May 2025 Dividend Report – Strong Market Gains & Steady Dividend Growth
As we wrap up May 2025, it’s time for my monthly dividend and market update. It’s been a positive month for global markets, and I’ve seen encouraging developments both in capital gains and income growth. Let’s dig into what happened in the markets and how it reflected in my portfolio and dividend income.
Global Market Overview – May 2025
Markets across the board posted solid gains in May. Here’s a quick snapshot of how major indices performed:
This strong performance came despite continued macroeconomic uncertainty. The standout was clearly the S&P 500, with tech and industrials leading the charge. Globally diversified ETFs like IWDA also benefited from broad-based optimism.
Top Portfolio Movers – May 2025
🏆 Top 3 Gainers
- TXN (Texas Instruments): +16%. A strong rebound supported by solid earnings and long-term optimism in semiconductors.
- MPWR (Monolithic Power Systems): +10%. Riding the AI infrastructure boom – great to see this name bouncing back.
- CNI (Canadian National Railway): +10%. Last year I added 20 shares, and they’ve paid off last month with strong performance tied to improved freight volumes and economic sentiment. I am still down a bit on this purchase however.
🔻 Top 3 Losers
- MPW (Medical Properties Trust): -11%. Continued weakness in the healthcare REIT sector.
- MRK (Merck): -8%. Likely a mix of biotech volatility and recent earnings reactions.
- AOS (A.O. Smith): -5%. Slight dip in cyclical industrials, nothing alarming for the long term.
Looking at my entire portfolio:
That’s about a 75% win ratio this month, with a fairly healthy average price gain among winners. The average gain among all stocks was approximately +5%, while the minority decliners averaged around -4%. The portfolio remains diversified across sectors and currencies, which helped absorb minor underperformance in areas like healthcare and real estate.
Dividend Income – May 2025 vs May 2024
The biggest driver was the addition of ASRNL, which contributed €78.40 this month. This is a recent portfolio addition, and it’s great to see such immediate income impact. The other reason dividend income was up was because of a recent addition of two shares in Deere and a 10% dividend raise earlier this year. May 2025 is now my highest May ever in dividend income.
Final Thoughts & Quote of the Month
May showed what dividend investing is all about: steady compounding, occasional price pops, and growing passive income. I’m especially proud of the diversification and the new positions (like ASRNL) that are already proving themselves.
As always, I’ll leave you with a quote to reflect on:
"Do you know the only thing that gives me pleasure? It’s to see my dividends coming in."
— John D. Rockefeller
Thanks for reading – and as always, happy compounding!
