YTD 2026 Networth tracking thread

[highsulphur]

I just feel we are in a new regime now where dividend investing could be better strategy. The kind of sectors that benefit from rising interest rates also happen to be the stocks that happen to pay good dividend, like energy and financials. Growth investing and index Investing is most about overweighting tech and they don't do well in rising interest rates. So I think we need to give dividend investors some respect they deserve. It is not easy to pick dividend stocks, requires conviction and analysis. Index investing just needs conviction.

Conviction is all I need!

 

[d5dude]

I just feel we are in a new regime now where dividend investing could be better strategy. The kind of sectors that benefit from rising interest rates also happen to be the stocks that happen to pay good dividend, like energy and financials. Growth investing and index Investing is most about overweighting tech and they don't do well in rising interest rates. So I think we need to give dividend investors some respect they deserve. It is not easy to pick dividend stocks, requires conviction and analysis. Index investing just needs conviction.

Stock picking is just extremely difficult, it doesnt matter if the company pays a dividend since that has no bearing on the total return, a dividend paying stock can do poorly over the long run and a company that pays no dividend cannot guarantee anyone market beating returns either.

Investing in a broad market diversified index removes the difficult process of stock picking, as an added bonus it also removes the need to closely monitor a certain company in a portfolio. The only downside is that you will never do better (or worse) than the market since the index is the benchmark.

 

[elvintay07]

I just feel we are in a new regime now where dividend investing could be better strategy. The kind of sectors that benefit from rising interest rates also happen to be the stocks that happen to pay good dividend, like energy and financials. Growth investing and index Investing is most about overweighting tech and they don't do well in rising interest rates. So I think we need to give dividend investors some respect they deserve. It is not easy to pick dividend stocks, requires conviction and analysis. Index investing just needs conviction.

Many ppl don’t understand the fundamentals of dividends. End of the day, it depends on the fundamentals of the business. Take for example, DBS can be not less profitable than Apple but declare more dividend because that is the company’s arrangement. Google maybe more profitable than DBS but they declare lesser dividends. Hence the underlying concept is to invest in profitable companies not in companies that declare dividend for the sake of declaring because it is not sustainable. Unless we are talking about just purely reits whose business model is about rental. Companies that declare high dividends sometimes gives you a fake sense of security

 

[zzTiny]

I think we can set a benchmark index ourselves and compare it with our portfolio. Do a duration of 10 years and we can see.

For example, our portfolio against the so called world etf or s&p. Or maybe our portfolio against cpf.

I think it will be interesting with the benchmark against world etf or cpf.

 

[revhappy]

I think we can set a benchmark index ourselves and compare it with our portfolio. Do a duration of 10 years and we can see.

For example, our portfolio against the so called world etf or s&p. Or maybe our portfolio against cpf.

I think it will be interesting with the benchmark against world etf or cpf.

I think we all have to find our style and then stick to it. Different strategies work for different people and some may get higher returns and some get lower, but that's okay since everyone has different goals and as long as their goals are met.

The key is to identify which style works for us, as early as possible in our lives, so we don't waste money and time in experimenting. Once we find our style we just have to stick to it.

I like the billing counter queue analogy. You feel the queue you are standing in is slow, then you jump to another queue and now you find the other queue you were standing is moving much faster, then you switch back and now another queue becomes faster. In the end, we realize it is better to stick to one queue instead of jumping around.

 

[zzTiny]

I think we all have to find our style and then stick to it. Different strategies work for different people and some may get higher returns and some get lower, but that's okay since everyone has different goals and as long as their goals are met.

The key is to identify which style works for us, as early as possible in our lives, so we don't waste money and time in experimenting. Once we find our style we just have to stick to it.

I like the billing counter queue analogy. You feel the queue you are standing in is slow, then you jump to another queue and now you find the other queue you were standing is moving much faster, then you switch back and now another queue becomes faster. In the end, we realize it is better to stick to one queue instead of jumping around.

That depends isn't it. Alot people do their tilting. Putting 5 to 20% as 'fun' money whether by individual stock, factor or even leveraging through options, etc.

I just think it will be fun to see how our strategy fare isn't it? Experimenting can dont involve selling. Selling and buying multiple times is called gambling, haha.

Unless, you are those kind that believe in the efficient market theory using the so called world etf as the neutral benchmark.

I don't believe in dca blindly nor I believe in the fanatic obsession of efficient market theory.

 

[DriftKing]

Actually can someone clear my doubt on Growth strategy, in theory why will different people by a growth stock (and out bid one another) that will never pay dividend? Where does the value comes to the investor?

Let say everyone buys and never sells until they die, the value is stuck in the owning the stock.

PS: not bashing growth strategy, just dont understand why will stock keeps going up when there's no cashflow out to investors.

 

[zzTiny]

Like Elon say loh. If the company issue dividend, it mean that the company have no idea how to improve/grow/be more profitable and will slowly die off one day.

Growth stock is the expectation of the company future, in particular tech stock. Where investors believe it will fetch a higher price in the future.

But is this really true?

Personally I say there is certain truth lah. Alot companies eventually failed to compete, become value company and then dies off by merger/uplorrry/etc.

 

[Dividends Warrior]

Actually can someone clear my doubt on Growth strategy, in theory why will different people by a growth stock (and out bid one another) that will never pay dividend? Where does the value comes to the investor?

Let say everyone buys and never sells until they die, the value is stuck in the owning the stock.

PS: not bashing growth strategy, just dont understand why will stock keeps going up when there's no cashflow out to investors.

It's about riding those S-Curves. These S-Curves usually take decades to fully play out. By then, you can retire on the stock. People who bought Apple 10 years ago rode the S-Curve of iPhone/iPad/Mac. The growth works the best for young investors with more time on their side. Of course, never put all your eggs in one basket because some of these S-Curves might not materialise. They might burn cash for years. So, dun all-in, always diversify.

 

[DriftKing]

It's about riding those S-Curves. These S-Curves usually take decades to fully play out. By then, you can retire on the stock. People who bought Apple 10 years ago rode the S-Curve of iPhone/iPad/Mac. The growth works the best for young investors with more time on their side. Of course, never put all your eggs in one basket because some of these S-Curves might not materialise. They might burn cash for years. So, dun all-in, always diversify.

Thanks DW, but I'm thinking where does the value is derived to stock holders when the company is not returning any of it's growth (i.e it's all paper value until someone else wish to buy the shares off you at a higher price in the future, so and and so forth until the last guy boarded still hoping someone else will buy from him higher) . (I've oversimplified but hope it's understandable).

 

[d5dude]

Actually can someone clear my doubt on Growth strategy, in theory why will different people by a growth stock (and out bid one another) that will never pay dividend? Where does the value comes to the investor?

Common stocks are basically claims on a company's assets and earnings, therefore the value of the stock is ultimately a function of the company's assets + earnings, dividend is just a way for a company to return capital to its investors, it has nothing to do with generating value for the investor.

Let say everyone buys and never sells until they die, the value is stuck in the owning the stock.

PS: not bashing growth strategy, just dont understand why will stock keeps going up when there's no cashflow out to investors.

Yes the value is "stuck" in owning the stock if you dun sell but why would you not sell if you need the money or have better use for it?

Its also impossible for everyone to be buyers if there are no sellers. There are always people looking to cash out of an investment, even if its a good investment.

 

[revhappy]

Like Elon say loh. If the company issue dividend, it mean that the company have no idea how to improve/grow/be more profitable and will slowly die off one day.

Growth stock is the expectation of the company future, in particular tech stock. Where investors believe it will fetch a higher price in the future.

But is this really true?

Personally I say there is certain truth lah. Alot companies eventually failed to compete, become value company and then dies off by merger/uplorrry/etc.

Lots of high growth tech companies like AAPL also generate lot of cash and they give it back to shareholders via buybacks which is similar to dividends.

 

[elvintay07]

Actually can someone clear my doubt on Growth strategy, in theory why will different people by a growth stock (and out bid one another) that will never pay dividend? Where does the value comes to the investor?

Let say everyone buys and never sells until they die, the value is stuck in the owning the stock.

PS: not bashing growth strategy, just dont understand why will stock keeps going up when there's no cashflow out to investors.

Not true la. Nothing such as buy all the way and hold till you die. Usually you sell if:
(1) when stock is overvalue. ie not performing as well as before (example lost their competitive advantage/ moat, revenue growth slow down, drop in profit margin, from positive cash flow to negative cash flow etc…)
(2) At the peak of a cycle (where market is extremely volatile or very high)
(3) Reallocate portfolio. For example if Tesla goes up 200%, then you may want to sell and put some into other shares to diversify and reduce allocation
(4) May cash out at 4%. In you are in retirement, can consider cashing out about 3-4% per year. Take it as your “dividend”

To me, whether they give dividend or not doesn’t matter. Most important is your business must be profitable. If not profitable, the dividend is not sustainable. Take for example Singapore airlines. They have been paying dividend for last 10 years pre covid. You see whether they can pay dividend for next 5 years. Lol!

 

[Nofear40]

I am approaching retirement
So I go for a mix

 

[homer123]

What a brutal last few days of April.. Portfolio value (Realized and unrealized) 32k less than last month. Adding dividend will be 26K less compared to last month. Definitely will be negatively impacting my networth this month

 

[churnmaster]

What a brutal last few days of April.. Portfolio value (Realized and unrealized) 32k less than last month. Adding dividend will be 26K less compared to last month. Definitely will be negatively impacting my networth this month

Indeed it was very brutal. Yesterday, every sector was in red and same for the week. USD Index rallied to 103 and pushed everything else lower.

 

[sohguanh]

Diversification has taught me lesson again. While US ETF is in red color my Indonesia, Thailand, Australia ETF etc doing ok not so red and in fact one of them is little green color

 

[revhappy]

March has been a great month!

YTD investment growth: -0.42%
YTD networth growth: 0.35%
YTD inflow: 0.78%
Equity ratio: 62.65%

I did a lumpsum buy of CNDX on 14th Mar and increased my allocation from 50% to 60% and reached my target allocation well in advance. From now onwards, I plan to allocate new savings to equities and have a rising equity glide path, I expect to hit 70% by end of the year, if markets behave

I paid off my Iras bill of 9k in one shot instead of waiting for the giro, so my YTD inflow reduce this month and for the month it was -ve savings rate. But going forward, my monthly cashflow for DCA increases. I also feel having the iras bill due, means you owe money and it is not part of your networth, so better just pay it off and take it off your books as soon as possible.

April has been horrible, all the gains of March given back.

YTD investment growth: -3.03%
YTD networth growth: -1.98%
YTD inflow: 1.04%
Equity ratio: 63%

Some of my funds have 1 day delay in reporting, so this is without taking into account the 4% crash in Nasdaq during late US hours.

 

[limster]

April has been horrible, all the gains of March given back.

YTD investment growth: -3.03%
YTD networth growth: -1.98%
YTD inflow: 1.04%
Equity ratio: 63%

Some of my funds have 1 day delay in reporting, so this is without taking into account the 4% crash in Nasdaq during late US hours.

Well the good news is that if you use VT as the benchmark, you are still outperforming the benchmark. My return has also turned negative...

 

[homer123]

My YTD Investment gain has reduced to a meagerly 0.31 % and -1.8% if excluding dividend
My liquid networth YTD growth has also decreased by 0.66% to 2.05% as a result of my investment portfolio decline. However, my investment portfolio and networth might have increased if valuate in SGD since 75% of my liquid networth is in USD and i am still pegging it to 1 USD to 1.35 SGD when USD has closed above 1.38 last Friday