Recent Buy: Coca Cola Co.

October has been a very slow month for my blog. Not just slow, but deathly so. I want to make sure you all know however that rest assured, I am still here and stocks are still bouncing their way into the dividend scythe. Work has just gotten to the point where it takes all of my energy and leaves me with very little that I am able to pour into much else when it's all done with for the day.

That being said, I have added another great company to the dividend scythe. This month's grab is a new position in Coca Cola Co. (KO). I have been wanting to open a position in Coca Cola for a very long time but I had a few other companies that I wanted to grab first while the price came off the high that it was sitting at for the last few months. Now that it has positioned itself much lower, it was ripe for the picking. It's a household name that would be very tough to dethrone. Even though Pepsi Co. (PEP) is in my opinion, a better holding, I had to work with what was timed right for purchase.

Here is a summary of the purchase:

Purchased 23 shares of KO @ $42.71/share

Total Purchase: $992.53

Additional Dividends Produced: $32.20

New Projected Total Annual Dividend Income: $447.62

Recent Buy: Target

I've added another new company to the growing portfolio of stocks in the Dividend Scythe! Reaping and reaping and reaping! I'm really happy with this new addition because I was raised in a "Target Household". By that I mean that my mother was and still is obsessed with Target or as we love to call it, "Tarjay".

I've had my eye on the stock for a very long time and it was about time that it made it's way in. What I really like about Target is that they are a progressive company that has shown a consistently impressive track record of paying dividends and simply operating at a surplus. Those are two of the most important things that can be had in a company when I'm looking for one to add to the books. If a company continues to bring in more business or make more money off of existing business while still staying in a positive light, that company is a great buy in my book.

Let's review the final purchase:

Purchased 15 shares @ 68.38/share

Total Purchase: $1,035.76

Total Additional Annual Dividend: $36

New Total Project Annual Dividends: $415.42

All and all, I'm very happy with this purchase. The price was as close to the 52 week low that it has gotten in a little while during times where I've had the chance to invest in it. It will help the Dividend Scythe reap that much more which will in turn propel the new acquisitions that much further.

Recent Buy: Royal Caribbean

There comes a point in the history of a portfolio where it has to move past the safer bets and move on to picks that are outside of the normal channel or realm. We move to a point where bets are on and the market and humanity will guide our next move forward. That being the case, I’ve differed to the judgment of my grandparents.

I know this isn’t always the immediate gut reaction when it comes to investing but sometimes it’s a great move when you’re stuck on what to dip your portfolio into next. I have been feeling a bit jaded lately and that has spilled over into having very little to write about. This has also made it tough to think of companies to evaluate. That’s why I moved to the preference of a generation that is removed from my own to see from a different angle what I may not be seeing.

One could argue that I should have seen their answer coming but it was an immediate gut response from them that I should look at cruise lines. In the past I have hurried past these stocks as they seemed all to cyclical and as we are in an upswing, overpriced. Regardless, I paid them a look – Carnival, Royal, and Norwegian. All three stocks actually showed way more promise than I had initially thought. One clear winner however emerged from the pack. That winner was Royal Caribbean. Let me share why.

Recent Buy: Reynolds American Inc.

I talked about it and I wrote about it on my blog here just a few days ago. Just as a predicted, the price would be too good to pass up on Reynolds American Inc. That being the case, I had to pick up a few more shares for the Dividend Scythe portfolio. I was able to pick up a total of 17 more shares at $50.11/share which came to a total purchase price of $861.94.

This addition added a sizable amount of projected dividend income to the portfolio. At $1.68 per share in yield, this added a total of $28.56 to the projected annual dividend income. With this addition, the total projected annual dividend income moving forward is a solid $362.92. This should propel the portfolio much further as it will add further capital to future investments and further grow the snow ball.

This acquisition also helped me pass a major milestone. The portfolio is now officially over $10,000! It's taken a little while to get here but it's nice to see it finally hit five figures. I have my increased saving habits and better financial handling skills to thank for this milestone. Without them I would still very likely be in the four figure range and very likely still at the bottom or mid range at that!

I know this isn't a huge milestone compared to some who have been investing for a long time but for me this milestone is huge. It shows that I am capable of making the money add up. I look forward to the newer, bigger snow ball effect that will be seen in the future. Onward and upward is the way to go!

Recent Buy: Wells Fargo

After what seems like forever, I've finally added a new position to the Dividend Scythe portfolio. Today's new position is in none other than Wells Fargo Corp. (WFC). I've had my eye on this gem since what seems like the very beginning. All it took was the perfect entry thanks to all the Brexit hooplah.

Wells Fargo Corp. (WFC) is a great company. They have a huge moat, they take care of their customers, manage their debt, and most importantly they still make money. These are all the qualities I look for in companies that I want to add to the ultimate legacy portfolio that I'm piecing together.

As pictured above (myself and some guy dressed as "pedo-bear"), I have simply been watching and waiting for this moment. Sometimes that's all it takes. There's a good metaphor in there but I can't quite grasp it right now. I'll simply put it this way, if you wait long enough, what you want will eventually find its way to you. Let's sum up the purchase then:

Purchased 22 shares of WFC on 6/28/2016 @  $45.47/share

+$9.99 trade fee

Total investment cost: $1,010.33

Total annual dividend added to the Dividend Scythe: $33.44

I know this purchase isn't exactly what I had planned. I had been keeping my eye on Boeing (BA) for a time there as well but I didn't have enough capital to bring in a solid position into Boeing (BA) like I wanted so I opted for Wells Fargo Corp. (WFC) instead. Also, with the Brexit news I highly anticipate that Wells Fargo Corp. (WFC) will see a sizable bump in the future. I take this as a sign of a rate hike and I hope that I'm right as they generally play very well for those who own banks in their portfolios.

Recent Buy: Reynolds American Inc.

I'm like a kid on Christmas morning this week. My budget finalized, I sold a stock, and I obtained my revenue from SA published articles all in the same week. That means there is moolah (money?) to invest in all that I wish (if only that were really the case)! Therefore I have purchased another holding for the portfolio.

Today's purchase was in Reynolds American Inc. This is the holding company that brought Camel, Newports, and Pall Mall to your friendly neighborhood gas station and Walmart (WMT). They are even responsible for American Spirit (if you smoked that natural stuff). I may no longer be a smoker but I once was and my brand of choice was Camel. Without trying to sound too big on advertisements and plugs, the reason that I chose Camel over the other brands was for the taste and the price in relation to it. The taste was just perfect for the budget that I was looking to buy my smokes for. On the other hand, when I had very little available for smokes, I would reach for Pall Malls. It was no different for all of the friends I hung out with that smoked. Everyone preferred Camels or Pall Malls - not a single one smoked Marlboro. Maybe this was a case of you are who you hang around with but all the same, it all just seemed to depend on how much cash you had at the time of purchase.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is that these two brands alone made up the bag or pocket of almost everyone I met who smoked. After taking a look at the numbers released in both Reynolds American Inc.'s 10-K and Phillip Morris's (Marlboro), it appeared that I was not far off. The two makers comprise almost 100% of the market of cigarettes in the United States. The big difference between the two was that Reynolds American had a far greater profit margin (just above 55%) and their P/E has been on the rise rather than falling. Pair this with a better PEG ratio (1.73 for RAI) and a more comfortable D/E ratio and you've got yourself a better bet in the tobacco industry.

I may not smoke anymore but because I have in the past (a little more than I would care to admit), I have a great background for the product and the market they are trying to appeal to. This gives me a pretty good level of confidence that this will be a good long term investment. Granted, it's definitely not the healthiest or society friendly stock but I believe the company still has quite a future ahead of it and that makes it a good buy for the portfolio. Final compilation below:

Purchased 14 shares of Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) on 5/20/2016 @49.71/share

**This adds $23.52 in annual dividends to the Dividend Scythe

Recent Buy: L Brands

Back to back buys! Yeah baby! Very groovy! I love Mondays because they bring together quite the great storm of great stocks that offer themselves up for purchase. This morning I have finalized my purchase of now two different stores that I feel have gone on discount and will very likely continue to be on discount for at least a little while. The first was Game Stop Corp Com (GME) and the second is my purchase of L Brands (LB).

I've already spoken about Game Stop Corp Com (GME) in my last post that was centered around the purchase of their company so I want to use this post to exclusively talk about L Brands (LB) and why the buy signal has flashed in my head. The reasoning for the purchase of L Brands (LB) centered around the psychology of the current dip in price. Where only a short few months ago the brand was trading for over $100/share, a change in management and direction has left a lot of investors running for the hills. I would argue however that a shift in management in this case is hardly reason to worry.

L Brands (LB) holds so much attractiveness that I believe it's hard for anyone to really put a price tag on it. I imagine going up to my wife and telling her that she will no longer be able to buy anything from Victoria's Secret. I feel like I would sooner have something chucked at my head than be successful in telling her to avoid the store. Women (and men for good reason!) have a great view of the store because it has such a great history of providing wear that makes women feel sexy. For women (largely due to society being a douche and training them to be this way), feeling sexy is of great importance. Since Victoria's Secret does such a great job at it, seldom would their sales drop unless they were to completely turn away from the styles that they have been so successful with in the many years they have been in business.

Granted, this is only half the business - there is the Bath and Body Works side to the business as well. I don't know about you but I work in an office building. I would be lying if I said there were ever a single day that I've walked about the office and not smelled at least a handful of their products floating around the office. That side of the business is alive and well.

This was an easy buy. Their brand has an incredible name for recognition and a simple change in management and styles of advertising will hardly impact what they take in on the bottom line. I simply have to wait for the next earnings release to confirm this. Q2 has historically been very good for L Brands (LB) and then a small drop in Q3 before a HUGE jump in Q4 thanks to a certain holiday that would be a lot less amazing without Victoria's Secret. The final summary is below:

Purchase of L Brands (LB) - 8 shares @ 66.943 points - total price: $545.534

Recent Buy: GameStop Corp Com

There are going to be a lot of folks who ask me immediately after posting this as to why I finally cracked and grabbed up a piece of Game Stop Corp Com (GME). Quite simply put, I could no longer continue wasting time continuously doubting myself as to whether or not the company was a good use of my money. Where the core business I feel is moving out the door a little (selling used games), I feel that the board is moving the business in other directions that so far have proven to be excellent for income.

Where there is excellent income, there is seldom much reason for worry. There are few of life's troubles that cannot be purchased by good old fashioned cash. As you all know, I like to aim for companies that have very little debt or at least enough capital to pay off that debt if the worst were to come. GME is not unlike these past picks. Their current debt is 350.40M and they have a working cash flow of 450.40M - more than enough to cover if they needed to use it.

A lot of their new income comes from their telephonic branch off. Where GME game stores have taken a hit as of late and slowed sales, their telephonic business is booming. This should help to buffer their game stores while they move those to a more merchandise based model. With this being said, I will summarize my purchase below:

Purchased GameStop Corp Com - 20 shares @ 28.81 points - total investment: $586.19

Recent Buy: Kohl's

Kohl’s, Kohl’s, Kohl’s – the United States dividend department store currently on discount. Kohl’s, if you haven’t heard of it, is a company that owns and operates numerous stores throughout the USA. They offer clothes and other household items for men, women, and children and they are a common household name that many people recognize. They operate through brick and mortar stores but they also have a growing online business as well to reach those who don’t wish to actually walk around their smooth color toned stores.