Author Archive: Michael Foster

I’m about to show you 3 funds to buy for the raging bull market we’ll see in 2018.

You read that right. After a massive 22% gain in 2017, stocks still have room to run, no matter what the naysayers tell you.

Before we get to these 3 funds—with dividend yields up to 8%—I want to tell you why the negative Nellies are all washed up when it comes to the outlook for stocks this year.

Then we’re going to “pick our spots,” highlighting the 2 fastest-growing sectors of this surging market (both of which our 3 fund picks are dialed into) to grab the highest dividends and upside!… Read more

What if I told you that you could reap huge dividends (I’m talking life-changing 15% payouts) and quick upside from … the weather?

I’m talking about the bone-chilling polar vortex, which, especially if you live on the US east coast, probably already has you feeling winter weary—and we’re only in mid-January.

I’ll show you 3 beaten-down funds at the center of our “polar-vortex profit plan” in a moment. But first, here are the raw numbers behind this opportunity for income and gains.

A Heat Map for Frigid Times

Since it’s freezing outside, it makes sense to warm our hearts with a heat map—and there’s no better heat map than the one for the S&P 500.… Read more

In investing, it’s just as important to know what to buy as what to avoid.

And if there’s one thing you need to keep away from at all costs, it’s a dividend cut like the huge 16.8% slash the PIMCO Global StocksPLUS & Income Fund (PGP) announced on January 2.

It caught first-level investors completely off guard (though it shouldn’t have, as I’ll explain in a moment).

Here’s how they responded:

And Down She Goes

If you’re a regular reader of my articles on ContrarianOutlook.com, you’ll recognize PGP, a PIMCO fund that mixes stocks and bonds to give investors the biggest dividend possible.… Read more

With 2017 in the books, it’s time to turn our attention to 2018.

And if you invest in closed-end funds (CEFs)—and you should—there’s a lot to look forward to.

In a moment, I’ll show you the one type of fund not to buy in 2018—and give you a simple 2-step plan that lets you zero in on the funds set to outperform the market and deliver you outsized dividends, too.

First, I want to give you my prediction for the market as a whole in 2018. You’ll be pleased to hear that a lot of the things that made 2017 fantastic for investors are still in play as we roll into the new year.… Read more

2017 was an amazing year for closed-end funds (CEFs)—and 2018 is setting up to be just as strong, if not stronger.

So if you’re on the hunt for big dividends and upside this year (and who isn’t?), this is a perfect time to take a closer look at high-yielding CEFs.

That goes double for the 10 unloved CEFs I’ll show you in a moment.

In fact, I’ll go as far as to say this: I predict these 10 funds will be this year’s biggest comeback story, after investors mostly threw them over the side in 2017.

More on those in a moment.… Read more

Worried that a bursting bitcoin bubble will sideswipe stocks in 2018?

Don’t be. Because as I’ll explain in a moment, the hysteria over the so-called “cryptocurrency” is actually good for stocks this year, no matter if bitcoin explodes for a 10,000% gain … or flames out and crashes back to earth.

I’ll also show you the one surprising group of stocks poised to benefit from bitcoin in 2018, no matter what happens.

First, if you’re like most people and find bitcoin a complete mystery, stick with me for a minute and I’ll show you how it works—and what’s pumping up the bulging bitcoin bubble.… Read more

Today I’m going to show you the 3 best closed-end funds of 2017—and reveal a surprising prediction for each of these powerhouse CEFs in 2018.

The prediction? That after soaring up to 58.8% in 2017, these 3 rock-solid CEFs aren’t done yet. In fact, I see all 3 posting double-digit gains in the next 12 months, too!

More on these 3 winning funds in a moment. (And if you’re unfamiliar with CEFs, click here for a full primer on them.)

First, let’s take a very fast look at…

The Year That Was in CEFs

In CEFs, the biggest winners of 2017 had a lot in common, and that made it easy to separate the losers from the winners, because the whole market seemed to agree on 3 things:

1. Tech is where to put your money.

If there’s one thing I love, it’s picking up on a “sleeper” income opportunity that first-level investors have walked right past.

And today I’m going to show you not one but three. And one of these stealth buys yields a safe, stable 9.5%.

So a $100,000 investment in this unloved fund would hand you a nice $9,500 in 2018, or a steady $2,375 when its dividends drop into your account every quarter.

I’ll have more to say about these 3 funds—all of which are managed by a real, live human—shortly, including why they’re a better way to go than a “dumb” index fund.… Read more

I usually don’t recommend shorting a closed-end fund (CEF), but if I were to do so, the 3 I’m about to show you would top my list.

I don’t like shorting CEFs for two simple reasons: first, you’re responsible for paying out the dividends on a shorted stock. So if a CEF pays a 10% yield, you have to pay out 10% while shorting it. No thanks!

Second, the CEF market is extremely irrational. For this reason, CEFs can remain overvalued for a long time, meaning you’ll need to short for far too long before you get your payouts.

Still, there are some CEFs that are so absurdly overbought that shorting becomes really tempting.… Read more

Today I’m going to give you my full investment forecast for 2018—and name 2 high-yielding closed-end funds (CEFs) poised to soar after the new year rolls in.

But before we get to that, we need to cast a quick eye back over 2017, because 2 things that happened this year are setting us up for big gains next year.

And 2017 was a terrific year for stocks—something that came as a surprise to many folks (but not me).

When we started the year, a slew of fears were encouraging bears to warn of an impending stock-market crash. Then the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) did this:

A Great Year

I’ve been beating the drum for stocks throughout 2017.… Read more