01 Jul 2018 15:18
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I’ll be getting the largest dividend check ever from Dr. Pepper Snapple (DPS) as the buyout offer from Keurig was overwhelmingly approved by DPS shareholders and the buyout will be distributed as a $103.75/share dividend on July 10. The remainder of my DPS shares will be exchanged for shares in the new company Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP).
I bought DPS 5 years ago and forgot I had as many shares as I did so this will be a nice bankroll for reinvestment. I’ll be keeping a close eye on my watch list in July to see who dips down into bargain territory. As an update I have updated some of my buy prices to adjust for my portfolio annual income growth targets and market risk.
Equities
AbbVie (ABBV) did not get treated well at the end of June and fell back to the $92/share level. The market keeps punishing good pharmaceutical stocks so why not take advantage especially when ABBV has an ex-dividend date of July 12.
Another pharmaceutical stock that has been languishing and still in my buy zone is Pfizer (PFE). With a 3.75% dividend yield it’s a hard one to ignore. One thing I love about stocks that languish is that they make for a great DRIP plan to keep my annual income growth goal on target.
Though not in my buy zone there are three stocks that have fallen and are close to my buy zone. Air Products (APD) and Fastenal (FAST) are both trending down due to the tariffs and potential trade war. United Parcel Service (UPS) had a recent Amazon scare pushing its price down and just a few dollars away from my buy price. I’ll be keeping a close eye on all three as they have potential.
International Business Machines (IBM) continues to get punished and now yields 4.5%. IBM’s last quarter was good (not great) but is a vast improvement from previous quarters. Unfortunately, IBM lives in the tech sector and in comparison to other tech stock the revenue & earnings growth is not up to par and the market is punishing them.
Prudential Financial (PRU) is still below the $100/share mark and remains attractive. I bought a small position in June at $97/share and with a current price of $93/share I may average down picking up a few more shares
Real Estate
REITS continue to be a haven as a hedge for the tariffs and potential trade war. I bought no REITs last month and I do not have high hopes for July. Looks like I will have another monthly contribution made to my ROTH IRA with no stock purchase and am satisfied letting my cash position build in that account.

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Close previewSDG -
Nice list and it seems that a few companies are in and out of your range. What's the #1 thing you like about Prudential?
-Lanny
My portfolio weighting has gotten light on insurance companies so I have a little motivation on that front. On the surface PRU has 10 straight years of dividend growth, decent free cash flow and $14B cash on hand. I realize the stock price has been dropping but the dividend is well funded with an 18% payout ratio and room to grow
What I like most about PRU is their long term growth plan. They have global positioning in markets with an aging workforce (America's, Europe, & Asia) and a portfolio of retirement vehicles (via insurance, wealth management & annuities) that will allow them continued growth. With a yield of 3.5% I need annual div increases to be at a minimum of 6.7% a year to meet a 10 year goal. PRU just happens to fit in that range with a 3.8% yield and 10% DGR (most recent was a 7% bump last February).