Author Archive: Brett Owens

Uncertainty appears to be the theme of 2025. From tariffs to geopolitics, we have a nonstop flow of news that has vanilla investors quite rattled.

CNN’s Fear and Greed Index dipped back into the Extreme Fear zone earlier this week. Markets don’t like ambiguity. But that does not mean that we income investors need to sell everything. Heck, or anything! This is a split stock market and we contrarians are rolling with the dividend victors.

The bifurcated financial landscape is not news to us. We discussed the likelihood of major “winners and losers” in Trump 2.0 immediately after the November election:

Things have the potential to get wild.

Let me say right now that, like most people, I have no idea where the trade tensions we’re living through will end up. But here’s something I will say: Whenever I have any doubt about the future, I look to the 10-year Treasury rate—and I recommend you do the same.

And the 10-year rate—pacesetter for rates on most loans—is screaming one thing at us right now:

Fade the inflation fears that are everywhere these days.

So we’re going to take Mr. 10-Year’s advice and “buy the dip” in 2 “bond-proxy” closed-end funds (CEFs)—each yielding around 7%—that we’ll discuss in a bit.… Read more

One of our old flames, a former Contrarian Income Portfolio holding, has pulled back sharply in recent weeks. Time to buy the dip in this 4.3% dividend? Let’s discuss.

Kinder Morgan (KMI) is a blue-chip energy payer that boasts 79,000 miles of pipelines, which transport crude oil, carbon dioxide and other products, though chiefly natural gas. In fact, some 40% of natural gas produced in the U.S. flows through Kinder’s systems. It also has 139 terminals that store petroleum products, chemicals, renewables, and more.

But venerable though it might be, Kinder Morgan is having a rocky start to the year, courtesy of a nearly 15% slide since its Q4 earnings report in January—and this sudden downturn in price has me eyeballing KMI (and a handful of other high-dividend energy names) again.… Read more

Often as dividend investors we buy stocks that provide us with income now. We take the current yield and happily collect the monthly or quarterly payout.

Sometimes, though, it is wise to punt a bit of current yield today in exchange for serious upside tomorrow. Especially when a megatrend is unfolding, as we have in the energy sector today.

A dual boom in electric vehicles (EVs) and artificial intelligence (AI) tools is driving a transformation in power generation. New batteries are needed for storage. The grid is being tapped for more and more “juice.” This is a potential windfall for income investors who are tuned into this important energy transition.… Read more

In the last few weeks, we’ve talked a lot about “hated” dividends set to soar as mainstream investors get it wrong on Trump 2.0.

Last week, we covered utility stocks, “bond proxies” that look great here, and a 7.6%-yielding utility fund to buy now.

This week we’re shifting to another despised corner of the market, again thanks to the new administration—healthcare. But our play isn’t some middling payer, like 3%-yielding Johnson & Johnson (JNJ).

A 13% Dividend That Grows

Instead, we’re going to drop a “1” in front of that “3” and buy a 13%-yielding healthcare closed-end fund (CEF).… Read more

Stocks are climbing a wall of worry, which is a hallmark of bull markets. Higher equity prices really do require fear!

Today we’ll highlight the least-liked stocks on Wall Street. Why? Because each analyst has nothing to do but upgrade these plays from here. As always, we’ll focus on big dividends—I’m talking about yields starting at 6% and going all the way up to 24%.

Let’s recap our profitable sources of fear. First, the broader market per one of our preferred “vanilla gauges”:

Source: CNN Fear & Greed Index

While retail investors are fearful, analysts at large are quite bullish. At least on paper.… Read more

Inflation continues to creep higher. Meanwhile tariffs are here, and more are on the way.

Vanilla investors are rattled. The AAII (American Association of Individual Investors) Investor Sentiment Survey reveals 47% bears and only 28% bulls, its highest level of despair in a year.

Contrarians like us, meanwhile, are salivating. We like it when individual investors are down in the dumps. And it’s not just AAII members—CNN’s Fear and Greed Index has been floundering in fear territory for the last month:

Inflation fears? Tariff worries? Bring ‘em on!

Let’s talk inflation first. The basic spreadsheet jockeys are surprised—sad even—that the Fed may not be cutting rates at all this year.… Read more

Bonds (and bond proxies) are hated right now. That’s our shot at big dividends—because mainstream investors’ thinking here is totally backward.

We’re going to pounce, and use this opportunity to grab ourselves a huge 7.6% payout sporting an unusual “discount in disguise.”

Tariffs: Don’t Believe the Hype

The reason for this opportunity comes back to tariffs—which I admit, dear reader, I’ve heard so much about that I’m starting to dream about them at night!

The badly flawed logic most people are applying to tariffs is this: Tariffs will drive up prices, adding to an inflation rate that, according to last week’s CPI report, hit 3% year over year, up from 2.9% the month before and a mere 2.4% in October (and was ahead of expectations, to boot).… Read more

President Trump has been talking about tariffs since 1989, when he advocated for a 15% to 20% tax on imports from Japan because of unfair trade practices. This is how he describes Canada, China, Mexico and Europe today.

Trump has already imposed a 10% levy on Chinese imports. Meanwhile, Mexico and Canada have secured a 30-day reprieve from planned 25% tariffs, contingent upon their commitments to bolster border security and curb the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.

More tariffs are coming. Trump says he is willing to take the short-term pain for potential benefits.

We contrarians don’t have to grit our teeth and suffer with stocks that are suddenly tariff losers.… Read more

Have you refinanced your house recently?

Me neither. Somehow, for our house it’s already four years ago, though I can remember the transaction like it was yesterday.

Full credit for the smart financial move to my wife, who asked about refi timing over (and over) and fortunately got it through my thick head before interest rates really started to rise. Fed Chair Jay Powell was running the printing presses like crazy and long rates (mortgage included) would eventually lift from basement levels.

When refi activity slows, it is bullish for elite 8.5%-yielding Rithm Capital (RITM). RITM, our old Contrarian Income Report friend, smartly purchased a stockpile of mortgage service rights (MSRs), which gain in value as rates grind sideways or up.… Read more