8 Big Dividend Increases Expected This Summer

The Contrary Investing Report

Investing and Trading News, with a Contrarian, Sarcastic Twist!

8 Big Dividend Increases Expected This Summer

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? – it’s slowing. Check out the chart below, which shows the S&P 500’s rate of dividend growth has pulled back to its lowest point since 2011. …
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This Unloved Bond CEF Is Taking Off: Buy Now

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
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An 8% Yield With 25% Upside (for Contrarians Only)

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. Even though price has gone nowhere lately, it’s been quoted as high as $38 and as low as $28 per share. …
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Self-Storage REITs: Poised for 18% (or more) Annual Returns

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.

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The 9.9%+ Yields Every Retiree Must Own

Let’s say you’re looking to retire and want to bring in the average American salary in your golden years.

It’s a good goal—and more than enough cash for many retirees, especially if you live outside places like, say, San Francisco, where the average one-bedroom apartment rents for $3,300 a month (!)

So how much are we talking about here?

As of March 2017, the average US worker took home $896.60, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Assuming 50 working weeks a year, that’s $44,830.

Okay, so we need to get $44,830 in pre-tax passive income. Where are we going to get it?

Most people look to three options: bonds, stocks and real estate. And sadly, that’s where many lose their shot at our $45k income stream. …
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3 Bargain Hotel REITs Paying up to 7%

The hotel industry is one of the more underappreciated income segments of the market thanks to low-yield big names like Hilton (HLT) and Choice Hotels (CHH) that operate and franchise hotels. Today, we’ll explore the dividend-rich side of hospitality via a trio of hotel REITs (real estate investment trusts) yielding up to 7% that invest in upper-echelon hotel and resort real estate.

The hotel industry is booming as America’s economic recovery continues. In 2016, hotel revenues across the board climbed more than 4% to hit nearly $200 billion – a record high. Meanwhile, STR and Tourism Economics forecast that U.S. hotels will continue chugging up the mountain over the next few years.

Upscale and luxury hotel REITs are particularly well positioned to grab a chunk of the increasing wealth of the affluent class. …
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10 ETF Dividends in Serious Danger

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be an easy “one-click way” to diversify your dividends. Instead of grinding on the viability of any single payout stream, why not build a basket of them?

But be careful – some pooled payouts are all bad and don’t even keep up with the broader market. In a minute, we’ll review ten dividend dogs masquerading around under the perceived “diversification safety” that ETFs provide.

Make no mistake, there’s a recent rush to ETFs. The 2016 U.S. Exchange Traded Funds Study by Greenwich Associates shows that institutional investors, including pension funds, are increasingly pouring their money into ETFs, from 18.9% of all ETF assets in 2015 to 21.2% last year. And they’re being driven by a number of factors, such as decreasing risk and adding diversity to their portfolios. …
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Ride the Rally With a 15% Discount and 6.4%+ Income

Today I’m going to show you why the pundits have this market rally all wrong—and how a group of little-known investments called closed-end funds (CEFs) are the best way to cash in as stocks head higher from here.

Why do I say higher?

Because as I wrote back on March 30, this market is rising for the right reason: soaring earnings.

According to FactSet, first-quarter earnings are up 12.5% for S&P 500 companies that have announced so far, and earnings per share revisions are far more likely to skew upward than downward.

Simply put, American companies are making cash hand over fist.

But you wouldn’t guess that from the alarmist warnings out there. A couple months ago, CNBC reported that George Soros bet “big” against the stock market, and hedge fund legend Paul Tudor Jones warned that the stock market’s current valuation is “terrifying. …
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How to Bank 35% Returns From Safe Bonds

The ideal “no withdrawal” retirement portfolio is a diversified one. Since you’re reading this, I know you know stocks. But how comfortable are you buying bonds – especially the more obscure issues (which provide the best yields and value?)

Probably not as comfortable as you are with good ol’ dividend paying stocks. But here’s the good news – it doesn’t matter.

You can diversify your portfolio, bank safe 9% yields and hire one of the best bond managers on the planet. For free, to boot! It just requires a bit of contrarian thinking – and knowing which publicly traded funds these guys are managing behind the scenes.

Pick the right fund, and you can actually enjoy total returns up to 35% per year. Here’s how. …
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How to Buy the Best REITs at an 18% Discount

Today, I’m going to show you some of my favorite REITs—and a novel way of buying them that lets you do so for 18% off!

But first, there’s one sector you need to avoid: financials.

In fact, you needed to avoid it two months ago, as I warned back on February 28.

What’s happened since then? Nothing good.

Financials Come Up Short

This underperformance you see in the above chart isn’t surprising, considering financials were up over 30% by the end of February—and you can see from this chart that they reached their top just when I called it:

Snapshot of a Correction

What’s going on here? …
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