Author Archive: Brett Owens

Dividend growth is the secret to a comfortable retirement. Today, we’re going to discuss five stocks with big “payout momentum” heading into 2020. As dividends grow, stock prices, are likely to follow, so pay attention.

How do I know? The dividend-growth strategy in my Hidden Yields research service has resulted in 17%-plus annual returns since inception. Do the math, and that means subscribers have roughly doubled their money every four years.

Yet, for whatever reason, massive dividend increases throughout the year go virtually uncovered. The company puts out a press release, typically alongside earnings. Even the biggest payout hikes of the year get just one or two sentences in a writeup before reporters move on to sexier topics.… Read more

Stocks or bonds? With the market off to an inauspicious December start, you may be thinking about shuffling some money from equities into income.

But rich guys and gals know better than to choose. They blend the best of both worlds to collect interest and enjoy share price upside! And we can too.

Their secret tickers? Convertible bonds. (Before the holidays you may be tempted to add some convertibles to your portfolio simply so that you can brag about them to friends and family!)

Convertible bonds, like the preferred shares we have discussed recently, pay regular interest. In this way, they act like bonds.… Read more

Imagine investing a million dollars and getting back … a pathetic $17,500 in income every year.

You don’t have to imagine—because that’s exactly what you’d get if you bought the typical S&P 500 stock today, which yields a sad 1.75%.

The worst part? That yield is a lot smaller than it was just 10 months ago, and down near 10-year lows as stock prices have ground higher:

Dividend Yields Scrape Bottom

No wonder dividends get no respect!

But I’ve got good news: that 1.75% doesn’t matter a bit to us. In fact, it’s a distraction from the real opportunity I want to show you: a dead-simple, 3-step shot at a much bigger payout.… Read more

If you flip on the financial news this Friday, or click over to your favorite stock website, you’re going to see headlines about retail stocks. After all, they can’t have a Black Friday without weighing in on immediate winners and losers!

In recent years, the retail sector has produced many more losers than winners. Amazon (AMZN) is blamed as the brick-and-mortar-killer, taking down not only unimaginative retailers but also the landlords that rent to them.

The carnage even extends to shopping center rentiers like Macerich (MAC). It promises a 10.2% yield, but this inflated payout is due to a stock that split “the wrong way”—halving in price without the increase in sales!… Read more

I run into far too many investors who think the best way to build their bond income is to buy through an ETF.

It makes sense. After all, buying corporate bonds “direct” means playing in the murky over-the-counter market, or forking over a hefty brokerage commission.

What’s more, the media—with help from ETF providers’ marketing departments—has most folks believing an “automated” ETF always beats a human manager.

So it follows that more people are buying ETFs like the Bloomberg Barclays SPDR High-Yield Bond ETF (JNK). With one click, you’re getting a portfolio of corporate bonds throwing off a nice 5.6% dividend yield—and charging just 0.4% of assets.… Read more

Some of the stock market’s best dividend stocks are hiding in plain sight. But today, I’m going to introduce you to four long, longtime dividend-growing powerhouses that yield up to 6.6%.

Wall Street has naturally slept on these companies simply because they’re not easily covered mega-caps like Coca-Cola (KO). That’s too bad because in many cases, their returns have shredded many blue chips with similar dividend histories.

Just consider this “mystery” company:

This global chemical firm was founded in 1932, and currently boasts 18 manufacturing locations across the world. Like many industrial companies, it’s boring but makes our everyday lives better.… Read more

This week we’re going to get a bit greedy (responsibly, of course) and discuss fast double-digit gains from safe dividend stocks. Many of you probably sat back and enjoyed Arbor Realty Trust’s (ABR) “parabolic” move to the upside in recent weeks. Since we purchased Arbor for our Contrarian Income Report portfolio in July 2018, we’ve enjoyed epic 60% total returns!

This Tree Might Grow to the Sky

We paid $10.85 per share and have already collected $1.51 in dividends, about 14% of our initial capital—in 16 months!

Payouts alone have provided a solid return, but it’s been the price gains that have really made this stock a winner.… Read more

Looking for a 27%+ gain in 2020? Then you’d better buy now. But you won’t want to go near the media darlings most folks gamble on: I’m looking at you, Tesla (TSLA).

Instead, we’ll ride to 27%+ gains with some of the sleepiest stocks out there! I’m talking about dividend payers—and better yet dividend growers. I’ll show you three names and a powerful (and simple) strategy you can start using now shortly.

First, let me tell you why, even with the S&P 500 popping new records daily, there’s still plenty of upside left as we roll into 2020.

2020 Market Drivers: The Election and the Fed 

The first?… Read more

Big brand names can’t rely on their past “glory days” forever. Today we’re going to make sure you don’t hold any “household name has beens” in your retirement portfolio.

I’m talking about washed up brands like Tupperware (TUP). The yesteryear firm’s shareholders just received yet another brutal reminder of the fickleness of brands in 2019.

Earlier this month, I pointed out the danger in blindly diving into high yields like Tupperware’s, which only hit double digits because its stock had been pelted so badly. Mere days later, shares of the ubiquitous container company sank to new all-time lows as Tupperware did the inevitable.… Read more

Interest rates are the talk of the bond world right now. They are going up for once!

Does this mean we should book profits on our fixed-rate bond positions? They have benefited greatly from sliding interest rates throughout 2019 (and that’s an understatement).

Most income investors are thrilled to see 4% or 5% returns from their bond funds. What they wouldn’t give for the eight-pack of “bond moonshots” we contrarians have enjoyed for 25% average returns!

How We Made 25% in 11 Months with Safe Bonds

Yet I’m sitting here at the Inside Fixed Income conference (the bores I endure for you, dear subscriber) in San Diego, California (well… never mind) hearing about the $74 billion now held in bond ETFs.… Read more