This Portfolio Is Outperforming My Wildest Expectations

Almost a year ago, the real-money Inflation-Protected Income Growth portfolio was launched with the objective of building an income stream that looked capable of growing at least in line with inflation. Thus far it has delivered far more than that. After yet another substantial gain since last week's update, the portfolio's total return since inception sits at a mind-boggling 29.6%.

That return is well ahead of my wildest expectations when I started the portfolio, though in total, it falls between the gains in the S&P 500 and the total return of an index investment, including dividends. Unfortunately, the rise in the market and in the stocks in the iPIG portfolio means that some picks are approaching the point where they should be sold based on valuation.

So close -- and yet so far
For instance, J.M. Smucker nearly touched $110 last week, putting it close to the $120 sell target established for the jams and jelly maker based on valuation. Unfortunately, in the past week, Smucker reported disappointing earnings and forward-looking guidance, knocking its shares down a bit. Even before that bad earnings news, Smucker was trading in that nebulous "hold" range where buying more didn't make sense but selling wouldn't generate enough cash.

Conversely, United Parcel Service reached its previous $100 sell target after reporting decent earnings for the most recently completed quarter. The combination of the importance of this quarter's holiday season for shippers like United Parcel Service and the decent numbers the company put up earned it something like a stay of execution. Still, if UPS' stock hits $120 before this current quarter is reported, the company would be a candidate for sale.

In addition to those close calls, one company in the iPIG portfolio will be sold in the near future: Nevada electric generator NV Energy . NV Energy is on track to get bought out for $23.75 per share in the first quarter of 2014 -- an acquisition that is forcing a sale by the iPIG portfolio. Indeed, with the stock recently trading above that acquisition price, there are only two reasons why the iPIG portfolio hasn't sold its shares: NV Energy's dividend and the fact that waiting until January makes the gain a long-term one.

Those dividends still keep on coming
Fortunately, in addition to those surprisingly strong gains, the stocks in the iPIG portfolio have continued to pay -- and often increase -- their dividends. Those payments (and their growth) remain central to the iPIG portfolio's philosophy and plans, and this past week provided a great reminder of how that principle works in practice.

Last Monday, Texas Instruments paid its owners, including the iPIG portfolio, $0.30 per share in dividends. That dividend was $0.02 per share higher than the dividend Texas Instruments paid the previous quarter and $0.09 per share above the one it paid in the same quarter last year. That's a dividend increase of more than 42% year over year.

While dividend increases at that rate are likely not sustainable for a company of Texas Instruments' size, cash payments like that -- and whatever growth they're able to muster -- still matter a great deal. If the market starts to slow down -- or even reverse -- then those dividends will take on even more importance. After all, dividends are paid based on a company's ability to generate cash, not based on whatever the market's whim of the day decides is an appropriate price for its stock.

Still, there's no point in arguing against the gains that the iPIG portfolio has seen since its launch, as it's those gains that have truly allowed the portfolio to outperform my wildest expectations. Put together the gains with the income, and you get a portfolio that looked like this as of Friday, Nov. 22, 2013:

Data from the iPIG portfolio brokerage account, as of Nov. 22, 2013.

The advantage of dividend stocks over bonds
As the iPIG portfolio has shown with its total return over the past year, dividend stocks can provide both income and a potential for price appreciation. Additionally, while dividend payers don't garner the notoriety of highflying growth stocks, they're also less likely to crash and burn. Over the long term, the compounding effect of the quarterly payouts, as well as their growth, adds up faster than most investors imagine.

With this in mind, our analysts sat down to identify the absolute best of the best when it comes to rock-solid dividend stocks, drawing up a list of nine in this free report. To discover the identities of these companies before the rest of the market catches on, you can download this valuable free report by simply clicking here now.

To follow the IPIG portfolio as buy and sell decisions are made, watch Chuck's article feed by clicking here. To join The Motley Fool's free discussion board dedicated to the IPIG portfolio, simply click here.

The article This Portfolio Is Outperforming My Wildest Expectations originally appeared on Fool.com.

Chuck Saletta owns shares of Aflac, Texas Instruments, Microsoft, McDonald's, Genuine Parts Company, Raytheon Company, United Technologies, Wells Fargo, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Emerson Electric Co., Becton Dickinson, Walgreen Company, Union Pacific, Hasbro, United Parcel Service, CSX, J.M. Smucker, Air Products & Chemicals, Mine Safety Appliances, Kinder Morgan, and NV Energy. The Motley Fool recommends Aflac, Becton Dickinson, Emerson Electric, Hasbro, Kinder Morgan, McDonald's, Mine Safety Appliances, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, United Parcel Service, and Wells Fargo. The Motley Fool owns shares of CSX, Hasbro, Kinder Morgan, McDonald's, Microsoft, Raytheon Company, and Wells Fargo. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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