We currently own this 9.4% yield BlackRock Closed-End Fund (CEF) for its many attractive qualities. We last wrote about the compelling bond CEF opportunity in late March when the markets were falling apart due to covid fears (for example here and here), and as you can see in the following chart, shares have since rebounded strongly. However, we believe the price remains attractive, and in this article we review the compelling qualities and important risks (buying opportunities) to watch. Worth mentioning, despite volatility, it has never stopped paying (or even reduced) its big Monthly dividend payments to investors.
This Healthcare Diagnosis Stock: +50% Upside in 6 to 12 months
This particular company is a rapidly growing leader in cancer prevention and diagnosis, with high margins and a large total addressable market. However, the shares have recently sold off based on short-term fear (COVID-19 has temporarily slowed screening, but will ultimately accelerate adoption) and shortsightedness related to profitability. As a result, the valuation is now quite attractive relative to the long-term opportunity. In this article, we review the business, the growth opportunities, recent performance and valuation, risks and conclude with our opinion on investing.
Why This Tiny Digital Advertiser's Shares Could Soar
The COVID-19 pandemic has created tremendous challenges and opportunities. And in the case of this tiny digital advertising firm, the opportunity has been magnified not only by the pandemic, but also by the firm’s own specific challenges and now recent merger. In fact, advertisers have significantly reduced digital ad spend in the short-term (which has magnified pressure on these shares), but as we head into 2021, digital ad spend is expected to resume rapidly, and it could slingshot these shares higher, especially considering the improved long-term business model and enormous market opportunity.
Tsakos Preferreds: Despite Risks, Attractive +10% Dividend Yield, Capital Appreciation Potential
If you are an income-focused investor, these preferred shares are worth considering. Despite the risks (such as a high debt load, a growing amount of preferred share dividend payments, significant fleet depreciation and the first decrease in oil demand since 2009), there are reasons to believe this investment opportunity is very attractive. For example, the company has historically navigated through many crisis situations, thanks in large part to its fixed-rate chartering policy. Further, the company has a diversified fleet and a consistently improving debt profile (albeit with growing preferreds). Further still, efforts to improve the common stock’s price (via a reverse stock split), the expected recovery in charter rates (from an anticipated oil demand rebound in 2021) and a possible tanker supply imbalance (created by the implementation of IMO regulations), all bode well. Overall, we like the deeply discounted price on the preferred shares, especially considering the big stable dividend payments to investors.
Top 10 Big-Dividend REITs
Over the last six months, Real Estate (XLRE) has been one of the worst performing sectors of the market, but that could be about to change. With the amazing growth stock rally starting to wobble, select REITs are looking particularly attractive as the world begins to get a better grip on covid. Obviously, the pandemic challenges are great and in many cases they add to the struggles of a secular demise in some brick-and-mortar commercial real estate. Nonetheless, select REITs are particularly attractive, and this report ranks our top 10 big-dividend REITs (5% yields and above), counting down from #10 to #1.
Brookfield Property REIT: 11.5% Yield, Higher Risk
Brookfield Property REIT (BPYU) offers an 11.5% dividend yield that is hard to ignore. While clearly there are concerns given its exposure to malls and retail, we believe the backing of parent, Brookfield Asset Management (BAM), will help it weather the storm. BAM’s decision to fund BPYU’s tender offer is a vote of confidence in the business, and it also signals to investors that the current valuation may be a bargain. If you have a higher tolerance for volatility and risk in your portfolio, you may want to consider adding shares. This article reviews the health of the business, valuation, risks, dividend safety, and concludes with our opinion about investing.
Microsoft: Growth, Cash Flow and Perhaps TikTok
Microsoft (MSFT) has experienced an impressive turnaround over the last few years. The company’s top-line growth has been fueled by its cloud computing solutions. Demand for cloud computing has been on the rise and has seen acceleration post COVID-19 due to a global push for business digitalization. More recently, Microsoft has been in the news after announcing that it (along with Walmart (WMT)) is in talks with ByteDance to acquire social media app TikTok’s business in certain countries including the US. In this report, we analyze Microsoft’s business model, its market opportunities including the potential TikTok transaction, competitive positioning, valuations, risks, and finally conclude with whether an investment in the company’s stock offers an attractive balance between risks and rewards.
Simon Property Group: 8% Yield, Discounted Price, Real Risks
Retail REITs have been among the hardest hit stocks during COVID19 lockdowns, and blue-chip Simon Property Group (SPG) has not been spared. Its dividend has been reduced significantly and its share price has fallen dramatically. Furthermore, its former Taubman Centers (TCO) deal, recent retailer buying spree and rumors of a deal with Amazon (AMZN), complicate matters further. In this article, we review the health of the business, valuation, risks, dividend safety, and conclude with our opinion about whether SPG is worth considering if you are a long-term income-focused investor.
Portfolio and Tracker Tool Updates
We do not trade often at Blue Harbinger, but we have just made significant updates to both our Income Equity and Disciplined Growth portfolios. This report provides an overview of the changes, as well as details on why we made the changes. We also highlight some updates to the website, such as the new home page and the new portfolio tracker tool (both are designed to be more useful to readers).
Verizon: 4.2% Dividend Yield, Oasis or Mirage?
Compared to high-flying tech stocks, dividend stocks have fared poorly since the onset of the pandemic, and some investors are left wondering if this trend is permanent. Verizon (VZ) is one such stock that investors have grown to trust (14 consecutive years of dividend increases), but just how safe is its business model? In particular, will its recurring subscription revenue stream (mainly from its wireless business) keep cash flowing? This article reviews the health of the business, valuation, risks, dividend safety, and concludes with our opinion on whether Verizon is worth considering if you are a long-term income-focused investor.
Income via Growth Stock: Time to Sell Put Options?
This powerful consumer internet company operates a leading digital entertainment business as well as an e-commerce platform and a digital financial services operation in Southeast Asia. The company operates in some of the fastest growing economies in the world. And it is benefiting from the tailwinds of global “Stay-at-home” orders. Not surprisingly, the stock has rallied over 200% since the start of the year. In this report, we analyze the business model, competitive strengths, financial position and finally conclude with our opinion on the stock’s risk-reward (as well as an interesting options trade idea that generates attractive upfront premium income).
Federal Realty: A Dividend Aristocrat Among REITs
Despite having just increased its dividend for the 53rd consecutive year, retail REIT Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT) has been hit hard by the current pandemic. Conditions have started to improve (e.g. more tenants are re-opening and cash collections are increasing), but in order to succeed FRT will need to make smart capital allocation decisions and manage its liquidity carefully (its dividend payout ratio is near the high end of its historical range). This article reviews the health of the business, valuation, risks, dividend safety, and concludes with our opinion on whether FRT is worth considering if you are a long-term income-focused investor.
Income Via Growth: A Post-Pandemic Cybersecurity Winner
From time to time, we like to share highly attractive “income-via-growth” opportunities, and this is one of those times. This article is about a stock that pays zero dividend, but can provide a lot of spending cash to investors through long-term price appreciation. We believe it’s a good idea to sprinkle a few of these types of stocks into your portfolio, but if you are looking strictly for high dividend stocks, this article is not for you.
AT&T's +7% Dividend Yield: It's a Pandemic!
AT&T’s (T) share price has declined dramatically this year (due to the global Covid-19 pandemic), similar to declines when the Tech Bubble burst (early 2000’s) and during the Financial Crisis (2008-2009). However, AT&T’s dividend has continued to steadily rise for over 36 consecutive years (it’s a dividend aristocrat), and the current yield (over 7%) is the highest it’s been during the past two decades. This article reviews the health of the business, valuation, risks, dividend safety, and concludes with our opinion about investing in AT&T.
Income Via Growth Stock: Bringing Much Needed Innovation to Healthcare
It can make a lot of sense for income-focused investors to generate some of their income from something other than dividends. And in this article we review an outstanding opportunity to generate attractive income through price appreciation. Specifically, this particular stock has a SaaS-style business model with predictable cash flows, a first-mover advantage, a large and growing addressable market, improving profitability, and a strong financial position. Yet even though its premium valuation is understandable, some investors may choose to only nibble at this opportunity now while hoping for a pullback to load up on more shares later.
Undervalued BDC: Big Climbing Dividend (9.4% Yield)
This BDC’s decision to defer its dividend led to a sharp decline in share price. We believe fears are overblown given its solid portfolio, liquidity and track record of outperformance. Even after the most recent partial reinstatement of the dividend, the stock is trading at nearly 30% discount to NAV, and we believe it offers an attractive entry point for investors with a little appetite for risk. We do caution that a prolonged and severe downturn remains a risk to our thesis. This article reviews the health of the business, valuation, risks, dividend safety, and concludes with our opinion on investing.
Income Via Growth Stock: Quality + Growth = Long Term Upside
If you are looking to generate powerful "income via growth" (i.e. selling some of your long-term winners to generate spending cash) this stock remains an attractive buying opportunity. It is one of the largest, well-diversified global SaaS companies. It has an attractive subscription-based business model that leads to stable and predictable cash flow generation. It also has a wide competitive moat to ensure future earnings growth. Further, it continues to deliver strong and consistent top and bottom-line growth (not to mention its robust balance sheet position, and significant FCF generation). This report reviews the business, COVID-19 impacts, competition and concludes with our opinion on investing.
Spirit Realty: High Income Options Trade, Preferred Shares and Common Stock
Spirit Realty Capital (SRC) is a leading self-managed net-lease REIT that owns single-tenant commercial (mostly retail) real estate properties across the US. Investor sentiment turned sharply negative in February due to the Covid-19 outbreak, but the shares have experienced a marginal recovery in recent weeks. In this report, we consider the common shares, the preferred shares and the relative attractiveness of generating upfront income by selling out-of-the-money put options for investors fearing a second wave coronavirus sell off. In particular, we consider the business, Covid-19 impacts, ability to meet financial obligations, dividend and income prospects and finally conclude with our views on investing.
E-Commerce REIT: Sturdy 6.4% Yield, Risk May Boost Upside
This small cap industrial REIT is well positioned to keep benefiting from its high exposure to ecommerce logistics. The dividend is very well-covered, and management remains highly confident. However, its relatively high leverage and exposure to one big risk in particular is important to consider. In this article, we review the business, dividend safety, valuation, and conclude with our opinion on why the company’s biggest risk may actually provide an additional boost to the share price as the economy emerges from the most challenges stages of the global coronavirus pandemic.
CareTrust: Financially Strong, Despite the Pandemic
For years, investors have chased healthcare REITs with tenants funded by “private pay” because they feared ongoing government pressure on reimbursement rates. However, in this pandemic, it turns out they had it all wrong. CareTrust (CTRE) is a “mostly skilled nursing facilities” healthcare REIT, and it has benefited from generous government support during this pandemic. And on top of that, the CEO claims COVID hasn’t been as economically devastating as narratives suggest. This article reviews the health of the business, valuation, risks, dividend safety (it yields around 4.8%), and concludes with our opinion on investing.