TLDR: Long, but with even more metrics. 😊
February may be the shortest month of the year, but there are no short breaks when it comes to building wealth. While Father Frost came knocking again outside before early spring, I used the time to push ahead with my plans. After the imperfect start in January, this month was all about one thing: sticking with it! Whether it was braving the cold on an evening run, lifting weights, shooting new videos or creating new Carousel posts (even in wooden class on the train), or looking at my depot. Time and time again, it turns out that consistency is one of the keys to success. When discipline is developed, automation runs like clockwork and frees my mind for new ideas and projects related to financial freedom.
While I was enjoying my frugal vacation in MV, it rained not only water but also dividends from the sky as the thaw set in. Do you want to know what's been happening in the engine room of my portfolio and are you interested in a whole new set of metrics for my passive income?
Then it's time for a nice look back, because the bad weather is really getting on my nerves.
DISCLAIMER/RISK WARNING
Please remember that this article is for entertainment purposes only. At no point is it a buy or sell recommendation or professional legal, tax or investment advice. Don't just copy anything I do. I am merely describing what is happening in my portfolios, but in no way guarantee that it is up-to-date, correct or complete.
Investing in the capital market is always associated with risks such as loss of invested capital, price fluctuations, liquidation risks or market risks. In accordance with the current guidelines of ESMA and BaFin, I expressly point out that this review serves exclusively to document my personal investment strategy and does not constitute investment advice within the meaning of the WpIG. The securities presented by me are expressly not to be understood as investment advicebut are merely components of my personal portfolio at the time of reporting. Please also bear in mind that there is a conflict of interest, as I naturally hold the securities myself.
If necessary, seek professional advice and do your own research.
Overall performance
I would like to repeat a fact from my last review. Automation is king. When everything runs by itself, you have room in your head for the finer things in life. Or to do the right thing. More on that at the end.
My key performance indicators for my overall portfolio at a glance:
- TTWROR (month under review): +3.47 % (previous month: +1.64 %)
- TTWROR (since inception): +88,49 %
- IZF (month under review): +55.90 % (previous month: +21.13 %)
- IZF (since inception): +12,50 %
- Delta: +3,172.19 €
- Absolute change: € +4,396.52
Data shown as "since start" is valid since 31.05.2020
Performance & volume
My class leader $AVGO (-0,04 %) loses some weight in the portfolio, but remains in first place in terms of volume and performance. The stock has been running very hot recently. Perhaps the semiconductor market is currently undergoing a rotation to $NVDA (-2,37 %) taking place? The tech sector is also falling $GOOGL (+3,36 %) somewhat, as they have announced high investments. On the other hand $WMT (+0,31 %) continues to grow nicely.
In terms of volume, the $BAC (+1,23 %) is now out of my top 5. $FAST (-1,24 %) The screw manufacturer was already in my top 5 once before and doesn't need to be asked twice.
Also $FDX (+1,39 %) also climbs back into my top 5. The logistics giant had a strong performance in February. Maybe it has to do with the tariff-refund issue or a sector rotation from tech to industrials? They are also spinning off their freight division, further fueling cost-cutting fantasies. That means more cash flow for the "purple ones".
If I take a look at my weakest performers, I notice that the minus at $TGT (+3,59 %) continues to improve. I'm particularly pleased about this, as I always put a little more money in the savings plans for this stock in times of hunger. On the other hand $NOVO B (+2,45 %) continues to fall. At -43 %, they set a new negative record in my portfolio. This shows how intense the competition with $LLY (-1,09 %) has become in the meantime.
Largest individual share positions by volume in the overall portfolio:
Share ( %) of the total portfolio (and associated securities account):
$AVGO (-0,04 %) 2.59 % (main share portfolio)
$WMT (+0,31 %) 1.87 % (main share portfolio)
$FAST (-1,24 %) 1.45 % (main share portfolio)
$GOOGL (+3,36 %) 1.40 % (main share portfolio)
$FDX (+1,39 %) 1.31 % (main share portfolio)
Smallest individual share positions by volume in the overall portfolio:
Share ( %) of the total portfolio (and associated securities account):
$NOVO B (+2,45 %) : 0.35 % (main share portfolio)
$GIS (+1,24 %) 0.51 % (main share portfolio)
$HTGC (-0,23 %) 5.53 % (main share portfolio)
$BATS (+1,59 %) 0.55 % (crypto follow-on deposit)
$CPB (-0,79 %) 0.56 % (main share portfolio)
Top-performing individual stocks
Shares with performance since initial purchase ( %) (and the respective portfolio):
$AVGO (-0,04 %) : +277 % (main share portfolio)
$WMT (+0,31 %) : +112 % (main share portfolio)
$GOOGL (+3,36 %) +106 % (main share portfolio)
$NFLX (+0,45 %) +95 % (main share portfolio)
$OHI (-0,96 %) +88 % (main share portfolio)
Flop performer individual stocks
Shares with performance since initial purchase ( %) (and the respective portfolio):
$TGT (+3,59 %) : -20 % (main stock portfolio)
$CPB (-0,79 %) : -30 % (main share portfolio)
$NKE (+0,09 %) -34 % (main share portfolio)
$GIS (+1,24 %) -35 % (main share portfolio)
$NOVO B (+2,45 %) -43 % (main share portfolio)
Sector allocation of my individual stocks [NEW!]
My top 6 sectors are:
Consumer goods: 18.19%
Miscellaneous: 16.78 %
Technology: 11.92 % [without information technology]
Financials: 11.24
Transportation: 9.61
Trade: 7.13 %
Asset allocation
Equities and ETFs currently determine my asset allocation.
ETFs: 42.0 %
Equities: 58.0
Investments and subsequent purchases
I have invested the following amounts in savings plans:
Planned savings plan amount from the fixed net salary: € 1,040
Savings ratio of savings plans to fixed net salary: 48.80
Planned savings plan amount from the fixed net salary, incl. reinvested dividends according to plan size: € 1,060
In addition, there were the following additional investments from returns, refunds, cashback, etc. as one-off savings plans/repurchases:
Subsequent purchases/one-off savings plans as cashback annuities from refunds: € 55.00
Subsequent purchases/one-off savings plans as a cashback annuity from bonuses: € 39.97
Subsequent purchases from other surpluses: € 0.00
Repurchases from dissolved tax reserve: € 107.98
Automatically reinvested dividends by the broker: € 2.51 (function is only activated for an old custody account, as I otherwise prefer to control the reinvestment myself)
In the month under review, only the fixed savings plans were executed.
Number of unscheduled additional purchases: 4
Passive income from dividends and ETF distributions
Passive income in the month under review
I received € 101.65 in distributions in the month under review (€ 97.31 in the same month of the previous year). This corresponds to a change of +4.46 % compared to the same month of the previous year. Two distributions will fall in the following month, which is reflected in the low to moderate distribution growth YoY.
Number of dividend payments and ETF distributions: 21
Number of payment days: 10 days
Average dividend per payment: € 4.84
average dividend per payday: € 10.17
Passive income YTD [NEW!]
YTD I have received distributions in the amount of € 274.37. If you put this in relation to my annual dividend target of € 2,100, the target achievement of the distribution is 13.07% (target 16.67%). This means that I am just below the target, but this will be turned around by the coming March, which has a higher payout.
The three calculation methods result in the following distribution yields:
YTD distribution yields: 0.31 %
Distribution yields since inception: 4.71 %
Distribution yields YoY: 2.25 %
This means that my overall portfolio has already paid me back around 5% of my initial investment, less than half a percent this year and over 2% within a year. This reflects the comparatively young age of the investment.
The distribution yield grew by 0.89 % YoY. Not a big jump, but a sign of calm, steady dividend growth. The money is working more efficiently than a year ago.
My top payers
The top 5 payers in the month under review were:
$OHI (-0,96 %)
$ZPRG (+0,47 %)
$JEPQ (-1,1 %)
$BATS (+1,59 %)
$ABBV (+0,58 %)
FIRE number [NEW!]
I calculate my FIRE figure from the rolling 12-month expenses (TTM) multiplied by a factor of 25. Even if I don't want to sell any shares later, I use this reciprocal value of the classic 4% withdrawal rate as a conservative guide.
With my current 12-month expenditure of €12,226.88, this results in a FIRE figure of €305,672.00. This is the minimum volume that my portfolio would have to reach in order to theoretically cover my expenses with a 4% withdrawal.
Of course, this figure fluctuates with my lifestyle. But it is not the only metric to determine how long my assets would last in an emergency.
Spending range (runway) [NEW!]
Another method for determining how long I can manage to cover my expenses from my assets is the rolling spending rangealso known as runway also known as the runway. On an annual basis, this is currently 7.49 years or the equivalent of around 89.9 months. Compared to the previous month, it has increased by 0.33 years years. So I am effectively about four months longer "free".
Compared to the same month last year, the increase is even 1.92 years. Although this figure could be even higher, the setbacks caused by the economic policy uncertainties in the TTM period are dampening the trend somewhat. I am still 17.51 years away from my runway target (25 years), which corresponds to the FIRE multiplier. 17.51 years away. This makes it clear that, despite the great progress I have made, I am still at the beginning of my path to complete financial freedom.
The runway stability of -0.22 indicates that my range is currently fluctuating slightly and is not yet stable in an absolutely steady upward trend. A negative value here indicates that the volatility of capital or short-term spending spikes in the rolling period are still slowing down the continuity of growth somewhat.
Performance comparison: portfolio vs. benchmarks
To see where I really stand, I regularly compare my portfolio with the major market ETFs. This allows me to see immediately how well my performance (TTWROR) has done in the current month and since the start compared to the overall market.
My portfolio: +3.47 % (since I started: +88.49 %)
$VWRL (-0,4 %) +1.79 % (since my start: 68.46 %)
$VUSA (-0,26 %) -0.32 % (since my start: 56.83 %)
$IMEU (+0,14 %) +3.92 % (since I started: 84.27 %)
As in the previous month, things are continuing to go up for me, while the USA is faltering. 🤗
Data marked with "since my start" is valid since 31.05.2020.
Key risk figures
Here are my key risk figures for the reporting month:
Maximum drawdown:
since inception: 17.17
Month under review: 0.87
Maximum drawdown duration:
since inception: 702 days
Month under review: 14 days
Volatility:
since inception: 28.36
Month under review: 2.02
Sharpe Ratio:
since inception: 0.41
in the month under review: 27.72
Semi-volatility:
since inception: 21.07
month under review: 1.48
The maximum drawdown of 702 days since the beginning still reminds me of the intensive phase between 2022 and 2023 before the big recovery began. In February, the drawdown was absolutely negligible at just 0.87 %. This clearly shows how stable my portfolio currently was in the icy wind.
My Sharpe ratio is particularly striking this month, having shot up to 27.72. Even if this is of course an upward statistical outlier, it reflects the extremely positive performance combined with very low volatility. Since the beginning, the Sharpe ratio has been a solid 0.41. This means that for every unit of risk, I continuously collect returns above the risk-free interest rate.
Volatility in February was extremely low at 2.02% compared to the 28.36% since the beginning. Even the semi-volatility was only 1.48 %. For me, this is a clear signal: although my portfolio fluctuates minimally, the actual risk of loss remains at a very low level.
What is the conclusion for this month? The confirmation of my strategy: think long-term, let the automation run like clockwork and use the time for new projects. February was a month of stability and growth. This is exactly how it should continue!
Outlook
After setting the course in February, March will be a month of implementation. The provisions for the advance lump sum have already been successfully transferred to the markets. I will transfer a small refund still to be expected to the markets in March, and perhaps I will also be able to look forward to another bonus, which will also be invested. If you want to know which individual stocks are particularly in focus this month, then stay tuned! 😊
When it comes to AI, I will of course keep my finger on the pulse. NotebookLM in conjunction with Gemini has become an absolute game changer for me. It's easy to create a clickable dashboard from prepaid sources that come together in a table, turn your own monthly statement into an audio DeepDive, or get to know completely new metrics that are wonderfully explained. There's still so much to discover when it comes to AI and this forward momentum drives me to make the most of the new technical possibilities and further automate my workflows.
As in the previous month, I'll end this review with a political topic that doesn't really belong here. Nevertheless, I would like to use my small reach to draw attention to an important event. In February, there was an impressive mass demonstration by Iranians in Munich. It was absolutely peaceful. The participants collected their garbage and played our anthem out of gratitude and humility. They thanked the police, not only with words but also with roses. There were no riots and no damage to property. That is absolutely impressive and I think you appreciate that as much as I do.
The word free appears in my branding. Even if it's in a different context there, this little word is my personal concern this month. We can be glad that the exiled Iranians live with us. They and the suffering of their compatriots remind us time and again how infinitely valuable our Western values of freedom, self-determination and democracy are.
In Iran, we are experiencing people who want so much to simply live in freedom like us. Free from religious oppression, free from violence and free from the indoctrination of hatred and terror. They want this so much that they even ask for intervention from the Americans and Israelis and advocate attacks on the regime's positions in their homeland. We have to understand that for them, the rocket fire and bombing is a much lesser evil than having to live in this Islamist hell for even one more day. We must understand that our Western values cannot be taken for granted and that we must take a stand now. An attitude towards our values and an attitude towards those who long for the end of this dictatorship. That is my most important learning for the past month.
I wish the people of Iran, who are still risking everything, that they will finally be freed from this criminal regime. They should finally get to know what is so commonplace for us: democracy, human rights (especially women's rights) and, quite simply, freedom. They deserve it after 47 years of oppression, violence and terror. I sincerely wish them all the best and all the happiness in the world on their path to peace and self-determination. 🍀
Thank you for reading. And now let's start the spring march! ☀️
👉 My related Carousel posts for the review will be published as follows.
08.03.2026: Portfolio review (Key performance indicators, share performance, allocation, sectors, additional purchases and performance comparisons)
09.03.2026: Budget review (income, expenditure, cash flow, ratios, budget compliance and citizen's income check)
10.03.2026: Cash flow review [NEW!] (general, YTD and actual vs. target comparison for passive income, my top spenders, FIRE figure and capital reach)
📲 There are also currently three posts a week: @frugalfreisein. Instagram reels and YouTube shorts currently appear irregularly under channels of the same name, the same applies to videos.
Please pay close attention to the spelling of my alias. Unfortunately, there are too many fake and phishing accounts on social media. I have already been "copied" several times.
👉 How do you personally feel the stock market year has started? (No investment advice!)
