Recent Buy - Walmart

Today I made another purchase as the markets took a beating. This time I picked up some more shares of retail giant Walmart (WMT). This allowed me to average down a bit. Sadly I was a couple weeks removed from the ex-dividend date so I'll miss next quarters dividend with these new shares.

I wanted to add a January payer and I was also considering adding to my stake in Phillip Morris (PM) or initiating a new position in Cisco (CSCO) but I thought Walmart offered a better value and I like to average down whenever possible.

I purchased 17 shares of Walmart (WMT) at $59.84

WMT Basic Statistics

• Ticker Symbol: WMT
• Sector: Retail
• Yield: 3.3%
• Dividend Streak: 40 years
• Dividend Growth 1yr: 2.0%
• Annualized Dividend Growth 3yr: 11%
• Payout Ratio: 43%
• P/E Ratio: 14
• Market cap:$188 Billion
• Wabsite: http://www.walmart.com

November Dividend Update

I finally got around to posting my November dividend update. Some of the delay was due to setting up my new computer which has been a bit of a pain but finally got it going more or less. In November the markets have been under some volatility partially due to falling commodity prices with oil leading the way down but we ended up being pretty flat for the month.

My dividend total for the month of November was $336.79 which is a 40% improvement over last year and a 9% increase from last quarter. I've made no purchases that paid this month so the reason for the big increase from last quarter was because Kraft/Heinz has moved their dividend from October to November. Without that my income would have been 1% higher QoQ due to dividend increases alone. My dividend income is listed below.

It should be noted that I have sold my shares in KMI in order to do some tax loss harvesting. As you probably know KMI has been under extraordinary selling pressure and management even decided to cut the dividend today after hours a whopping 75%. I certainly got this one wrong, and I planned on holding KMI for a long long time but as Mike Tyson said "Everyone has a plan till they get punched in the mouth" and I certainly felt like I took one on the chin here. With the proceeds of the sale I added to my stake in AT&T. I expect next quarters total to be a bit lower as a result. Stay tuned!

November Purchases

• New Jersey Resources (NJR) - 355 Shares @ $29.70

November Dividend Increases

• Tompkins Financial (TMP) - From .42 to .44 (+4.7 %)
• Kraft Heinz (KHC) - From .55 to .575 (+4.5%)
• Kinder Morgan (KMI) - From .49 to .51 (+4%)

November Dividend Income

• AT&T (T) - $78.96
• General Mills - (GIS) - $34.32
• WGL Holdings (WGL) - $30.53
• Clorox (CLX) - $14.63
• Kinder Morgan (KMI) - $63.24
• Realty Income (O) - $19.05
• Proctor & Gamble (PG) - $22.54
• People's United Financial (PBCT) - $37.35
• Kraft Heinz (KHC) - $24.73
• Tompkins Financial (TMP) - $11.44

Total Dividends November 2015: - $336.79

Recent Buy - New Jersey Resources

This week I decided to switch some things around in the portfolio. Nothing too major but in the wake of the pending sale of Piedmont Natural Gas (PNY) to Duke energy (DUK) I decided to sell my stake in PNY. Shares jumped around 20% after the big news last month and I thought I should sell just in case the merger doesn't go through for whatever reason. These things have to undergo regulatory approvals and such and I didn't feel like risking my gains by holding any longer.

So I wanted to replace that with a similar stock and I found one that fits perfectly. New Jersey Resources (NJR) is a relatively under-followed energy holding company. The company's primary business is regulated natural gas distribution to roughly 500,000 customers in New Jersey, it is also growing it's pipeline and storage business, as well as it's clean energy services.

I sold 160 shares of PNY @ 57.58
I purchased 355 shares of NJR @ $29.70

New Jersey Resources Chart

NJR Basic Statistics

• Ticker Symbol: NJR
• Sector: Utilities
• Yield: 3.25%
• Dividend Streak: 19 years
• Annualized Dividend Growth 3yr: 6.6%
• Payout Ratio: 50%
• P/E Ratio: 17
• Market cap:$2.6 Billion
• Website: http://www.njresources.com

NJR Dividend Growth

October Dividend Update

October has come and gone (almost) and it's time for my monthly dividend update. This time around I suspected may be a light month because WMT not paying this month. WMT has a weird payout schedule where they pay twice in the first month of the quarter and twice in the last month of the quarter over the course of one year. Not only that but Kraft/Heinz (KHC) has moved their dividend back a bit and it looks like well be getting an announcement in a week or so regarding the next dividend. All of this made for one of my weakest dividend months in a long time.

My dividend total for the October was $234.23 which is a 10% improvement over last years October total of $213.12. Next month as well as next quarter should put me back on track as I made some late purchases (WMT , GSK) which just missed the ex-dividend dates for this October. These new purchases should show up next time around. My dividend income is listed below.

October Purchases

• Walmart (WMT) - 16 Shares @ $63.75
• Walmart (WMT) - 20 Shares @ $58.40

October Dividend Increases

•  Altria (MO) - From .52 to .565 (+8.6 %)

October Dividend Income

• Coca-Cola (KO) - $20.13
• GlaksoSmithKline - (GSK) - $34.32
• Altria (MO) - $53.68
• Philip Morris (PM) - $14.28
• Realty Income (O) - $19.05
• Piedmont Natural Gas (PNY) - $52.80
• Sysco (SYY) - $19.80
• Hattera's Financial (HTS) - $24.75

Total Dividends For October 2015: - $234.23

Duke Energy is acquiring Piedmont Natural Gas (PNY)

   This morning I got word that one of my favorite dividend utilities is being purchased by Duke Energy. The deal which is a cash deal and is set to be completed by the end of the year for nearly $5 billion in cash. PNY shareholders are set to receive $60 per share of stock so this is about a 40% premium of the $42/share price Piedmont had been trading for. While I'm saddened to see one of my favorite dividend utilities slip through my fingers, it looks like I'll be getting a pretty good deal here. Now I will have to replace my shares with another utility and I already have one in mind but I have a year to decide so I have plenty of time.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas today announced the boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved a definitive agreement for Duke Energy (DUK) to acquire Piedmont for approximately $4.9 billion in cash.

"We look forward to welcoming Piedmont's employees and one million customers in the Carolinas and Tennessee to Duke Energy," said Lynn Good, president and CEO of Duke Energy. "This combination provides us with a growing natural gas platform, benefitting our customers, communities and investors."

"This is an exciting moment for Piedmont Natural Gas, its shareholders, customers and employees," said Tom Skains, chairman, president and CEO of Piedmont Natural Gas. "The strategic combination of our two companies will deliver compelling value to our shareholders, greatly expand our platform for future growth, enhance our ability to provide excellence in customer service and give our employees more opportunities in one of the largest energy companies in the United States."

Piedmont Natural Gas began operations in 1951 in Charlotte and Duke Energy was founded in the city in 1904. Both companies have played leading roles in supporting economic development in the Carolinas and establishing the Charlotte region as a major hub for energy companies.

Duke Energy and Piedmont also are key partners in the $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline that will be the first major natural gas pipeline to serve Eastern North Carolina.
Terms and leadership

Upon transaction closing, Piedmont shareholders will receive $60 in cash for each share of Piedmont Natural Gas common stock. This represents an approximate 40 percent premium to Piedmont's Oct. 23, 2015, closing stock price.

Duke Energy will also assume approximately $1.8 billion in Piedmont Natural Gas existing net debt, representing a total enterprise value of approximately $6.7 billion.

A fully underwritten bridge facility is in place with Barclays to complete the transaction. Duke Energy will finance the transaction with a combination of debt, between $500 million and $750 million of newly issued equity and other cash sources.

Piedmont Natural Gas will retain its name, operate as a business unit of Duke Energy and maintain its significant presence and its headquarters in Southeast Charlotte. Duke Energy and Piedmont will maintain their current levels of community involvement and charitable giving.

Duke Energy will add one member of Piedmont's board of directors to its board after the transaction is closed. An existing member of Piedmont's management team will lead Duke Energy's natural gas operations in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky, and report to Good.

Completion of the transaction is conditioned upon approval by the North Carolina Utilities Commission, expiration or termination of any applicable waiting period under the federal Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, and Piedmont shareholder approval.

The companies also will provide information regarding the acquisition to the Public Service Commission of South Carolina and the Tennessee Regulatory Authority.

The companies are targeting a closing by the end of 2016.
The companies will continue to operate as separate entities until the transaction is completed. 

Source: PR Newswire

Recent Buy - Walmart (WMT)

Earlier this week I pulled the trigger on another purchase. This time around I had my eye on several stocks but ultimately choose Walmart (WMT). Luckily at the time of my purchase the markets were in a selloff on Monday morning which allowed me to get a great price So I was happy about that. I usually don't get that lucky.

I purchased 16 shares of WMT at $63.75 giving my a total of 50 shares total.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates retail stores in various formats around the world. The company operates its business through three reportable segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam's Club.

I noticed that 'Passive Income Pursuit' just published a new analysis of Walmart over on Seeking Alpha too if you guys wanna check that out.

Walmart Stock Chart

WMT Basic Statistics

• Ticker Symbol: WMT
• Sector: Consumer Goods
• Yield: 3.02%
• Dividend Streak: 40 years
• Annualized Dividend Growth 3yr: 11%
• Payout Ratio: 40%
• P/E Ratio: 13.8
• Market cap:$212 Billion
• Morningstar Fair Value: $79
• Value Line Target Price: $100
• Website: http://www.walmart.com

WMT Earnings Growth

September Dividend Update

As the market selloff continues we continue to see some great deals in the markets. I wish I had more money to take advantage of these low prices however we may see lower prices to come. I'll continue buying on the way down if we do. My most recent purchase was Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) and was the only purchase for September.

After a record breaking month of August ($309.01) I knew it was going to be tough to eclipse that total but I nearly pulled it off. My dividend total for the September was $301.73 which is a 32% improvement over last years September total of $227.94. Next month could be a bit lower as I simply don't own as many stocks for the first month of the quarter.

September Purchases

• Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) - 11 Shares @ $93.65

September Dividend Income

• Walmart (WMT) - $16.66
• Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) - $28.50
• Unilever - (UL) - $18.10
• Chevron - (CVX) - $57.78
• Exxon - (XOM) - $31.39
• Realty Income (O) - $19.00
• Avista (AVA) - $19.14
• Compass Minerals (CMP) - $11.88
• McDonalds (MCD) - $29.75
• Pepsi (PEP) - $30.21
• Universal Health (UHT) - $32.00

Total Dividends For September 2015: - $301.73

A closer look at the new McDonalds kiosks

Today I ran across an interesting video brought to you by vlogger Casey Neistat that captures his recent visit to a McDonalds in NYC. In the video we get a close look at the new ordering kiosks that McDonalds is ramping up. Through these new kiosks customers can customize their food. For example there is a "create your own burger" which is highlighted in the video.

I think the new kiosks are a great idea to give customers the option to get what they really want. They look easy to use and seem to have a lot of ordering options available like guacamole. The food looked surprisingly good also. What do you think about the new kiosks ?

Recent Buy - Johnson & Johnson

Earlier this week I purchased shares of Johnson & Johnson. I was having a tough time choosing between a few stocks on my watch list including PG, IBM, PEP and UL but ultimately went with JNJ. This monster of a company will continue to grow earnings along with it's dividend for years to come.

I purchased 11 shares of JNJ at $93.65

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches and develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the health care field worldwide. It operates in three segments: Consumer, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Devices.

JNJ Stock Chart

JNJ Basic Statistics

• Ticker Symbol: JNJ
• Sector: Healthcare
• Yield: 3.24%
• Payout Ratio: 52%
• Dividend Growth: 1yr - 7.14%  5yr - 6.79%
• PE Ratio: 16.3
• Market cap:$257 Billion
• Morningstar Fair Value: $99
• Value Line Target Price: $110
• Website: http://www.jnj.com

JNJ Dividend Growth

August Dividend Update

What a crazy month for the world markets August was. We saw some crazy daily and even hourly movements as well as an overall market selloff. I think the markets may continue to stumble for some time and that's going to allow us to make some purchases at lower and lower valuations. My most recent purchase was GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) which was my only purchase in August. My dividend total for the August was $309.01 which is a new all time record high for me!

In comparison, last years August total was $227.68 which means my dividend's for the month have grown by 35.7% year over year! Next month is looking good as well. 

August Purchases

• GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) - 25 Shares @ $44.00

August Dividend Increases

• Kinder Morgan (KMI) - From .48 to .49 (+2 %)

August Dividend Income

• AT&T (T) - $78.96
• General Mills (GIS) - $34.32
• WGL Holdings (WGL) - $30.53
• Clorox (CLX) - $14.63
• Kinder Morgan (KMI) - $60.76
• Realty Income (O) - $19.00
• Proctor & Gamble (PG) - $22.54
• Peoples United Financial (PBCT) - $37.35
• Tompkins Financial (TMP) - $10.92

Total Dividends For August 2015: - $309.01

Recent Buy - GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)

I love the times when I have enough money in my brokerage account that allows me to make a purchase. Yesterday was one of those days. I was sitting on the cusp of my self imposed minimum purchase limit of $1000 and lo and behold I received dividends from three different stocks which allowed me to make a purchase!

I've always tried to keep my dividend payments fairly balanced each month without getting too OCD about it. My lowest dividend month has been in the first month of the quarter so this months purchase was specifically geared toward a dividend payer there. There's not as many choices as there seem to be in the other months but I did find one that looked reasonable here.

I purchased 25 shares of GSK at $44.00

GlaxoSmithKline PLC incorporated in United Kingdom. The Company creates, discoveres, develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products including vaccines, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and health-related consumer products.

GSK Stock Chart

GSK Basic Statistics

• Ticker Symbol: GSK
• Sector: Healthcare
• Yield: 5.48%
• Market cap:$104 Billion
• Beta: 1.15
• Morningstar Fair Value: $47
• Value Line Target Price: $55
• Website: http://www.gsk.com

July Dividend Update

It's been a pretty quiet month for me here in July, not a lot of purchases and no real dividend raises to speak of. My latest purchase was KMI a couple of weeks ago and I sure wish I would have waited to buy. You know what they say about hindsight though. My dividend total for the month was $256.50 which is my lowest monthly total since January. This was due to Walmart's  (WMT) dividend paying in late June rather than early July.

In comparison, last years July total was $179.34 which means my dividend's for the month have grown by 43% year over year! I was also able to cover 11.5% of my living expenses in July from my dividend income. Looking forward to next month as it should be an all time record month for me.

July Purchases

• Kinder Morgan (KMI) - 31 Shares @ $36.50

July Dividend Increases

• Realty Income (O) - From .1895 to .19 (+0.2 %)

July Dividend Income

• Coca Cola (KO) - $20.13
• Glaxso Smith Kline (GSK) - $30.22
• Philip Morris (PM) - $14.00
• Altria (MO) - $49.40
• Realty Income (O) - $19.00
• Piedmont Natural Gas (PNY) - $52.80
• Sysco (SYY) - $19.80
• Hatteras Financial (HTS) - $27.50
• Kraft Heinz (KHC) - $23.65

Total Dividends For July 2015: - $256.50

Recent Buy - Kinder Morgan (KMI)

As I mentioned in my last update, this may be a slow month for me in terms of purchases. Not that I don't want to make more purchases, there are always opportunities out there that I'd like to take advantage of but I only have so much money. So this months purchase was in Kinder Morgan (KMI). KMI is down nearly 18% from it's highs earlier this year largely due to negative sentiment surrounding anything related to oil. Additionally a recent earnings miss has not helped the share price any either. I thought I'd put some money to work here.

I purchased 31 shares of KMI at $36.50

Recently the company announced another dividend raise to .49 and plans to meet the $2.00 goal by years end remain on track. This brings KMI's forward yield up to 5.3% ! Distributable Cash Flow (DCF) continues to outpace dividend growth as well which means the dividend can continue growing safely. KMI reaffirmed dividend growth of 10% per year for 2016 through 2020.

While oil prices have taken a beating natural gas growth in the US continues to expand as the country moves away from coal to natural gas. Kinder Morgan has the pipelines to move that natural gas to end users like utilities across the nation. The future looks bright for natural gas and KMI in the long term.

KMI Stock Chart

KMI Basic Statistics

• Ticker Symbol: KMI
• Sector: Energy
• Yield: 5.3%
• Dividend Growth Rate:10%
• Market cap:$80 Billion
• Beta: .55
• Morningstar Fair Value: $43
• Value Line Target Price: $50
• Website: http://www.kindermorgan.com

KMI Dividend Growth

June Dividend Update

Happy 4th of July for those of you in the USA. Time for my June update. This months dividend total was a new record high for me at $288.03 which is up 14% from the $252.03 that I made last quarter in March.

In comparison, last years June total was $227.91 which means my dividend's for the month have grown by 26% year over year. I also purchased 3 stocks in June which is the most I think I've ever done since just starting out. July will likely be a slower month for purchases since I'm a bit tapped out.

June Purchases

• Exxon Mobil (XOM) - 17 Shares @ $83.50
• Travelers (TRV) - 12 Shares @ $99.81
• Compass Minerals (CMP) - 18 Shares @ $83.76

June Dividend Increases

• Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) - From .41 to .44 (+7.1 %)
• Exxon Mobil (XOM) - From .69 to .73 (+ 5.7%)
• Universal Health Realty Income Trust (UHT) - From .635 to .64 (+0.7%)
• Pepsi (PEP) - From .655 to .703 (7.3%)

June Dividend Income

• Walmart (WMT) - $16.66
• Unilever (UL) - $17.58
• Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) - $28.50
• Chevron(CVX) - $57.78
• Lorillard (LO) - $18.48
• Realty Income (O) - $18.95
• Exxon Mobil (XOM) - $18.98
• McDonalds (MCD) - $29.75
• Avista (AVA) - $19.14
• Universal Health Realty Income Trust (UHT) - $32.00
• Pepsi (PEP) - $30.21

Total Dividends For June 2015: - $288.03

Recent Buy - Compass Minerals International (CMP)

Wow three purchases in June. I think this is the first time I can remember making 3 purchases in a month since the beginning of my dividend growth journey. Usually I make 1 or 2 purchases but the money from the RAI merger along with the proceeds from my subsequent sale of RAI shares pushed me to an additional purchase this month! What to do with all this money? Put it to work for me!

Thanks to 'I Want To Retire Soon' and 'Dividend Empire' I recently discovered a gem of a company that most of you probably haven't heard of before and I like what I see. Compass Minerals International (CMP) has only been a publicly traded company since 2003 but it's true origins date back to the 1800's!

Compass Minerals International, Inc. is engaged in the business of producing minerals, including salt, sulfate of potash specialty fertilizer and magnesium chloride. It provides highway deicing salt to customers in North America and the United Kingdom and specialty fertilizer to growers and fertilizer distributors worldwide.

CMP has come down in price recently which has pushed the yield over 3% here. The dividend growth has been stellar with over 10 years of increases and a 5 year growth rate over 10%. EPS guidance looks strong and margins are expanding in the right direction.

I purchased 18 shares of CMP at $83.76.

CMP Stock Chart

CMP Basic Statistics

• Ticker Symbol: CMP
• P/E Ratio: 12.4
• Sector: Materials
• Yield: 3.2%
• Dividend Growth Rate: 11%
• Payout Ratio: 36%
• Market cap: $2.83 Billion
• Beta: .47
• Morningstar Fair Value: $94
• Value Line Target Price: $115
• Website: http://www.compassminerals.com

CMP Dividend Growth

Recent Buy - Travelers (TRV)

Looks like I squeaked in a second monthly buy this month already. Today I opened a position in Travelers Companies (TRV). I had a few other stocks on my radar as well including WMT, PM and KMI but I missed the ex-div date on PM so I decided to wait on that and open a position in TRV instead. I don't have a ton of exposure to the financial sector so this is a nice fit for me.

As you can see by the stats below TRV sports a 2.5% yield which is pretty low for my taste but makes up for it with a healthy a dividend growth rate of 10%.

Travelers Companies Inc through its subsidiaries provides commercial & personal property and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations and individuals.

I purchased 12 shares of TRV at $99.81 this week.

TRV Stock Chart

TRV Basic Statistics

• Ticker Symbol: TRV
• P/E Ratio: 10.52
• Sector: Financial
• Yield: 2.5%
• Dividend Growth Rate: 10%
• Payout Ratio: 21%
• Market cap: $32 Billion
• Beta: 1.2
• Morningstar Fair Value: $108
• Value Line Target Price: $130
• Website: http://www.travelers.com

TRV Dividend Growth

Recent Buy - Exxon Mobil (XOM)

Earlier this week I made another stock purchase and this time I was looking to replace the dividends in the last month of the quarter which I lost due to the Reynolds American Tobacco (RAI) buyout of Lorillard (LO). My precious Lorillard shares finally left my portfolio and were replaced with cash and some shares of RAI stock. I sold the remaining shares of RAI stock as I already have two other tobacco companies that I'm happy with and some of that money was put to use in this transaction.


I purchased another 17 shares of XOM at $83.50 this week.

XOM Stock Chart

XOM Basic Statistics

• Ticker Symbol: XOM
• P/E Ratio: 12.8
• Sector: Energy
• Yield: 3.4%
• Dividend Growth Rate: 7.5%
• Payout Ratio: 41 %
• Market cap: $357b
• Beta: 1.1
• Morningstar Fair Value: $98
• Website: http://www.exxonmobil.com

XOM Dividend Growth

May Dividend Update

May has come and gone so it's time for my monthly dividend update! My May dividend total was $276.76 which is up slightly from the $268.88 that I made last quarter in February. This is nearly beat out my best month ever just last month!

In comparison, last years May total was $213.13 which means my dividend's for the month have grown by 23% year over year. Looks like I only had one single purchase in May which I listed below.

May Purchases

• AT&T (T) - 33 shares @ $34.99

May Dividend Increases

• General Mills (GIS) - From .41 to .44 (+7.3 %)
• WGL Holdings (WGL) - From .44 to .463 (+5.2%)
• Proctor & Gamble (PG) - From .644 to .663 (+2.9%)
• Peoples United Financial (PBCT) - From .165 to .168 (+1.8%)
• Kinder Morgan (KMI) - From .45 to .48 (+6.7%)

May Dividend Income

• AT&T (T) - $63.45
• General Mills (GIS) - $34.32
• WGL Holdings (WGL) - $30.53
• Clorox (CLX) - $14.06
• Thompson Financial (TMP) - $10.92
• Realty Income (O) - $18.95
• Proctor & Gamble (PG) - $22.54
• Peoples United Financial (PBCT) - $37.35
• Kinder Morgan (KMI) - $44.64

Total Dividends For May 2015: - $276.76

Recent Buy AT&T (T)

It's time for this months purchase and usually I try to choose a stock which I feel is undervalued and for the most part I think I do that. However I feel that there are times where one can look past the stocks which are on sale and find a compelling reason to put money elsewhere. This was one of those times for me.

It's beginning to sound more and more like the $49 Billion DTV acquisition will not be blocked by the FCC regulators and is expected to be completed by June. That along with the integration of the Iusacell and Nextel Mexico networks gives AT&T a major footprint into Latin America.

AT&T is also looking to offer exclusive content for connected vehicles such as videos and games which can be streamed onto personal mobile devices later this year. There are also expansion plans for AT&T's Gigapower 1Gbps internet service to 7 new markets including Charlotte and Greensboro, N.C.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Miami; Nashville, Tenn.; St. Louis and San Antonio.

I purchased another 33 shares of AT&T at $34.99 this week.

AT&T Stock Chart

AT&T (T) Basic Statistics

• Ticker Symbol: T
• Forward P/E Ratio: 13.5
• Sector: Tech
• Yield: 5.42%
• Dividend Growth Streak: 30 years 
• 3 Year Dividend Growth Rate: 2.3%
• Payout Ratio: 167 %
• Market cap: $180b
• Beta: .41
• Website: http://www.att.com

AT&T Dividend Growth

April Dividend Update

It's time for my April dividend update! My April dividend total was $279.04 which is up 16.8% from the $238.88 that I made last quarter in January. This is also the largest dividend total I've ever had!

In comparison, last years April total was $198.15 which means my dividend's for the month have grown a whopping 40.8% year over year! That's some pretty spectacular growth if I say so myself, if only it could stay at that pace forever! I've listed the details below ...

April Purchases

• Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) - 11 shares @ $99.99
• Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) - 10 shares @ $99.75

April Dividend Increases

• Coca Cola (KO) - From .305 to .33 ( a 8.1% increase )
• Walmart (WMT) - From .48 to .49 ( a 2.0% increase )
• Piedmont Natural Gas  (PNY) - From .32 to .33 ( a 3.1% increase )

April Dividend Income

• Coca Cola (KO) - $20.13
• GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) -  $36.15
• Walmart (WMT) - $16.66
• Altria (MO) - $49.40
• Philip Morris (PM) - $14.00
• Realty Income (O) - $18.95
• Piedmont Natural Gas (PNY) - $52.80
• Sysco (SYY) - $19.80
• Kraft (KRFT) - $23.65
• Hatteras Financial (HTS) - $27.50

Total Dividends For April 2015: - $279.04

Recent Buy 2.0 - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

Looks like I just can't get enough of a good thing. As with my previous purchase last week JNJ had hit a compelling price point under $100 and it just so happens that JNJ squeaked under that very same price in early trading today before rebounding.  I realized had some cash in my account just enough to reach my $1000 buy limit I try to hold to minimize transaction costs. So I pulled the trigger on another JNJ purchase.

I purchased another 10 shares of JNJ @ $99.75

Another stock that's been on my watch list for some time has been IBM and they announced a massive dividend increase today of over 18% ! Once I heard that news I almost wished I would have bought IBM instead but I think I'll be happy with more JNJ just the same.

I'll keep this brief since I just purchased JNJ. What do you guys think about JNJ or that generous IBM increase ?

Recent Buy - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

After spending the better part of last night watching the Star Wars trailer over and over I figured I'd better get around to posting about my latest purchase!

This time around I was trying to decide which stock to purchase and it came down to three stocks, IBM, PEP, and JNJ. I think that I would be happy with any of these stocks here and all three are due for dividend increases next quarter. Johnson & Johnson had recently announced it's earnings and over the next couple days the stock sold off just enough to trigger my limit order. In hindsight I wish I would have waited a day to buy since the markets got hammered down nearly 300 points on friday then I could have picked up shares a bit cheaper but ohh well.

I purchased 11 shares of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) at $99.99

As with my last purchase of PM, JNJ also is facing currency headwinds from a strong dollar. This really showed in the quarterly numbers but I am confident the company will return to growth soon enough.

Johnson & Johnson is a holding company, which is engaged in the research and development, manufacture and sale of products in the health care field within its Consumer, Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices, and Diagnostics business segments.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Stock Chart

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Basic Statistics

• Ticker Symbol: JNJ
• PE Ratio: 17.5 (15.5 Forward p/e)
• Sector: Healthcare
• Yield: 2.8%
• Dividend Growth Streak: 52 years 
• 5 Year Dividend Growth Rate: 7.3%
• Payout Ratio: 48 %
• Market cap: $277b
• Beta: .96
• Website: http://www.jnj.com

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Dividend Growth Chart

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) EPS Growth Chart