Energy is one sector where the experts just can’t seem to get it right.

That’s a trend my colleague Brett Owens has been watching for a long time. In a March article, he warned that too many investors were bullish on oil, and the hedge fund “experts” betting on an imminent price breakthrough were wrong.

Since then, oil prices, oil stocks and energy funds have fallen sharply, leading energy to post year-to-date losses while every other asset class is up:

Energy Takes a Dive

It doesn’t matter how you played energy; the Alerian MLP ETF (AMLP) was the best performer, but even that was negative, while the more oil-exposed Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) and Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE) were down about 9%, on average.… Read more

You won’t see these “hidden yields” quoted on any financial website. But these firms are showering their shareholders with double-digit yields – and making their owners rich in the process.

The key to finding them? Look beyond the stated yields and focus on the more nuanced (and more valuable) “shareholder yields”.

Take Corning (GLW) for example. The maker of Gorilla Glass never pays more than 3% – if you only look at the current dividend, that is:

Always a Modest 2%+ Yield

But Corning’s shareholder yield – which properly includes money the firm spends on share buybacks – has climbed into double-digits in recent years.… Read more

Buying real estate investment trusts isn’t like buying other stocks; despite their high yields and big long-term returns, REITs require a bit more attention and a bit faster action than more popular dividend-payers, like blue chips and dividend-growth stocks.

But it’s more than just speed and care. To win with REITs, you need to follow three rules—and I’m going to show you those today.

These REIT rules have never been more important than they are now. Broadly, REITs are getting more valuable, but the market is getting more scared of them. This disconnect makes no sense and is partly the reason why two extremely healthy and valuable REITs—Sabra Health Care REIT (SBRA) and Care Capital Properties (CCP) recently merged.… Read more

Fact: When interest rates rise, you need to be in dividend-growth stocks.

Proof: They’ve handily beaten the S&P 500 in the 17 months since the Federal Reserve put the zero-interest-rate era on ice.

In just a moment, I’ll show you 2 terrific off-the-radar dividend-growth plays to snap up now—and 2 surprising blue chips you’ll want to keep well away from your nest egg.

First, take a look at how the iShares Core Dividend-Growth ETF (DGRO) has performed vs. the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) on a total-return basis since December 16, 2015, the day Janet Yellen raised rates for the first time in nine years.… Read more

Dividend growth is one of the keys to a strong retirement portfolio (and 12% annual gains forever). While any stock boasting a big stated yield is sure to grab your attention, if that dividend isn’t growing, it’s actually shrinking (as inflation eats up more and more of that income every year.)

That’s why I regularly keep my eye on dividend increases … and why I’m looking at a bundle of stocks that are very likely to up the ante on their regular payouts over the next few months.

If you’re an income investor, it’s increasingly important to focus on dividend growth because – guess what?… Read more

Something wonderful happened last week: one of the municipal-bond CEFs I recommended to ContrarianOutlook.com readers more than two months ago raised its dividend.

The Pioneer Municipal High-Income Advantage Trust (MAV) hiked its payout by over 5%, giving the fund a 5.3% yield.

The stock price caught a lift on the news, bringing it to a 4.3% total return in a little more than two months, outperforming the municipal-bond fund benchmark iShares National Municipal Bond Total Return Fund (MUB) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).

Trouncing Munis and Stocks

The hike came after a series of dividend cuts dragged down the fund’s share price over the last few years:

Falling Yields and Prices

The lower yields didn’t do much to attract new investors, so the fund’s price kept slumping along with the weaker income.… Read more

Plenty of income investors say they are in it for the dividends. But they mistakenly fixate on erratic (and irrelevant) charts like these:

This Chart Will Cost You Money…

Instead of charts with actionable information – like these:

… While This One Will Make You Wealthy

The first chart was price-only, a source of agony for many investors. While the second was quarterly dividends, with this example representing the perfect passive income stream for any retiree.

The latter is often available at a discount because the former – the share price of Omega Healthcare (OHI) – keeps its “ticker watchers” busy.… Read more

From 1994 to 2014, self-storage REITs (real estate investment trusts) rewarded investors handsomely. They delivered 18% annualized returns with lower volatility (less drama) than their REIT peers.

But the past year has been brutal for shareholders of the Big 4 self-storage REITs. The storage sell-off has included sector blue-chip Public Storage (PSA), as well as Extra Space Storage (EXR) a top REIT performer for the past decade. The selling has not spared investors in CubeSmart (CUBE) or Life Storage (LSI), the re-branded Sovran Self-Storage (Uncle Bob’s).

This horrible performance over the past 12-months has come as a shock for most REIT investors who have come to expect handsome dividend increases and higher prices from these names.… Read more