Leon's hikes dividend / Scotts doubles dividend

Canadian furniture and electronics retailer Leons (LNF) has raised it's dividend by 29% to $0.09 per share.  The raise came on  a nice earnings announcement where Leon's beat expectations quite handily growing their earnings per share 42% from last year.

US Lawn & Garden manufacturer Scotts Miracle Gro (SMG) doubled it's dividend on the back of a very solid earnings report.  Scotts reported an earnings increase of 12.5% versus the same quarter last year.  This news beat expectations and propelled the share price higher.

Owning both stocks, I've been having good luck with dividends lately...

Saputo grows dividend

Dairy and grocery products producer Saputo Inc. (SAP) has increased it's quarterly dividend by 10.3% to $0.16 per share.  This increase came on the heels of a 32% increase in basic earnings per share for the quarter.

What I really like about Saputo is that their product lines represent products which are very resilient to consumer discretion but yet they seem intent on growth and are not afraid to make acquisitions to get there.  Here is how my investment in Saputo looks at the moment:

Adjusted Cost Base (average cost) = $21.34 (2 purchases made)
Yield on Cost = 3.0%
Stock's Current Yield = 2.0%
Stock's Current Price = $31.30
Total Appreciation Including Dividends = +51%

GE - party like it's 1999

Well General Electric (GE) who cut their dividend from $0.31 per share to $0.10 per share in early 2009 has now boosted their pay out to $0.12 per share.  This 20% increase brings their dividend back to levels last visited in before the turn of the century.  Yes, GE shareholders including myself are partying like it's 1999.

This increase came earlier than expected as GE had mentioned that they were looking to a dividend hike in 2011.  They also announced an extension of their share repurchase program as they are sitting on loads of cash.  I'll take a dividend increase any way that I can get one and I remain confident in GE's future.  I especially like their involvement with alternative energy and developing market infrastructure.  Their high weighting in financial services really hurt them during the financial crisis.

market snapshot

Economically sensitive seems to be a good thing this earnings season as the following companies blew through earnings expectations and dwarfed last year's results:

CN Rail: EPS = $1.13 versus $0.76 last year
UPS: EPS = $0.84 versus $0.44 last year
CAT: EPS = $1.09 versus $0.72 last year
3M: EPS = $1.54 versus $1.20 last year

These stocks are about as dependant on the economy as it gets.  There is a strange feeling in the markets lately.  There seems to be a large divide between how main street is looking and how corporations are performing.  Earnings are looking quite good but yet unemployment remains high, housing is still in the toilet, and consumer confidence is weak.  Costs that companies cut during the financial crisis are probably really paying off now as revenues come back to levels above 2009 but below prior years.  The fact that most analysts and onlookers are worried and bearish is probably a sign that markets will rise from here.  Typically in times like this the market climbs the wall of worry as expectations are low and upside surprise is more common.  As usual it is hard to say where the market will go from here but stocks usually trade in line with earnings and for the time being earnings seem fine. 

I will obviously continue to pick away at stocks that are already part of my portfolio but seem to be trading very cheap.  I've noticed the following opportunities lately:

Walgreen (WAG) - I added on June 29 at $26.50.  The stock has since recovered to $29.41.

Sun Life Financial (SLF) - Dividend investors have taken note recently as the shares traded down to under $26 yesterday resulting in a yield of about 5.5%.

globe & mail mention / new look!

The best newspaper in Canada chose to feature my boring story once again. I was in the Globe & Mail almost 3 years ago telling the same old lame dividend growth story. They might as well write the story now for publishing in three years time again because it likely won't change.

Aahhhh.......it never gets old......

Also some things do change as I've changed the design of the website. Please let me know what you think of our new look. Thanks.

Reitmans wears an 11% higher dividend

I am starting to get used to all of these dividend increases within our non-registered portfolio. After announcing strong earnings that beat expectations, Canadian clothing retailer Reitmans (RET.A) also declared an 11% dividend increase. I have held shares in Reitmans since December of 2007, which was just after their last dividend increase. It is nice to see them break the dry spell as their earnings have perked up again after the financial crisis.

I initiated my position in Reitmans as mentioned in December of 2007, just after their dividend raise to $0.18 per share. I bought the shares at $18.18. I also added during January of 2008 when I felt that the shares were dirt cheap at $15.57. In November of 2008 I also added some more shares at $12.00 as the credit crisis struck. I was a bit early as the shares did trade down to a ridiculous $8.61 the next month. Overall my adjusted cost base on the stock is $15.07. The shares currently trade at $18.27 and yield 4.4%.

Canadian Pacific dividend raise

Canadian Railway, Canadian Pacific (CP) has raised their dividend for the first time since early 2008. The increase was from $0.2475 to $0.27 per share, representing a hike of 9%. The stock yields about 1.9% on todays closing price.

Another increase for our portfolio; that's two in one week! I really like CP as an investment long term as China reaches for Canadian resources.

Clorox ups dividend

Consumer products firm Clorox (CLX) has hiked it's quarterly dividend 10% to $0.55 per share. This is another dividend hike for our non-registered portfolio. Our income from investments continues it's climb into new records.

Lately we have recieved raises from:

Clorox
Johnson & Johnson
Procter & Gamble
Diageo
Telus
Canadian Oil Sands Trust
Sysco
and hints from...
Scotts Miracle Gro
GE

telus upgrades dividend

Canadian telecommunications company Telus (T.A) has increased their dividend by 5.3% to 0.50 per share. This came as a bit of a surprise as the company missed increasing their dividend at the usual time and has been investing heavily in business infrastructure recently. I do DRIP shares of the firm so I welcome the bump. They also beat earnings epectations.

I don't expect much out of my investment in Telus; just consistent but small earnings and dividend increases as more Canadian citizens, employees, and businesses need smart phones, connectivity and other IT systems.

weird distribution increase at canadian oil sands

The largest owner involved in the Syncrude Oil Sands Project, Canadian Oil Sands Trust (COS.UN) has increased their distributions by 43% to $0.50 quarterly per unit. Higher oil prices have benefited the company in a large way as oil has rebounded since the financial crisis
($43 per barrel - $79 per barrel)

The kicker, and what makes this a weird increase, is that the company is outright stating that the distribution level is probably not sustainable and part of the reason they raised it is to maximize their tax position going into conversion into a corporation for 2011. During 2010 the trust is planning to pay out more in distributions than cash from operations less capital expenditures. Go figure...

Investors in this trust quickly need to get used to changes in dividend levels as the company has historically just adjusted the payout with rising or falling crude prices.

J&J; dividend rises & shares should be bought

Ho hum...Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) has increased it's dividend for 2010 by 10.2%. The stock has essentially gone nowhere over the past 8 years - since 2002. However:

Earnings per share have doubled over this period.

Dividends per share have tripled over this period.

J&J used to trade at a P/E multiple of 26x back in 2002 and now trades close to 13x. Net profit margins are actually higher now than they were in 2002, and return on equity has been fairly flat in the mid to high twenties. The company's debt position has grown slightly since 2002, however it sits at a very manageable level currently.

Pharmaceuticals are a tricky business as drugs come off patent and new drugs are hard to come by but J&J is only about 40% pharma. Consumer healthcare and medical devices provide more stable earnings to bolster the company year after year. The stock looks attractive right now at historic low P/Es.

Procter & Gamble pays more

Consumer products giant, and often misspelled, Procter & Gamble (PG) has raised it's dividend by 9.5%.

Here is a glance at Procter's recent dividend history:
2007 = $1.36
2008 = $1.55
2009 = $1.72
2010 = $1.89 (EST)

This represents a compound annual growth rate of the dividend of almost 12%. Industry leading firms with iconic brands that raise their dividends annually can really pay off if you hold them for the long term.

Here is a brief list of other companies that fit this bill and would be worth having a look at:

McDonalds (MCD)
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
Diageo (DEO)
Intel (INTC)
Microsoft (MSFT)
Pepsico (PEP)
Coca Cola (KO)
Clorox (CLX)
Colgate Palmolive (CL)
3M (MMM)
Kimberly Clark (KMB)

banks have finger on dividend button

Canadian bank CEOs have been going out of their way in the last few weeks to hint at upcoming dividend increases. The top brass at Royal Bank of Canada (RY), National Bank of Canada (NA), and even high pay out ratio, Bank of Montreal (BMO) have been expressing their thoughts on dividend raises lately. All three CEO's have essentially hinted at dividend raises in the near future. While regulation is holding them back a bit I am looking forward to the resumption of dividend growth in Canadian banks very soon. These canuck banks are overcapitalized! Share the wealth...

Here are the current dividend yields:

Royal = 3.4%
National = 4.0%
BMO = 4.5%
TD = 3.2%*
Bank of Nova Scotia = 3.9%
CIBC = 4.7%

*TD is my favourite bank and they make up the greatest portion of my portfolio (about 12%). It is interesting to note that they have actually trademarked the word 'WOW' in the US. They are very customer service focused in Canada and the US. The stock has given me a return on investment of over 39% including dividends since April of 2008.

dividend income rises to a record

We've likely all suffered dividend cuts in our portfolio and and some companies that have been consistent dividend raisers over the years have frozen dividend payments since early 2008. Recently our dividend income has finally gone back into record territory. The funny thing is that the record just eclipsed the amount of dividend income we were receiving way back in December of 2008. At that time when the market was plunging our portfolio was yielding a whopping 6.2%. I guess it was primed for a drop in income just like a high yielding stock.

Fast forward to today where our portfolio is yielding 4.1% and has grown considerably from 2008. We've endured dividend cuts from Manulife Financial (MFC), General Electric (GE), Yellow Pages Income Fund (YLO.UN), Husky Energy (HSE), and Bank of America (BAC) all of which I still hold and expect great things from in the future. Aside from income trust conversions from Yellow Pages and Canadian Oil Sands I don't expect any more negative dividend action over the next year or two so I look forward to really starting to grow our dividend income through purchases and dividend hikes.

bullish dividends

"If 'buy & hold' is dead, then I am the embalming fluid"

So is buy & hold still dead? Lil' Wayne and I never thought so.

The S&P 500 is up 53% over the past year...

Dividends are being raised all over the place by firms like Coke (KO), Wal-Mart (WMT), Pepsico (PEP), Rogers (RCI.B), Abbott (ABT), and the most bullish of all..........HOME DEPOT (HD).

Why GE's Dividend Increase Matters (please note GE had not raised it's dividend yet)

The patience that all of us long term investors have exhibited over the past 2 years is really starting to pay off. Buying during the depths of the financial crisis is looking more and more like a wise decision.

Colgate & UPS provide raises

Consumer products firm Colgate Palmolive (CL) has hiked it's dividend by 20%, citing a positive outlook. They have doubled their dividend since 2004.

Global shipping firm UPS (UPS) has raised it's dividend by 4.4%. That is their first raise since the end of 2007. UPS expects to earn $2.70 - $3.05 for 2010. The shares are currently trading at 20x these 2010 earnings, which seems like a rich valuation.

freight and food make investors richer

CN Rail (CNR) has increased it's dividend by 7% to $0.27 per common share. That marks 14 consecutive dividend increases since the company went public in 1995. CN's 4th quarter revenue and adjusted earnings were both down from 2008.

Canadian grocer, Metro (MRU.A) has increased it's quarterly dividend by 23.6%! Metro now yields 1.7%. Adjusted fully diluted net earning were up 8% in the first quarter of fiscal 2010.

Fortis powers dividend up

For the 37th consecutive year, Canada-based power distributor Fortis (FTS) has hiked their dividend. This increase came in at 7.7% from $0.26 to $0.28 per share.

This holding of mine represents a good example of how dividend increases and a timely purchase can add up to a profitable situation over time.

I purchased Fortis at an attractive price during the credit crisis and my adjusted cost base (ACB) is $21.73/share. Due to the fact that Fortis has been increasing their dividend regularly and that the share price has risen, my yield on cost (the yield that I am receiving on my intial investment) is 5.2% while the actual yield on Fortis shares today is only 3.9%. So someone purchasing Fortis shares today will receive 3.9% of their total investment in cash annually while I am garnering 5.2% of mine.

got Husky-er

No, I didn't eat too much fruitcake and apple pie this holiday season, I just bought myself a gift on Christmas Eve in the form of 52 more shares of Canadian oil and gas firm Husky Energy (HSE) at $29.63/share. I've been looking to boost my portfolio exposure to oil and gas and after looking at a few option,s I came back to Husky for reasons not limited to the following:

• After Husky shares had fallen from a high of around $52 in 2008 and the company's cut their dividend, they haven't bounced back as much as I expected given the rebound in oil prices. I now don't see a lot of downside for the shares as they price of oil feels firm now that the economy is out of the hole it was in.
• The stock has also underperformed many other oil and gas stocks and the valuation seems reasonable at just $4 above it's multi-year low
• I think Husky will be quick to raise their dividend back up once their earnings catch up to the price of oil. Husky is now paying $1.20/share in dividends, while their EPS in strong-oil years past has been in the $4-$5.50 range. I think we have some high-oil price years ahead of us...
• The current yield of 4% offers some in pocket return with little risk of downside to the share price as the great recession moves further into history

Husky now makes up 7.4% of our non-registered portfolio.

Telus fails to raise dividend

Canadian telecommunications firm Telus (T.A) has failed to raise it's dividend for the first time in several years. Telus left it's quarterly dividend at $0.475/share for payment on January 4, 2010, the fifth straight quarter of this payment amount.

Some analysts believe that Telus is viewing 2009 as a year of investment in their business and they will resume dividend growth in 2010. Telus is striving to get ahead of the competition as they compete with Bell (BCE) and Rogers (RCI.B) among others including new potential entrants in Canada.

Telus announced earnings today that beat analysts estimates but were still virtually flat from last year at $0.88/share. They also lowered their full year sales and earnings outlook. The best analysts can say is that things don't seem to be getting any worse in the wireless area.