Hi,

September marks the end of the third quarter. I always feel like a lot happens in the fourth quarter. Winter starts, winter tires need to be put on, Christmas preparations, New Year’s Eve preparations, the last few days of vacation are coming up, and in December I’m somehow constantly attending birthday parties anyway. So for me, the fourth quarter just flies by.

But let’s take a look at the performance first.

📈 Performance:

S&P 500: +2.90%

MSCI World: +1.89%

DAX: -4.03%

Dividend portfolio: -2.23%

My top and bottom performers in September were (Top/Flop 3):

🟢 ($TXN (+0,21%) ) Texas Instruments +10.17%

🟢 ($PETR4 (-2,77%) ) Petroleo Brasileiro +8.83%

🟢 ($8001 (+0,35%) ) Itochu +8.66%

🔴 ($O (+0,19%) ) Realty Income -8.86%

🔴 ($HD (+0,67%) ) Home Depot -10.37%

🔴 ($MC (+0,95%) ) LVMH -13.96%

Dividends:

September 2026: €247.58

September 2025: €223.22

Change: +10.91%

Sales:

🟥 None

Purchases:

🟩 ($MCD (+1,69%) ) McDonald’s (€428)

🟩 ($DTE (+1,45%) ) Deutsche Telekom (€371)

🟩 ($HD (+0,67%) ) Home Depot (€261)

Savings plans:

($CTAS (+0,93%) ) Cintas (€50)

($MSFT (+0,59%) ) Microsoft (€25)

What else has been going on?

The heating bill is finally paid; the company deducted the repair costs, so the bill for the solar panel system is now a thing of the past. In September, I also took two weeks off, including a four-day mini-vacation in Croatia. That was really needed, since my last extended vacation was already a year ago. The four days in Croatia were also very refreshing, and it was nice to be back there after about 25 years.

Other than that, not much has happened.

Things won’t get exciting again until October, when the next big vet bill is due. Before my vacation, my boss told me I’d be getting a performance-based bonus. I didn’t even know such a thing existed, but I was really happy about it. I guess that money will end up going toward the vet bill, though.

🥅 Goals for 2026:

I’m trying to reach €85,000 in my dividend portfolio this year. Currently, I’m at around €82,391. I expect to receive about €464 in net dividends this year (according to getquin). So I’m still about €2,500 short. That’s definitely going to be a huge challenge. Maybe the last few months will go better for me again—then it should be doable.

If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more like it, feel free to follow me;

if you’re not interested, feel free to scroll past or use the block feature.

You go to a conference, and there you run into… among others, some old friends from Itochu $8001 (+0,35%)

$8001 (+0,35%)

Hello, everyone,

Will Itochu be the new AI pick? I’m staying invested here.

Itochu plans to take Dentsu Soken private in a deal with the Dentsu Group and build around ten Japanese data centers by 2030.

Key Points at a Glance

• Takeover bid at 2,880 yen per share
• Transaction volume of approximately 250 billion yen
• About ten data centers planned by 2030
• Record profits and share buybacks support the stock price

Itochu Corporation is driving the group’s strategic realignment with massive investments in digital infrastructure and system solutions. Last Friday, the Japanese trading house announced a public tender offer for Dentsu Soken Inc. to delist the company from the stock exchange in collaboration with the Dentsu Group.

At the same time, the group plans a large-scale entry into the data center market to capitalize on rising demand from global technology giants in Japan.

Takeover Bid for Dentsu Soken and Entry into the Data Center Market

As part of the plan announced on Friday, Itochu intends to acquire a 38.2% stake in Dentsu Soken at a price of 2,880 yen per share. The estimated transaction value amounts to approximately 250 billion yen, which is equivalent to about 1.6 billion U.S. dollars.

The Dentsu Group, which already holds a 61.8% stake, will remain on board as a partner. According to media reports by the Nikkei, Itochu prevailed over competitors such as Fujitsu in a previous bidding process. Dentsu Soken’s board of directors has already signaled its support for the offer and recommended that shareholders accept it.

In addition to this acquisition, Itochu is investing heavily in physical digital infrastructure. According to Nikkei Asia, the company plans to build about ten data centers in Japan by 2030.

The investment volume for this is expected to amount to several hundred billion yen. These locations are intended to be leased to major U.S. technology companies. To optimize site development, Itochu is also exploring a collaboration with its partner, JR East.

Record profits and share buybacks are supporting the stock price

These ambitious expansion plans are built on a solid financial foundation. In early August, Itochu reported a consolidated net profit of 293.7 billion yen for the first quarter of fiscal year 2027 (April through June). This represents a 3% increase compared to the same period last year and marks a record high for a first quarter for the second consecutive year

These figures were accompanied by the announcement of a share buyback program totaling up to 300 billion yen, half of which is to be conducted via a public tender offer.

The news has recently been reflected in a positive trend on the stock market. Last Friday, the stock price rose by 0.6% and closed at €11.54. Over the past 30 days, the stock has thus posted a gain of 5.3%. The group’s market capitalization amounts to approximately €79.77 billion.

Expansion in Aviation and Focus on AI

In addition to its digital strategy, Itochu is expanding its presence in other sectors. In early August, the company announced that it would acquire a 50% stake in TC Skyward Aviation U.S., a subsidiary of Tokyo Century Corporation.

Through this move, Itochu secures access to the joint management of the Aviation Capital Group (ACG), one of the world’s leading companies in the aircraft leasing sector.

The acquisition cost for this stake amounts to approximately $1.95 billion. In addition, Itochu is supporting its partner’s financial position by subscribing to Tokyo Century bonds worth 10 billion yen.

Furthermore, the group is accelerating the use of artificial intelligence within the organization. To this end, the Global Tech Center (GTC) was established at the end of July to drive the AI transformation.

In this context, Itochu entered into a partnership with the Vietnamese company FPT Software to leverage its expertise in data utilization and AI for its own group units. In the media technology sector, Itochu also signed a memorandum of understanding with Nippon TV and Data One to explore collaborations in the “TV x Retail Media” segment.

Itochu Aktie: Plant zehn Rechenzentren

(@PikaPika0105 )

Here's the hot stuff from ITOCHU Corporation $8001 (+0,35%) / $ITOCY (TSE: 8001 / OTC: ITOCY) Q1 FY2027 Earnings Release (fiscal year ending March 2027), fresh from the Tokyo Stock Exchange:

🚀 Top-Line Performance & Operational Momentum

ITOCHU is gaining strong operational momentum in the first quarter of FY2027 (April–June 2026). The Japanese trading giant is once again demonstrating why its non-resource focus (consumer goods, food, textiles, ICT) sets the benchmark for Sogo Shosha:

Revenue (売上高): Climbed to 3,875.9 billion JPY (+8.9% year-over-year).

Operating income: Operating profit surged by +20.3% year-over-year to 205.5 billion JPY .

Non-Resource Dominance: The non-resource segment continues to deliver stable margins and easily absorbs fluctuations in iron ore and oil.

🔮 Profitability & Net Income on Track to Set Records

While diversified resource conglomerates struggle with cyclical headwinds, ITOCHU is delivering strong results thanks to cost discipline and a robust domestic business:

Consolidated net income: Rise to 293.8 billion JPY (+3.5% YoY vs. JPY 283.9 billion in the prior year).

Run Rate / Progress: With 293.8 billion JPY, ITOCHU has already 30.9% of its full-year target (the historical Q1 average is ~28.6%). That’s a rock-solid start!

Earnings per Share (EPS): Rise to 42.00 JPY (up from 40.10 JPY in Q1 FY2026).

🤖 Annual Forecast Confirmed & Return on Equity Boosters

Full-Year Target Confirmed: Management reaffirms the ambitious full-year target of 950.0 billion JPY in net income (+5.5% YoY).

Shareholder Perks: The planned dividend of 44 JPY per share is set in stone. In addition, the ongoing share buyback program (volume up to 300 billion JPY) will continue as planned, serving as a sustained driver of EPS growth.

⚡ 💡 Jack’s Take

No need for commodity hype—ITOCHU once again proves itself a top-tier quality compounder! While the competition is hanging on commodity prices, the non-resource division is reliably generating cash. The fact that ITOCHU has already generated nearly 31% of its annual profit in Q1 gives management massive leeway for the remainder of the fiscal year. For value investors and Warren Buffett disciples, this stock remains an absolute mainstay in their portfolios!

Thanks for the great recommendation @Aktienhauptmeister 🙏🏽 I took the plunge today and will be adding more! An awesome stock 🥳

My second Japanese stock alongside $8001 (+0,35%)

Hi everyone,

I'd be interested to know which stocks are currently at the top of your watchlists. I'll start:

$6861 (-1,68%)

$APH (-1,52%)

$SYK (+0,66%)

$MSFT (+0,59%) Add to portfolio

$HWM (-0,27%)

$SIKA (-0,21%)

$8001 (+0,35%) Additional purchase

$CAMX (+0,04%) Buy more

$8001 (+0,35%)

In my opinion, Asia is not so easy to cover in the dividend portfolio with individual positions. I have wanted Itochu for a long time and am satisfied with the entry.

What individual positions do you have in Asia?

I love Japan 🇯🇵

After $6501 (-0,97%) I have now put a first tranche $8001 (+0,35%) in the depot.