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Dividend King of the Week [GRC][3]

This week, five of the portfolio holdings ranked in the Top 10: FMCB, GRC, PPG, SJW, and TGT.

TickerAccount Value
FMCB2,880.30
GRC1,631.62
PPG2,370.82
SJW2,533.13
TGT2,723.04

While there is no position-specific overweighting in the portfolio, there is an overweighting associated with the top 10 most heavily weighted sectors. This is an awkward way of saying Industrials are underweight and is the only sector eligible for additional investment at this time. However, since the lowest amount above belongs to GRC, which is the one industrial stock in the portfolio, the sector restriction does not affect this week’s investment. GRC last traded at $35.47. Therefore, in order to invest a minimum of $250 in GRC, I need to purchase 8 shares on Monday.  Below, is the purchase history and average cost calculation.

Dividend King of the Week [TGT][5]

This week, five of the portfolio holdings ranked in the Top 10: FMCB, PPG, SJW, TGT, and VZ.

TickerAccount Value
FMCB2,880.00
PPG2,464.87
SJW2,536.57
TGT2,457.92
VZ7,395.06

There are no restrictions on this week’s investment. The lowest amount belongs to TGT which last traded at $153.62. Therefore, in order to invest a minimum of $250 in TGT, I need to purchase 2 shares on Tuesday (the markets are closed on Monday in recognition of Labor Day).  Below, is the purchase history and average cost calculation.

Like a Hot Knife Through Butter

The time has come for policy to adjust. The direction of travel is clear, and the timing and pace of rate cuts will depend on incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks.

– Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Jerome Powell, speaking at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium on Friday, August 23, 2024

Dividend King of the Week [SJW][5]

In addition to the usual $250+ weekly investment, there is over $250 ($282.09 to be exact) of uninvested income in the account and one lucky position will be the recipient of all that cold, hard cash. This week, four of the portfolio holdings ranked in the Top Ten: FMCB, PPG, SJW, and VZ.

TickerAccount Value
FMCB2,877.00
PPG2,325.60
SJW2,020.28
VZ7,187.97

The lowest amount belongs to SJW which last traded at $58.28. I will acquire 9 shares of SJW on Monday. See my post on 2024-07-27 for a slightly deeper dive into SJW’s historical performance. Below, is the purchase history and average cost calculation.

Selling a Covered Call [VZ]

This is the third post of the weekend, and it concludes a very simple sequence of trades to be made when the market opens on Monday:

  1. Place a market order to sell the remaining 45 shares of TDS. At approximately $20.52 per share, the proceeds from this sale plus those from the assignment on the three covered calls with a strike price of $20.00 should produce approximately $6,923.40 in cash.
  2. Place a market order to purchase 177 shares of VZ. At approximately $40.61 per share, this should use up the available cash from #1 in addition to the usual $250+ weekly investment.
  3. Place a Limit Order GTC Selling to Open 1 December 20, 2024 $45.00 Call Option [Symbol: VZ241220C45] for a credit of $0.35 per share.

Dividend Stock of the Week [VZ]

This week, five of the portfolio holdings ranked in the Top 10: FMCB, MDT, PPG, SJW, and TGT.

TickerAccount Value
FMCB2,877.00
MDT2,030.40
PPG2,325.60
SJW2,020.28
TGT2,304.64

But guess what? None of the above matters because it is time to add a new position to the Portfolio for the Ages!

Closing a Position [TDS]

As discussed in my post on 2024-05-30, Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS) announced that its board of directors unanimously approved the sale of UScellular’s [USM] wireless operations and approximately 30% of its spectrum assets to T-Mobile [TMUS] for $4.4 billion. TDS will be a much smaller company when the sale is finalized and in anticipation of that day, TDS also announced a massive cut to their dividend.

The dividend reduction marked the end of its short reign as a Dividend King, and it is disqualified from inclusion in the Royal Dividends Empire. Had I not had three covered calls on TDS, I would have exited the position shortly after that announcement.

Dividend King of the Week [TGT][4]

This week, five of the portfolio holdings ranked in the Top 10: FMCB, MDT, PPG, SJW, and TGT.

TickerAccount Value
FMCB2,880.75
MDT1,968.96
PPG2,265.56
SJW1,962.48
TGT1,897.00

The lowest amount belongs to TGT which last traded at $135.50. Therefore, in order to invest a minimum of $250 in TGT, I need to purchase 2 shares on Monday.  See the post on 2024-06-24 for a closer look at TGT’s historical performance. Below, is the purchase history and average cost calculation.

Comfort in Calls Getting Covered

The few times I’ve gone camping in my life, I found the sleeping bag uncomfortable.  You’re completely covered in a sleeping bag.  It’s all or nothing.  You can adjust what you have on so that once you’re all zipped up in the bag, the combination of your clothes and the thick insulation provided by the bag is likely a perfect match for the cold outside.  But what happens if you gradually get warmer inside the bag?  You try unzipping and you fold down the flap and then… you’re freezing.  It’s still cold outside.  The problem is there are no layers, no way to adjust the coverage, no ‘in between’ option.  It’s too late to get back out and remove some clothes.  You can’t stand in the tent.  You don’t want to step on someone else.  That’s a workout at 2:00 am and you’ll never get back to sleep.

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