Author Archive: Brett Owens

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

Let’s cut the Fed-babble and call things how they really are. Because what happened last week means a lot for our dividends—and whether we’ll be able to count on them in the future.

(In a moment, we’ll hit up three stocks that are perfect buys in today’s “Fed-driven” economy—they pay dividends up to four times bigger than those of the S&P 500.)

Last week we learned that:

• The economy is roaring, with GDP up 6.4% in March from a year ago—that’s the kind of number you expect from a developing country like Vietnam, not the world’s biggest economy, yet …

• The Fed’s money printer will STILL go “Brrrrrrr…” Jay Powell made no bones about it after last Wednesday’s Fed meeting: his massive bond purchases and zero-point-nothing interest rates are here to stay.

What’s better than a 6% yield paid every quarter?

An 8% annual yield—paid every month—of course.

These hidden gems aren’t easy to find, but they are out there. While 99% of the market’s dividend payers dish out dollars every quarter or longer, it is possible to find dividends that match up with our monthly bills.

Monthly dividends can be a “must have” in retirement. While those in the workforce can cash a check once or twice a month, retirees don’t have active income. (That’s the point of retirement—less required activity!)

Our leisure and financial security is possible. We simply need our money to work harder for us.… Read more

Nick Patterson was one smart dude. Math genius, stats wiz and perhaps the top code breaker for the British government for many years.

But even he couldn’t figure out how his new employer was minting so much money.

Patterson joined up with hedge fund manager Jim Simons and his “math dream team” in 1993. Simons was a renowned mathematician who plucked top academic talent from leading universities in setting up one of the world’s first major “quant” funds.

“Quant” is of course slang for “quantitative.” These guys developed math models and built computer programs that profited from clues delivered by price action alone.… Read more