I just sold half my stake in PetroChina(PTR).  Actually I put the order in over the weekend and forgot about it. When I bought PTR, the dividend yield was 4.85%, which is more than you get in most bank CD’s. Since the whopping 130%+ run-up in price, the dividend yield has dropped to a mediocre 2.30%.

My first and foremost goal, when it comes to investing, is to get a good dividend yield. Most of my portfolio consists of high-yielding Canadian income funds (Canroys) and is heavily weighted towards oil & gas and mining companies.
Since there’s a lot of excitement surrounding PTR’s Chinese IPO, there’s a good chance that it can rise even higher. However, if the dividend yield doesn’t keep up, it might be a signal that the valuation is becoming too rich. Of course, if the market considers it a growth stock instead of a value stock, it deserves a low yield ( and high PE ratio). However, PTR is already the world 2nd largest company. How much more can it grow?

Will it double from here and become the world first Trillion Dollar Company? I don’t know. But I don’t think so. I’d rather take my profits and invest them in a company which has a better chance of doubling.