This Easy Dividend “Hack” Delivers 188%+ Payout Growth

Brett Owens, Chief Investment Strategist
Updated: May 8, 2018

Here’s the truth about the whole “sell in May and go away” strategy—following it will cost you huge gains and income. And if whipsawing markets have you thinking of cutting back on stocks this summer, you need to reverse course now.

Consider this: in the 9 years since the financial crisis, this “advice” only worked 3 times. And by “worked,” I mean you would have sidestepped a decline in the S&P 500 by sitting out from May through October. Those are crap-shoot odds!

Selling Low and Buying High

And the wins you would have passed up are enough to make any investor weep.… Read more

How to Play the Cryptocurrency Mania for Big Dividends

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: May 7, 2018

I know I don’t have to tell you that there are a ton of so-called experts out there dying to tell you why bitcoin, ripple or some other cryptocurrency is a surefire way to get rich.

Too bad they’re all wrong.

If you’ve been reading my columns on Contrarian Outlook, you know I issued a dire warning around Christmas that bitcoin’s promises were hollow, meaning the bubble was going to pop. “The truth is, bitcoin is actually the least private currency in existence!” I wrote, dismissing bitcoin’s biggest appeal for speculators.

But I had a bigger worry: would a burst bitcoin bubble wipe out tech stocks, too?… Read more

9 June Dividend Hikes to Buy for 12% Yearly Gains, Forever

Brett Owens, Chief Investment Strategist
Updated: May 5, 2018

Most people are chasing big dividend payers right now in this “3% world” we live in. Meanwhile, a small group of “hidden yield” stocks are quietly handing smart investors growing income streams PLUS annual returns of 12%, 17.3%, or more.

Let’s talk about how to find these stocks, and bank 12% returns or better every single year, by following a simple two-step formula.

See, everyone wants dividend stocks with good current yields. It’s easy to scan a newspaper or financial website and pick out the stocks that are paying 3%, 4%, 8% or whatever number you might consider “good.”

Yet that’s NOT the right way to pick dividend stocks.… Read more

3 “High Yield Leaders” to Buy for 5% to 12% Payouts

Brett Owens, Chief Investment Strategist
Updated: May 4, 2018

It’s been a rough year thus far for many high paying investments. From utilities to REITs (real estate investment trusts) to high yield bonds, many are getting crushed as rates rise:

Why High Yield Shortcuts are for Losers

But we don’t dumbly buy these indices. We cherry pick the very best of the high yield lot. After all, there is always a bull market somewhere (or in something). And this is where we should invest for big dividends and price upside to boot:

The Strongest Names in High Yield (Year-To-Date)

So let’s discuss these “dividend market leaders” and see why they are acting strong while their cousins make interest rate excuses.… Read more

Ignore This Advice and Risk Losing 50% of Your Nest Egg

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: May 3, 2018

With the jaw-dropping stock-market dives we’ve seen in the last 3 months, you can be forgiven if your stomach tightens just a bit when you go to check your retirement account.

So today I’m going to give you my 3 best tips for securing your hard-earned cash—and even better, locking in a dividend stream you can easily live off of in retirement.

And no, you won’t need a seven-figure nest egg to pull off what I’m going to show you now.

Step #1: Diversify the Right Way

You no doubt know that diversification is key to protecting your wealth, but if you only go halfway, it will end in disaster.… Read more

REIT Moguls Are Buying These 5%+ Yields for 50%+ Annualized Gains

Brett Owens, Chief Investment Strategist
Updated: May 2, 2018

Andrew, Arthur and Paul knew their REIT stock was too cheap. So, last August 21, the trio slapped down three independent bets on their firm’s stock using their own money. Their reward? Quick 26% returns:

REIT Moguls Know Best, for Quick 26% Gains

Did they time the entire sector bottoming? No – Vanguard’s Real Estate ETF (VNQ) dropped 5% over the same time period. But that was just noise, because these boys knew their own business. They cherry picked the bargain.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that a chief financial officer (CFO) and his cronies would nail this trade. After all, finding deals with real estate investment trusts (REIT) is a straightforward 2-step process:

  1. Find a high relative yield, and
  2. Buy it if “first-level worries” will soon prove fleeting.
Read more

4 REITs Paying Up to 5% With 136% Payout Growth

Brett Owens, Chief Investment Strategist
Updated: May 1, 2018

Today we’re going to dive into the two “cheapest” corners in the S&P 500. Because with the terrible performance these 2 sectors have put in this year, you could think both are bargains now.

But the truth is, only one of these sectors is worth buying into now (I’ll name 4 specific stocks in a minute). In fact, the last time we saw a market like today’s, stocks in this overlooked pool spiked 41%!

The other sector? A textbook “value trap”—it’s cheap for a reason, and is about to plunge further.

You can see the 2 sectors I’m talking about in this chart from Yardeni Research:

The 2 worst performers, consumer staples (the purple line) and real estate investment trusts, or REITs (beige line) have flopped 12.4% and 8.5%, respectively.… Read more

My No. 1 Strategy for Big Gains (and Dividends) for the Rest of 2018

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: April 30, 2018

Remember when stocks took some of the biggest nosedives in market history back in early February?

I know that sounds like a ridiculous question, but I ask because many folks seem to have forgotten, with stocks quite a bit calmer now than they were in those days, even though they’ve seen a little more turbulence recently.

But it’s not too late for us contrarians to go on a bargain hunt—and we’re going to do it with my tool of choice: a high-dividend (I’m talking 7%+ cash yields here), yet easy-to-buy fund called a closed-end fund (CEF).

Wall Street’s Hidden Winners

First off, don’t be surprised if you’re not familiar with CEFs.… Read more

4 Deep-Value Dividend Stocks Yielding Up To 11.8%

Brett Owens, Chief Investment Strategist
Updated: April 27, 2018

Whenever a dividend payer goes on sale, it’s a chance for you and I to make a lot of money and collect steady income. Today, we’ll highlight four stocks that are worthy of our review.

Not only do we bank a higher yield, but we can also enjoy price appreciation as shares rise in value. This is the benefit of combining value and dividend investing.

For example, let’s say we like a stock at $40 that is paying a $1.50 yearly dividend. If we like it at $40, then we should love it at $30 – because our potential upside (and hence total return including dividends) is that much greater:

The same exact stock.… Read more

These 7% Dividends Could Skyrocket in May

Michael Foster, Investment Strategist
Updated: April 26, 2018

By this point, you’ve probably heard that earnings season has been off the charts so far.

But there’s a problem.

You see, corporate profits are so good that the big buying opportunity I’ve been telling you about for months is vanishing fast!

Why? Because US firms are too profitable, and economic growth is too strong for the herd to not want to pile into stocks very soon.

So today we’re going to front run those folks by buying before they do.

In a moment, I’ll show you not only why you should buy now, but 2 funds you that are solid bets for serious upside and a huge dividend stream of 7%.… Read more