A little bit earlier than usual, but in a few days I can post my annual results, so why not post the monthly update in advance? All in all, December was a pretty solid month in terms of market and portfolio return, even though most oil stocks took a beating. I was unable to pounce on the continued price weakness in these stocks because of a lack of fresh capital.
Stock markets rose slightly here in The Netherlands as well as abroad. The US Dollar also rose in value against the Euro, which is fine for my portfolio because it's mostly denominated in USD.
Purchases
None. I will probably deposit funds in the beginning of January to make a purchase early in 2015.
Dividends received
A record of 8 separate companies paid me dividends during this month.
My 12-month forward dividend rate is now €788, compared to €770 last month. Since nothing in my portfolio changed compared to last update, these increase is due to a more expensive USD.
How was your month? What are your plans for the coming month? Invest your money into beaten down energy stocks? Or maintain a cash position to use when other companies become cheaper?
Stock markets rose slightly here in The Netherlands as well as abroad. The US Dollar also rose in value against the Euro, which is fine for my portfolio because it's mostly denominated in USD.
| Indicator | As of 30-11 | As of 29-12 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 Total Return | 3.779 | 3.827 | +1.3% |
| Dow Jones Industrials Total Return | 35.507 | 36.081 | +1.6% |
| AEX GR | 1.235 | 1.244 | +0.8% |
| USD.EUR | 0,8019 | 0,8227 | +2.6% |
| Portfolio value | € 20.881 | € 21.390 | +2.4% |
Purchases
None. I will probably deposit funds in the beginning of January to make a purchase early in 2015.
Dividends received
A record of 8 separate companies paid me dividends during this month.
- INTC: 63 shares @ $0.23 for a total of $14.49
- AFL: 28 shares @ $0.39 for a total of $10.92
- TGH: 43 shares @ $0.47 for a total of $20.21
- IBM: 7 shares @ $1.10 for a total of $7.70
- XOM: 17 shares @ $0.69 for a total of $11.73
- KO: 37 shares @ $0.305 for a total of $11.29
- RDS: 58 shares @ $0.47 for a total of $27.26
- UNA: 37 shares @ €0.285 for a total of €10.55
Total: around €87 after tax which almost tripled compared to last year. This is obviously great and shows the power of regular contributions and commitment to dividend growth investing. However, I don't expect to see these kind of year over year increases regularly.
Dividend increases
None.
Dividend increases
None.
Yearly forward dividend
How was your month? What are your plans for the coming month? Invest your money into beaten down energy stocks? Or maintain a cash position to use when other companies become cheaper?
Hey Robin,
ReplyDeleteNice post...It is a blast to see these dividends grow year over year.
As a european living in the states, I try to have some balanced exposure to different currencies notably the Euro. Unilever is one of my core holdings. How easy it is to invest in the US markets from NL? What kind of fees to you have to pay? What are the consequences on your dividend taxes?
Best returns in 2015
LTI
Hi LTI, I agree that seeing income grow over time is an awesome feeling!
DeleteI use Interactive Brokers / Lynx as a broker and it's quite easy to purchase US stocks once you know what to do. In terms of fees it's slightly cheaper for me to buy domestic stocks but now by much. I pay €6 for a domestic order so if I purchase €1.100 worth of stock, that's an expense rate of 0,5% per order. For foreign orders my costs are about $10 per order, so if I purchase $1.500 worth of stock, my expense rate is about 0,67%. It's not the best but these costs are incurred only once, instead of yearly costs with ETF and mutual funds.
Taxes are a difficult matter. I believe (but am not sure) that with a W8-form I pay a regular tax rate of 15% on dividends received. It's the rate USA/NL agreed upon in their tax treaty. In most situations I would be able to get back this tax with each year's tax return. In NL only wealth is taxed, not the return on capital.
Congrats on another great month, Robin. Its always great to see those charts rising month after month & the rise from last year is fantastic. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWishing you the best for your 2015 goals
R2R
Hi R2R, thanks for reading my update. All the best to you in 2015!
DeleteHi Robin
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the great development of your portfolio and the dividend income. Keep up the good work!
I wish you a successful year 2015.
DH
Hi DividendHawk, thanks for your support. All the best to you in 2015!
Delete