Recent Stock Purchase – January 2015

Well it happened a little faster than I anticipated but I have made my very first purchases of 2015 during the first week of the year. I guess after five days in a row of strong market sell offs in all the major indexes as well as commodities I couldn’t pass up some of the better buying opportunities presented before me. In my recent post, “January Stock Considerations,” I outlined a list of companies that are catching my eye this month as I look to remain consistent with my monthly stock buying and build upon my own dividend snowball. With that being said, I’d like to share my recent stock buys.

 

I have added to my taxable account 16.0000 shares at $60.30 for a total investment of $964.80 in Emerson Electric Co. (EMR). With this recent purchase my taxable account holdings in EMR now totals 39.2741 shares for a value of $2,367.84.

 

I also have added to my ROTH account 34.0000 shares at $44.75 for a total investment of $1,521.50 in The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD). With this recent purchase my ROTH account holdings in TD now totals 67.6145 shares for a value of $3,026.43.

 

The Canadian banks still interest me going forward as well as Unilever plc (UL) under $40 a share. The primary reason for continuing to add to these positions is my continued belief in these businesses going forward as well as the opportunity for me to average down the cost per share. Of course, Mr. Market may offer up some new investment ideas for my portfolio but for now I will most likely be sticking with my January stock consideration list.

 

What do you think about my most recent purchases? Is TD or any other Canadian bank stock in your dividend income portfolio? How about industrial dividend stalwart, EMR? Please let me know below.

 

Disclosure: Long EMR, TD, UL

82 thoughts on “Recent Stock Purchase – January 2015”

    • Hi M,

      Well, relatively speaking they are at good bargains but I still feel that most stocks are still way overvalued compared to recent history. But, considering the recent drop in the market and the juicy yield I felt a decent margin of safety with these purchases for this market. UL is still on my January watch list. As long as it sits around $40 or below I’ll be considering it. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi DFD,

      Thank you. I figure the risk/reward ratio for these two buys is more on the reward side looking long term. After all, with almost every stock in my portfolio I have a ten to twenty year outlook. Thank you for stopping by.

      Reply
    • Hi R2R,

      Thank you for the words of encouragement. The current yield and relative depressed prices for these two buys should add some nice dividend income for 2015. I’m curious to see how my first quarter finishes compared to 2014. I invested a lot more towards the end of 2014 relative to the beginning. Thank you for commenting.

      Reply
  1. Great start to the year. The Canadian bank stocks sport an attractive yield an I have only looked at EMR since you mentioned it. I will definitely take a closer look as I am looking to add something in the industrial space to my portfolio. I picked up another stock on your January considerations list this month UL.

    Looking froward to reading more.

    Reply
    • Hi Lynx,

      I’m still very much interested in the Canadian banks for the month. With the recent decline in share price, attractive PEs, juicy yields and the ability for me to average down all make them appealing to me. As you can see from my portfolios I am pretty much invested in consumer staples and industrial stocks. EMR has a great long term history of growth and dividend growth too. Going forward, I would like to add more health exposure to my portfolio but not at some current valuations. JNJ is another January stock I am considering. We’ll see how things continue to unfold. Regarding UL, I like it more at $40 or below. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and purchase.

      Reply
  2. I like both buys. Should be interesting to see how the Canadian banks fare if oil keeps dropping – there might be a few buying opportunities in there – but in the long run I think they’ll be okay.

    And with UL being such a boring stock, I don’t see the price rocketing up anytime soon in the near future. Looking forward to your being a fellow shareholder! 🙂
    Seraph recently posted…Recent BuyMy Profile

    Reply
    • Hi Seraph,

      My thoughts about oil and the Canadian banks are similar to yours. I too have wondered how low oil can impact the banks going forward. I think it’s one reason all five major Canadian banks have dropped from their summertime highs and offered some decent buying opportunities. At least the dividends are safe and fairly high while I wait.

      I also will be watching UL going forward. I initiated a position several months ago but have been wanting to add more to it. My preference has been to bring down my cost basis for the Canadian banks instead. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi Tawcan,

      Happy you concur with my recent buys. I’m still watching all three Canadian banks in my portfolio. BNS or RY might be likely targets next or UL if it goes below $40. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi CD,

      I have been wanting to add to EMR for a long time and finally it seems to be a slightly better bargain than in recent months so I jumped in. Just like JCI, VFC and GWW I am looking for more attractive buying opportunities but sometimes it seems like they never come. I’m not too worried about my chances with UL. If it stays around $40 I still may add to my position and if not I’m sure I’ll find another chance to buy in. It’s very early in the year so we’ll see how things unfold. Thank you for commenting.

      Reply
  3. Nice purchases DivHut. I own EMR myself with roughly the same cost basis so I approve of that one for sure! I haven’t done much research on TD but judging the other comments, seems good. Another $100 in dividends though so you can’t beat that!

    Reply
    • Hi ADD,

      The Canadian banks seem to be quite popular among many of the dividend bloggers out there. Especially when looking at the big five, TD, BNS, RY, BMO and CM. The large Canadian banks cruised (relatively speaking) through the financial crisis and did not cut their dividends throughout the whole mess unlike many of the large American banks. Forward dividends will be nice because of these purchases. That’s why we’re all here. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

      Reply
  4. Nice buy DH. I’m not familiar with EMR but I’ve seen it on David fish’s charts. I bought 36 shares of unilever at $40. Not sure if I should have held off or not but over the long term I think it’ll be fine. If you’re looking for health exposure, BAX would be a good deal if the price went down to $70 or 3% dividend.
    The Broke Dividend Investor recently posted…Loyal3 Bear StrategyMy Profile

    Reply
    • Hi TBDI,

      Take a look at EMR. In terms of a quality company and dividend payer it typically ranks quite high. With its current yield it has become a little more attractive to me than in months past so I decided to add to my position. Congrats on your UL purchase at $40. That seems to be a reasonable price these days and if it remains around that mark I may add more to my holdings as well. Thanks for sharing your opinion on BAX too. I never considered it for my portfolio even though I have seen it in quite a few of the dividend blogging portfolios. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi FerdiS,

      I definitely did not expect to make a buy in the first week of the year but with the market declining for five days in a row some pretty nice bargains began to appear. Don’t fret about missing any opportunities. The market always offers deals when you least expect it. Just six months ago who would have thought every energy name would drop by such a large amount? Always keep an eye for those down days and just pull the trigger. Thank you for stopping by.

      Reply
    • Hi FF,

      I think both of these purchases will serve me well into the future. It seems that finding relative bargains in many consumer staples or industrial names is becoming more difficult again as the market is flirting with all time highs. That’s why I jumped into these names after the free fall the market experienced in the beginning of the year. I know everyone has been buying up anything energy but I am still on the sidelines regarding that sector. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
  5. Hi Keith,
    Reading your comments reminded me of why I love the stock market. I don’t own either EMR or TD, but can see how they could fit into your portfolio; they are both great companies. I do have shares of UL, but Morningstar rates it as a hold and S&P as a sell, so I’m hesitant to add. If the shares go below $38 I would probably add to my position.

    I added 25% to my shares of both GOOGL and JNJ today, and initiated a small position in AMZN yesterday. GOOGL and AMZN don’t pay dividends, but they are market leaders and I don’t need all of my stocks to pay dividends because of my pension. I like the current valuation of both. And adding to my shares of JNJ makes it my largest holding, with GOOGL number two.

    Best wishes,
    KeithX

    Reply
    • Hi KeithX,

      I have owned EMR for many years and have not added to my position in quite a while. With the recent market sell off, this excellent dividend payer was made available at relatively decent prices. My Canadian banks on the other hand are all giving me an opportunity to average down which is why I added to my TD. I still have my sights on BNS and RY too.

      Thanks for sharing your recent buys as well with GOOGL, AMZN and JNJ. I can understand why you are going after growth companies but for my money I am invested in only dividend paying stocks. I need to feel like my money is providing me some sort of return right away. Besides, I don’t really invest in any tech stocks anyway, dividend paying or not. Time will tell if I get the chance to add to my JNJ and UL as well which are both January stock considerations. There are some great companies out there besides the popular energy plays that deserve some attention. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.

      Reply
  6. Hi DH!

    TD was the first individual stock I purchased, years ago. Sitting on well over a 100% gain, I enjoy the healthy YOC of around 7.5%. I’ll continue to hold as they bump the dividend regularly. That said, I won’t be adding to my financials any time soon as I round out some other sectors.

    Take care,
    – Ryan from GRB
    GetRichBrothers recently posted…Recently InterviewedMy Profile

    Reply
    • Hi GRB,

      That’s wonderful owning a position that has doubled in price knowing that along with dividend increases your YOC is at such a healthy rate. I hope my Canadian banks will provide me with the same sort of returns in the coming years. I still wouldn’t mind adding to my financial exposure a bit more via BNS and RY. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
  7. Hi Keith,

    I might finally join you pretty soon as a fellow shareholder of one of our Canadian banks. I will probably make a move within 2 weeks or so. I’m not sure yet which Canadian stock I’m going to buy but I will invest in Canada this month for sure. TD and RBC are my favorite banks.

    I’d like to add Fortis too at some point in the future but it’s a pricey stock. I also need to analyze canadian oil stocks…

    Well… it sounds like a lot of work is awaiting me. 🙂

    Cheers
    QuitYourDayJob101 recently posted…Dividend growth stocks screener : My gift to the community!My Profile

    Reply
    • Hi QYDJ101,

      I’ll be curious to see which Canadian bank you finally pull the trigger on. When I was first looking to buy into the space I narrowed my choices down to five banks, TD, BNS, RY, BMO and CM. I went with the first three. Between those and WFC I feel I have more than enough diversity in the financial banking sector. There are many great dividend payers to be found in Canada and it’s nice to see some of those names in quite a few American portfolios. I appreciate you stopping by and sharing your potential buys with us.

      Reply
  8. Hi DivHut. First time I comment on you blog!. I’ve also made a new investment this year. It’s been on General Electric. I’m about to publish that yet. Also I just sold my position on Santander. I’m now looking to allocate this capital. I will probably increase a couple positions that are already in my portfolio.

    http://www.dividendogma.com

    Regards!

    Reply
    • Hi JG,

      Welcome to DivHut. I’m happy to see your first comment on my blog. Congrats on picking up some GE. I bought some in December and think it’s a decent buy at $25 or below. It’s a stock that has been stuck in neutral for a while but I think longer term the company will be doing much better as it is lighter without SYF and it’s low margin appliance business. Getting a 3%+ yield while you wait doesn’t hurt either. Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
  9. Hey Divhut,

    I bought some EMR as well. It’s nice as a beginner investor doing my own valuations and seeing other bloggers come to the same conclusion about a company.

    These look like good purchases! UL seems to be a good buy but I’m also interested in some of these cheap oil stocks. Are you watching any oil related companies? I’m looking at BP and BBL… Probably BBL because they’re not 100% in oil.

    Thanks,
    RD
    Rags to Dividends recently posted…Purchase – Emerson Electric ($EMR), Mattel ($MAT)My Profile

    Reply
    • Hi RtD,

      That’s part of the fun of having a blog and reading and sharing with others your recent buys and overall portfolio. I find the dividend blogging community to be quite open and friendly with lots of opinions and advice being offered. It’s nice to see a buy you recently made match up with other dividend portfolios as well. EMR has been in my portfolio for many years and I plan to keep it for decades as long as the overall business/dividends continue as it has in the past. I have a quite a few oil names on my watch list but none in my portfolio. For my taste, the oil sector is just too volatile, especially in recent months. I always say, I’d rather miss the bottom and buy on the way up than constantly average down. Both BP and BBL are companies that I’m watching. I have to say that the yield on both certainly looks very enticing. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
  10. Hi, DivHut.
    Congrats on the recent purchases. I really like the TD purchase (as I’m a current shareholder as well). It’s frustrating to see the Canadian banks get pulled down with the oil fiasco, but I do believe that things will bottom out soon. Best wishes!

    Goosemann Jones
    Flight to Dividends Blog
    Goosemann Jones recently posted…Daily Recap | Mon Jan 12th 2015My Profile

    Reply
    • Hi GJ,

      The Canadian banks are seemingly another victim of low oil prices. Just another example of how every sector is really tied in to the other. I’ll be watching my Canadian bank holdings going forward and will most likely be adding to those positions in the coming months as weakness in the sector continues. I think everyone is looking forward to a bottom in the oil patch. I know many dividend bloggers like volatility but a little stability in the market is not a bad thing either. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi LTI,

      Thanks for the vote of confidence. It seems like I’ll have an opportunity to average down on some of my Canadian banks for the foreseeable future as oil continues to remain weak and impacts those stocks. I still may make another January purchase in the Canadian banks if things remain pretty much the same. Thanks for commenting.

      Reply
  11. My Canadian portfolio has all five Canadian banks for last couple of years. They rewarded me well, especially, TD returned almost 100% with dividends.

    Also, I took advantage of recent pull back and added more shares in all five banks. Hope they will go up again. I also bought some shares in UL when it was trading below $40.

    Canadian banks are pretty safe because their mortgage loans are insured by Canadian government. In housing correction or similar situations, Tax payers must to share the cost. Also, most of their operations are regulated by the government.
    Finance Journey recently posted…Dividend income report – December 2014My Profile

    Reply
    • Hi FJ,

      I have seen the large Canadian banks in quite a few dividend growth portfolios. And, every now and then I see all five, as you have in one portfolio. I guess that’s a testament to the solid nature of the Canadian banking system. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you see things all five of the major banks have been dropping from their summertime highs. No doubt oil is the main culprit behind this decline. For me, it just means more buying opportunities and a chance to average down on some high summertime prices that I paid for TD, BNS and RY. Of course, my outlook is very long term and as long as the dividends keep rolling in I’m happy. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your holdings with us.

      Reply
    • Hi DW,

      The large Canadian banks are following oil that’s for sure. It seems that many of us in the space will have opportunities to average down for some time to come. For my portfolio I’ll continue to buy lower on TD, BNS and RY and still watch the oil sector from the sidelines. There are only so many falling knives one can catch. Look forward to seeing where you deploy your fresh cash, financial or energy. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi EL,

      It’s all about budgeting. I always set aside cash for a monthly investment and do not touch it for any reason. This way, I’m able, if I want, to invest in something each month. I know December is always an expensive month for many and when those January bills come due along with the impending tax season, it can be tough to make buys in the first quarter of the new year. It seems like I’ll be able to average down on my Canadian banks for the foreseeable future as oil continues its slide. I chose EMR for a little diversity from financial names as well. Both buys are anticipated to be very long term holdings so I guess I’ll just continue to buy into weakness. Thank you for stopping by. Much appreciated.

      Reply
    • Hi DG,

      I also like the large Canadian banks as evidenced by my owning TD, BNS and RY. I know some bloggers also own CM and BMO to round out the big five but between the three Canadian banks and WFC I am satisfied, for now, with my financial holdings and exposure, especially since I’ll be averaging down on my TD, BNS and RY near term. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
        • Hi DG,

          Well I would never hold stocks in just one sector. For my portfolio I aim to diversify among different sectors and sometimes diversify within the same sectors. Just as many dividend investors hold T and VZ, KO and PEP or CAT and DE, for example, I too like to hold a few of the same types of companies within my portfolio. Of course, diversity is one of the few free lunches out there and should be taken advantage of when possible. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

          Reply
  12. Hey DivHut, great job on the recent buys. I’ve been buying the Canadian Banks as well…particularly Scotiabank it’s the one that’s been beaten up the most. I own a lot of TD and it is an excellent investment as well. I suspect there will be many more great investment opportunities as markets continue to correct.

    Good luck and happy buying!
    My Road to Wealth and Freedom recently posted…How to Get Rich…Eventually in 2015My Profile

    Reply
    • Hi MRtWaF,

      Thank you for the kind words. It seems that oil is dragging the large Canadian banks down big time from their summertime highs as better valuations and yields present themselves in the Canadian financial sector. It seems like many of the dividend bloggers are taking a little break from only buying up energy names as many stock prices fell and are slowly shifting into the large Canadian banks. It’s comforting reading about recent buys in TD, BNS and RY from other bloggers. Makes me think I’m on the right long term path. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.

      Reply
    • Hi DFG,

      The large Canadian banks are pretty popular among many of the dividend bloggers out there and for good reason. Their long dividend histories and relative stability compared to many American banks make them great long term holdings for any dividend growth portfolio. Keep watching for those new values that pop up. Oil has dragged down many of the large Canadian banks and better buying opportunities are presenting themselves in the space. Thank you for commenting.

      Reply
  13. I like EMR for sure. It is on my short watch list and I think I may have to snag a few shares here soon.

    I haven’t jumped into any Canadian banks at the moment, I am not sure I fully understand the Canadian market for that. I shy away from most banks with the exception of the two I own. The Financial sector is definitely an area I need to spend more time studying about.

    Take care!
    ILG recently posted…2015 GoalsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Hi ILG,

      I have been liking EMR for many, many years and this is the first time in a long time that I have added to my holdings. It recently dropped from it’s 52 week high and with a generous current yield I figured it was time to add.

      The Canadian banks have been dropping a lot in recent months along with oil. The large Canadian banks have very long dividend payment histories and during the financial crisis maintained their payments unlike many American banks that cut or eliminated their distributions. Currently I own four bank stocks and that is more than sufficient for my portfolio at this time. I’ll be averaging down on several of my Canadian banks going forward as long as oil remains weak. I appreciate you stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
  14. DivHut,

    Solid purchases. Glad to be a fellow shareholder with you in these companies. 🙂

    EMR is about as solid as they come. Outstanding long-term track record, even through the cycles.

    I’m also becoming interested in adding to my positions in TD and BNS right now. They face risks, but the valuations have come down quite a bit over the last few months.

    Keep up the great work!

    Best regards.
    Dividend Mantra recently posted…My Goals For 2015My Profile

    Reply
    • Hi DM,

      It’s been a while since I added to my EMR and after retreating from recent highs and with a tempting 3%+ yield and fair valuation I decided to jump in at current levels. The long track record of this dividend stalwart didn’t hurt either. Regrading the Canadian banks it seems like I’ll be buying more of those in the coming weeks and months as continued weakness in the space has brought about some great values and yields in TD, BNS and RY. It seems that oil is taking no prisoners and affecting the Canadian financial sector. It may be time to get heavier in your TD and BNS allocation as a change from all the recent energy buys. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi AG,

      I see you own all five of the large Canadian banks. BMO and CM are also on my watch list but with four banks in my portfolio I feel more than sufficiently diversified. I’ll be watching the banks going forward as all are off their summertime highs and are yielding some pretty juicy dividends along with much better PEs that in recent months. I have a feeling many dividend bloggers will be shifting from the energy names, as they are probably overloaded in their respective portfolios, and start looking at the large Canadian banks for added diversity. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

      Reply
  15. Great purchases Divhut. I love Canadian banks at their current valuations. My guy tells me that while they may struggle in the short term, our long term portfolios will thank us. Just out of curiosity, do you have a target price in mind for UL? or did you just select to invest in others over the company?

    Bert, one of the Dividend Diplomats
    Dividend Diplomats recently posted…Endless Liabilities Owning a Car Part DeuxMy Profile

    Reply
    • Hi DD,

      Always happy to hear when a fellow dividend blogger likes my purchases. Of course, I also love to hear criticism or have people question my buys too as it forces me to reconsider my investment thesis. I agree that going forward the large Canadian banks will face some serious headwinds as oil continues its slide and with the potential of a real estate bubble pop up north. But, longer term I feel that these banks are all on solid footing and the risk/reward consideration is definitely moving towards more reward and less risk as the stock prices continue to slide. Besides, earning that juicy yield while waiting a decade or more doesn’t hurt either.

      I still love UL very much for the long term. Worldwide growth and that juicy yield with a decent valuation make it one of my top picks at $40 or below. For now, I’m averaging down on my Canadian banks as oil seems to have taken these financial names out to the woodshed. Thank you for your comment, it’s always much appreciated.

      Reply
    • Hi Rat50,

      For now I have no plans to invest in any Swiss equities. I am not familiar with many of the companies listed and would prefer to stay domestically invested. While I do own several companies based outside the U.S., these are companies that I am much more familiar and comfortable with such as IR, ALLE, DEO and the large Canadian banks, TD, BNS and RY. I’m curious to know what positions you plan to continue to average down. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
  16. I am considering between TD and Bank of Nova Scotia. I think both of the companies have beat up badly recently which is perfect time for me to jump.

    Keep up the great work!

    BeSmartRich.

    Reply
    • Hi BSR,

      All the large Canadian banks have dropped considerably from their summertime highs. Take your pick, TD, BNS, RY, BMO or CM. For my future investments I’ll be averaging down on my TD, BNS and RY. It seems that the drop in oil has really taken down a lot of the Canadian financial institutions. Thank you for sharing your considerations and for stopping by. I’m right with you on those.

      Reply
  17. As a Canadian, the success (or failure) of Canada as a whole is linked to the CDN banking sector. During the 2008/09 crash, CDN banks did lose share-value but none of them folded nor did any of them cut their dividends.

    The current price moves in Canadian banks are entirely related to the price of crude oil. ALL business in Canada runs through our 6 biggest banks… If you want to bank in Canada, you have no choice. With the price of crude down, there will be lots of issues going forward for. The banks however, will do what they always do: make money hand-over-fist.

    On the positive side, it makes it easy for them to push through innovations like “interac direct payment” which was the pre-cursor to chip and pin transactions and that started up here in 1984. Like visa-debit but without the credit-card network risk. No pin, no fraud.

    You will find an excellent return on any of the Canadian banks going forward.

    They are a core holding in my portfolio representing nearly 15% of my dividend portfolio.

    I own BNS and TD. And an ETF that has all 6 in an RESP for my son. (RESP = tax sheltered account for education purposes)

    Concerns going forward: Canadian debt to income is at very high levels. Similar to what happened to Americans before the 08/09 crash. But due to regulations, there are no “ninja” loans up here. (no income no job). Our banks are annoyingly conservative when it comes to credit. Also, the real-estate market is NOT a bubble contrary to what many people here say. Yes, real-estate prices are pushing out poor people from Toronto and Vancouver, but that’s what happens when cities “grow up.” (Are there any poor people who can afford to live in downtown Tokyo, Paris, London, or New York?)

    Lastly, I don’t see the price of oil staying this low for very long. This is all because the Saudis’ said (and I’m paraphrasing) “screw you America… we’re not going to stop pumping!” So they are trying to flush out the high cost producers. There will be rigs shuttered, companies going bankrupt, share holders losing their shirts, but eventually the price will correct thanks to supply/demand dynamics.

    NB: this current price crash (a 55% reduction in the price of oil in 6 months) is because of a 1% global over-supply issue.

    Something about those numbers don’t add up. What am I doing? Accumulating energy names.

    It’s going to be a wild ride back up when the Saudis finally say, “ok, Iran is threatening to bomb us because they need $130 oil… we’ll slow down the pumps by 1% now”
    The Starving Artist Canada (@blerghhh) recently posted…Trade summary: on-sale!My Profile

    Reply
    • Hi TSAC,

      Great comment highlighting in depth the nature of the Canadian banking sector. I always appreciate when a local can shed some light onto a sector beyond reading income reports or stock quotes. I guess one of the key reasons I decided to enter the Canadian banking sector was because the banks are “annoyingly conservative.” For my long term dividend growth portfolio I’m not looking for high volatility names nor tech/telco businesses that may become irrelevant in the near or distant future. I fully agree with your assessment regarding the recent falling share price in the space as directly correlated to the price of oil. It seems that the Canadian banks are heavily tied to the energy sector.

      I’m happy to read your continued faith in the Canadian banking sector as well as owning a couple names in common with my portfolio. While these stocks do not represent such a high sector allocation as yours when compared to my taxable and retirement account, they do represent growing percentages as I continue to average down on my three holdings. Thank you again for shedding some light and perspective on the Canadian banking sector, real estate “bubble” and energy ties. Your comment is much appreciated.

      Reply
  18. I’m definitely a fan of the Canadian banks and hold BMO in my portfolio. I’d like to pick up another one but I’m kind of indecisive about which one, they’re all just so similar.

    Appreciate your website by the way. Lots of helpful articles that I’ve been reading over the past few months.

    Reply
    • Hi JB,

      The large Canadian banks are similar as you point out with subtle operations differences of course. For example, TD has a large American presence while BNS is large in Latin America and the Caribbean. RY is almost exclusively Canadian and thus might not offer the fastest growth if looking for emerging market exposure. I have BMO and CM on my watch list but stopped short of investing in them, not because of my lack of faith in those names, but rather because I had sufficient exposure to banks in my portfolios with three Canadian banks and WFC.

      I’m glad you are enjoying the site too. I aim to chronicle my real world portfolios with everyone as well as write about sector specific dividend stocks that might not always get the attention they deserve. We all know about JNJ, CVX and KO. But not many know about GWW, VFC, IR or BCR for example. I appreciate your stopping by and commenting. Thank you for your support.

      Reply
    • Hi FQA,

      I think many people are liking UL at $40 or below. As a defensive consumer stock it doesn’t get much more stable than UL and also offering up some international growth as well. I still have it on my short list for my next buy along with the large Canadian banks in my portfolio. They really have been hammered recently along with the oil price decline. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
  19. I’ve been reading your blog for a while DivHut. You’ve had a large impact on my decision to chase financial freedom at such a young age.

    I’m loving the Canadian banks! Very dependable with modest growth. I hope to initiate a position in the Canadian banking sector someday, however, capital is hard to come by in my situation.

    Looking forward to hear about your next update!

    Reply
    • Hi f2r30,

      Thank you for the kind words regarding my blog. I aim to write about my own dividend exploits as well as introduce lesser known dividend paying companies in sectors that are less popular. It is my intention to keep inspiring others to responsibly chase financial freedom.

      The large Canadian banks are pretty popular among many of the dividend bloggers and for good reason. They seem to be on much more solid footing than many American banks and are very conservative in nature. During the financial crisis none of the large banks cut or suspended dividend distributions and they operate as a quasi-monopoly in Canada with government back stops in place. You’ll see some or all of these (TD, BNS, RY, BMO, CM) in many portfolios. Keep investing as much as you can as frequently as you can and you’ll see your dividend snowball start to grow faster than you ever thought. The key is to remain consistent on your dividend journey. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
  20. Hi Divhut

    With the euro falling down as a currency you can get good bargains buying up Unilever shares.
    Last time I checked the euro/dollar conversion it was in 7/7/2014 $1350 was 1000 euro at that moment. Checked those same amounts today and found out its now worth 1200 euros. Quite a difference uh?

    Myself bought the Canadian Bank of Nova Scotia(BNS) yesterday as it was so close on its 52 weeks low.
    DDT recently posted…Recent BuyMy Profile

    Reply
    • Hi DDT,

      I still like UL very much as a long term holding for my portfolio but would prefer to add to my position at $40 or below. When I read the headlines about the strong dollar or low oil I am just reminded how everything in the finance world is cyclical. Not that long ago the dollar was left for dead as it weakened across every major currency. The Canadian dollar was worth more, the Taj Mahal in India refused payments in dollars etc. Oil was cheap then expensive and now cheap again. I try and focus on the very long term looking ten, twenty or even thirty years down the road and try not to get too caught up in the headline news.

      I like your recent purchase in BNS. It’s a great entry price relative to the summertime highs. I plan to add to my Canadian banks stocks going forward as all have declined quite a bit as oil went down and are offering some pretty juicy yields and PEs. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.

      Reply
  21. DivHut,

    Are you considering buying any energy stocks? I recently bought some COP and their divs are pretty good, and they’re pretty cheap right now. What do you think? I am looking to buy more even though it wouldn’t expand my portfolio that much.

    D2R
    debt2retirement.weebly.com

    Reply
    • hi d2r,

      For now I am standing on the energy sidelines. I know it is not the most popular view among the dividend bloggers as the price, PE and yields of pretty much every name in the space is looking quite attractive. The sector is a little too volatile for my liking at this point and I usually comment that I would rather not catch a falling knife and miss the proverbial bottom and buy on the upside instead of always averaging down on my purchase as prices continue to slide. That being said, I do have quite a few energy names on my watch list that I am considering, COP being one of them. I’m not against the space or any of the companies in the oil patch, I’m just being conservative with my long term portfolio. Thank you for stopping by and asking your question.

      Reply
  22. DH,

    As I’ve noted previously, TD is one of my favourite Canadian banks. It’s truly a legacy position for me as I’m currently sitting on a two-bagger with this one since I was able to pick it up during the financial crisis in 2009. I never intend to sell this one unless something drastic were to happen.

    I think you’re on to something with Unilever as well. You gotta love companies with well-recognized brands with some pricing power.

    Take care!

    – Ryan from GRB
    GetRichBrothers recently posted…The Closer You LookMy Profile

    Reply
    • Hi GRB,

      Well, Canada definitely has some great financial institutions that seem to rest on much more solid footings than many American banks and TD is certainly no exception. My only regret is that I woke up to these dividend stalwarts in 2014 and not sooner. For the most part I was very focused in U.S. stocks only and didn’t even consider our neighbors to the north. Congrats on the two bagger with TD. I intend to make TD, BNS and RY all long term holdings in my dividend portfolio going forward.

      I’m still watching UL for now. I’d like it at $40 or below if possible but have other names I’d rather average down instead. There’s no doubt about the huge stable of brands UL carries and despite its size still shows promising growth in many emerging markets. As always, I appreciate you stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi CG,

      Happy to be a fellow shareholder with you in these companies. A lot of names besides oil, copper, iron and industrial are getting hammered in recent weeks. All of a sudden CAT starts to look interesting again as well as many of the large Canadian banks. It looks like I’ll be buying into the Canadian sector next month as prices are continuing to fall and yields are getting ever juicer. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply

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