Just as signs were pointing to a lifting of restrictions, the July period was marked with the rising tide of the Delta variant of COVID-19. This put a dampening on talks of full reopening in Ontario.
All the same, my portfolio continued performing well and the dividends never stopped.
Table of Contents
Dividend Summary
I received cash flow from eleven companies in July. There were no real surprises, just the steady ticking of cash hitting my bottom line.
CAD Dividends
| Company | CAD Payments ($) | Dividend Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto Dominion Bank (TD) | 158.00* | |
| RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust (REI-UN) | 20.88 | |
| The Coca-Cola Company (KO) | 69.13 | |
| BCE Inc. (BCE) | 192.50 | |
| Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM) | 17.52 | |
| Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) | 90.00 | |
| TELUS Corporation (T) | 56.92 | 1.61 |
| Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI-B) | 27.50 | |
| Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP) | 9.50 | |
| Chartwell Retirement Residence (CSH-UN) | 5.10 | |
| A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund (AW-UN) | 5.40 |
I earned C$652.45 through July. This is one of the odd periods where I don’t receive any income from U.S.-based companies. That’s okay, as it gives me extra appreciation for my home soil.
This represents a miniscule increase YOY. In July 2020, I brought in $651.30, so my positive gain is less than a percent. This tiny change is representative of REI-UN’s payment being lower due to the 33.33% decrease back in February.
Nevertheless, even with this sizeable cut and the fact that I added no fresh capital to boost the month’s payments, I was able to post a gain. This demonstrates the strength of having a well-rounded portfolio. When one company shows weakness, the others can collectively show strength.
The important thing is to not be overinvested in a single industry or company. Potential gains should never come at the cost of maintaining a granite foundation. You never want company- or industry-specific risk to threaten your financial health.
* The TD dividend was truly paid in August. I decided to track it here in July as that is normally when the payment is made. The sensible thing would be for them to just choose the last business day in July to keep things simple on the accounting side of the equation, but it is what it is.
Year To Date Progress
July was a solid month overall:
As we cross into the second half of the year, my total dividends have clocked in at $3,557.97:
| Month | Dividends ($) |
|---|---|
| January | 602.95 |
| February | 81.22 |
| March | 736.16 |
| April | 659.56 |
| May | 85.92 |
| June | 739.71 |
| July | 652.45 |
| Total | 3,557.97 |
My goal for the year is $6,000 in passive income, so I am roughly on track to meet that. With many of my recent investments having been in non- or low-dividend paying companies, it may be a close finish as the year winds down.
Market Activity and Cash
I put some capital to work for the first time in a few months.
I picked up 35 shares of TELUS Corporation (T). On the quarterly dividend of C$0.3162, I can expect to earn C$11.07 every three months, or $44.28 annually.
This represented a minor addition in my portfolio and was financed from dividends that have been accumulating in my account.
On that note, I remain well-capitalized at this stage. The market has been quite frothy and so I’ve been feeling patient about deploying more cash.
Conclusion
I never take for granted how incredible it is to be earning hundreds of dollars per month in passive income.
My portfolio feels at this stage to be a living, breathing entity. It works around the clock, even when I’m sleeping, to continue growing and yielding higher amounts of cash flow.
I hope your portfolio is also well positioned. Volatility seems to be the new norm—or perhaps it simply always has been and always will be.
Full Disclosure: Long TD, REI-UN, KO, BCE, CM, BNS, T, RCI-B, CP, CSH-UN, AW-UN