Dogs of the FTSE 2019/20 – final update + Random Shares

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After an awesome 2018/19 when my 2nd experimental Dogs of the FTSE portfolio romped home with 8.77% gains (16% including dividends), I was stupidly quietly confident that they would do the same again for 2019/20.

Sadly, like everyone else, I hadn’t counted on the pandemic.

Plague Dogs

So one year on and my 3rd experimental portfolio has been quite a disaster, to put it bluntly.

As a reminder, here’s the Dogs of the FTSE strategy:

  1. Choose the ten FTSE 100 shares with the highest yield (subject to my criteria*)
  2. Invest equal amounts in all ten shares
  3. Hold for a year (give or take a week)
  4. At the end of the year, sell the ones no longer in the top ten, replace with new shares with highest yield
  5. Repeat from step 3

[*criteria being that shares already in my portfolio are not included, nor any where a dividend cut has been announced]

Here’s how the 2019/20 portfolio looked after a year (as at 8th June 2020):

Ouch – look at all the red numbers!

An overall loss of -20.09%;  -15.46% if you include dividends paid out.

Over the same period, the FTSE 100 Total Return was -9.60%.

Only one of the Dogs showed showed any significant profit (Persimmon) so a woeful performance overall.

What Next?

It’s always been my intention to run this as a (minimum) 5-year experiment so the Dogs will be back for their 4th outing very soon.

There’s likely to be a brutal culling – mangy mutts hopefully replaced by Dogs with a bit more pedigree!

I’ll get this new portfolio set up soon, so will do an update in a couple of weeks.

Random Shares

My Random Share Portfolio is made up of free shares awarded to me whenever someone signs up to Freetrade* via my affiliate link, bagging us both a random free share (worth between £3 and £200) in the process.

Here’s the full portfolio – it’s gotten a bit too big to do a full copy and paste.

One of the free shares I received recently

Thanks to all who have signed up via my link – hope you all got a decent free share!

I’ve actually sold a couple during the recent market recovery (whenever any showed >40% gains) and replaced them with more random shares.

Until next time – keep calm and carry on investing!

[*affiliate link]

13 thoughts on “Dogs of the FTSE 2019/20 – final update + Random Shares”

  1. Thanks for doing this for us all – it’s an expensive lesson in why “mean reversion” is not a law!

    At least you can cheer yourself up with a sausage roll from that bakery firm if they are open.
    Talking about eating your losses!

  2. This strategy should work in a longer term. Dogs Shares rarely loose more in 3 years period. So if you will keep your shares for next 3-5 years you should be fine.

    • Hi Atmach9
      Yes, longer term would be better but I’m following the strategy derived from Dogs of the Dow, which was only to hold them for a year. Perhaps after I’m done with my experiment, I will keep them for longer.

  3. Greggs is such a cool free share to receive! Most of mine have been funds of either US or UK markets haha.
    Eesh, is that how your dogs of the FTSE portfolio looks even after the last month of rallying?

  4. With so many firms cutting/cancelling their dividends it will be difficult to find income shares that are value as income funds will be looking to buy the few perceived ‘safe dividend shares’ .out there.
    The most respected income Asset Management manager is called Geraldine Weiss and the Stockopedia website has what would be her selections in the current climate

    • Hi Simon
      Thanks, I had to Google Geraldine Weiss and see that she’s classed as an ‘investing legend’. I don’t have a Stockopedia subscription so can’t check out her selections bu she’s big on dividends so I’ll check out some articles, cheers.

  5. Pingback: The Full English Accompaniment – Gamble your COVID days away – The FIRE Shrink

  6. Hi Weenie,

    I have just come across your blog. Loving it so far. Nice work on the free Greggs share! Everyone loves Greggs. I hold Greggs in my portfolio.

    Some tough numbers you go there! I hope they improve soon.

    I’ve only been investing around 8 months my self so loving reading about others experiences along the way.

    Thanks,
    Sean

    • Thanks Sean.

      As per the strategy, I’ve gotten rid of most of these dogs and got new ones in. Working on a post to show the new ‘pedigrees’!

      Note that this is not my main investing strategy – I can’t imagine how I’d be during the market freefall if it had been!

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