I’ve been quite busy lately, and finally had a chance now to take a look at what stocks from my watchlist are selling at an attractive price. That’s the beauty of dividend growth investing, it keeps making money while we sleep, generating income that can be reinvested anytime.  My last purchases were done in March, and since I typically save C$2,000 per month to buy Canadian companies and US$2,000 per month to buy US companies, I now have C$6,000 + US$6,000 for me to go “shopping on the market of stocks (not a stock market)”, as Chuck Carnevale always says.  

Although I haven’t posted on my blog in a few months now, I’m always answering promptly for any questions that any reader might have, so feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Canadian Portfolio:

My first purchase is Magna International (TSE:MG), which looks fairly valued at the moment and estimated to grow further: Magna’s last quarter results were excellent, and they raised 2018 guidance.

Magna International Inc. designs, develops, and manufactures automotive systems, assemblies, modules, and components in North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. The company offers body systems, including exterior sheetmetal and closure systems, body structure systems, and energy management solutions; chassis systems, such as frames and chassis subframes, suspension links and arms, and chassis modules; and engineering services comprising support, program management, virtual tool, prototype build and validation, testing, and research and development services. It also provides fascia and exterior trims, liftgate and exterior modules, front end modules, ACTERO active aerodynamics, and lightweight composites; and roof systems that include softtops, retractable hardtops, modular tops, and hardtops. In addition, the company offers latching system, hinge and wire forming, power closure, electronic, door module, window system, engineered glass, sealing, trim and roof rack, testing center, and running board closures; and driveline systems, fluid pressure and controls, and metal-forming solutions. Further, it provides driver assistance systems and electronic components; and interior and exterior mirrors, actuators, electronic vision systems, door handle and overhead console technologies, and front and signal lightings. Additionally, the company offers seating systems, mechanism and seat structure solutions, foam and trim solutions, and design and development solutions; and engineering services, vehicle contract manufacturing services, and fuel systems. The company serves original equipment manufacturer, tier 1, medium and heavy truck, and non-automotive customers. Magna International Inc. was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Aurora, Canada.

I’ve purchased 26 shares at $76.46 on June 29th.

My second purchase is Uni-Select (TSE:UNS).  The company had some great growth a few years ago, and the stock got ahead of itself.  The company had some mixed results lately, which helped to bring valuation to more attractive levels. I think this is fairly valued now, while estimated to grow further. This a small cap company with very little coverage, so it’s difficult to obtain market consensus information.  

Uni-Select Inc. distributes automotive refinish, and industrial paint and related products in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The company operates through FinishMaster US, Canadian Automotive Group, and The Parts Alliance UK segments. It also distributes automotive original equipment manufacturer and aftermarket parts. The company serves automotive and collision repair center customers, and corporate stores through its BUMPER TO BUMPER, AUTO PARTS PLUS, and FINISHMASTER stores. Uni-Select Inc. was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Boucherville, Canada.

I’ve purchased 96 shares at $20.91 on June 29th.

My third purchase is Canadian Tire Corp (TSE:CTC.A). It continues to be fairly valued even though it keeps making new highs, because earnings keep growing and are estimated to grow further – as well as dividends.

Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited provides a range of retail goods and services in Canada. The company operates through three segments: Retail, CT REIT, and Financial Services. The Retail segment retails general merchandise, apparel, footwear, sporting equipment, and petroleum under the Canadian Tire, Canadian Tire Gas, Mark’s, PartSource, and FGL banners. The CT REIT segment operates as a closed-end real estate investment trust that holds a portfolio of properties comprising Canadian Tire stores, Canadian Tire anchored retail developments, mixed-use commercial property, and distribution centers. The Financial Services segment markets a range of Canadian Tire credit cards, and insurance and warranty products; participates in the Canadian Tire loyalty program; offers savings deposit accounts, tax free savings accounts, and GIC deposits, directly and through third-party brokers; and issues debt to third-party investors to fund its purchases. The company was founded in 1922 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

I’ve purchased 6 shares at $171.6 on June 29th.

My forth purchase is Gildan Activeware (TSE:GIL). I believe that the recent drop provides a good entry opportunity, considering how earnings and dividends are estimated to grow.

Gildan Activewear Inc. manufactures and sells a range of apparel products in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. It operates in two segments, Printwear and Branded Apparel. The company manufactures and markets active wear products, including T-shirts, fleece tops and bottoms, and sport shirts under Gildan, Gildan Performance, Gildan Platinum, Gildan Hammer, Smart Basics, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Anvil, Alstyle, Gold Toe, and Mossy Oak brands. It also offers athletic, dress, casual, workwear, legwear, and therapeutic socks under the Gildan, Gildan Platinum, Smart Basics, Under Armour, Gold Toe, PowerSox, GT a Gold Toe Brand, Silver Toe, Signature Gold by Goldtoe, Peds, MediPeds, Kushyfoot, Therapy Plus, All Pro, and Mossy Oak brand names. In addition, the company provides men’s and boys’ top and bottom underwear, and ladies panties under Gildan, Gildan Platinum, Smart Basics, and American Apparel brand names; hosiery comprising sheer panty hose, tights, and leggings under Secret, Silks, Secret Silky, Peds, and American Apparel brand names; and ladies shapewear and intimates accessories under Secret and American Apparel brand names, as well as other products, such as denim, jackets, sweaters, bodysuits, skirts, dresses, and accessories. Gildan Activewear Inc. serves wholesale distributors, screen printers/embellishers, retailers, and individual consumers. The company was formerly known as Textiles Gildan Inc. and changed its name to Gildan Activewear Inc. in March 1995. Gildan Activewear Inc. was incorporated in 1984 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

I’ve purchased 27 shares at $37.03 on June 29th.

US Portfolio:

My first purchase is Paychex (PAYX).  Earnings, dividends and cash flow continues to grow consistently, so I think the higher premium is justified.

Paychex, Inc. provides payroll, human resource (HR), retirement, and insurance services for small to medium-sized businesses in the United States and Germany. The company offers payroll processing services that include payroll tax administration services; employee payment services; and regulatory compliance services, such as new-hire reporting and garnishment processing. It also provides HR outsourcing services, such as Paychex HR solutions comprising payroll, employer compliance, HR and employee benefits administration, risk management outsourcing, and the on-site availability of a professionally trained HR representative; and retirement services administration, including plan implementation, ongoing compliance with government regulations, employee and employer reporting, participant and employer online access, electronic funds transfer, and other administrative services. In addition, the company offers insurance services for property and casualty coverage, such as workers’ compensation, business-owner policies, commercial auto, and health and benefits coverage, including health, dental, vision, and life; cloud-based HR administration software products for employee benefits management and administration, time and attendance, and recruiting solutions; and other HR services and products, such as employee handbooks, management manuals, and personnel and required regulatory forms. Further, it provides various accounting and financial services to small to medium-sized businesses comprising payroll funding and outsourcing services, which include payroll processing, invoicing, and tax preparation; and various services, such as payment processing services, financial fitness programs, and a small-business loan resource center. Paychex, Inc. markets its products and services through direct sales force. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Rochester, New York.

I’ve purchased 15 shares at $67.78 on July 3rd.

My second purchase is Starbucks (SBUX). There has been changes at upper management, which made investors nervous. Starbucks is a solid and mature company and I expect new management to turn it around, the same way that MCD had nervous times around 4 years ago and turned it around. Their current plan to find $300 MM savings remain intact, and I believe that the over-reaction on recent price drop was emotional based, posing as a great opportunity to buy a solid company.

Starbucks Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a roaster, marketer, and retailer of specialty coffee worldwide. The company operates in four segments: Americas; China/Asia Pacific; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; and Channel Development. Its stores offer coffee and tea beverages, roasted whole bean and ground coffees, single-serve and ready-to-drink coffee and tea products, and food and snacks; and various food products, such as pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch items. The company also licenses its trademarks through licensed stores, and grocery and foodservice accounts. It offers its products under the Starbucks, Teavana, Tazo, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Evolution Fresh, La Boulange, Ethos, Frappuccino, Starbucks Doubleshot, Starbucks Refreshers, premium Tazo, and Starbucks VIA brand names. As of April 26, 2018, the company operated 28,209 stores. Starbucks Corporation was founded in 1971 and is based in Seattle, Washington.

I’ve purchased 20 shares at $48.85 on June 29th.

My third purchase is AT&T (T). Share have been falling given the interest rate increase and the negative sentiment towards additional debt on Time Warner deal.  However, AT&T continue to grow earnings and cash flow, and the recent AppNexus acquisition (who are the largest independent ad exchange, a marketplace for online ad buyers and sellers), may enable AT&T to further monetize its viewers, users, and content via ads.  AppNexus and access to additional data (via the recent acquisition of WarnerMedia) should enhance AT&T’s ability to place more effective and timely ads to generate incremental revenue from owning WarnerMedia content. I believe that AT&T is fairly valued, and with a great initial yield:

AT&T Inc. provides communications and digital entertainment services. The company operates through four segments: Business Solutions, Entertainment Group, Consumer Mobility, and International. The Business Solutions segment offers wireless services, strategic services, legacy voice, data services, wireless equipment, and other services to multinational companies, governmental and wholesale customers, and individual subscribers. The Entertainment Group segment provides video entertainment and audio programming channels to approximately 25 million subscribers; broadband and Internet services to 13.5 million residential subscribers; local and long-distance voice services to residential customers, as well as DSL Internet access; and voice services provided over IP-based technology. The Consumer Mobility segment offers postpaid and prepaid wireless voice and data communications services to consumers, and wireless wholesale and resale subscribers; consulting, advertising, and application and co-location services; and sells a variety of handsets, wirelessly enabled computers, and personal computer wireless data cards through company-owned stores, agents, or third-party retail stores, as well as accessories, such as carrying cases, hands-free devices, and other items. The International segment offers digital television services, including local and international digital video entertainment and audio programming under the DIRECTV and SKY brands throughout Latin America. This segment offers postpaid and prepaid wireless services in Mexico to approximately 15 million subscribers under the AT&T and Unefon brands; and sells a range of handsets. The company was formerly known as SBC Communications Inc. and changed its name to AT&T Inc. in November 2005. AT&T Inc. was founded in 1983 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

I purchased 31 shares at $32.11 on June 29th.

My forth purchase is PepsiCo (PEP). It continues to grow earnings and dividends, and it looks fairly valued at this moment – the recent price drop brought it to its historical P/E, which makes sense considering historical earnings growth ratio and projected earnings growth.

PepsiCo, Inc. operates as a food and beverage company worldwide. Its Frito-Lay North America segment offers Lay’s and Ruffles potato chips; Doritos, Tostitos, and Santitas tortilla chips; and Cheetos snacks, branded dips, and Fritos corn chips. The company’s Quaker Foods North America segment provides cereals, rice, pasta, mixes and syrups, granola bars, grits, oat squares, oatmeal, rice cakes, simply granola, and side dishes under the brands Quaker, Aunt Jemima, Cap’n crunch, life, Quaker Chewy, and Rice-A-Roni. Its North America Beverages segment offers beverage concentrates, fountain syrups, and finished goods under the Aquafina, Diet Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, Gatorade, Mist Twst, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, Propel, and Tropicana brands; and ready-to-drink tea, coffee, and juices. The company’s Latin America segment provides snack foods under the Cheetos, Doritos, Emperador, Lay’s, Marias Gamesa, Rosquinhas Mabel, Ruffles, Sabritas, Saladitas, and Tostitos; cereals and snacks under the Quaker brand; and beverage concentrates, fountain syrups, and finished goods under the 7UP, Diet Pepsi, Gatorade, H2oh!, Manzanita Sol, Mirinda, Pepsi, and Toddy brands. Its Europe Sub-Saharan Africa segment offers snack food; cereals and snacks; beverage concentrates, fountain syrups, and finished goods; ready-to-drink tea products; and dairy products under the Agusha, Chudo, and Domik v Derevne brand names. The company’s Asia, Middle East and North Africa segment provides snack foods under the Cheetos, Chipsy, Crunchy, Doritos, Kurkure, and Lay’s brands; cereals and snacks under the Quaker brand; beverage concentrates, fountain syrups, and finished goods; and ready-to-drink tea products. The company was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Purchase, New York.

I purchased 9 shares at $108.87 on June 29th.

My fifth purchase was Johnson & Johnson (JNJ).  This is a classic blue chip that you can’t go wrong with, and it finally retracted at a better valuation now. Earnings and dividends are estimated to continue to grow, and the current valuation provides a reasonable margin of safety.

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches and develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the health care field worldwide. Its Consumer segment offers baby care products under the JOHNSON’S brand; oral care products under the LISTERINE brand; beauty products under the AVEENO, CLEAN & CLEAR, DABAO, JOHNSON’S Adult, LE PETITE MARSEILLAIS, NEUTROGENA, RoC, and OGX brands; over-the-counter medicines, including acetaminophen products under the TYLENOL brand; cold, flu, and allergy products under the SUDAFED brand; allergy products under the BENADRYL and ZYRTEC brands; ibuprofen products under the MOTRIN IB brand; and acid reflux products under the PEPCID brand. This segment also provides women’s health products, such as sanitary pads under the STAYFREE and CAREFREE brands, and tampons under the o.b. brand; wound care products comprising adhesive bandages under the BAND-AID brand and first aid products under the NEOSPORIN brand. The company’s Pharmaceutical segment offers various products in the areas of immunology, infectious diseases and vaccines, neuroscience, oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic, and pulmonary hypertension diseases. Its Medical Devices segment provides orthopedic products; general surgery, biosurgical, endomechanical, and energy products; electrophysiology products to treat cardiovascular disease; sterilization and disinfection products to reduce surgical infection; diabetes care products that include blood glucose monitoring; and vision care products, such as disposable contact lenses and ophthalmic products related to cataract and laser refractive surgery. The company markets its products to general public, retail outlets and distributors, wholesalers, hospitals, and health care professionals for prescription use, as well as for use in the professional fields by physicians, nurses, hospitals, eye care professionals, and clinics. Johnson & Johnson was founded in 1885 and is based in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

I purchased 8 shares at $121.34 on June 29th.

My last purchase for this month is General Mills (GIS).  The stock was overvalued, and it recently dropped a lot, becoming very undervalued in my opinion. Rising interest rates and recent lower yogurt sales played a role to bring the stock lower, but this is very specific / seasonal, so I see it as an opportunity to initiate shares on an excellent company that has been paying dividends for 119 consecutive years (if we include its predecessor company) without interruption, and has managed to grow dividends every single year for the last 14 years.

General Mills, Inc. manufactures and markets branded consumer foods in the United States. The company operates in four segments: North America Retail; Convenience Stores & Foodservice; Europe & Australia; and Asia & Latin America. It offers ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, shelf stable and frozen vegetables, and ice cream and frozen desserts, as well as grain, fruit and savory snacks; and various organic products, including nutrition bars, meal kits, salty snacks, and ready-to-eat cereal. The company markets its products under the Annie’s, Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Bugles, Cascadian Farm, Cheerios, Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Fiber One, Food Should Taste Good, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gardetto’s, Go-Gurt, Gold Medal, Golden Grahams, Haagen-Dazs, Helpers, Jeno’s, Jus-Rol, Kitano, Kix, La Saltena, Larabar, Latina, Liberte, Lucky Charms, Muir Glen, Nature Valley, Oatmeal Crisp, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Progresso, Raisin Nut Bran, Total, Totino’s, Trix, Wanchai Ferry, Wheaties, Yoki, and Yoplait names. It also supplies branded and unbranded food products to the foodservice and commercial baking industries. The company sells its products directly, as well as through broker and distribution arrangements to grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, e-commerce grocery providers, commercial and noncommercial foodservice distributors and operators, restaurants, and convenience stores, as well as drug, dollar, and discount chains. It operates 433 ice cream parlors; and franchises 356 branded ice cream parlors. General Mills, Inc. also exports its products primarily to Caribbean and Latin American markets. The company was founded in 1928 and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I purchased 23 shares at $44.26 on June 29th.

The dividend investing performance spreadsheet has been updated accordingly.

Happy Investing!!