Microbeads - The Story of Stuff Project

The richest 1% of Indians now own 58.4% of wealth (link)

Stock Purchase - APLE (80 shares, $96 dividend income)

Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE: APLE), Inc. is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that invests in lodging properties operating under the Hilton® and Marriott® family brands. The Company’s portfolio consists of 236 hotels, with over 30,000 guestrooms nationwide.

Despite a short dividend history (~ 1 year), I do like that this company holds an impressive portfolio of properties with only well-known brands. That makes a difference I think in their competitive market place. Their recent earnings was a beat on revenue and if the US economy remains strong (no recession), the lodging business looks promising.

Their monthly dividend of $0.10/shr is a nice feature and I hope to collect that 6%+ annualized dividend for many years to come.

This purchase will add $96 annual dividend income to my dividend stock portfolio

Basic info:

Market CAP: 4B   EPS:$0.48  Dividend: $1.20 (6.75%)

World’s Biggest Real Estate Binge Is Coming to a City Near You (src: Bloomberg.com)

Start Now

BTFD - added more CLDT (50 shares, $66 dividend income)

Yes, I'm Buying-TFD ! :)

Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE: CLDT) is a real estate investment trust that owns a bunch of upscale hotels. I first added shares of this REIT in May and this week I added more on weakness.

With div yield approaching 7%, it's irresistable for income investors like myself. And any decent growth that comes along with it will be a nice bonus. Yeah, keep on paying those dividends !

Basic info:

Market CAP: 733M   EPS:$0.88  Dividend: $1.32 (6.89%)

Stock Purchase - EXR (15 shares, $46 dividend income)

Extra Space Storage (NYSE: EXR) Inc. is a REIT providing self-storage units nationwide with over 1,370 facilities across 38 states. If you need a space to store your stuff (good junk or not), this company will help you with over 1,400 stores, comprising approximately 910,000 units and 103 million square feet of rentable space.

The current taper tantrum talk from Europe together with market volatility has the whole REIT down so I took this opportunity to add this fast growing income stock to my list of dividend earners.

This purchase will add $46 dividend income to my dividend stock portfolio

Basic info:

Market CAP: 9.4B   EPS:$1.96  Dividend: $3.12 (4.02%)

Speculative Stock Buy - Lithium (GALXF)

Galaxy Resources NPV (OTCMKTS:GALXF) is an Australian lithium producer with 3 projects in Australia, Canada and Argentina. Lithium is essential in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries used for consumer electronics and electric vehicles.

Currently it is still a very speculative play on all consumer things electric with a lithium battery. I'm betting (small one only) this company can become a major supplier of high quality lithium one day :))

 

Happy Planet Index 2016

The Happy Planet Index (HPI) measures what matters - how does your country compare ? 

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Stock Purchase - FLO (100 shares, $64 div income)

Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO) produces and markets a wide variety of fresh and frozen bakery foods from breads, buns, and rolls to snack cakes and pastries. Some of their household brands includes Wonder (as in Wonder Bread), Sunbeam, Nature's Own and more...

The company stock price has taken a hit after recent news of lawsuits by truck drivers over their employee status and a review by US Dept of Labor. I think this presents a good entry point to add this stock. I am also comforted by their long history in business with increasing dividends.

This purchase will add $64 dividend income to my dividend stock portfolio

Basic info:

Market CAP: 3B   EPS:$0.88  Dividend: $0.64 (4.22%)

Chasing High Yield - buying LADR (100 shares, $110 div income)

Ladder Capital (NYSE: LADR) is a commercial real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that originates and invests in commercial real estate mortgage loans. It owns approximately 100 single tenant net leased properties along with other properties.

With a fat juicy dividend yielding 8+% and potential capital appreciation, I'm contend to just collect this dividend indefinitely. If mortgage interest rates should ever rise (unlikely for now), their profit margins should improve. For now, this is an attractive high yield income asset.

This purchase will add $110 dividend income to my dividend stock portfolio

Basic info:
Market CAP: 810M    EPS:$1  Dividend: $1.10 (8.42%)

Housing Bubble - Australia version

Chasing Income & Yield - buying DNP (100 shares, $78 div income)

DNP Select Income Fund Inc. (NYSE: DNP) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. Its primary investment objective is current income and long-term growth of that income. Capital appreciation is a secondary objective.

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objectives by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity and fixed income securities of companies in the public utilities industry.

Top 10 holdings:

NextEra Energy Inc.	3.7%
Alliant Energy Corp.	3.4%
Westar Energy Inc.	3.3%
CMS Energy Corp.	3.2%
Eversource Energy	3.2%
Sempra Energy	3.0%
DTE Energy Co.	2.8%
WEC Energy Group Inc.	2.8%
Ameren Corp.	2.7%
Public Service Enterprise Group Inc.	2.6%

as of 4/30/2016 (src: www.dnpselectincome.com)

Since 1987, this fund has produced an annualized return of over 9% (src:longrundata.com) on its dividend. Is that consistency or what !

I'm confident this fund will continue to perform and I hope to collect steady income from this holding for a very long time.

This purchase will add $78 dividend income to my dividend stock portfolio

Basic info:
Market CAP: 2.99B     EPS:$0.38   Dividend: $0.78 (7.33%)

Stock Buy - Chasing High Yield NRZ (100 shares, $180 div income)

New Residential Investment Corp. (NYSE: NRZ) is a real estate investment trust investing and managing excess mortgage servicing rights.  A mortgage servicing right (“MSR”) provides a mortgage servicer with the right to service a pool of mortgage loans in exchange for a fee.

Despite current mortgage rates at historic lows (bad for NRZ), tight lending standards and banking regulations have actually helped NRZ get more business from banks who owned a majority of MSRs. 

The recent events in Europe (Brexit) has ensure that interest rates will be lower for longer but this will not last forever. Eventually interest rates will start to rise again. In the meantime I'll gladly collect the 14% dividend and using it to buy more shares :)

This purchase will add $180 dividend income to my dividend stock portfolio

Basic info:
Market CAP: 2.95B     EPS:$1.44   Dividend: $1.84 (14.10%)

Goodluck chasing yields !?

Buy, Hold or Sell ? (Ford & General Motors)

I think Ford (NYSE:F) & General Motors (NYSE:GM) will do well in this high tech future. 

 (Disclosure: Long F & GM)

Brexit is over. I'm waiting for next shoe to drop ??

I read somewhere the best time to own a consistent dividend paying company is 30 years ago and the next best time is today. Basically we should not time the market and always be invested.

However I'm hoping the market gives me another opportunity like Brexit did this week.
I don't mind adding more some quality stocks at lower attractive entry prices.

My watchlist includes:
Qualcomm (NYSE: QCOM) (4% div yield) - got their chips in my phone, good stuff :)
Vodafone (NASDAQ: VOD) (5% div yield) - beaten down and unloved in UK
Boeing (NYSE: BA) (~3.3% div yield) - hope to grab some below $120/shr
Barclays (NYSE: BCS) (5% div yield) - beaten down UK bank, higher risk => higher return eventually ?
HSBC (NYSE: HSBC) (8% div yield!) - high yielding beaten down UK /Worldwide bank
GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) (~5% div yield) - beaten down UK healthcare company



Disclaimer:
All information is provided as-is and is for informational purposes only.The stocks mentioned in this blog are not considered to be past, present or future recommendations to buy or sell them. Ideas presented are just my personal opinions and are NOT be considered as investment recommendations or advice. All investors should consult a qualified professional before trading any stock.

Stock Buy - General Motors (50 shares, $76 dividend income)

"Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater" is the lesson that comes to my mind in this current stock market volatility. It seems like some quality stocks were sold off after Brexit and so I went discount shopping.

I added 50 shares of General Motors (NYSE:GM) after 2 straight down days in the US market. GM is the manufacturer of car brands Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet (maker of popular electric Chevy Volt) and GMC. The company emerged from a 2009 bankruptcy restructuring with investments from Uncle Sam and has slowly return to profitability again.

With increasing sales growth in asia and investments in hybrid, electric and self-driving technologies such as recent purchase of Cruise Automation, I think the company is on the right path to sustainable growth. After a volatile past few days, their dividend yield is now over the 5% mark and this makes it both an attractive income and growth stock IMO.

This purchase will add $76 dividend income to my dividend stock portfolio

Basic info:
Market CAP: 41B     EPS:$6.68   Dividend: 1.52 (5.36%)

Cognitive Biases

I have been and may still be guilty of all these biases in trading and investing.

Human personality and psychology traits plays a huge part in the stock market game. I try to follow some combination of fundamental or technical analysis to help reduce bad decision making based on flawed thinking but it's more art than exact science.

I have tried day trading with mixed results. I have gambled on penny stocks and lost. I bought terrible speculative stocks and held them too long. After more than 10 yrs playing this game, I have settled on a combination of 5-10% short term trading and 90% in long term dividend reinvestment plans. It gives me the SWAN ("sleep well at night") feeling :))

Source: stockcharts.com

Infographic: Vancouver Real Estate Mania

Courtesy of: Visual Capitalist

One way to end poverty ? (universal basic income)

A universal basic income only makes sense if Americans change how they think about work (Vox.com)

Your iPhone Is Ruining Your Posture — and Your Mood (NY Times)

Your iPhone Is Ruining Your Posture — and Your Mood (NY Times opinion By AMY CUDDY) 

Rents for 2-bedroom apartments are expensive in these 15 US cities

The minimum salary you need to afford to rent 2 bedroom apartment in these 15 cities (MarketWatch)

Looking to rent in San Francisco or New York ? Goodluck !
Some landlords are NOT that strict about that "28% rent-to-income" ratio so this is why it is tricky to save and retire comfortably for most with such high cost of housing in the bay area.

The Fruit That Could Save Millions From Starvation

The Fruit That Could Save Millions From Starvation (wimp.com)

Wow, I actually grew up in a farm with at least a dozen jackfruit trees surrounding the property producing succulent jackfruits year round !

What time do you sleep ? wake up ? (20 country app data)

Yes, I'm part of that american "wake time" data :))

For more details, check out A global quantification of “normal” sleep schedules using smartphone data (Sciences Advances)

US Consumption in Real Time

Source: Couponbox.com

Is Kimberly-Clark Corp (KMB) a buy ?

Hmmm, as a shareholder of Kimberly Clark (NYSE : KMB), I guess this is a good bullish sign (?)

The Adult Diaper Market Is About to Take Off (Bloomberg)

Sales of adult incontinence garments in the U.S. could equal those of baby diapers in a decade.

Stock Buy - Chatham Lodging (50 shares, $66 dividend income)

Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE: CLDT) is a real estate investment trust that owns a portfolio of upscale hotels with almost 6000 rooms. Some of their hotel brands include extended-stay types such as the Residence Inn by Marriott, Homewood Suites, Courtyard by Marriott, the Hampton Inn, the SpringHill Suites, the Hilton Garden Inn and the Hyatt Place. Additionally, the company owns interests in over 130 hotels totaling over 18,000 rooms/suites.

Hotel Portfolio by CLDT

Chatham is a small cap company under 1B with a low dividend payout ratio (~53%) and healthy profit margin so I'd expect the company to keep growing revenues and their dividend to be sustainable. The recent volatility in the hotel REIT sector is providing an attractive entry to this stock and I will put the almost 6% dividend to good use by reinvesting it to get more shares for a long time to come.

This purchase will add $66 dividend income to my dividend stock portfolio

Basic info:
Market CAP: 860m     EPS:$0.86   Dividend: $1.32 (5.95%)

Best-paid U.S. hedge fund managers take home $13 billion (reuters)

Best-paid U.S. hedge fund managers take home $13 billion (src: reuters)

Stock buy - GILD (12 shares, $20 dividend income)

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) is a biotechnology company that specializes in antiviral drugs for HIV, hepatitis B, influenza and pulmonary diseases.

I first bought 10 shares of Gilead in March 2016 but the price has pulled back off considerably. After a recent weak quarter result, Gilead's stock price is now at a level which I think is even more attractive. However for the next few months, the whole biotech sector will still be challenging because of election politics. I predict this weakness will blow over eventually and I'm willing to wait while earning almost 2% dividend.

This purchase will add $20 dividend income to my dividend stock portfolio

Basic info:
Market CAP: 119B     EPS:$11.69    Dividend: $1.72 (1.93%)

Prince - Purple Rain

Stock Purchase - WPG (100 shares, $100 div income)

WP Glimcher Inc., (NYSE: WPG) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) with a portfolio of 119 shopping centers, including enclosed regional malls, open-air lifestyle centers and community centers. The company specializes in the ownership, management and development of retail shopping centers throughout the U.S.

Some of their biggest anchors and tenants include Macy's, Dillard's, J.C. Penney, Sears, Target, The Bon-Ton Stores, Kohl's, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and TJX.

The current retail sector is facing a glut of mall space nationwide (aka dead mall) and vacancy rate is a real issue. Online shopping has effectively replaced most of our past shopping in a physical store. J.C. Penny is in a multi-year business downtrend and conditions are not improving. Sears is liquidating and downsizing themselves just to survive. Therefore WP Glimcher is facing major challenges ahead and their stock price and revenues has reflected tremendous downward pressures these past few years. With dividend yield approaching 10%, this is definitely an investment with risks of default if the company fails to turn things around and navigate through the tough times ahead. I'm betting they will not just survive but slowly thrive and grow in the years to come. I'm crossing my fingers :))

This purchase will add $100/yr to the dividend income portfolio

Basic info: 

Market CAP: 1.98B        EPS: -$0.55     Dividend: $1.00 (9.62%)

Are you drinking too much ?

Stock Purchase - Pfizer (40 shares, $48 div income)

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in discovering, developing and manufacturing of healthcare products. Some well known products/brands from Pfizer include Atorvastatin (trade name Lipitor), Advil (ibuprofen) for pain and fever, Centrum (a multi-vitamin), ChapStick (a lip balm), Dimetapp for the common cold, Preparation H (a hemorrhoid cream), Robitussin (coughs and colds) and many others.

Illnesses and diseases are part of human lives worldwide and Pfizer has been in the business of treating and providing healthcare solutions for many decades. With dividend yield approaching 4%, I decided to add this income stock to my portfolio.

This purchase will add $48/yr to the dividend income portfolio

Basic info:

Market CAP: 186B   EPS: $1.11  Dividend: $1.20 (3.99%)

Stock Purchase - Diageo (12 shares, $31 div income)

Diageo plc (Diageo) (NYSE: DEO) is a global provider of beverage alcohol of various brands in spirits, beer and wine in over 30 countries. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray, Guinness, Crown Royal, Yeni Raki, JeB, Buchanan's, Bundaberg, Ypioca, Cacique, Windsor, Bell's, JeB, Grand Old Parr, Shui Jing Fang, Ciroc and Bulleit Bourbon, among others.

I seldom drink but I am very familiar with some of Diageo products => my now almost 90 yr father is a lifelong Guinness fan ! :) Alcohol is one class of consumer product that is unique and its demand is inelastic in a sense that it is a very branded centric business. I like the slow steady dividends this business generates and I'm a buyer at these levels and lower.

This purchase will add $31/yr to the dividend income portfolio

Basic info:

Market CAP: 67B   EPS: $5.55  Dividend: $2.60 (2.4%)

Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death (Nutrition.org)

Stock Purchase - B&G Foods Inc. (50 shares, $72 div income)

B&G Foods, Inc. (NYSE: BGS) manufacture, sell and distribute branded shelf-stable foods across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Among their well known brands are Static Guard and Kleen Guard.

BGS's business is easy to understand so I'm adopting the "Invest in what you know" - Peter Lynch  model of investing here. Their stock price has been steadily climbing while business has been growing together with recent dividends increases.  They have at least 5+ yrs of consistent dividend growth and hopefully this growing company will keep those returns coming for many more years to come.

This purchase will add $72/yr to the dividend income portfolio

Basic info:

Market CAP: 2B   EPS: $1.25  Dividend: $1.68 (4.3%)

Stock Buy - Royal Bank (25 shares, $56 div income)

With a strong US dollar today, I went shopping in Canada and I think I got a good deal, eh ?

Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY) is the largest financial institution in Canada serving 18 million clients with 80,000+ employees worldwide.

Royal Bank operates in one of the safest banking system in the world. However it currently trades at a discount due to potentially outstanding loans exposed to the oil and gas sector especially in the province of Alberta. Eventually oil price will recover and the economy there will improve. In the meantime, I will wait patiently and collect that solid 4.8% dividend yield.

This purchase will add $56/yr to the dividend income portfolio

Basic info:

Market CAP: 72B   EPS: $4.60  Dividend: $2.24 (~4.80%)

Market Bottom

Chicks Jump Off Cliff - Life Story - BBC

Stock Purchase - Iron Mountain (50 shares, $77 div income)

Iron Mountain (NYSE:IRM) is a REIT involved in the storage and information management business with more than 156,000 customers throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. They store valuable historical artifacts, cultural treasures, business documents and medical records in various secure facilities worldwide.

With a respectable dividend streak of 6 years, Iron Mountain is an attractive stock pick for income investors looking for decent yields. Recent market volatility provided a nice lower entry point to add this stock so hopefully this will pay off  even more longer term.

This purchase will add $77/yr to the dividend income portfolio

Basic info:

Market CAP: 5.5B   EPS: $0.60   Dividend: $1.97 (7.18%)