An Update for the BTSX in September 2025

 

It's September 2025 and it's shaping up to be a busy month keeping track of ex-dividend dates for the stocks I hold. 

It's also a relief for me getting away from the dry and humid August this year causing a lot of fires and upsetting people's lives that have had to and continue to be, temporarily relocated where fires will burn probably through September in many areas across Canada.

I subscribed to Financial Independence Hub where there are some interesting articles from various authors that come into my inbox daily. 

A recent article is from Frugal Trader which got my attention where I have a similar interest but I haven't seen the Dogs of the TSX Dividend Stock Picks ... related to the Beat the TSX portfolio before. 

Frugal Trader has a popular blog and is on my Fav Blogs List in the right sidebar called Million Dollar Journey  I went to his article on his blog dated August 15, 2025. A recommended read if your into individual stock holdings for the long term where ETFs are more highlighted these days.

For the Dogs of the TSX or BTSX portfolio, here are the 10 holdings for 2025 by highest yield in the TSX at the time of the selection, I own 9 out of the 10 stocks where I sold BCE before the dividend cut and have T.TO, Telus on a possible sell for now where the yield is high at a current yield of 7.36% although Telus gained 17%, year to date.

With an average yield of 6.5%

1. Enbridge (ENB)
2. BCE (BCE)
3. TC Energy Corp (TRP)
4. Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ)
5. Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)
6. Telus (T)
7. Pembina Pipeline (PPL)
8. Emera (EMA)
9. TD Bank (TD)
10. Power Corp (POW)

From that list T.TO has an ex-dividend date of September 10th but I'm holding for now and may sell the stock mid month. I'm unsure at this time where expansion into Quebec and East may be coming causing complaints from the Telecos in the related provinces but will bring on more customers/subscribers.

This week with an ex-dividend date of September 4th, I'll add to Suncor Energy, SU.TO among the top Big Oil companies in Canada working the tar/oil sands of Alberta with a yield of 4%. 

The Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) used in the Suncor fleet is exactly what you’d imagine — a technology that allows driverless trucks to transport mining materials around a site using GPS, wireless/LTE communication and perceptive technologies. But these aren’t your average self-driving vehicles. The ultra-class haul trucks, which weigh about two-and-a-half times the weight of a typical single-storey house, are some of the largest self-driving vehicles in the world and operate around the clock.

Pembina Pipelines, PPL.TO and Canadian Natural Resources, CNQ.TO are on my list to further buy before September 15th.

With the US focusing more on oil than alternative/renewable energy sources and Asia also into Natural Gas, that agenda should be more profitable for the energy companies I own. Time will tell.

In the second half of September; Power Corp, TC Energy Corp, SOBO (South Bow Corporation), Capital Power and CIBC bank come to mind for further buying and looking at the Graham Numbers for valuation. 

The Big 5 Banks in Canada came across with great quarterly reports and that will be more in focus for me in October for further pre ex-dividend date buying. Meanwhile the bank numbers are boosting ETFs like ZEB, BMO Equal Weight Banks Index ETF. I concentrate more on the covered call version, ZWB of which ZEB is a top holding.

Holding individual stocks, I look for yearly dividend increases and capital gains as TSX index reaches new highs so far in 2025. Buying on commission free sites like Wealthsimple and TD Easy Trade, there are no MER fees like the majority of ETFs out there although competition is bringing those management fees down some. Keeping fees to zero or a minimum means more money in the portfolio going forward.

Mid August 2025 and the Financial Insurance Sector

 

It's another quarter in a year when the bulk of my Lifeco holdings have ex-dividend dates and I don't dwell about further buying, just how much. Unlike the Telecom sector where the Canadian Feds recently ruffled the feathers of some big name companies like Bell, allowing Telus to expand into Ontario and Quebec and fretting about forced capital spending while debt runs higher with more selling of assets. Kind of like dragging a ball and chain slowing progress while dealing with regulations and government overisght.

Meanwhile, onwards with my trio of Lifeco stocks.

With good numbers posted in the 2nd quarter results for Manulife Financial, I'll be further buying MFC.TO today with a 1 year share price increase of 20%. The dividend yield is a current 4.19%, 

It's a good opportunity to buy the dip with Sun Life Financial, SLF.TO with an ex-dividend date of August 27, 2025. Sun Life continues to expand in Asia and therefore boosting it's business. The only downer in the 2nd quarter report was in their US dental arm. Less Medicaid approvals for dental work is the underlying issue which has been in the news about the changing US medical approval policy down south. A period of adjustment for the people needing that vital health coverage in the US.

I look at Sun Life as another foundation stock in my portfolio like Forts. I expect it to regain the approximate $5+ CAD per share it recently lost due to the short term investor sentiment over the recent quarterly report.

Last but not least is Great-West Lifeco, majority owned by Power Corporation, POW.TO, reported record base earnings for the 2nd quarter. With a current 4.49% yield, I won't hesitate in buying more shares in this company with an ex-dividend date of August 29th.

A quote by the late Charlie Munger I seen come up in many an article I agree with. "The big money is not in the buying and selling, but in the waiting." 

Case in point, Globe and Mail's John Heinzl and his model portfolio, made up of stocks he owns personally except the iShares ETF XIU. The Yield Hog Dividend Growth Portfolio with an initial invest of 100 grand in 2017 has doubled the portfolio's income and continues to grow. Recent additional purchases from cash are two stocks I own, TD.TO and MFC.TO plus Restaurant Brands International (think Tim Hortons and Burger King among others) QSR.TO which I don't own but looking it over although yield is lower than I normally get into.

Thanks to a 6-per-cent dividend hike from Capital Power Corp. (CPX) on July 30, the portfolio’s annual income has now officially doubled since inception.

When I launched the portfolio with $100,000 of virtual money on Oct. 1, 2017, it was throwing off $4,094 of income annually based on dividend rates at the time. Owing to scores of dividend increases and regular re-investments of cash over the years, it’s now generating $8,199 of income – an increase of 100 per cent.

Early in September, when I'm looking forward to the hopefully cooling temps and less humidity living here near the Atlantic Ocean, Suncor, SU.TO comes to mind and big oil in Canada. 

In the telecom sector I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I won't be buying more shares in Telus, T.TO. in September. Selling cell towers, laying off people, looking for partners for funding future infrastructure projects is a sign they are over the top in debt although the CEO says they have a plan to make it manageable. I'll be watching and when I get into too much pondering about a stock ... I debate about selling it but hold off for now.

It's wise not to set and forget a portfolio plan but watch for issues/red flags. Better to sell and shuffle the funds into another prospect or current holding when the same stock keeps popping up as worrisome. The plan needs some tweaking from time to time.