Author Archive: Brett Owens

No doubt, there is a lot to be worried about right now in the financial world. Fortunately, there is finally a lot of worrying happening.

We contrarians welcome unease. Broader discomfort means dividend deals.

Investor sentiment is at last falling back to earth after months in the clouds. Sometimes these emotional drops are drawn out. Or the breakup can be short and swift.

Last September and October, too-cheery bulls got splashed with cold water. Their wake-up call, fittingly, came just weeks after we chatted about their “over the top” sentiment. We specifically discussed the likelihood of a 10% pullback given the extreme levels of investor cheer.… Read more

“I have no clue what to do,” said a friend recently over backyard beers. “On the one hand, stocks are still rising. On the other, everything is pricey.”

I know you’re feeling my buddy’s pain—I get similar sentiments from readers of my Contrarian Income Report service all the time.

The last few weeks of wild swings sure don’t help. No doubt your finger has hovered over the buy button but you’ve hesitated, worrying you’re getting in at the top.

That’s understandable: no one wants to be the last buyer in a bull market!

Let the Market’s “Fear Indicator” Guide You to Big Gains (and Dividends)

The solution to this dilemma is a strategy only a contrarian could love—we’re going to navigate by the VIX—the market’s so-called “fear indicator.”… Read more

The Fed has crushed many retirements because bonds simply don’t yield enough. Heck, neither do most stocks thanks to the equity bubble they’ve inflated!

But we dividend-focused retirees have a four-letter secret at our portfolio’s disposal. I’m talking about yield machines that pay up to 8%. And thanks to a slow 2020, these stocks are still reasonably cheap. I’m talking:

R-E-I-T.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are a great source of yield. If you’re a regular reader, you’ll probably recall our reasons why REITs hold up well against inflation.

Today we’ll discuss some studies that support this “inflation-proof” position.

In theory, inflation should weigh on REITs much the way it does on many yield-bearing assets.… Read more

Let’s chat about making some real money in stocks. I’m talking about 14.6% returns per year, every single year.

I know, my 14.6% annual number sounds pedestrian in a world where peddlers are hawking virtual (pretend?) coins with pups on the cover. But my returns are real—and spectacular for investors who are patient.

With this method we can double our money every four years and ten months (the wonderful Rule of 72 says so!). And we can achieve these gains safely—without gambling or buying and hoping—because these profits are fueled by dividends.

The only twist from the traditional income investing that we both know and love is that we’re playing the dividend growth plus the current yield.… Read more

Don’t let this inflation panic rattle you. This market is really just shifting gears, and we’re going to shift along with it, riding the waves to some big dividends that are about to switch into growth mode.

But timing is critical here, because we’re not going to be sitting on these dividends forever. Consider them a “swing trade” to bag big payouts now, plus some hefty dividend hikes. Then you’d take your returns on to the next bargain high yielder when the time is right.

More on this week’s hot-potato dividend plan in a sec. First, let’s delve into what this inflation-panicked market is up to, and how we contrarians can catch a tailwind.… Read more

“Don’t you own that, B.O.?”

Go figure. While some people are thought of for their jokes, their hobbies or their families, a reader thought of me when they read about a Vanguard fund underperforming of late.

The poor ol’ Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund (VDIGX). Longtime readers know I’ve yapped about this before. While I rarely mention (let alone endorse!) mutual funds, VDIGX is notable for two reasons:

• I plow 100% of my 401(K) contributions into this fund, and

• It’s a pretty good option as far as retirement plans go.

Why this fund? Because in my “Brett Inc.” company plan, I have a set list of Vanguard funds to choose from.… Read more

Corn Prices Hit 7-Year Highs

What a headline!

Mr. and Ms. Market could handle a spiking M2. They could turn a blind eye to higher 10-year yields. But now, JP has really backed himself into a corner. Fed Chair Jay Powell has lit a fire under corn prices, of all things:

That Ain’t Crypto—That’s Corn

“This is how inflation starts,” the pundits say. Higher commodity prices drive the Producer Price Index (PPI) up. Consumers (you and I) pay more at the grocery store, and this is reflected in a jump in the CPI (Consumer Price Index).

And the CPI, of course, is the inflation calculator used by the government.… Read more

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise: financial stocks are still a hotbed of dividend (and share-price!) growth for contrarian income-seekers like us.

I know what you’re going to say next: “Brett, everyone says finance stocks are overbought.”

I get it, and that sounds logical … on the surface. 

It is true that when the calendar flipped to January, finance stocks surged, more than doubling the price gains of the S&P 500, going by the performance of the benchmark Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF):

Finance Stocks on a Tear …

But here’s what most folks have missed: even with that gain, finance stocks are only 20% above where they peaked prior to the last financial crisis 14 years ago.… Read more

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) sure are easy to buy. There’s an ETF for just about anything we can think of—stocks, bonds, commodities, growth, value, sectors, industries and, of course, high yield.

Dividends are our beat here at Contrarian Outlook. And ETFs keep us busy, because for every income investing angle, there is a popular dividend fund that we can easily improve upon.

I commend you for realizing that ETFs are not the final retirement solution. Convenient, yes. But we contrarians have more effective income tools available than ETFs.

Let’s walk through seven popular dividend ETFs (yielding a mouthwatering 5% to 10%), and tinker with each a bit to improve their future performance and their payouts.… Read more

Everyone wants to be a contrarian investor. But in practice, most people buy more near tops and sell shares low.

Our human nature becomes tricky during times like these. Markets are ticking near all-time highs and many investors fear “missing out” on the next leg higher.

If you’re a premium subscriber of mine, your portfolio should be in good shape. It’s mostly to fully invested and has had a great run over the past twelve months.

But—you may have some spare cash that you’re staring at. Or dividends waiting to be reinvested.

Should we buy now? Or wait (hope) for a pullback?… Read more