decade! 

The reason is that achieving a Ten-Bagger is exceptionally rare in Dividend Growth Investing. A Ten Bagger is a stock with total returns of at least ten times the original investment (or a 1,000% return on investment).

Amphenol Dividend Increase

On 23 July, Amphenol (APH) increased its quarterly dividend by 50%, from 11¢ to 16.5¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 9 October to shareholders of record on 17 September. The ex-dividend date is 17 September.

APH's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $88 to $264.

Cintas Dividend Increase

On 23 July, Cintas (CTAS) increased its quarterly dividend by 15.6%, from $1.35 to $1.56 per share.

The dividend will be paid on 3 September to shareholders of record on 15 August. The ex-dividend date is 15 August.

CTAS's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $33.60 to $249.60.

Union Pacific Dividend Increase

On 17 July, Union Pacific (UNP) increased its quarterly dividend by 3.08%, from $1.30 to $1.34 per share.

The dividend will be paid on 30 September to shareholders of record on 30 August. The ex-dividend date is 30 August.

UNP's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $16 to $536.

NNN REIT Dividend Increase

On 15 July, NNN REIT (NNN) increased its quarterly dividend by 2.65%, from 56.5¢ to 58¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 15 August to shareholders of record on 31 July. The ex-dividend date is 31 July.

NNN's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $15 to $580.

July 2024 Newsletter

Welcome to the JULY edition of my DivGro 2.0 newsletter!

The July Newsletter provides a quick market recap and overview of my DivGro portfolio (as of 30 June 2024).

I opened two new positions in June and added shares to eight existing positions. Additionally, I closed two positions and reduced my holdings in ten positions.

I'm continuing to align DivGro more closely to its desired target weights. 

Home Run Number 51

I'm celebrating a wonderful milestone today! DivGro just delivered my 51^st Home Run stock, doubling my original investment in total returns!

If you invest in high-quality dividend growth stocks, then there's rarely a reason to sell your stocks. And if you hold dividend growth stocks long enough, eventually, they'll double your original investment in total returns and become Home Run stocks!

Dividend growth investing is the ultimate Get Rich Slow Scheme. It's boring but beautiful and a perfect example of Slow and Steady wins the Race!

The Highest Quality Dividend Growth Stocks In 2024

In this June 2020 article, David Van Knapp screened the so-called CCC list of Dividend Champions, Contenders, and Challengers for stocks that placed in the top two scoring categories of each quality indicator in his Quality Snapshots system. He called stocks that passed these stringent screens the highest-quality dividend growth stocks.

In this article, I revisit the idea of finding the highest-quality dividend growth stocks. My universe of dividend growth stocks is Dividend Radar, and I use a variation of Quality Snapshots for screening. 

The article updates one I wrote in August 2022. While the scoring system and universe of DG stocks are different, comparing the 2022 and 2024 results is quite informative. 

June 2024 Newsletter

Welcome to the JUNE edition of my DivGro 2.0 newsletter!

The June Newsletter provides a quick market recap, an overview of my DivGro portfolio (as of 31 May 2024), and four new top-10 lists of Dividend Radar stocks.! Also, check out some photos from our South African trip.

In May, I opened one new position, increasing the number of positions in DivGro to 76. Of these, 69 are dividend growth [DG] stocks, three are dividend-paying stocks, and four are closed-end funds. By convention, I label stocks with dividend increase streaks of five or more years DG stocks.

JPMorgan Chase Dividend Increase

On 28 June, JPMorgan Chase (JPM) announced plans to increase its quarterly dividend by 8.7%, from $1.15 to $1.25 per share.

The new dividend will be paid in the third quarter of 2024, pending board approval. 

JPM's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $30 to $375.

Realty Income Dividend Increase

On 11 June, Realty Income (O) increased its monthly dividend by 0.19%, from 26.25¢ to 26.30¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 15 July to shareholders of record on 1 July. The ex-dividend date is 1 July.

O's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $1.50 to $789.00.

UnitedHealth Dividend Increase

On 7 June, UnitedHealth (UNH) increased its quarterly dividend by 11.7%, from $1.88 to $2.10 per share.

The dividend will be paid on 25 June to shareholders of record on 17 June. The ex-dividend date is 17 June.

UNH's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $44 to $420.

Lowe's Dividend Increase

On 31 May, Lowe's (LOW) increased its quarterly dividend by 4.55%, from $1.10 to $1.15 per share.

The dividend will be paid on 7 August to shareholders of record on 24 July. The ex-dividend date is 24 July.

LOW's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $20 to $460.

Reality Income Dividend Increase

On 20 May, Realty Income (O) increased its monthly dividend by 2.14%, from 25.70¢ to 26.25¢ per share.

The dividend will be paid on 14 June to shareholders of record on 3 June. The ex-dividend date is 3 June.

O's contribution to DivGro's projected annual dividend income will increase by $30.40 to $329.60.

10 Dividend Growth Stocks: May 2024

In this series, I rank a selection of Dividend Radar stocks and present the 10 top-ranked stocks for further research and possible investment. 

This month, I'm presenting candidates with 5-year earnings growth rates and 5-year trailing total returns above 17%. These screens produce candidates with strong total return prospects.

I own only three of the ten candidates in my DivGro portfolio.