It’s dividend income update time. One of my favorite times of the month as I get to review my previous month of passive income received from my dividend income portfolios.
Without rehashing the wild ride we experienced in the market last month, I could find comfort in one thing, my dividends. As we all know, the market may move up and down irrationally and seemingly on a whim while our dividends remain much more stable, reliable and predictable. Sure, dividends may not increase every year and a cut or elimination is even possible but the odds are greatly reduced when you diversify among different companies and sectors and focus on dividend quality (free cash flow, EPS and payout ratios). Forget chasing the high yield unicorns and focus on the boring lower yielding but sustainable dividends. In the long run you’ll be better off. With that being said, let’s take a look at my February 2018 dividend totals.
Dividend income from my taxable account totaled $330.66 up from $281.33 an increase of 17.5% from February of last year.
Dividend income from my ROTH account totaled $223.13 up from $189.71 an increase of 17.6% from this time last year.
Dividend income from my IRA account totaled $104.80 up from $49.01, a year over year increase of 113.8%.
Grand total for the month of February: $658.59 an increase of 26.6% from February 2017.
Brokerage Account
Year to date dividends: $576.38
| Date | Description | Symbol | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02/01/2018 | DIVIDEND:GIS | GIS | $55.22 |
| 02/09/2018 | DIVIDEND:CLX | CLX | $11.95 |
| 02/12/2018 | DIVIDEND:APD | APD | $38.97 |
| 02/15/2018 | DIVIDEND:HRL | HRL | $16.29 |
| 02/15/2018 | DIVIDEND:CL | CL | $7.21 |
| 02/15/2018 | DIVIDEND:ABBV | ABBV | $97.25 |
| 02/15/2018 | DIVIDEND:ABT | ABT | $22.31 |
| 02/15/2018 | DIVIDEND:PG | PG | $19.44 |
| 02/15/2018 | DIVIDEND:ADNT | ADNT | $1.85 |
| 02/20/2018 | DIVIDEND:CAT | CAT | $59.17 |
| 02/27/2018 | DIVIDEND:VSM | VSM | $1.00 |
| Total: $330.66 |
ROTH Account
Year to date dividends: $362.24
| Date | Description | Symbol | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02/01/2018 | DIVIDEND:GIS | GIS | $9.43 |
| 02/01/2018 | DIVIDEND:TD | TD | $86.98 |
| 02/15/2018 | DIVIDEND:HRL | HRL | $1.70 |
| 02/15/2018 | DIVIDEND:PG | PG | $7.94 |
| 02/20/2018 | DIVIDEND:CAT | CAT | $51.27 |
| 02/23/2018 | DIVIDEND:SBUX | SBUX | $2.11 |
| 02/26/2018 | DIVIDEND:RY | RY | $63.70 |
| Total: $223.13 |
IRA Account
Year to date dividends: $150.20
| Date | Description | Symbol | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02/21/2018 | DIVIDEND:HCN | HCN | $64.93 |
| 02/28/2018 | DIVIDEND:LTC | LTC | $5.66 |
| 02/28/2018 | DIVIDEND:SBRA | SBRA | $34.21 |
| Total: $104.80 |
I have to say I’m quite pleased with my February totals. While I’m always happy seeing any year over year increase in my portfolio, seeing a solid double digit gain just keeps me motivated to do more of the same which is hang in there, stick with my plan, no panic selling and enjoy the ride and volatility knowing that my dividends are my stabilizing force.
Are any of these dividend stocks in your portfolio too? How was your February dividend income? Please let me know below.
Disclosure: Long all above
Hi DH. Almost $660 in February is terrific! Your 2018 has certainly gotten off to a good start.
I really like this quote: “Forget chasing the high yield unicorns and focus on the boring lower yielding but sustainable dividends.” It really is sometimes hard to avoid the temptation to chase higher yield, after reading all of the different blogs out there where the authors are doing just that. But in the long run we all know that strategy is counterproductive and risky.
I own CAT and PG, and I’m very pleased with their performance so far.
I’m looking forward to seeing your next report. Great job!
Hi DF,
We are all tempted to find higher yield in anything we do but the adage remains, ‘higher return usually comes with higher risk.’ I have built my portfolio with lower yielding but more sustainable dividend growers. That strategy has served me well the last decade as I have been able to consistently grow my passive income stream every single year since going the DGI route. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Nice keith
That is a fantastic income for a off month! We share td, general mills and pg now.
Congrats again 26% growth on those kinda numbers is fantastic
Passivecanadianincome recently posted…Can Hoarding Give The Best Return On Investment?
Hi Passivecanadianincome,
I was pretty happy seeing a solid double digit year over year gain for a month like February. Nice to see we share quite a few names paying us for the month. Thank you for your comment and continued support.
Hi Keith, I see you own HRL. It is a stock I have never owned but I am seriously considering for new funds. Tom
Tom @ Dividends Diversify recently posted…Tech, Where Cash is King
Hi DD,
HRL has a very solid track record when it comes to paying and raising dividends for decades. The stock is somewhat out of favor these days and many investors think their offerings are out of touch with today’s consumer. I think they are making strides to adapt to changing consumer tastes and will be fine longer term. Of course, there is no guarantee which is why we diversify. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Nice Numbers and good year over year growth,we have quite a few stocks in common like CAT,HRL,PG.
Hi desidividend,
Always happy to see common names in my portfolio and others. Keep building your portfolio on your end. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
That is some nice growth. We both hold shares in GIS and HRL. You have built up a nice stream of income during the month. Thanks for sharing!
More Dividends recently posted…More Dividends Update from February 2018
Hi MD,
Always happy to share my results. I have been a dedicated dividend growth investor for ten years and know that this strategy takes a long, long time to bear real fruits. The plan is to continue making my monthly buy(s) and keep building my passive income stream. Thank you for commenting.
I’m not sure there is any such thing as a high-yield unicorn – they usually end up being figments of the imagination, just like unicorns. Always impressed with the well balanced and diversified dividend stream you have, and your patience with letting it develop and grow without the urge to chase any unicorns. Great figures for Feb!
Hi Frankie,
As you can tell by my portfolio I tend to hold the more “boring” stocks that offer dividend growth rather than superficial high yield. Of course, no dividend is ever guaranteed but by building a diversified portfolio of sustainable dividend growers you have a better long term chance of success. Thank you for your comment and continued support.
Solid results and a very nice increase compared to last year. We share GIS and HRL this month!
Mr. Robot recently posted…February 2018 Dividend Report
Hi MR,
Thank you for your continued support. I was very happy with my double digit year over year gains. Glad to be a fellow GIS and HRL shareholder though these days those stocks are not too popular.
Awesome stuff Keith! Over $650 across all of the accounts is awesome and the huge YoY increase really speaks to your consistent purchases month after month. I’m sure I’ve asked this before but do you typically just take all dividends as cash to invest with new capital or DRIP them? We have about 5 holdings in common that pay in February although there’s several that you own that I’d love to add to my portfolio.
JC recently posted…Budget Check & Cash Flow Update – February 2018
Hi JC,
You said it. I’m a strong believer in remaining consistent with my buy(s). I think making methodical buy(s) every single month takes the fear out of investing as I no longer worry about trying to time the “best” possible moment to make a buy. I just buy and build my portfolio and take the market highs and lows just the same. All my dividends get reinvested automatically for now. Keep it going strong in 2018!
26% total increase is awesome! Keep up the great work!
American Dividend Dream recently posted…Dividend Income – February 2018
Hi ADD,
I was very happy seeing a strong double digit year over year gain. Just provides further proof that this income producing strategy works long term. Thank you for commenting.
Nice month DH! Great YoY growth across all of your accounts. Congrats! 🙂
My Dividend Dynasty recently posted…February 2018 Dividend Income
Hi MDD,
Always appreciate your kind words and continued support. February proved to be quite solid for an “off” month.
Great performance! I’m at just 10%. I think we only have AbbVie in common, so I will use your portfolio as inspiration to maybe add some more companies to my watchlist 🙂
Hi Erik,
Building up a long term dividend income portfolio takes a lot of time and patience. You’ll get there in time. Happy to see we are fellow shareholders in ABBV. It’s a long term hold in my portfolio. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
Nice month. I am envious of that position you have with ABBV. That spin-off was a huge winner for you. Great stock to hold on to. Finally added it to my portfolio this year but only a few shares. Will take time to build up.
Hi DD,
My general rule is to hold on to spin offs even though some have proven to be duds like QCP. For the most part spin offs of long term dividend payers tend to pay dividends as well which is a nice bonus. Happy to be a fellow ABBV shareholder. I’m planning to make that a long term hold for me. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Nice solid month, looking good 🙂 We own a hefty chunk of RY, love the banks!
MrSLM recently posted…Financial Update – February 2018
Hi MSLM,
No need to sell me on the Canadian banks. I’m quite happy with my TD, BNS and RY. They have proven to be very solid long term holds even when markets are shaky. As always, I appreciate your continued support.
DHut,
That 650$ will go a long way in most parts of the world. Looking forward to seeing numbers like that myself!
– Gremlin
Dividend Gremlin recently posted…February Review / March Preview, 2018
Hi DG,
For now my plan is to remain in the U.S. but you are correct that $650 can buy a comfortable lifestyle in many countries. In the meantime, it’s build, build, build my passive income stream. Thank you for commenting.
Way to Go DH…27% growth and 660$ in dividends is so awesome. Congratulations.
TDK.
The Dividend Karma recently posted…Dividend Income – February
Hi TDK,
Thank you for those kind words. Seeing solid double digit year over year gains just keeps me motivated on my own DGI journey. Thank you for commenting.
DH, I really like how you break everything down. Congrats on 27% growth. Out freakin standing!!! I’m a little jealous of that almost $100 ABBV payment. I know it will be around $130 next quarter.
Money Hungry recently posted…Dividend Income February 2018
Hi MH,
February proved to be a successful month. As you can imagine I was quite pleased with the results. In the meantime, it’s more of the same as I plan to keep making my monthly buys and building up my positions… ABBV included 🙂 Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
DH,
You did had an impressive month for sure. I like the LTC on IRa a lot. What not to love about CAT, great long term holding. Overall some impressive stocks sending you a piece of their pie.
Cheers
Happy dividend hunting
Dividend Pursuit
Dividend Pursuit recently posted…March 2018 Watch List
Hi DP,
For a “slow” month February proved to be quite strong. I was very happy seeing a double digit year over year gain and plan to keep making my monthly buy(s) no matter where the market is. The REITs still look attractive to me this month as they all had a terrible start to 2018. It’s always nice getting a monthly return from a holding like LTC. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
Good job. ABBV dividend is killing it. Looks like GIS might hold off on a raise this year so far after their dog food buy. hopefully its just a month or 2 late then bam some nice raises. Keep it up.
Doug recently posted…Dividend hike O
Hi Doug,
As long as those dividends keep rolling in and I can post year over year gains I’m happy. GIS is in a weird spot these days. A lot of negativity around that stock which is giving us some pretty good buying opportunities these days. I’ll continue to hold that name and potentially nibble more. As always, I appreciate your comment.
And he keeps rocking! Great to see the (continuous) increases, very motivating and inspiring.
Team CF recently posted…Housing History
Hi TCF,
Always puts a smile on my face to see that my progress can inspire and motivate. DGI is the marathon of investing. Just have to be consistent and patient to see results like these. The marathon continues… Thank you for commenting.
Congrats Keith. 26% increase is awesome. I actually own all of these stocks … but not directly … through ETFs. Very excited about my first dividends of 2018.
dividendgeek recently posted…What is financial independence?
Hi dividendgeek,
Always appreciate the kind words and support from our DGI peers. I always say, whether through funds or individually, it’s great to own a piece of some solid businesses that pay us back. As always, I appreciate your comment.
Congrats on the double digit increase YoY. The markets may be volatile but the dividend payouts continue to be consistent, which is a beautiful thing about DGI investing. I also agree that diversification helps mitigate market risk.
Dividend Portfolio recently posted…Inspirational Quote Of The Month – March 2018
Hi DP,
Well said. I think it’s one of the understated benefits of dividend investing… the predictability of it all. Sure our portfolios rise and fall daily on seeming whims sometimes but it’s the dividend income that, for the most part, is reliable, steady and predictable, which is a very stabilizing force especially when the market goes haywire. Thank you for commenting.
Great job on the nice numbers and increase YoY! I actually don’t have any of the same dividend stocks that you have, but it’s nice to see that you have RY and TD, seems like Canadian banks are popular dividend stocks to own! I have BMO and that juicy dividend is over $100 each quarter now- I’m lovin’ it!
GYM recently posted…PF Blog Round Up: Canadian PF Blogger Edition
Hi GYM,
Thank you for your kind words and continued support. I still am a fan of the Canadian banks and have BMO on my watch list along with CM too. For now, I’ll stick with my TD, BNS and RY. I like the conservative nature and dependability of the large Canadian banks for the long haul. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.
More excellent results this month, DivHut. Over $600 is a nice haul. You seem to have all 3 accounts growing well. Keep it going!
You’ve got a few stocks paying about $2 or less. Any plans to add to those positions anytime soon? If so, which would you prefer to build up first?
Engineering Dividends recently posted…Portfolio Thoughts (Mar. 2018)
Hi ED,
I was happy with my February totals. Whenever I can put up a year over year gain it just reaffirms my belief in the DGI way. Regarding my smaller payouts… VSM was a spin off from APD and ADNT was a JCI spin off. I just never added to those positions and will simply hold on to them for now. SBUX in my ROTH would be the only stock I would consider boosting among my small payers. Thank you for commenting.
Very nice! We included you in the latest Dividend Blogger Report here: http://www.fourpillarfreedom.com/blogger-dividend-report-february-2018/
Keep up the good work 🙂
Hi FPF,
That’s awesome. Much appreciated. Thank you for the inclusion of DivHut.