The Dirty Dozen: SitRep 08-17-2014 "Heading To Full Strength"

I should have made this post on Friday, August 8, when all of my stocks ended up for the day for the first time in months. Unfortunately, these modest upticks didn't come close to making up for the the YTD declines my stocks were experiencing.  Both Mattel and B&G Foods laid eggs for the second time in as many quarters, while Kraft and Nutrisystem had sizable dips, from which they eventually recovered.

On the activity side, Paychex had grown to the point where it could no longer provide a full share every quarter in reinvested dividends (my growth strategy), so I sold my stake to purchase shares in Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF) and AT&T (T). The combination of stocks actually put me ahead of my dividend earnings pace with Paychex.

Recently, Darden Restaurants had sold its Red Lobster business, much to the dismay of an activist investor group, and the stock started to tumble. I sold my stake at a loss in the middle of he decline. The stock has since returned to a level above where I sold it. I exchanged those shares for ones in PetMed Express (PETS) and increased my holdings in Nutrisystem to outpace the dividends from Darden. 

On Friday, I received my first dividend payout from PetMed, which turned into more than four reinvested shares.  Here is how my portfolio looks today:

First Month of Quarter Payers
B&G Foods (BGS)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$3.94
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  6.00

• Increased dividend to $.34 per share starting in April

Kraft (KRFT)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$0.52
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  4.75

Xcel Energy (XEL)
Profit/Loss Per Share:               +$4.86
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  5.50

Crown Crafts (CRWS)
Profit/Loss Per Share:               -$0.08
Annual Reinvested Share Pace:  7.00


Second Month of Quarter Payers
PetMed Express (PETS)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$0.37
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  19.50

NutriSystem (NTRI)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$3.81
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  10.00

AT&T (T)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                -$0.55
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  5.00


Third Month of Quarter Payers
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$0.99
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  4.50

Mattel (MAT)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$8.85
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  6.00

Waste Management (WM)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$12.81
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  4.00