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%)

2015 Winner & Loser (My Stock Picks)

My best 2015 pick is Starbucks (NASDAQ : SBUX) (+40%).
I hope the coffee/beverage business will continue to perform and make 2016 another "Grande" year !

My worst 2015 pick is Seadrill (NYSE: SDRL)  (-80% to date OUCH !).
I crossing all my fingers and toes that the energy sector improves somewhat in 2016 !? :)

Lead Contamination of Tea

What scheme !? (KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)

KaloBios Pharmaceuticals files for bankruptcy in wake of Shkreli arrest (Reuters)

Oil Bottom (or Not)

Crude oil prices started falling since summer 2014 and it has been a long painful process.
Ouch, I caught some really sharp falling knives like (NYSE: KMI), (NYSE:BBL) and (NYSE: SDRL) just to name a few.

Today I'm hoping to see light at the end of the tunnel ? Is this the bottom ? ("double bottom" to be exact) I'm keeping my fingers crossed !@#$

Stock Purchase - NYCB (50 shares, $34 dividend income)

New York Community Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: NYCB) is a bank holding company serving New York and New Jersey area with branches in Florida, Arizona, and Ohio.

Stock Purchase - HCP (25 shares, $56 dividend income)

HCP, Inc. (NYSE: HCP) is a REIT that specializes in the healthcare sector such as senior housing, life science, medical office, hospital and skilled nursing. 

The much anticipated fed rate hike has been weighing heavily on the whole REIT sector and this is providing an excellent opportunity to buy some well run companies at discount prices. No one knows how low stock prices for these companies may go and I am not trying to time the bottom. I do know and am confident in the longer term, it will not matter much as the dividend income generated by this investment is worth the risks. 

HCP is a member of the coveted S&P 500 dividend aristocrates, companies that have increased their dividend payouts for 25 consecutive years. With the nation's population living longer and millions of the baby boomer generation retiring, the need for healthcare services will be strong for many years to come. HCP business will thrive in this future and I want to own a piece of it.

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

Basic info:

Market CAP: 15B   EPS: $0.50   Dividend: $2.26 (6.14%)