Portfolio Update: May 2017

It seems just like yesterday when I announced that May was upon us. Now that the month has already passed - let’s check in on what happened with my portfolio during the prior month.

My May saw two dividend growth stock purchases - both of which were new positions in the portfolio.

I started with buying 20 shares of Analog Devices (ADI), and closed the month with purchasing 15 shares of The Traveler Companies (TRV).

I also updated my watchlist as I continue to be on the hunt for stocks with decent valuations and attractive dividend features. Recently I added AT&T (T) to the stocks I follow with high interest; as I believe that below 40 the stock is reasonably priced with bright prospects.

I keep building my snowball and with each new stock purchase I increase my forward dividend income and get closer to achieving my investment goals.

Speaking of building a snowball; I came across the following story of someone who really lived the investment principles I try to adhere to as well. It certainly worked out well for him - hopefully the same goes for my (similar) investments in CVS!

So how did I progress in May?

For reasons of comparison: a year ago, at the end of May 2016my portfolio consisted of 29 positions with a total value of $35,024.  

At the end of May 2017 my portfolio consisted of 43 positions with a total market value of $82,586 - a Year-on-Year (YoY) increase of 136%.

This YoY increase is shown in the graph below.

How was your May? Leave a comment/reply to share your thoughts!

13 thoughts on “Portfolio Update: May 2017”

  1. Your portfolio value has interested incredibly over the past year. Doubling it is awesome! I’m working on adding more companies to my portfolio as well. I really like T and the value now is getting pretty good. Would love to pick up some more but may hold off for diversity sake for now. Keep that growth rate up! Cheers!

  2. That is awesome growth y/y. It’s nice to see the combination of contributions and market performance on paper. It’s crazy that you more than doubled your portfolio in just one year.

  3. That’s an awesome update. It’s awesome to see your portfolio more than double in one year. How many positions are you looking to have or is there no maximum in your portfolio as long as stuff looks good?

  4. WOW, I’m truly amazed. What was your secret to achieving such a large growth in such a short amount of time?? Has most of it come from investment growth or did you find a way to make more income?

    1. It’s a combination of three things: my income has increased and I contribute therefore more each month as compared to 2016, the S&P 500 has been on a tear the past year (http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/index/spx/charts) and my portfolio now generates ~250 a month which makes gathering new capital a little easier.

      But yeah… I share your amazement! Another reason I like to track and chart progress, it shows me how far you can go in a relatively short time.

  5. Gotta love all the moving parts here. That purchase of ATT is going to pack quite the punch going forward and help get the momentum of your dividend snowball rolling down the hill. Congrats!

    Bert

    1. Thanks Bert. In hindsight (I know…) I wish I would have added to AT&T more than Verizon.

      AT&T is turning into a whole new powerhouse with Directv and Time Warner - while Verizon makes smaller but less impactful acquisitions.

      Anyway - with buying AT&T I expect to get very close to my 3k in dividend goal this year. Going for it…no excuses! 😉

      Thanks for stopping by!

  6. Wow, your portfolio has really jumped quite a bit year over year. Nice to see you continuing making buys adding to your passive income stream. I have TRV on my watch list seemingly forever. I never picked up any shares myself but still am watching the stock. Should have bought when it was near $100 about six plus months ago. Oh well… It’s a great pick up and nice addition to your portfolio. Keep up the good work.

    1. Thanks DivHut! There continue to be good buys out there - although most valuations are still kind of… let’s say frothy. It’s a little frustrating sometimes to open my extended watchlist and see the majority of the stock on there way above my designated entry price. Stocks like MSFT, AEP and PPG come to mind.

      Thanks again, appreciate the kind words.

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