May 2015: Rolling Dividend Update.

May brought a near avalanche of dividends with Verizon, BAT's, Banco Santander, Aviva, Apple, BG Group, and Barratt Developments all paying out and throwing cash at my portfolio (May 2015: Portfolio Update.).

In the meantime, BP, Microsoft, and Imperial Tobacco started to trade ex. dividend, adding to BAE, Centrica, and William Hill.

So that's currently 6 portfolio holdings trading with an ex. dividend reflected share price, and my portfolio having yet to receive it.

A hidden bit of value, albeit a small one.

	Dps	Ex Div.	Paid
GE	12.72p	19-Feb	27-Apr
BAT	100.60p	19-Mar	07-May
Aviva	12.25p	08-Apr	15-May
Verizon Comm.	30.79p	08-Apr	01-May
Banco Santander	8.74p	14-Apr	04-May
BAE	12.30p	16-Apr	01-Jun
Barratt Dev.	4.80p	23-Apr	22-May
Rolls-Royce	14.10p	23-Apr	01-Jul
BG Group Centrica	9.52p 8.40p	23-Apr 30-Apr	22-May 25-Jun
William Hill	8.20p	30-Apr	05-Jun
Apple	27.90p	07-May	14-May
BP	$0.10 est.	07-May	19-Jun
Microsoft	$0.31 est.	19-May	11-Jun
Imperial Tob.	21.40p	28-May	30-Jun
National Grid	28.16p	04-Jun	05-Aug
Vodafone SSE Imperial Tob.	7.62p 61.80p 21.40p	11-Jun 23-Jul 27-Aug	05-Aug 18-Sep 30-Sep

Looking ahead, I can see 2 more companies due to go ex. dividend in June, Vodafone and National Grid, the second a significant one in context of my portfolio as it is currently the largest actual payout among my holdings.

However, BAE, William Hill, Microsoft, BP, Centrica, and Imperial Tobacco, are due to make deposits into my account, which should reduce the in limbo companies yet to pay to just 2 by the end of June.

Interesting.

May 2015: Portfolio Update.

May has ended with my portfolio again flirting with new highs, by achieving a new all time 133.18% month end high. 
I think there was probably also an unmarked intra month high exceeding my previously posted observation (Interesting end to the week!).

Anyway, William Hill quietly took the laurels during May with a 16.59% gain going largely unnoticed as the company continues to benefit from a post election buzz.
Barratt, Centrica, and SSE also continued to benefit from the same momentum.

And, almost immediately after my post observing the market's reaction to Vodafone's results (Vodafone "off the hook"?), the share price bounced with rumours of mergers and tie-ups.

Apple, IG, and National Grid also added to the feel good momentum, and combined with the numerous dividends this month, facilitated a 1.46% gain in the month.

Aviva weighed in with the largest dividend contribution, with others also coming from BAT, Verizon, BG, Barratt, Banco-Santander and Apple.

In contrast, the FTSE100 notched up a 0.34% gain.

			Forecast	1 month	YTD	53 mth
	Price	% holding	Div. yield	% gain	% gain	% gain
R-R	998.00p	23.41%	2.38%	-4.59%	14.71%	52.02%
Aviva	523.50p	12.28%	4.03%	-0.66%	8.05%	44.70%
National Grid	934.00p	13.31%	4.79%	6.26%	1.73%	68.90%
BP	450.75p	9.09%	5.79%	-4.10%	9.67%	6.52%
Apple **	$130.28	8.72%	1.31%	5.69%	21.64%	136.61%
IG Group	781.50p	4.55%	4.01%	6.04%	8.69%	63.77%
Imperial Tobacco	3370.00p	3.06%	4.17%	5.58%	18.83%	49.18%
William Hill	420.90p	3.10%	3.01%	16.59%	16.11%	128.53%
BAT	3605.50p	2.22%	4.33%	0.38%	3.01%	7.49%
Vodafone	255.35p	2.26%	4.61%	10.54%	14.69%	1.21%
Microsoft **	$46.86	2.06%	2.17%	-2.19%	3.97%	73.08%
Banco Santander	466.00p	1.76%	2.86%	-4.51%	-14.42%	-14.61%
General Electric **	$27.27	1.90%	2.88%	2.24%	11.21%	84.36%
BAE Systems	515.00p	1.66%	4.07%	1.38%	9.11%	56.06%
Barratt Dev.	592.00p	1.71%	3.90%	14.07%	25.69%	65.61%
SSE	1665.00p	1.49%	5.50%	7.63%	2.65%	35.92%
Verizon **	3269.01p	1.38%	3.82%	-0.48%	8.92%	17.79%
Centrica	277.60p	1.13%	4.52%	8.86%	-0.50%	-16.28%
BG Group	1137.00p	2.57%	1.97%	-3.81%	31.45%	-7.49%
Cash		2.32%	0.00%
		100.00%	3.46%
				1 month	YTD	53 mth
Virtual Portfolio gain (incl. Dividends)
- 1 month gain  2298.27 -	2331.79			1.46%
- YTD gain        1644.62 -	2331.79				11.56%
- 53 month gain 1264.20 -	2331.79					84.45%
- 65 month gain 1000.00 -	2331.79					133.18%
Unit Price - £	2.33179	(Starting price - £1)
FTSE gain (excl. Dividends)
- 1 month gain   6960.63 -	6984.43			0.34%
- YTD gain        5897.81 -	6984.43				6.37%
- 53 month gain 5971.01 -	6984.43					16.97%
- 65 month gain 5412.88 -	6984.43					29.03%
Transactions:
06/05/2015	Div	Verizon @ 30.79p per share
07/05/2015	Div	BAT @ 100.60p per share
08/05/2015	Div	Banco Santander @ 8.74p per share
15/05/2015	Div	Aviva @ 12.25p per share
18/05/2015	Div	Apple @ 27.90p per share
20/05/2015	Div	Barrat Dev. @ 4.80p per share
22/05/2015	Div	BG Group @ 9.52p per share
Notes:
*     US Dividends are adjusted for exchange rate and 15% withholding tax
**   Sterling : Dollar exchange rate = £1: $1.51239 as at 31/05/15
***  Banco Dividends are adjusted for exchange rate and 21% withholding tax
**** Sterling : Euro exchange rate = £1: $1.39106 as at 31/05/15

The chart is now showing a new sharply rising trend that started in January 2015 and has continued to move away from the FTSE100.

Click to enlarge, close to return.

Despite markets now potentially moving into the mid year doldrums, ongoing concerns around global growth affecting supply and demand in oil and commodities, and Grexit fears, June, through to August looks a good period for portfolio dividends given contributions from R-R, BP, National Grid, and Imperial Tobacco, to look forward to.

And despite still kicking myself over the ones that might have got away, I am still watching, and waiting.
Lloyd's is going to be a difficult one to judge given the news that the Gov't plan to sell off the rump of the remainder. Will that discount the current price?

Bellway is still climbing but the North East construction specialist continues to trade at a discount to the sector trading at a forward price to earnings of 10 (8 times was available pre-election!).

And, following its own break-up, BHP Billiton, is now trading on a forward pe of 14.8 rising to 20.4, supported by a dividend of 5.8 - 6%.

I also need to sit down and calculate some comparisons with VW given the continued weakening of the Euro which might be giving me another chance to drive away a new purchase!

Anyway, we continue to trade in stormy waters but markets are holding up surprisingly well.


Related Posts:
- Interesting end to the week!
- Vodafone "off the hook"?
- Additional News to the post: Vodafone "off the hook"?
- Dividend Pipeline!

Previous Posts:
- April 2015: Portfolio Update.

- March 2015: Portfolio Update.

- February 2015: Portfolio Update.

- January 2015: Portfolio Update.

- December 2014: Portfolio Update.