Income investors can, in many ways, be even harsher critics than growth investors.

That’s because while some traders can delude themselves into believing the fancy growth stories of biotech or software startups … for “risk off” investors interested in dividends, the numbers matter.

And when a company isn’t measuring up, it shows.

There’s no greater proof of that than tools company Stanley Black & Decker (SWK). The stock has stumbled dramatically over the last year as supply chain pressures brought about the pandemic were compounded by rising raw material costs.

Thanks to weak margins and flat revenue, the stock is down a gut-wrenching 56% or so year-to-date.… Read more

Savvy contrarians know that when markets crash, the most beaten-up sectors are often the ones that lead the (inevitable) surge higher.

It’s one of the most reliable trends in investing. With their valuations (and dividend yields) crushed, these stocks are tempting bait for bargain hunters who like to run against the herd.

The 2008 financial crisis is a great example. Financial stocks, which were pummeled as millions of mortgages went bust, went on to soar after the market bottomed in ’09. So did real estate investment trusts (REITs).

Which is why I’m looking to roughed-up tech stocks, and tech-focused closed-end funds (CEFs), to lead the way in 2023.… Read more

“Hey Brett. How’s the weather out there in California?”

My usual reply is “warm and sunny.” Simple. Gives the asker what they expect and keeps the pleasantries moving along.

If I was one for small talk, I would be tempted to mix in a confusing and way-too-detailed response. Like this:

“The weather? Well, Sacramento hit a low of 27 degrees in the early morning hours of February 24. And we cooked at an extreme 116 degrees on September 6. It has been quite the 12 months!”

Twelve months? Who cares about 12 months? Well, bond funds do.

Last week, we highlighted the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT): “It (TLT) boasts a 4.1% yield and has some serious upside potential.”… Read more

Now is the best time to roll out our favorite dividend “hack.” It’s a sneaky-smart strategy that lets us “time” the market for soaring dividend payouts (and a steady drip of price gains, too).

Our plan consists of two simple steps, which we’ll look at now. Then I’ll name two stocks that are perfect for this strategy. Both look set to roll out big dividend hikes soon.

Step 1: Buy Just as a Payout Hike Is Announced

We’ll start by “timing” our buys just as dividend hikes are announced. That’s a veteran move because a company’s stock almost always rises with its payouts—a predictable pattern I call the Dividend Magnet.… Read more

Despite last week’s market pop, there are still plenty of terrific dividend buys out there. But don’t waste your time with lame payers like General Mills (GIS), with its 2.7% yield. Or the miserly 2.2% you get from a so-called “Dividend Aristocrat” like McDonald’s (MCD).

Inflation is still at 7.7%! That’s far ahead of these pathetic blue-chip yields. We just can’t afford to own low payers like these any longer.

We need much more income if we want to achieve the dream scenario: a retirement funded entirely by dividends. That’s the path we’re going down today, with three closed-end funds (CEFs) boasting an incredible average yield of 10.5%.… Read more

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are retirement makers right now. Many are paying dividends that are three or even four times the market average.

Plus, these landlords are cheap. They are trading at multiples of cash flow that make them bargains compared with the S&P 500.

Why are these deals available? Rising rates.

In the near term, higher rates mean higher costs of capital for REITs, and more competition for income (as bond yields rise, too). That has knocked real estate stocks down—which is great news for us dividend investors, because it means they pay more.

Today, we’re going to look at a surprising three-pack of REITs that yield 3x to 4x the broader stock market and are outrunning not just the sector over the past few months, but the much better-performing S&P 500.… Read more

Every Thanksgiving, I get together with my in-laws. They’re nice enough people … but if I’m being honest, some of them aren’t particularly interesting.

Conversations are invariably limited to just two or three topics. In fact, some people just have two or three particular stories they trot out.

I just sit there and nurse my second or third glass of wine, and try to look interested.

The stock market is kind of like that in 2022. There simply aren’t a lot of things to say about the stock market – rising rates and inflation have gutted Big Tech and other growth-oriented names, while commodity stocks and defensive plays reign supreme.… Read more

Let’s use this November rally to “front-run” even bigger gains in 2023. Our target buys: closed-end funds (CEFs) throwing off high yields and trading at double-digit discounts.

We’re keen to move now because, with a 20%+ loss this year, stocks (and the CEFs that hold them) are way oversold. And with the market’s tendency to rise into year-end (the much-loved Santa Claus rally), now is a great time to buy.

One smart option here is a CEF called the General American Investors Company (GAM). GAM is one of the most reliable CEFs there is, with roots stretching back to 1927.… Read more

One week ago, money-printer-turned-inflation-hawk Jay Powell told the world he was going to keep hiking interest rates. And more than he thought his Federal Reserve needed just two months ago.

Yes, even higher interest rates. Obviously more bad news for bonds, right?

It depends. Let’s explore the second level take, because Jay’s outlook is actually bullish for a select slice of fixed income.

Our inspiration, as always, is renowned value investor Howard Marks, chief of Oaktree Capital Group, with $164 billion under management. Marks’ writing has won acclaim from legendary peers such as Joel Greenblatt, Jeremy Grantham, Seth Klarman and even Warren Buffett.… Read more

We’ve finally got something (two things, in fact!) working for us dividend investors in this dumpster-fire market:

• The midterm elections, which always bring a buying opportunity (as we’ll see below) and …

• The calendar, as stocks post most of their gains in the six months starting November 1.

The last time this “double-profit” setup appeared, after the 2018 midterms, we tapped it for a 57% return. That win was driven by a payout that grew quarterly.

Now we’ve got a chance to pull off the same feat again—with the same ticker we used then, too! This kind of opportunity is very rare indeed—only appearing once every four years.… Read more