Recent Buy: T. Rowe Price Group Inc

March 16, 2016: Bought 35 shares of TROW at $71.39 per share.

Founded in 1937 and based in Baltimore, Maryland, T. Rowe Price Group Inc (NASDAQ:TROW) is a financial services holding company that provides global investment management services to individual and institutional investors in the sponsored T. Rowe Price mutual funds and other investment portfolios, as well as through variable annuity life insurance plans.

TROW is a Dividend Champion with an impressive 30-year streak of consecutive dividend increases. It pays quarterly dividends of 54¢ per share in the months of January, April, July and October.

Recent Buy: Macquarie Infrastructure Company

March 16, 2016: Bought 40 shares of MIC at $65.15 per share.

Macquarie Infrastructure Company LLC (NYSE:MIC) owns, operates and invests in a diversified portfolio of infrastructure businesses that provides basic services, facilities and technology to businesses and individuals in the United States. The Company's businesses consist of bulk liquid terminals, an airport services business, a gas processing and distribution business, and a portfolio of contracted power and energy investments.

I already own 30 shares of MIC, which I bought in May 2015 at an initial yield on cost (YoC) of 4.98%. This buy reduces my cost basis to $70.08 and increases YoC to 6.21%.

Recent Transfer: 3M Company

3M Company (NYSE:MMM) is a diversified technology company with worldwide operations. The company has leading positions in consumer and office; display and graphics; electronics and telecommunications; health care; industrial; safety, security and protection services; transportation and other businesses. MMM is an integrated enterprise characterized by substantial inter-company cooperation in research, manufacturing and marketing of products. MMM was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in St. Paul Minnesota.

I'm busy consolidating several portfolios into DivGro. Previously, I transferred stocks from my Scottrade portfolio to DivGro. Now I'm starting to transfer stocks from my Roth IRA and my traditional IRA into DivGro. In the process, I'm providing details about past transactions and I'll be explaining why I'm a shareholder.

8 Dividend Increases: February 29-March 11, 2016

Includes: ARE • CL • CLDT • FFG • GD • GIS • HMN • UHT

Summary

• I monitor dividend increases for stocks in my watch list of dividend growth stocks to identify candidates for further analysis and to make yield on cost adjustments for stocks I own.
• Recently, 8 companies on my watch list announced dividend increases, including 1 of the stocks I hold in my DivGro portfolio. 
• Companies that regularly increase dividends show confidence in future earnings growth potential.

Further Consolidation

Regular readers will know that I have been transferring stocks from my portfolio at Scottrade to DivGro. My goal with this consolidation process is to manage my holdings in different accounts as if they are part of a single portfolio. 

Presently, my DivGro holdings are distributed across three accounts: one at Scottrade and two at FolioInvesting. I have a (hidden) column in my portfolio spreadsheet identifying the account that contains each holding. 

I have two more accounts at FolioInvesting, both IRA (individual retirement accounts). One is a Roth IRA I opened in April 2003 and a traditional IRA I opened in April 2010. In the next couple of months, I'm planning to consolidate these accounts into DivGro as well.

Recent Transfer: Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Global Diversified Equity Income Fund

Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Global Diversified Equity Income Fund (NYSE:EXG) invests in a diversified portfolio of domestic and foreign common stocks, with an on dividend paying stocks and call option writing.

The past few months I have been transferring stocks from my portfolio at Scottrade to DivGro. Altogether, I've transferred 16 stocks and 2 closed-end funds (CEFs). This post covers the final transfer from my Scottrade account to DivGro.

Soon, I'll start transferring some stocks from a couple of IRA accounts in a similar way. Just like with my Scottrade account, I'm not actually transferring stocks out of the source accounts and closing them. I'm only transferring the management of these holdings to DivGro.

Monthly Review: February 2016

In February, I continued to transfer holdings from my Scottrade account to DivGro. Except for a couple of closed-end funds (CEFs), the transfer process is almost complete. In the process, I've added some solid dividend paying stocks, increasing DivGro's projected annual dividend income (PADI) to boot.

I'm also planning to transfer stocks from a couple of IRA accounts in a similar fashion. As with my Scottrade transfers, I'm not actually moving the holdings from one account to the other. (I'm not allowed to do that with IRA holdings anyway!). Instead, I'll just be managing these accounts using my DivGro investment strategies.

In this post, I'd like to review DivGro's performance in the month of February 2016. As always, I'm updating DivGro's Performance page at the same time.

Recent Transfer: AllianzGI Equity & Convertible Income Fund

AllianzGI Equity & Convertible Income Fund (NYSE:NIE), formerly AGIC Equity & Convertible Income Fund, is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The fund's investment objective is to seek total return consisting of capital appreciation, current income and gains.

Since November 2015, I have been transferring stocks from my portfolio at Scottrade to DivGro. Altogether, I've transferred 16 stocks and one closed-end fund (CEF), adding $2,236.22 to DivGro's projected annual dividend income and $2,004.70 in past dividends to DivGro's dividend tally.

NIE is the second CEF I'm transferring to DivGro.

Recent Buy: STAG Industrial Inc

29 Feb 29 2016: Bought 100 shares of STAG at $17.70 per share.

Founded on July 21, 2010 and based in Boston, Massachusetts, STAG Industrial Inc (NYSE:STAG) is a real estate investment trust focused on the acquisition and operation of single-tenant, industrial properties throughout the United States.

STAG is a Dividend Challenger, having paid and raised dividends for 6 consecutive years. The company pays monthly dividends of 11.5833¢ per share. At my buy price, the stock yields 7.85%.

I already own shares of STAG. I first bought shares of STAG in July 2015 at $18.94 per share and at an initial yield on cost (YoC) of 7.29%. Those shares now have a YoC of 7.34%.

Recent Buy: Cummins Inc

17 Feb 2016: Bought 25 shares of CMI at $100.07 per share. Founded in 1919 and headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, CMI (NYSE:CMI) is one of the leading designers and manufacturers of diesel engines. The company also produces natural gas engines and engine components and subsystems. CMI sells its products to original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and other customers worldwide.  CMI is ranked 2nd in the January 2016 edition of my 10 Dividend Growth Stocks article series. The company has a 10-year streak of consecutive dividend increases and pays quarterly dividends of 97.5¢ per share in the months of March, June, September and December. I already own 19 shares of CMI, which I bought in April 2015 at $134.62 per share and at an initial yield on cost (YoC) of 2.32%.

Recent Buy: HCP Inc.

17 Feb 2016: Bought 90 shares of HCP at $27.58 per share. Formed in 1985 and based in Irvine, California, HCP, Inc (NYSE:HCP) is an independent hybrid REIT (real estate investment trust). The company invests primarily in properties serving the healthcare industry in the United States, including sectors such as senior housing, life science, medical office, hospital and skilled nursing. HCP acquires, develops, leases, manages and disposes of healthcare real estate and provides financing to healthcare providers.

HCP is a Dividend Champion with an impressive track record of 31 consecutive years of dividend increases. The company pays quarterly dividends of 57.5¢ per share in the months of February, May, August and November.

At my buy price of $27.58, the stock yields 8.34%. Adding 75 shares of HCP to DivGro increases projected annual dividend income by $207.

19 Dividend Increases, February 22-February 26, 2016

Includes: ALB • BBY • BGS • CB • CHS • CNS • ETN • IPCC • KSS • KW • MGA • MGRC • MIC • SWX • TD • WM • WYN

Summary

• This past week, 19 companies on my watch list of dividend growth stocks announced dividend increases, including 3 of the stocks I own. 
• I monitor dividend increases for stocks in my watch list to identify candidates for further analysis and to make yield on cost adjustments for stocks I own.
• Companies that regularly increase dividends show confidence in the potential growth of future earnings.

10 Dividend Growth Stocks for February 2016

Includes: CMI • EMR • HRL • LAZ • LOW • MGA • NKE • NOV • PII • VLO 

Summary

• Every month, I rank a selection of the CCC stocks to identify top candidates worthy of further analysis.
• Using several screens, my selection process trims the CCC list of more than 750 dividend growth stocks to a more manageable number of candidates.
• I rank the remaining stocks based on fundamental analysis and a multi-stage dividend discount model and assign a 7-star rating to each of the top ranked stocks.
• This article reveals February's top 10 ranked stocks.

Monthly Review, January 2016

January was a tough month for investors. The new year started with lots of volatility and a wave of selling, which pushed the market to its worst weekly performance since 2011. Both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones are down by more than 5% for the month. For dividend growth investors, the declining market should offer some great buying opportunities.

In the next few months, I'll continue to transfer holdings from my Scottrade account to DivGro. In the process, I'm adding some solid dividend paying stocks and increasing DivGro's projected annual dividend income. I'm also planning to transfer stocks from a couple of IRA accounts in a similar fashion. As with my Scottrade transfers, I'm not actually moving the holdings from one account to the other. (I'm not allowed to do that with IRA holdings anyway!). Instead, I'll just be managing these accounts using my DivGro investment strategies.

In this post, I'd like to review DivGro's performance in the month of January 2016. As always, I'm updating DivGro's Performance page at the same time.

14 Dividend Increases, February 15-February 19, 2016

Includes: ADI • CCE • DLR • GPC • KO • NHI • SCG • SHW • STR • TROW • WMT • WRI • WSBC • XEL 

Summary

• Companies that regularly increase dividends show confidence in the potential growth of future earnings.
• I monitor dividend increases for stocks in my watch list to identify candidates for further analysis and to make yield on cost adjustments for stocks I own.
• In the past week, 14 companies on my watch list announced dividend increases, including 4 of the stocks I own.

Recent Sell: ConocoPhillips

2015-02-05: Sold 85 shares of COP at $32.55 per share.

On Thursday, February 4, oil major ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) slashed its quarterly dividend by 66%, from 74¢ per share to 25¢ per share. This is the first dividend reduction by COP in about 25 years. With this cut, COP will be removed from the CCC list and, specifically, from the list of Dividend Contenders (10-24 consecutive years of dividend increases).

Global crude oil prices have plummeted from the 2014 high price of over $100 a barrel, making it hard for energy companies to maintain profitability. For COP, which split from refiner Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) in 2012, the challenge is even greater. As an independent upstream company, COP is primarily engaged in the discovery, exploration and production business. It relies heavily on the crude oil price to generate cash flow and earnings.

Annual Review, 2015

This is my 3^rd annual review of DivGro, my portfolio of dividend growth stocks. I created DivGro in January 2013 to generate a reliable and growing dividend income stream.

Keeping track of DivGro in a public forum has helped me to become a better dividend growth investor. Much of my learning has come from the research I do while writing articles, but I've also learned a lot from interacting with like-minded investors. So, a big Thank You! to all my readers for their support, encouragement and comments. Please keep it coming!

In this article, I'll be reviewing DivGro's 2015 performance by looking at the portfolio's overall performance as measured by rate of return, dividend income, dividend growth, and yield on cost (YoC). I'll also review some of DivGro's 2015 highlights.

17 Dividend Increases, February 8-February 12, 2016

Includes: BPL • CHD • CMP • CSCO • DPS • HAS • KMB • LLL • NEE • NUS • NWE • OMI • RAI • RHI • TRI • UPS • WGL

Summary

• I monitor dividend increases for stocks in my watch list of dividend growth stocks to identify candidates for further analysis and to make yield on cost adjustments for stocks I own.
• Companies that regularly increase dividends show confidence in future earnings growth potential. 
• Last week, 17 companies on my watch list announced dividend increases, including 3 of the stocks I hold in my DivGro portfolio.

Recent Buy: The Walt Disney Company

2016-02-03: Bought 27 shares of DIS at $95.43 per share. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), more commonly known as Disney, is a diversified international family entertainment company based in Burbank, California.

Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney, the company established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into live-action film production, television, and theme parks. Today, Disney operates in five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media.

DIS currently pays a dividend of 71¢ per share semi-annually. At the current price of $92.11, the stock yields 1.54%. The company has a 6-year streak of dividend increases.

Another Home Run With DivGro

It has been a while since I celebrated my first home run with DivGro.

I call it a home run when an investment crosses the 100% profit mark. When that happens, you could sell half your shares and play with the house's money. Of course, that kind of thinking is a remnant of my days as a speculator. Selling half of a doubler ensures that you'll likely end up in the black. It also lets your winners ride.

Dividend growth investing is a bit different. The strategy is to invest in companies that pay and regularly increase dividends and trade at or below fair value. In theory, a company that increases its dividend every year can do so sustainably only if it grows earnings sufficiently. If that happens, the market should reward the company by bidding up the share price.

12 Dividend Increases, February 1-February 5, 2016

Includes: ADM • AVA • BIP • ES • GLW • HOG • IR • LB • MDP • MMM • PPL • SEP 

Summary

• This past week, 12 companies on my watch list announced dividend increases, including 3 of the stocks I hold in my DivGro portfolio. 
• I monitor dividend increases for stocks in my watch list to identify candidates for further analysis and to make yield on cost adjustments for stocks I own.
• Companies that regularly increase dividends show confidence in the potential growth of future earnings.

Recent Transfer: Nuveen Premium Income Municipal Fund 2, Inc.

Nuveen Premium Income Municipal Fund 2, Inc. (NYSE:NPM) is a diversified closed-end investment company. The fund's objective is to seek current income exempt from regular federal income tax. A secondary investment objective is the enhancement of portfolio value.

Since November 2015, I have been transferring stocks from my portfolio at Scottrade to DivGro. Altogether, I've transferred 16 stocks and added $1,934.02 to DivGro's projected annual dividend income.

I have 3 more transfers to go, but these will be closed-end funds rather than stocks.

Recent Transfer: Main Street Capital Corporation

Main Street Capital Corporation (NYSE:MAIN) is a principal investment firm that provides customized debt and equity financing to lower middle market companies and debt capital to middle market companies. The company invest primarily in secured debt investments, equity investments, warrants, and other securities of companies based in the United States. MAIN was founded in 1997 and is based in Houston, Texas.

MAIN pays dividends monthly and has a 5-year streak of dividend increases. The current annual dividend of yield is $2.18, which means the stock yields 7.48% (at a price of $28.89).

Recent Buy: Ford Motor Company

2016-01-26: Bought 280 shares of F at $12.24 per share. 2016-01-29: Bought 150 shares of F at $11.77 per share.

Founded in 1903 and based in Dearborn, Michigan, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) manufactures and distributes automobiles worldwide. The company has around 62 plants across the world and offers vehicles primarily under the Ford and Lincoln brand names. Ford sells its products through distributors and dealers, as well as through dealerships to fleet customers. The company provides vehicle financing products through a wholly owned subsidiary, Ford Motor Credit Company LLC.

I already own 170 shares of Ford, which I bought in November 2014 at an initial yield on cost (YoC) of 3.96%. YoC for the 2 buys is 4.9% and 5.1%, respectively, and the average YoC of my Ford holding is 4.64%.

17 Dividend Increases, January 25-January 29, 2016

Includes: AIT • AJG • BKH • CINF • CNI • CPT • ETH • GMT • HCN • HCP • NP • NWBI • PAG • PII • PX • SXL • TMP  

Summary

• I monitor dividend increases for stocks in my watch list of dividend growth stocks to identify candidates for further analysis.
• Another reason I monitor dividend increases is to make yield on cost adjustments for stocks in DivGro, my portfolio of dividend growth stocks.
• This week, 17 companies on my watch list announced dividend increases, including one of the stocks I own.