Author Archive: Brett Owens

It’s been a rough year thus far for many high paying investments. From utilities to REITs (real estate investment trusts) to high yield bonds, many are getting crushed as rates rise:

Why High Yield Shortcuts are for Losers

But we don’t dumbly buy these indices. We cherry pick the very best of the high yield lot. After all, there is always a bull market somewhere (or in something). And this is where we should invest for big dividends and price upside to boot:

The Strongest Names in High Yield (Year-To-Date)

So let’s discuss these “dividend market leaders” and see why they are acting strong while their cousins make interest rate excuses.… Read more

Andrew, Arthur and Paul knew their REIT stock was too cheap. So, last August 21, the trio slapped down three independent bets on their firm’s stock using their own money. Their reward? Quick 26% returns:

REIT Moguls Know Best, for Quick 26% Gains

Did they time the entire sector bottoming? No – Vanguard’s Real Estate ETF (VNQ) dropped 5% over the same time period. But that was just noise, because these boys knew their own business. They cherry picked the bargain.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that a chief financial officer (CFO) and his cronies would nail this trade. After all, finding deals with real estate investment trusts (REIT) is a straightforward 2-step process:

1. Find a high relative yield, and
2. Buy it if “first-level worries” will soon prove fleeting.

Today we’re going to dive into the two “cheapest” corners in the S&P 500. Because with the terrible performance these 2 sectors have put in this year, you could think both are bargains now.

But the truth is, only one of these sectors is worth buying into now (I’ll name 4 specific stocks in a minute). In fact, the last time we saw a market like today’s, stocks in this overlooked pool spiked 41%!

The other sector? A textbook “value trap”—it’s cheap for a reason, and is about to plunge further.

You can see the 2 sectors I’m talking about in this chart from Yardeni Research:

The 2 worst performers, consumer staples (the purple line) and real estate investment trusts, or REITs (beige line) have flopped 12.4% and 8.5%, respectively.… Read more

Whenever a dividend payer goes on sale, it’s a chance for you and I to make a lot of money and collect steady income. Today, we’ll highlight four stocks that are worthy of our review.

Not only do we bank a higher yield, but we can also enjoy price appreciation as shares rise in value. This is the benefit of combining value and dividend investing.

For example, let’s say we like a stock at $40 that is paying a $1.50 yearly dividend. If we like it at $40, then we should love it at $30 – because our potential upside (and hence total return including dividends) is that much greater:

The same exact stock.… Read more

Most investors live in the past and fixate on dividend track records rather than a payout’s forward prospects. That’s too bad for them, but it provides opportunity for us to bank big returns that shouldn’t be available in any “efficient” market.

By looking ahead, we can identify the dividends that are likely to grow the fastest. And when we identify payouts that are poised for yearly raises of 15%, 20% or even 25% or more, we should buy those stocks and enjoy annual stock price gains in that neighborhood.

Sure, it isn’t quite that simple. But it’s pretty close. Let me explain my entire dividend growth strategy first – and later, I’ll also share my 7 dividend payers with 100% to 200% price upside with you.… Read more

You and I both know that dividends just don’t get much respect from most folks.

But most folks have it all wrong. I’ll show you why in a moment (I’ll also reveal 2 “accelerating” dividends to put on your buy list now).

First, it’s easy to see why dividends are (way too often) an afterthought: it’s tough to get excited about them when the typical S&P 500 name dribbles out the measly 1.9% yield it does today.

It gets worse when you look at the US inflation rate: 2.1% as of March.

So at best, you can hope your dividends offset inflation, while you hope the underlying stock price soars.… Read more

Business development companies (BDCs) are the kings of yield right now, and it’s not even close. As I write, the average yield in the space is 9.5%, and more than half of all publicly traded BDCs boast a yield in the double digits.

That’s thanks to a long drubbing among these companies – but for the first time in a while, things are starting to look up in this high-yield arena. And right now, I have my eye on three glimmers of hope in the space that are throwing off 9% to 10% dividends.

2017 was a downright dreadful year for BDCs, which managed to even underperform bonds despite their high yields.… Read more

Eric Ervin was making his rich client so much money that he suggested: “Hey, why don’t you just quit your job?”

The investor saw the opportunity to scale Eric’s “secret strategy” – and he wanted to help invest!

Both guys knew the power of dividend growth investing. But Eric’s second-level insight is what made them both a boatload of cash. He figured out a way to bet purely on the higher payouts – as close to a “sure thing” as you’ll ever see in stocks. Here’s what I mean.

Blue chip stocks tend to raise their dividend every year. Even if it’s a token increase, it keeps shareholders happy.… Read more

Make no mistake: The “Mallpocalypse,” the “Retailpocalypse,” whatever you want to call it, is very real, and its shockwaves are being felt in just about every corner of the brick-and-mortar retail world. In fact, there are only a few true havens left – including a few higher yielders in the 5%-6% range. We’ll get to those in a minute.

Every other week, it seems like there’s another story about a retailer going bankrupt or shuttering locations. Just consider some of the store closings lined up for this year:

• Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) is going to shut down 60 of its 868 locations in 2018.

Blue chip stocks are among the worst retirement investments you can make.

There are several blue-chip stocks that will actually cost you thousands of dollars each year. We’ll discuss three in a moment.

Sure, the financial media might lionize these stocks. But blue chips are simply big companies. When the term first came into being, it was simply an homage to the blue poker chip – at the time, the most valuable chip on the table. Before purples, oranges and grays began to grace the baize.

However, now the term comes with a boat load of perks – the simple assignment of the term “blue chip” is practically a buy recommendation.… Read more