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)