Hooray! Aecon Group Inc. (ARE) is finally starting to pay off!

The TSX closed this past Friday at a solid 24,255.16 points. It could be higher, but the fact that we’re holding steady above 24,000 despite the uncertainty around the upcoming U.S. election is reassuring. My non-registered portfolio closed at $154,435.43, my U.S. stock portfolio at $6,121.85 USD, my TFSA at $150,731.10, and my RRSP stocks-only portfolio at $72,87.57. While I’m not at the $461,000 net worth I reached on October 17—my highest ever—my investment portfolio remains strong.

This upcoming week could significantly impact my portfolio. Did you know that this U.S. election is the 60th presidential election in American history? Recently in New Brunswick, we made history by electing our first female premier, Susan Holt, in the 35th provincial election. I would have loved to participate, but as I’m now a Quebec resident, I couldn’t vote in New Brunswick's recent election. Just like in that election, I have no strong preference in the upcoming U.S. election, but I still have an opinion. If Donald Trump wins, I believe things will be tougher for everyone. We might have to endure another four years of economic uncertainty and erratic behavior. Under Joe Biden, I felt a bit more at ease.

Recently, I received strong dividend distributions from Power Corporation (POW) and Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS), which were reinvested through DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment Plan), adding new shares. As a result, my monthly dividend income has reached $963—excluding dividends from my RRSP portfolio. My passive income is slowly growing. Meanwhile, my margin debt stands at $5,014. By the end of November, it should be down to around $2,600. I’ll probably still be a few hundred dollars short of paying it off in full by December, but I’ll be close. One reason I can’t pay it all off as planned is because I went hunting with my father recently, and I like to cover the gas when we’re out. That’s about $30 per trip, which adds up. The weather is getting much colder in New Brunswick. Tonight, we’re expecting -11°C. We won’t be hunting for too long.

In addition to dividend income, some of my stocks showed impressive results. I’ve held Aecon Group Inc. (ARE) in my TFSA for quite some time. It’s been a tough stock to hold, with little growth since I bought it in October 2017. But this past Friday, Aecon gained over 18%. I hope this signals a new, profitable chapter for Aecon. It’s never easy to hold a stock that doesn’t perform. This past Friday, another one of my stocks came with some great news: Enbridge Inc. (ENB). It was announced that Enbridge's profit more than doubled. ENB is among the first stocks I bought in my non-registered portfolio. Back in the day, Enbridge Inc. (ENB) was one of Derek Foster's top dividend stocks.