January 2018 – dividend

Another month has gone by, so yet again it’s time for the dividend of the month post. Always a fine moment. Compared to January last year there’s an increase in dividend by 12%. Factoring in the expensive Euro this is a nice result. It’s still all very modest and by no means were anywhere near the goals but for a hobby its very nice indeed.

This is the result:

DateStockCurrencyAmount
24-01-2018
Cisco SystemsEUR6,55
16-01-2018
W.P. Carey IncEUR8,14
11-01-2018
Walt Disney CompanyEUR0,68
08-01-2018
Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETFEUR11,28
TotalEUR26,65

Portfolio news – November and December 2017 changes

Another portfolio news update, another bimonthly report instead of the usual recipe. Again because of the addition of more ETF’s to balance the portfolio evenly between my own handpicked stocks and ETF’s. I also managed to get some additional result by writing put options on stocks I was planning to buy. Instead of simply buying the stock I wrote the underlying put option.

Effectively committing in buying the shares when the price falls below the strike price. For example, I want to buy 100 shares of company X , as it currently stands the share price of X is 50 Euro’s. When I simply buy the 100 shares it will cost me 100 * 50 = 5000. Let’s say I write an option at the beginning of the month with a strike price of 45 which will expire in the third week the same month. It’s mostly in the third week of each month when options for the current month expire.

Let’s say the price for the option at the beginning of the month is 1 euro , all random numbers btw , no correlation whatsoever with real world option pricing. When I sell this option I will receive 100 euro’s. Options always have 100 underlying shares as the number of shares the option contract consists of.

So the option price is 1 x 100 (number of underlying shares) = 100 as the total price of the option contract.

When I sell an option , I sell the right to another person to sell me 100 shares of company X. I am not going in to details on the difference between European option contracts and American. Maybe in a later post.

So what can happen to me when the option expires. The shares are higher than the strike , so above 45. I will not be held to my contract, the person who bought the put option can get a higher price on the market. So I get to keep my 100 euros. Easy money no ?

Not really, there is off course a risk. That’s why I got the 100 euros in the first place. I was willing at the beginning to take the risk of the obligation to buy 100 shares of company X at the end of the contract. Now lets say the price falls below the strike price of 45 euro’s. I will have to buy the 100 shares at 45 euro’s.

Is this bad ? Well if you are in it for the long turn like me this isn’t really bad. Normally I would have bought 100 shares at a market price of 50, now I bought 100 shares at 45 and got a 100 euro’s extra “discount”. It’s not fun if it drops a lot in a month but then are generally other issues.

The maximum risk is when company X goes bankrupt you will lose 4500 or sell the option at a loss in the market. But then again , under extreme circumstances the total portfolio you own will be under pressure. Or it’s just company X in which case you’ll probably have to review your stock picking criteria.

So it’s a bit of buying at a discount or receiving the premium (price you sold the option for). Always make sure you have the amount of money you need in case you need to buy the shares at the strike price, in my case 4500 in a savings or in you brokerage account. Never do any naked (uncovered) selling of options!

It’s a strategy which will get me a bit of extra cash flow each month , at least that’s the idea. I am also thinking om making a series about option trading and strategies. On the other hand there are loads of websites and books on the subject.

November and December 2017 – Dividend

The end of last year was a bit busier then expected with all sorts of stuff. All but maintaining my blog. November and December dividend in one post this time round. November is always a bit slow in my dividend income.

It’s maybe something I need to adress in the future. In order to get my cash flow in a better position.

Anyway these are the numbers:

November :

16-11-17 Apple Inc EUR 5,35
14-11-17 ONEOK EUR 6,32

Total EUR 11,67

December :

27-12-17 Vanguard dividend appreciation ETF EUR 1,17
20-12-17 Royal Dutch Shell A EUR 39,85
15-12-17 Coca-Cola Company (The) EUR 4,68
15-12-17 DowDuPont Inc EUR 3,20
14-12-17 Microsoft Corporation EUR 7,08
13-12-17 Unilever Certificate EUR 3,59
11-12-17 Emerson Electric Company EUR 4,08

Total EUR 60,65

Portfolio news – September and October 2017 changes

Well another update on the portfolio, still need a catchy name for it. These last few months were pretty easy on the portfolio front. Mostly added ETF’s and some handpicked stocks as well. The ETF’s are pretty straight forward and the same ones I bought in the last few months.

A German company again and this time it’s the Deutsche Pfandbriefbank , a bank mostly active in real estate lending and investment lending. It has been a steady supplier of dividend and my first banking investment so far. The expected amount of dividend is 1,05 euro per share. And with a current share-rice of 12,93 this is a nice percentage indeed.

So a short portfolio update again, because of the still ongoing re balancing towards more ETF’s. See you next time!

October 2017 – Dividend

Goodbye October, another month has passes, as usual the dividend update. Compared to October last year the dividend payments are up 32%. Which is due to the build up in the portfolio and the fact that some positions are paying dividend for the first time.

Next year the increase will be slightly less big. De exchange rates keep doing what they do and I am working on getting more balance and more payments in Euro instead of dollars. As I pay all my bills in Euro. Sounds smart right ? Times are strange with the continious low interest rates and according to all the experts they will continue to be low.

Apparently the banks can handle these low rates , well see. Anyway the numbers, see you next month.

25/10/2017 General Electric EUR 4,46
25/10/2017 Cisco Systems EUR 6,86
16/10/2017 W.P. Carey (REIT) EUR 8,50
04/10/2017 Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF EUR 7,69
02/10/2017 Coca-Cola EUR 4,69
02/10/2017 DowDuPont Inc EUR 3,89

Total EUR 36,09

September 2017 – Dividend

Another month passed by, a new monthly dividend overview is in order. This month is slightly better than the same month last year. Ugly sentence I know but you get my drift. The exhange rate still is a disadvantage for me at the moment. But we’re still up by 2,3%.

Overall dividends are up 18% compared too last year, for me that’s a pretty significant change. It’s a bit uncertain if and how the share prices of dividend stocks will be impacted due too rising interest rates. For now this is not in the cards yet. Just slight rate increases are due later this year and next year.

The portfolio tactic will not change however, more about that subject in another future blog post. For now the numbers.

25/09/2017 Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF EUR 1,10
18/09/2017 Royal Dutch Shell A EUR 39,49
15/09/2017 Icahn Enterprises LP EUR 1,28
14/09/2017 Microsoft Corp USD EUR 6,67
11/09/2017 Emerson Electric EUR 4,10
06/09/2017 Unilever Certificate EUR 3,59

Total EUR 56,23

August 2017 – Dividend

August has past again, and so it’s time for the monthly dividend update. Yet again the echange rate between the euro and dollar is causing a bit of a downturn in the number of Euro’s paid out.
I have been doing some digging into ways to compensate for the currency fluctuations and haven’t come up with a decent solution for what in effect is still a tiny portfolio. The focus however will shift towards company’s paying out dividends in the Euro country’s. Which will tackle it as well.

For now the numbers :

21/08/2017 NSI EUR 12,48
17/08/2017 Apple Inc EUR 5,38
14/08/2017 ONEOK Inc EUR 6,37
04/08/2017 Amsterdam Commodities EUR 12,00

Total EUR 36,23

Portfolio news – July and August 2017 changes

An new portfolio update, this time it’s 2 months in one, why ? Well as you might know I buy dividend paying stocks and ETF’s. The first category because I like to research company’s and it keeps me busy. Nowadays it’s a sort a replacement for work as I can easily do it at my own pace and no deadlines. It also ‘trains’ my reading, analytical skills and maths , hopefully.

The ETF’s are the best option science wise, as research shows it’s important to have low costs, a large diversification and long term strategy. This is all combined in these nice ETF’s. In order to get my portfolio into the desired 50/50 divide between my own hand picked stocks and the ETF’s I have just been buying ETF’s these last 2 months. It’s not there yet but I am getting there. Hence the lack of updates in July.

It’s a bit of an experiment , learning if I can do better than the ETF’s. Which according to science is near impossible. But a man needs a hobby right ? Until next time. Happy investing!

June 2017 – Dividend

June is over again which means dividend time. This month has been another good month , in comparison with last year the dividend is up 112%. Seems like a high number but it’s mainly new positions which pay out dividends for the first time. It’s the building of the portfolio which makes this rather large percentage appear.

The first goal of this portfolio is to pay for my fixed monthly costs. Think mortgage , utility bills etc. We are nowhere near this goal but it’s progressing nicely. Every Euro automated income is welcome.

So I am pretty happy with the progress and it’s fun working on this goal. Now the numbers. Excluding the dividend tax which I pay but deduct from my taxes at the end of each year.

27/06/2017 VANGUARD DIVIDEND APPRECIATION ETF EUR 1,37
26/06/2017 RDSA Dividend Coupon EUR 41,94
20/06/2017 HAL Trust EUR 71,00
14/06/2017 Icahn Enterprises L.P. EUR 1,35
09/06/2017 Emerson Electric Company EUR 4,32
09/06/2017 Emerson Electric Company EUR 0,65
08/06/2017 Microsoft Corporation EUR 7,03
07/06/2017 Unilever Certificate EUR 3,59
02/06/2017 Porsche Automobil Holding SE EUR 10,10

Totaal EUR 141,35

May 2017 – Dividend

It’s the end of May again, Another round of dividends, comparing the amount with last year it’s around 180% more, due to new additions to the portfolio such as Munich Re. Still it’s a nice increase and one for the future. The goal is expanding the dividend income and this month is a nice example.

For the most part it’s recurring dividends however, it’s just that Munich Re is a big chunk in this picture.

The numbers:

18-05-2017 Apple Inc EUR 5,68
18-05-2017 Accell Group EUR 7,20
15-05-2017 K+S EUR 12,00
15-05-2017 NSI EUR 14,00
15-05-2017 ONEOK Inc USD 5,54
12-05-2017 ASML Holding EUR 4,80
11-05-2017 Amsterdam Com EUR 22,50
04-05-2017 Bayer EUR 13,50
02-05-2017 Muenchener Re EUR 129,00

Total 214,22