The Year 2017
Back in 2016’s review, we surpassed the RM10,000 in dividends milestone. In 2017, we’ve rocketed past the RM15,000 mark AND surged past that sweet 4% yield.
To be precise, the Freedom Fund, in 2017, achieved a dividend yield of 4.62% totaling RM15,905.71 in dividends.
If you’ve been keeping track, that’s a 39.2% increase in dividend yield y-o-y, aided by both the increase in dividend payouts by the companies I’ve invested in and the RM30K additional investments made throughout 2017.
My portfolio is tabled as follows.
[table id=10 /]
The GAINS
Gross Investment: RM336,812.68
Market Value (2017): RM425,664.94
Market Value (2016): RM345,955.92
Dividends (2017): RM15,905.71
Total Gain (2017): RM65,364.73 (18.9%)
Total Annualized Gain: 13.03%
I will be using the internal rate of return to calculate my average annualized gain moving forward as I think this is the best way to keep track of investments.
In terms of capital gain in 2017, in simple terms, I made RM49,459.02 on paper. This is after deducting the RM30,250 additional gross investment I made throughout the year.
Adding the RM15,905.71 I received in dividends, we get a total of RM65,364.73.
Achievement Unlocked – 4.62% Dividend Yield
Capital gains aside, my main focus has and will always be on my dividends.
We set ourselves a goal of RM15,000 for 2017 and I’m extremely pleased to have reached it. Even more important, we’ve now gone above the 4% dividend yield.
I love my stocks!
I take huge pride in the ownership of each and every stock in my portfolio. It’s extremely important to love and understand the businesses you own.
I’ve got banks, an airline, property developers, manufacturers, I own shopping malls and office towers, I’ve got my fingers dipped in the waste-to-energy business.
Heck, I even have a (very small) stake in providing you with the electricity you use every day.
2018 Goals
Moving forward, maintaining that 4.5% yield will be the goal.
Even without additional investments on my part, the current RM15,000 a year from dividends alone, reinvested, is a significant sum in and of itself.
The main idea is to reinvest with a plan. There will be stocks going cheap with the upcoming economic uncertainty, both globally and locally.
END.
As 2017 comes to a close, I hope everyone has in one form or another started investing. Be it stocks or any other assets. May 2018 be good to us all.
Sekian. Thank you for reading! Onwards and upwards!
Here’s Rosie the Riveter again for inspiration. =D
