Category Monthly Dividend

Target (TGT) is set to report fourth-quarter earnings on Tuesday morning, with analysts seeing substantial upside for the retailer’s stock.

Analysts’ ratings are split nearly evenly, with five “buy” and six “hold” ratings among the brokers who currently follow Target and are tracked by Visible Alpha. Their average price target of just under $145 suggests about 18% upside to Friday’s close and would put the stock back at late-January levels.

The retailer is expected to report revenue of $30.77 billion for the quarter and adjusted earnings per share of $2.26, down 3.6% and 24%, respectively, from the same time a year ago. At the same time, analysts expect comparable store sales to rise 1.39% year-over-year, a consensus figure that Morgan Stanley analysts noted this week has risen since Target lifted its comparable sales projection in January.

Analysts Expect Conservative 2025 Outlook, Question CEO Succession

Analysts from JPMorgan, Oppenheimer, and Morgan Stanley all said in recent notes that they expect Target will likely follow some of its retail rivals like Walmart (WMT) and Home Depot (HD) and remain conservative in their first-quarter and 2025 projections.

Despite a potential conservative 2025 forecast—and concerns over the impact of tariffs and inflation on discretionary spending—Oppenheimer analysts said they “continue to believe shares have bottomed” and said they would “take advantage of any volatility” after the report. They noted that Target shares have fallen after two of the past four earnings reports, with double-digit swings after four of the last five.

JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley analysts also raised the question of succession planning entering 2025, as CEO Brian Cornell recently passed 10 years in the top job. JPMorgan analysts said Cornell planned to stay for three more years as of September 2022, and said they believe an internal candidate to replace him is “most likely.”

Target shares are down about 18% over the last 12 months. They rose Friday, finishing the week a bit above $124 apiece.

American consumers are anxious about tariffs. The companies that serve them are, too, though not all of them are bracing for the worst.

Consumer sentiment in February took the biggest monthly hit seen in three years, according to The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence survey, which showed that Americans are concerned tariffs will spur inflation.

Businesses are exploring how to protect their profits through supply chain changes and price increases, executives said during recent conference calls. While some consumer-focused companies worry tariffs will hurt business, others are confident they can handle—or even reap rewards from—higher import costs.

President Donald Trump said this week that he plans to impose a 25% tariff on products from Mexico and Canada, beginning Tuesday. He also said the U.S. would raise a tariff on goods from China to 20% and has recently talked about adding tariffs to items from other regions, including the European Union.

Tariffs Would Lead to Price Hikes at Some Companies

Many companies said they’d raise at least some prices if tariffs were enacted—from the cosmetic company Sally Beauty (SBH) to Hamilton Beach Brands (HBB), which sells small household appliances. 

A number of businesses said they worked to blunt the potential blow by diversifying their supply chains. Steve Madden (SHOO) diminished sourcing from China by about 20% since the last quarter, CEO Edward Rosenfeld said. But selective price increases will still be necessary, he said.

Higher prices may not dramatically alter the outlook for some companies. Birkenstock (BIRK), which finishes its shoe assembly in Germany, has been able to raise prices without consequence in the past, CFO Ivica Krolo said on an earnings conference call last month.

“The good news here [is] that we have, historically, [had] the ability to take pricing action globally that offsets these inflationary pressures, including tariffs, without any impact on our business,” Krolo said, according to a transcript made available by AlphaSense.

‘We’ve Been Through This Before’

Some large companies see their size as an advantage in navigating tariffs. Coca-Cola (KO) could rely more on plastic bottles than cans, CEO James Quincey said on an earnings conference call in February. He added that even if the company pays more for aluminum, it’s “not going to radically change a multibillion dollar U.S. business.”

Walmart (WMT) knows how to find value for consumers amid tariffs, executives said. So does Home Depot (HD), executive vice president of merchandising Billy Bastek said on an earnings call this week.

“We’ve been through this before,” Bastek said, according to a transcript made available by AlphaSense. “With our scale, we feel that we’re as well or better positioned than anyone in the marketplace.”

Some Companies See Chance to Benefit

A few companies said they may even benefit from tariffs.

Roku (ROKU) doesn’t expect tariffs to impact its product margins. But they could raise the cost of “higher end” TVs, prompting people to move to less expensive options and driving up demand for Roku, said Mustafa Ozgen, president of devices, products and technology.

Newell Brands (NWL), which sells Yankee candles, believes tariffs present both headwinds and potential benefits. The company has ramped up its production capacity in the U.S., CEO Christopher Peterson said. This gives Newell an advantage over competitors—and potential clients—he said on an earnings call in February.

The company has been informing retailers it can quickly add manufacturing capacity in the U.S. “on a first come, first serve basis,” Peterson said.

The full article continues below these offers from our partners.

Your Safe, Easy Options for a Top Cash Return

When it comes to earning a solid interest rate on savings, your options come in three main categories:

1. Bank and credit union products: Savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit (CDs)
2. Brokerage and robo-advisor products: Money market funds and cash management accounts
3. U.S. Treasury products: T-bills, notes, and bonds, in addition to I bonds

You can choose just one of these, or mix and match different products for different buckets of funds. In any case, you’ll want to understand what each product pays. We’ve laid out today’s top rates in every category and indicated the changes from a week ago.

Today’s Best Rates on Cash

Though many 4%-plus options are available right now, the highest return you can earn on your cash today is 5.00%, available as an 18-month certificate of deposit (CD) from Mountain America Credit Union. Though CDs require you to lock in your funds (generally charging an early withdrawal penalty if you cash out before maturity), the upside of the commitment is that your advertised rate is also locked in for the full term. So if you were to open Mountain America’s CD next week, your 5.00% APY would be guaranteed until September 2026.

If you don’t feel comfortable committing your funds, or prefer a different timeline for your savings, returns in the 4% range are still excellent, and you can earn that from a number of choices in the tables below.

Understanding Your Different Cash Options

Bank and Credit Union Products

Savings Accounts

The most basic option is a bank or credit union savings account—sometimes called a high-yield savings account—which lets you add and withdraw money as you please. But don’t assume your primary bank pays a competitive rate. Some banks pay virtually zero interest.

Fortunately, we make shopping for a high rate easy. Our daily ranking of the best high-yield savings accounts gives you 16 options paying 4.35% to 4.75% APY. Note, however, that savings account rates can change at any time.

Money Market Accounts

A money market account is a savings account that adds the ability to write paper checks. If this is a useful feature to you, shop our list of the best money market accounts.

If you don’t need paper check-writing, choose whichever account type—money market or savings—pays the better rate. The top money market account rate is currently 4.50% APY. Again, be aware that money market rates are variable, so they can be lowered without warning.

Certificates of Deposit

A certificate of deposit (CD) is a bank or credit union product with a fixed interest rate that promises a guaranteed return for a set period of time. Generally ranging from 3 months to 5 years, CDs offer a predictable return with a rate that cannot be changed for the duration of the term.

But beware that it’s a commitment with teeth: If you cash in before maturity, your earnings will be dinged with an early withdrawal penalty. Our daily ranking of the best nationwide CDs currently includes options paying up to 5.00% APY.

Brokerage and Robo-Advisor Products

Money Market Funds

Unlike a money market account at a bank, money market funds are mutual funds invested in cash and offered by brokerage and robo-advisor firms. Their yields can fluctuate daily but currently range from 4.00% to 4.25% at the three biggest brokerages.

Cash Management Accounts

For uninvested cash held at a brokerage or robo-advisor, you can have the funds “swept” into a cash management account where it will earn a return. Unlike money market funds, cash management accounts offer a specific interest rate that the brokerage or robo-advisor can adjust whenever it likes. Currently, several popular brokers are paying 3.83% to 4.00% APY on their cash accounts.

U.S. Treasury Products

Treasury Bills, Notes, and Bonds

The U.S. Treasury offers a wide array of short- and long-term bond instruments. Those with the shortest duration are Treasury bills, which range from 4 weeks to 52 weeks, while Treasury notes have a maturity of 2 to 5 years. The longest-term option is a Treasury bond, which has a 20- to 30-year maturity. Today’s rates on the various Treasury products range from 3.99% to 4.55%.

You can buy T-bills, notes, and bonds directly from TreasuryDirect or buy and sell them on the secondary market at brokerages and banks. Selling a Treasury product allows you to exit before the bond matures. However, you may pay a fee or commission for secondary market purchases and sales, while buying and redeeming at TreasuryDirect has no fees.

You can also buy Treasury ETFs, which trade on the market like a stock. Treasury ETFs have advantages and limitations, which you can read about here.

I Bonds

U.S. Treasury I bonds have a rate that’s adjusted every six months to align with inflation trends. You can redeem an I bond anytime after one year or hold it for as long as 30 years. Every six months you own the bond, your rate will change.

How We Find the Best Savings and CD Rates

Every business day, Investopedia tracks the rate data of more than 200 banks and credit unions that offer CDs and savings accounts to customers nationwide and determines daily rankings of the top-paying accounts. To qualify for our lists, the institution must be federally insured (FDIC for banks, NCUA for credit unions), and the account’s minimum initial deposit must not exceed $25,000. It also cannot specify a maximum deposit amount that’s below $5,000.

Banks must be available in at least 40 states to qualify as nationally available. And while some credit unions require you to donate to a specific charity or association to become a member if you don’t meet other eligibility criteria (e.g., you don’t live in a certain area or work in a certain kind of job), we exclude credit unions whose donation requirement is $40 or more. For more about how we choose the best rates, read our full methodology.

Nvidia (NVDA) shares finished Friday higher, suggesting the stock found some support from dip-buyers after yesterday’s sell-off. 

Nvidia stock ended the day up nearly 4% in recent trading after tumbling 8.5% yesterday. Nvidia on Wednesday reported better-than-expected quarterly results, but Wall Street demonstrated on Thursday that’s no longer enough from its favorite AI stock. Nvidia beat revenue estimates by the smallest amount in two years, underwhelming investors who have grown accustomed to gargantuan beats from the AI chip leader.

The results failed to revive the AI rally. High-flying, richly-priced stocks like Palantir (PLTR), Applovin (APP), and Vistra (VST), which all soared last year on enthusiasm about their AI-fueled growth, had dropped in the recent sessions as investors have grown cautious amid a slew of economic and political concerns.

Even Friday morning, after a promising print of the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure, all three stocks slumped at the open. (They all finished the day higher, however.)  

AI stocks have also been weighed down this month by lingering concerns about the impact of Chinese start-up DeepSeek’s R1 reasoning model, which its developers say operates at a far lower cost than comparable U.S. models. R1’s success and efficiency raised concerns among investors that U.S. hyperscalers and other AI developers could scale back their spending on Nvidia’s most advanced technology. 

Major tech companies have since reiterated their commitment to spending hundreds of billions on AI infrastructure in the coming years, but that hasn’t pulled Nvidia and other chip stocks out of their funk. 

This article was updated to reflect closing share-price information.

Nvidia’s (NVDA) stock has had a tough start to 2025, with this week’s post-earnings plunge dragging shares back near the January lows that came after a DeepSeek-driven selloff.

Its shares edged higher Friday as the stock found some support after plunging over 8% Thursday, but that still left the stock roughly 7% lower for the week and year. Analysts have largely remained bullish, pointing to Nvidia’s strong outlook on the back of growing AI demand.

Their optimism comes as investors appear uncertain about the path ahead for the recently highflying stock, shares of which have added about half their value over the past 12 months. Chinese startup DeepSeek‘s claims that its AI model could keep up with American rivals at a fraction of the cost and computing resources had raised worries demand for Nvidia’s most advanced chips could slow, but several analysts said they believe Nvidia stands to benefit from DeepSeek’s emergence and growing competition.

During Wednesday’s earnings call, CEO Jensen Huang said that demand for AI inference is accelerating as new AI models emerge, giving a shoutout to DeepSeek’s R1.

DeepSeek “has ignited global enthusiasm,” Huang said, adding that “nearly every AI developer” is applying R1 or adopting some of DeepSeek’s innovations into their own technology. Rather than diminishing the need for advanced chips, Huang said, next-generation AI will likely require significantly more computing power as applications become more sophisticated, leaving Nvidia poised for growth.

Citi and JPMorgan analysts said following the call that they were reassured by Huang’s comments around DeepSeek and the expected trajectory of computing needs. Wedbush analysts said they believe Nvidia will ultimately end up a “DeepSeek beneficiary.”

Analysts at Bank of America suggested competition from China could also push American firms to act with greater urgency on AI developments, rather than scale back spending. In recent earnings calls, several of Nvidia’s Big Tech buyers, including Meta (META), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN) and Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL), did exactly that—announcing plans to raise their capital expenditures to fuel AI ambitions. 

Updated on February 28th, 2025 by Bob Ciura

High dividend stocks means more income for every dollar invested. All other things equal, the higher the dividend yield, the better.

Income investors often like to find low-priced dividend stocks, as they can buy more shares than they could with higher-priced securities.

In this research report, we analyze 13 stocks trading below $10.00 per share and offering high dividend yields of 5.0% and greater.

Additionally, the free high dividend stocks list spreadsheet below has our full list of individual securities (stocks, REITs, MLPs, etc.) with with 5%+ dividend yields.

 

Keep reading to see analysis on these 13 high-yielding securities trading below $10.00 per share. The list is sorted by dividend yield, in ascending order.

Table of Contents

Low-Priced High Dividend Stock #13: Choice Properties REIT (PPRQF) – Dividend Yield of 5.6%

Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust invests in commercial real estate properties across Canada. The company has a high-quality real estate portfolio of over 700 properties which makes up over 60 million square feet of gross leasable area (GLA).

Choice Properties’ portfolio is made up of over 700 properties, including retail, industrial, office, multi-family, and development assets. Over 500 of Choice Properties’ investments are to their largest tenant, Canada’s largest retailer, Loblaw.

Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (CHP.UN) reported a net loss of $663 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to a net income of $435.9 million for the same period in 2023.

This decline was primarily driven by a $1.26 billion unfavorable adjustment in fair value of the Trust’s Exchangeable Units, reflecting an increase in the Trust’s unit price.

However, the Trust saw positive performance in its operating metrics, with funds from operations (FFO) per unit diluted increasing by 3.2% to $0.258.

During the quarter, the Trust achieved a strong occupancy rate of 97.7%, led by retail (97.6%) and industrial (98.1%) sectors, and recorded a 3.0% year-over-year increase in Same-Asset NOI on a cash basis.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on PPRQF (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Low-Priced High Dividend Stock #12: LXP Industrial Trust (LXP) – Dividend Yield of 6.1%

Lexington Realty Trust owns equity and debt investments in single-tenant properties and land across the United States. The trust’s portfolio is primarily industrial equity investments.

The trust grows the industrial portfolio by financing, or by acquiring new investments with long-term leases, repositioning the portfolio by recycling capital and opportunistically taking advantage of capital markets.

Additionally, the company supplies investment advisory and asset management services for investors in the single-tenant net-lease asset market.

On February 13th, 2025, Lexington reported fourth quarter 2024 results for the period ending December 31st, 2024. The trust announced adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) of $0.16 per share for the quarter, a penny short of the prior year quarter.

For Q4, the trust completed 1.0M square feet of new leases and lease extensions, which increased base and cash base rents by 66.3% and 42.6%, respectively. Lexington also invested $21 million in ongoing development projects. The trust’s stabilized industrial portfolio was 93.6% leased. At quarter end, Lexington had leverage of 5.9X net debt to adjusted EBITDA.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on LXP (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Low-Priced High Dividend Stock #11: Ford Motor Co. (F) – Dividend Yield of 6.4%

Ford Motor Company was first incorporated in 1903 and in the past 120 years, it has become one of the world’s largest automakers. It operates a large financing business as well as its core manufacturing division, which produces a popular assortment of cars, trucks, and SUVs.

Ford posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on February 5th, 2025, and results were better than expected. Adjusted earnings-per-share came to 39 cents, which was seven cents ahead of estimates.

Revenue was up almost 5% year-over-year for the quarter to $48.2 billion, which also beat estimates by $5.37 billion. The fourth quarter was the highest revenue total the company has ever produced.

Ford Blue increased 4.2% to $27.3 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter, beating estimates of $25.9 billion. Model e revenue was down 13% year-over-year to $1.4 billion, $400 million less than expected.

Ford Pro revenue was up 5.3% to $16.2 billion, beating estimates for $15.6 billion.

For this year, Ford expects full-year adjusted EBIT of $7 to $8.5 billion, and for adjusted free cash flow of $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion, with capex of $8 to $9.5 billion.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on Ford (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Low-Priced High Dividend Stock #10: Kearny Financial Corp. (KRNY) – Dividend Yield of 6.5%

Kearny Financial Corp. is a bank holding company. Headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey, the bank operates 43 branches, primarily in New Jersey along with a couple of locations in New York City. Over the years, Kearny has evolved from being a traditional thrift institution into a full-service community bank.

Kearny had enjoyed tremendous growth over the past decade as it executed on this strategy to enlarge and diversify the bank. However, the shift in the interest rate environment and uncertainty in the commercial real estate market has provoked significant uncertainty around Kearny’s operating outlook going forward.

Kearny reported a large loss tied to one-time expenses in 2024, and the company has been hampered by falling net interest income as well.

In the company’s Q2 2025 results, reported January 30th, 2025, Kearny reported a profit of $0.11 per share. This was up sharply from a 22 cent per share loss in the same period of the prior year, though that number reflects various one-time non-recurring charges.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on KRNY (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Low-Priced High Dividend Stock #9: Aegon Ltd. (AEG) – Dividend Yield of 6.7%

Aegon NV is a financial holding company based in the Netherlands. The company provides a wide range of financial services to clients, including insurance, pensions, and asset management.

Aegon has five core operating segments: Americas, Europe, Asia, Asset Management Holding and Other Activities. The firm’s most widely recognized brand is Transamerica, which Aegon acquired in 1999.

On February 20th, 2024, Aegon reported results for H2-2024. Operating capital grew 14% over the prior year’s period thanks to improved performance in the U.S. As Aegon expects to be hurt by lower interest rates, it provided guidance for essentially flat operating capital of €1.2 billion in 2025.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on AEG (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Low-Priced High Dividend Stock #8: Geopark Limited (GPRK) – Dividend Yield of 7.1%

GeoPark Limited (GPRK) explores and produces oil and natural gas in Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina and Brazil. It was founded in 2002, it is based in Bogota, Colombia. GeoPark is superior to other Latin American oil and gas producers in some aspects.

It has a market-leading drilling success rate of 81% and has drastically reduced its operating costs, from $19 per barrel in 2013 to $13 per barrel in 2023-2024. Approximately 90% of its production is cash flow positive even at Brent prices of $25-$30.

This means that GeoPark is a low-cost producer, which is of paramount importance in a commodity business. On the other hand, GeoPark is highly sensitive to the dramatic cycles of the prices of oil and gas. As a result, it has exhibited an extremely volatile performance record, with losses in 4 of the last 10 years.

In early November, GeoPark reported (11/6/24) financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2024. The average daily production of oil and gas decreased -4% over the prior year’s quarter, primarily due to the divestment of the Chilean business in January.

In addition, the price of oil incurred a correction. Nevertheless, thanks to lower operating costs and lower capital expenses, earnings-per-share rose 9%, from $0.44 to $0.48.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on GPRK (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Low-Priced High Dividend Stock #7: Clipper Realty (CLPR) – Dividend Yield of 8.1%

Clipper Realty is a Real Estate Investment Trust, or REIT, that was founded by the merger of four pre-existing real estate companies. The founders retain about 2/3 of the ownership and votes today, as they have never sold a share.

Clipper Properties owns commercial (primarily multifamily and office with a small sliver of retail) real estate across New York City.

Clipper Realty Inc. (CLPR) reported strong third-quarter 2024 results, with record revenues of $37.6 million, a 6.8% increase from the same period in 2023, driven largely by growth in residential leasing and higher occupancy.

Net operating income (NOI) reached a record $21.8 million, while adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) hit $7.8 million, or $0.18 per share, up from $6.3 million, or $0.15 per share, a year earlier.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on CLPR (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Low-Priced High Dividend Stock #6: Itau Unibanco Holding SA (ITUB) – Dividend Yield of 9.1%

Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A. is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The bank has operations across South America and other places like the United States, Portugal, Switzerland, China, Japan, etc.

On November 5th, 2024, Itaú Unibanco reported third-quarter results for 2024. The company reported recurring managerial result for the third quarter of 2024 was approximately $2.1 billion USD, reflecting a 6.0% increase from the previous quarter.

The recurring managerial return on equity stood at 22.7% on a consolidated basis and 23.8% for operations in Brazil. Total assets grew by 2.6%, surpassing $590 billion USD, while the loan portfolio increased by 1.9% globally and 2.1% in Brazil for the quarter, with year-on-year growth rates of 9.9% and 10.0%, respectively.

Key drivers included personal, vehicle, and mortgage loans, which saw quarterly growth rates of 3.1%, 3.0%, and 3.9%, respectively.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on ITUB (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Low-Priced High Dividend Stock #5: SFL Corporation (SFL) – Dividend Yield of 11.8%

Ship Finance International Ltd is an international shipping and chartering company. The company’s primary businesses include transporting crude oil and oil products, dry bulk and containerized cargos, as well as offshore drilling activities.

It owns 18 oil tankers, 15 dry bulk carriers, 38 container vessels, 7 car carriers, and 2 ultra-deep water drilling units. Ship Finance International operates primarily in Bermuda, Cyprus, Malta, Liberia, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the Marshall Islands.

On February 12th, 2025, SFL reported its Q4 and full-year results for the period ending December 31st, 2024. SFL achieved total revenues of $229.1 million during the quarter, down 10.3% compared to the previous quarter.

This figure is lower than the cash received as it excludes approximately $9.9 million of charter hire, which is not identified as operating revenues pursuant to U.S. GAAP.

Net income came in at $20.2 million, or $0.15 per share, compared to $44.5 million, or $0.34 per share, in the previous quarter. No shares were repurchased during the quarter. About $90 million remains under SFL’s share repurchase plan.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SFL (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Low-Priced High Dividend Stock #4: Prospect Capital (PSEC) – Dividend Yield of 12.5%

Prospect Capital Corporation is a Business Development Company, or BDC, that provides private debt and private equity to middle–market companies in the U.S.

The company focuses on direct lending to owner–operated companies, as well as sponsor–backed transactions. Prospect invests primarily in first and second lien senior loans and mezzanine debt, with occasional equity investments. 

Source: Investor Presentation

Prospect posted second quarter earnings on February 10th, 2025, and results were somewhat weak. Net investment income per-share acme to 20 cents, while total investment income fell from $211 million to $185 million year-over-year.

NII per-share fell from 21 cents in Q1, and 24 cents from the year-ago period. Total interest income was $169 million for the quarter, down from $185 million in the prior quarter, and $195 million a year ago. It also missed estimates by about $2 million.

Total originations were $135 million, down sharply from $291 million in the previous quarter. Total payments and sales were $383 million, up from $282 million in Q1. That implies net originations at -$248 million versus a net addition of just over $8 million in Q1. Q3-to-date originations so far are a net of +$91 million.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on PSEC (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Low-Priced High Dividend Stock #3: Horizon Technology Finance (HRZN) – Dividend Yield of 13.7%

Horizon Technology Finance Corp. is a BDC that provides venture capital to small and medium–sized companies in the technology, life sciences, and healthcare–IT sectors.

The company has generated attractive risk–adjusted returns through directly originated senior secured loans and additional capital appreciation through warrants.

Source: Investor Presentation

On October 29th, 2024, Horizon released its Q3 results for the period ending September 30th, 2024. For the quarter, total investment income fell 15.5% year-over-year to $24.6.7 million, primarily due to lower interest income on investments from the debt investment portfolio.

More specifically, the company’s dollar-weighted annualized yield on average debt investments in Q3 of 2024 and Q3 of 2023 was 15.9% and 17.1%, respectively.

Net investment income per share (IIS) fell to $0.32, down from $0.53 compared to Q3-2023. Net asset value (NAV) per share landed at $9.06, down from $9.12 sequentially.

After paying its monthly distributions, Horizon’s undistributed spillover income as of June 30th, 2024 was $1.27 per share, indicating a considerable cash cushion.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on HRZN (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Low-Priced High Dividend Stock #2: Ellington Credit Co. (EARN) – Dividend Yield of 14.7%

Ellington Credit Co. acquires, invests in, and manages residential mortgage and real estate related assets. Ellington focuses primarily on residential mortgage-backed securities, specifically those backed by a U.S. Government agency or U.S. government–sponsored enterprise.

Agency MBS are created and backed by government agencies or enterprises, while non-agency MBS are not guaranteed by the government.

On November 12th, 2024, Ellington Residential reported its third quarter results for the period ending September 30th, 2024. The company generated net income of $5.4 million, or $0.21 per share.

Ellington achieved adjusted distributable earnings of $7.2 million in the quarter, leading to adjusted earnings of $0.28 per share, which covered the dividend paid in the period.

Net interest margin was 5.22% overall. At quarter end, Ellington had $25.7 million of cash and cash equivalents, and $96 million of other unencumbered assets.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on EARN (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Low-Priced High Dividend Stock #1: Orchid Island Capital (ORC) – Dividend Yield of 16.4%

Orchid Island Capital is a mortgage REIT that is externally managed by Bimini Advisors LLC and focuses on investing in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), including pass-through and structured agency RMBSs.

These financial instruments generate cash flow based on residential loans such as mortgages, subprime, and home-equity loans.

Source: Investor Presentation

The company reported a net income of $17.3 million, or $0.24 per common share, significantly improving from a net loss of $80.1 million in the same quarter last year. This net income comprised $0.3 million in net interest income and $4.3 million in total expenses.

Additionally, Orchid recorded net realized and unrealized gains of $21.2 million, or $0.29 per common share, from Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS) and derivative instruments, including interest rate swaps.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on Orchid Island Capital, Inc. (ORC) (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Final Thoughts

When a stock offers an exceptionally high dividend yield, it usually signals that its dividend is at the risk of being cut. This rule certainly applies to most of the above stocks.

Nevertheless, some of the above stocks are highly attractive now thanks to their cheap valuation and still-high yield even after a potential reasonable dividend cut.

If you are interested in finding high-quality dividend growth stocks and/or other high-yield securities and income securities, the following Sure Dividend resources will be useful:

High-Yield Individual Security Research

Other Sure Dividend Resources

Stock futures edged higher Friday morning, rising after yesterday’s selloff driven by concerns over tech-sector strength and tariff costs; inflation is expected to decline slightly with today’s release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index; Dell (DELL) and HP (HPQ) shares were falling as tech stocks remained under pressure after AI stalwart Nvidia’s (NVDA) earnings weighed on markets; President Donald Trump said tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico would proceed; bitcoin (BTCUSD) dropped below $80,000 to wipe out most of the gains registered since Trump’s election in November.

Here’s what investors need to know today.

1. Stock Futures Point Higher After Tech, Tariff Selloff

Stock futures pointed higher as investors looked to inflation data following yesterday’s selloff on tariff and tech worries. Futures trading associated with the S&P 500 was higher by around 0.3% after the benchmark index shed 1.6% in Thursday trading. Those associated with the Nasdaq were higher by a similar amount after it lost 2.8% yesterday, while Dow Jones Industrial Average-linked futures also rose after dipping yesterday. Despite the early uptick, major market indexes were poised to move lower for the month of February. Yields on the 10-year Treasury note were around 4.285%, while oil futures were lower by more than 1%. Gold futures also fell.

2. Inflation Expected to Decline in January PCE Report

Market participants will be closely following the 8:30 a.m. EST planned release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report for January. The data is expected to show inflation came in at an annual rate of 2.5% for the month, according to a survey of economists by The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires. That’s a tick lower than December’s rate but still above the Federal Reserve’s inflation target. The Fed cited worries over continued elevated inflation when it decided last month to not lower interest rates again.

Here’s more from Investopedia on what to expect from the report.

3. Tech Stocks Sinking As Nvidia Leads Sell Off

Following Nvidia’s plunge in trading yesterday, several technology stocks were lower in premarket trading despite some computer sellers beating quarterly earnings estimates. Shares of Dell were lower by about 4% after its earnings report showed that the PC maker had strong quarterly income on the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, but its 7% revenue improvement was lower than analysts expected. HP shares were down about 3% after it beat expectations this quarter, but its earnings outlook was lower than analysts’ forecasts. Nvidia shares were little changed in early trading after plunging by more than 8% yesterday.

4. Trump Sets Date for Canada, Mexico Tariffs as Economic Adviser Sees ‘Reindustrialization’ Strategy

Trump’s announcement that a 25% tariff on products made in Canada and Mexico will go into effect on March 4 weighed on markets yesterday. Oil products from Canada will be taxed at 10%. On top of that, Trump said he would put an additional 10% tariff on products from China, adding to a 10% tariff he imposed in early February. Stephen Miran, Trump’s nominee to chair the White House’s Council of Economic Advisors, said in a Senate hearing that the U.S. would “reindustrialize” by taxing foreign imports, reducing regulations for businesses and developing the defense industry.

5. Bitcoin Falls Below $80,000 to Lowest Levels Since November

Bitcoin’s (BTCUSD) price fell below $80,000 for the first time since early November, wiping out nearly all the gains that followed Trump’s reelection. The cryptocurrency’s fall coincided with the broader market selloff as investors weigh economic uncertainty. The selloff is hurting crypto-related stocks as well: Bitcoin buyer Strategy (MSTR), the company formerly called MicroStrategy, was down about 3% in premarket trading after registering a nearly 9% fall in the prior session. Shares of crypto brokerage Coinbase Global (COIN) and bitcoin mining firms Mara Holdings (MARA) and Riot Platforms (RIOT) were recently down around 3%.

Updated on February 20th, 2025 by Felix Martinez

Chevron Corporation (CVX) is one of the world’s largest and most well-known energy stocks. It is also one of the energy sector’s most stable dividend growth companies, having grown its dividend for 38 consecutive years.

As a result, Chevron is a member of the exclusive Dividend Aristocrats – a group of 69 elite dividend stocks with 25+ years of consecutive dividend increases.

We believe the Dividend Aristocrats are some of the highest-quality dividend stocks in the entire stock market. With this in mind, we created a full list of all 69 Dividend Aristocrats, along with important financial metrics such as dividend yields and P/E ratios.

You can download a copy of our full Dividend Aristocrats list by clicking on the link below:

 

Disclaimer: Sure Dividend is not affiliated with S&P Global in any way. S&P Global owns and maintains The Dividend Aristocrats Index. The information in this article and downloadable spreadsheet is based on Sure Dividend’s own review, summary, and analysis of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL) and other sources, and is meant to help individual investors better understand this ETF and the index upon which it is based. None of the information in this article or spreadsheet is official data from S&P Global. Consult S&P Global for official information.

Due to the industry’s reliance on high commodity prices for profitability, only two oil stocks are on the list of Dividend Aristocrats: Chevron and Exxon Mobil (XOM).

Chevron’s dividend consistency and stability help it stand out in the otherwise volatile energy industry. This article will analyze Chevron’s intermediate-term investment prospects.

Business Overview

Chevron is one of 6 integrated oil and gas super-majors, along with:

• BP (BP)
• Eni SpA (E)
• TotalEnergies (TTE)
• Exxon Mobil (XOM)
• Shell (SHEL)

Like the other integrated supermajors, Chevron engages in upstream oil and gas production and downstream refining businesses. In 2023, Chevron generated 74% of its earnings from its upstream segment. Therefore, it is highly sensitive to the underlying commodity price.

Global oil demand has continued to increase in the years since the coronavirus pandemic steadily. Separately, oil and gas prices have been elevated due to the war in Ukraine and resulting sanctions on Russia. Before the sanctions, Russia was producing about 10% of global oil output and one-third of natural gas consumed in Europe.

The benefit from these exceptionally favorable conditions was evident in Chevron’s performance in 2022, although conditions softened in 2023 and 2024 as oil and gas prices moderated off their peaks.

Still, Chevron is posting strong financial results. At the end of January, Chevron reported (1/31/25) earnings for the fourth quarter and full year. The company fourth-quarter 2024 earnings of $3.2 billion ($1.84 per share), up from $2.3 billion in 2023, with adjusted earnings at $3.6 billion. The company returned a record $27 billion to shareholders, including $15.2 billion in buybacks and $11.8 billion in dividends. The board approved a 5% dividend increase to $1.71 per share. Full-year earnings totaled $17.7 billion, though lower refining margins and asset retirement costs impacted cash flow.

Production hit record levels, with global output up 7% and U.S. production rising 19%, driven by growth in the Permian Basin and PDC Energy integration. Key projects included the Anchor deepwater development in the Gulf of Mexico and the Future Growth Project in Kazakhstan. Chevron also divested assets in Canada, Alaska, and the Republic of Congo while advancing its $53 billion acquisition of Hess. The company aims for $2–3 billion in cost savings by 2026.

Chevron expanded low-carbon initiatives, cutting emissions by 700,000 metric tons and increasing carbon storage efforts. It upgraded refining capabilities in Pasadena, Texas, and secured new exploration acreage worldwide. The company also launched a $500 million Future Energy Fund III to invest in clean energy technologies while maintaining its focus on capital discipline and long-term growth.

Growth Prospects

Chevron is one of the largest publicly traded energy corporations in the world and stands to benefit tremendously from elevated prices of oil and gas.

Chevron invested heavily in growth projects for years but failed to grow its output for an entire decade, as oil projects take several years to start bearing fruit. However, Chevron is now in the positive phase of its investing cycle.

Source: Investor Presentation

In addition, thanks to the high-grading of its asset portfolio, Chevron can fund its dividend even at an oil price of $40.

Another long-term growth catalyst is Chevron’s major acquisition. On October 23rd, 2023, Chevron agreed to Acquire Hess (HES) for $53 billion in an all-stock deal. Thanks to this deal, Chevron will purchase the highly profitable Stabroek block in Guyana and Bakken assets, greatly enhancing its production and free cash flow.

Nevertheless, given the nearly all-time high earnings-per-share expected this year, we expect an -5 % average annual decrease over the next five years.

Competitive Advantages & Recession Performance

Chevron’s competitive advantage in the highly cyclical energy sector comes primarily from its size and financial strength. The company’s operational expertise allowed it to navigate the 2020 coronavirus pandemic successfully.

As a commodity producer, Chevron is vulnerable to any oil price downturn, particularly given that it is the most leveraged oil major to the oil price. However, thanks to its strong balance sheet, the company is likely to endure the next downturn, just like it has done in all the previous downturns.

Chevron’s aggressive cost-cutting efforts have helped the company become more efficient. Chevron has continued to reduce drilling costs, significantly reducing its break-even expense.

Chevron stacks up well among its peers in the energy sector. However, the company is certainly not the most recession-resistant Dividend Aristocrat, as evidenced by its performance during the 2007-2009 financial crisis:

• 2007 adjusted earnings-per-share: $8.77
• 2008 adjusted earnings-per-share: $11.67 (33% increase)
• 2009 adjusted earnings-per-share: $5.24 (-55% decline)
• 2010 adjusted earnings-per-share: $9.48 (81% increase)

Chevron’s adjusted earnings per share declined by more than 50% during the 2007-2009 financial crisis, but the company managed to remain profitable during a bear market that drove many of its competitors out of business.

This allowed Chevron to continue raising its dividend payment throughout the Great Recession. Chevron’s dividend safety is far above the average company in the energy sector.

Valuation & Expected Total Returns

Chevron’s expected total returns are more difficult to assess than those of many other companies. This is primarily due to the company’s highly volatile results, which result from the dramatic swings in oil and gas prices.

With a share price near $158, the price-to-earnings ratio presently sits 14.8 times based on 2025 expected earnings of $10.70 per share.

If the stock reverted to our fair value estimate of 14 times earnings, this would imply a fractional valuation headwind over the next five years.

Moreover, the stock offers a 4.4% dividend yield. However, the valuation tailwind and the dividend are likely to be offset by the expected 5% average annual decline in earnings per share.

Overall, the stock could generate a -0.5% average annual return over the next five years off its nearly all-time high current stock price.

Final Thoughts

Chevron is one of the rare oil and gas companies that was able to navigate through the Great Recession of 2007-2009, the oil downturn of 2014-2016, and the COVID-19 pandemic without cutting its dividend.

Chevron’s lower cost structure allows it to handle a much lower average oil price. Furthermore, new projects in the U.S. and international markets will help the company continue to grow.

Nevertheless, as we are nearing the peak of the oil industry’s cycle, which is infamous for its dramatic swings, Chevron should probably be avoided around its current stock price.

Additionally, the following Sure Dividend databases contain the most reliable dividend growers in our investment universe:

If you’re looking for stocks with unique dividend characteristics, consider the following Sure Dividend databases:

The major domestic stock market indices are another solid resource for finding investment ideas. Sure Dividend compiles the following stock market databases and updates them monthly:

Updated on February 24th, 2024 by Bob Ciura
Spreadsheet data updated daily

Real estate investment trusts – or REITs, for short – can be fantastic securities for generating meaningful portfolio income. REITs widely offer higher dividend yields than the average stock.

While the S&P 500 Index on average yields less than 2% right now, it is relatively easy to find REITs with dividend yields of 5% or higher.

The following downloadable REIT list contains a comprehensive list of U.S. Real Estate Investment Trusts, along with metrics that matter including:

• Stock price
• Dividend yield
• Market capitalization
• 5-year beta

You can download your free 200+ REIT list (along with important financial metrics like dividend yields and payout ratios) by clicking on the link below:

 

In addition to the downloadable Excel sheet of all REITs, this article discusses why income investors should pay particularly close attention to this asset class.

And, we also include our top 7 REITs today based on expected total returns.

Table Of Contents

In addition to the full downloadable Excel spreadsheet, this article covers our top 7 REITs today, as ranked using expected total returns from The Sure Analysis Research Database.

The table of contents below allows for easy navigation.

How To Use The REIT List To Find Dividend Stock Ideas

REITs give investors the ability to experience the economic benefits associated with real estate ownership without the hassle of being a landlord in the traditional sense.

Because of the monthly rental cash flows generated by REITs, these securities are well-suited to investors that aim to generate income from their investment portfolios. Accordingly, dividend yield will be the primary metric of interest for many REIT investors.

For those unfamiliar with Microsoft Excel, the following images show how to filter for high dividend REITs with dividend yields between 5% and 7% using the ‘filter’ function of Excel.

 

Step 1: Download the Complete REIT Excel Spreadsheet List at the link above.

Step 2: Click on the filter icon at the top of the ‘Dividend Yield’ column in the Complete REIT Excel Spreadsheet List.

Step 3: Use the filter function ‘Between’ along with the numbers 0.05 and 0.07 to display REITs with dividend yields between 5% and 7%.

This will help to eliminate any REITs with exceptionally high (and perhaps unsustainable) dividend yields.

Also, click on ‘Largest to Smallest’ at the top of the filter window to list the REITs with the highest dividend yields at the top of the spreadsheet.

Now that you have the tools to identify high-quality REITs, the next section will show some of the benefits of owning this asset class in a diversified investment portfolio.

Why Invest in REITs?

REITs are, by design, a fantastic asset class for investors looking to generate income.

Thus, one of the primary benefits of investing in these securities is their high dividend yields.

The currently high dividend yields of REITs is not an isolated occurrence. In fact, this asset class has traded at a higher dividend yield than the S&P 500 for decades.

Related: Dividend investing versus real estate investing.

The high dividend yields of REITs are due to the regulatory implications of doing business as a real estate investment trust.

In exchange for listing as a REIT, these trusts must pay out at least 90% of their net income as dividend payments to their unitholders (REITs trade as units, not shares).

Sometimes you will see a payout ratio of less than 90% for a REIT, and that is likely because they are using funds from operations, not net income, in the denominator for REIT payout ratios (more on that later).

REIT Financial Metrics

REITs run unique business models. More than the vast majority of other business types, they are primarily involved in the ownership of long-lived assets.

From an accounting perspective, this means that REITs incur significant non-cash depreciation and amortization expenses.

How does this affect the bottom line of REITs?

Depreciation and amortization expenses reduce a company’s net income, which means that sometimes a REIT’s dividend will be higher than its net income, even though its dividends are safe based on cash flow.

Related: How To Value REITs

To give a better sense of financial performance and dividend safety, REITs eventually developed the financial metric funds from operations, or FFO.

Just like earnings, FFO can be reported on a per-unit basis, giving FFO/unit – the rough equivalent of earnings-per-share for a REIT.

FFO is determined by taking net income and adding back various non-cash charges that are seen to artificially impair a REIT’s perceived ability to pay its dividend.

For an example of how FFO is calculated, consider the following net income-to-FFO reconciliation from Realty Income (O), one of the largest and most popular REIT securities.

Source: Realty Income Annual Report

In 2023, net income was $872 million while FFO available to stockholders was above $2.8 billion, a sizable difference between the two metrics.

This shows the profound effect that depreciation and amortization can have on the GAAP financial performance of real estate investment trusts.

The Top 7 REITs Today

Below we have ranked our top 7 REITs today based on expected total returns.

Expected total returns are in turn made up from dividend yield, expected growth on a per unit basis, and valuation multiple changes. Expected total return investing takes into account income (dividend yield), growth, and value.

Note: The REITs below have not been vetted for safety. These are high expected total return securities, but they may come with elevated risks.

We encourage investors to fully consider the risk/reward profile of these investments.

For the Top 10 REITs each month with 4%+ dividend yields, based on expected total returns and safety, see our Top 10 REITs service.

Top REIT #7: Innovative Industrial Properties Inc. (IIPR)

• Expected Total Return: 15.4%
• Dividend Yield: 10.5%

Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. is a single-use “specialty REIT” that exclusively focuses on owning properties used for the cultivation and production of cannabis.

Because the industry is in the midst of a legal transition, there are constraints on capital available to businesses engaged in the marijuana business.

Due to the cannabis boom over the past few years, as well as its exclusivity in terms of the listing giving the trust access to public markets, Innovate Industrial Properties is a unique REIT.

On November 6th, 2024, Innovative Industrial Properties released its Q3 results for the period ending September 30th, 2024. For the quarter, revenues and normalized AFFO/share were $75.6 million and $2.25, both down 1.7% compared to last year.

Revenues declined due to a $3.0 million drop in rent and property management fees from repossessed properties since June 2023, and a $1.3 million decrease from reclassified sales-type leases.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on IIPR (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Top REIT #6: Clipper Realty (CLPR)

• Expected Total Return: 14.6%
• Dividend Yield: 10.7%

Clipper Realty is a Real Estate Investment Trust, or REIT, that was founded by the merger of four pre-existing real estate companies. The founders retain about 2/3 of the ownership and votes today, as they have never sold a share.

Clipper Properties owns commercial (primarily multifamily and office with a small sliver of retail) real estate across New York City.

Clipper Realty Inc. (CLPR) reported strong third-quarter 2024 results, with record revenues of $37.6 million, a 6.8% increase from the same period in 2023, driven largely by growth in residential leasing and higher occupancy.

Net operating income (NOI) reached a record $21.8 million, while adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) hit $7.8 million, or $0.18 per share, up from $6.3 million, or $0.15 per share, a year earlier.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on CLPR (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Top REIT #5: Plymouth Industrial REIT (PLYM)

• Expected Total Return: 15.9%
• Dividend Yield: 5.8%

Plymouth Industrial REIT is a full-service, vertically integrated real estate investment trust which acquires, owns, and manages single and multi-tenant industrial properties, which include distribution centers, warehouses, light industrial and small bay industrial properties.

The majority of the property portfolio is located in Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, and Georgia. As of June 30, 2024, the trust owned and managed 210 buildings, totaling 33.8 million square feet in over 10 markets.

Plymouth’s property portfolio resides almost entirely within The Golden Triangle states, which is within a day’s drive to 70% of the U.S. population, and contains more ports than any other region in the country.

Plymouth Industrial reported third quarter 2024 results on November 6th, 2024. The trust reported core funds from operations (FFO) of $0.44 per common share, down two cents compared to last year.

Adjusted FFO per share of $0.40 was a 4.8% decrease compared to Q3 2023. Same store net operating income (NOI) on a cash basis rose by 0.6% year-over-year when excluding early termination income.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on PLYM (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Top REIT #4: Ellington Credit Co. (EARN)

• Expected Total Return: 16.4%
• Dividend Yield: 14.7%

Ellington Credit Co. acquires, invests in, and manages residential mortgage and real estate related assets. Ellington focuses primarily on residential mortgage-backed securities, specifically those backed by a U.S. Government agency or U.S. government–sponsored enterprise.

Agency MBS are created and backed by government agencies or enterprises, while non-agency MBS are not guaranteed by the government.

On November 12th, 2024, Ellington Residential reported its third quarter results for the period ending September 30th, 2024. The company generated net income of $5.4 million, or $0.21 per share.

Ellington achieved adjusted distributable earnings of $7.2 million in the quarter, leading to adjusted earnings of $0.28 per share, which covered the dividend paid in the period.

Net interest margin was 5.22% overall. At quarter end, Ellington had $25.7 million of cash and cash equivalents, and $96 million of other unencumbered assets.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on EARN (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Top REIT #3: Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (ARE)

• Expected Total Return: 17.0%
• Dividend Yield: 5.5%

Alexandria Real Estate Equities owns and operates life science, technology and ag-tech campuses across North America.

Key locations for this Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) include Boston, San Francisco, New York, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and the Research Triangle (North Carolina). The company focuses on high quality properties in prime locations.

Alexandria’s business model has taken on renewed importance as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a significant number of the company’s life science tenants are working on solutions for similar future crises.

On January 27th, 2025, Alexandria reported fourth quarter 2024 results for the period ending December 31st, 2024. For the quarter, the company generated $789 million in revenue, a 4.2% increase compared to Q4 2023.

Adjusted funds from operations (FFO) totaled $412 million or $2.39 per share compared to $390 million or $2.28 per share in Q4 2023.

Alexandria ended the quarter with $5.7 billion in liquidity. And more than fifty percent of the company’s tenants are investment-grade or publicly traded large cap businesses.

Alexandria issued its 2025 guidance, expecting $9.23 to $9.44 in adjusted FFO.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on ARE (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Top REIT #2: American Assets Trust (AAT)

• Expected Total Return: 17.0%
• Dividend Yield: 6.2%

American Assets Trust (AAT) is a REIT that was formed in 2011 as a successor of American Assets, a privately held company founded in 1967.

AAT is headquartered in San Diego, California, and has great experience in acquiring, improving and developing office, retail and residential properties throughout the U.S., primarily in Southern California, Northern California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii.

Its office portfolio and its retail portfolio comprise of approximately 4.1 million and 3.1 million square feet, respectively.

In late October, AAT reported (10/29/24) financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2024. Adjusted same-store net operating income grew 16% and funds from operations (FFO) per share grew 20% over last year’s quarter, thanks to a lease termination fee, rent hikes and slightly higher occupancy.

Thanks to a non-recurring termination fee, AAT raised its guidance for FFO per share in 2024 from $2.48-$2.54 to $2.51-$2.55.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on AAT (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Top REIT #1: Community Healthcare Trust (CHCT)

• Expected Total Return: 17.6%
• Dividend Yield: 9.9%

Community Healthcare Trust is an REIT which owns income-producing real estate properties linked to the healthcare sector, such as physician offices, specialty centers, behavioral facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and medical office buildings.

The trust has investments in 197 properties in 35 states, totaling 4.4 million square feet.

Source: Investor Presentation

On February 18th, 2025, Community Healthcare Trust reported fourth quarter results for the period ending December 31st, 2024.

Funds from operations (FFO) per share dipped 16% to $0.48 from $0.57 in the prior year quarter. Adjusted FFO per share, however, declined by 10% to $0.55.

During the quarter, Community Healthcare acquired three properties for $8.2 million. These properties were 100% leased with lease expirations through 2029.

The trust also has seven properties under definitive purchase agreements, with a combined purchase price of roughly $170 million, expected to close from 2025 through 2027.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on CHCT (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Final Thoughts

The REIT Spreadsheet list in this article contains a list of publicly-traded Real Estate Investment Trusts.

However, this database is certainly not the only place to find high-quality dividend stocks trading at fair or better prices.

In fact, one of the best methods to find high-quality dividend stocks is looking for stocks with long histories of steadily rising dividend payments.

Companies that have increased their payouts through many market cycles are highly likely to continue doing so for a long time to come.

You can see more high-quality dividend stocks in the following Sure Dividend databases, each based on long streaks of steadily rising dividend payments:

You might also be looking to create a highly customized dividend income stream to pay for life’s expenses.

The following lists provide useful information on high dividend stocks and stocks that pay monthly dividends:

 

Updated on February 24th, 2025 by Bob Ciura

It isn’t surprising that we favor stocks that pay dividends, as studies have shown that owning income producing securities is an excellent way to build wealth while also protecting to the downside.

In bull markets, dividends can add to the gains from the stock while also purchasing additional shares. When prices decline, dividends can reduce the losses while being used to acquire more shares at a now lower price.

With this in mind, we created a full list of the Dividend Kings, a group of stocks with over 50 consecutive years of dividend increases.

You can see the full downloadable spreadsheet of all 54 Dividend Kings (along with important financial metrics such as dividend yields, payout ratios, and price-to-earnings ratios) by clicking on the link below:

 

The Dividend Kings  have rewarded shareholders with rising income for decades.

The following 10 stocks represent Dividend Kings that can continue to raise their dividends for decades to come.

The list includes 10 Dividend Kings with our highest Dividend Risk Score of ‘A’ in the Sure Analysis Research Database, that also have payout ratios below 70% to ensure a sustainable dividend payout.

The stocks are sorted by dividend payout ratio, from lowest to highest.

Table of Contents

Dividend King To Hold Forever: Nordson Corp. (NDSN)

Nordson was founded in 1954 in Amherst, Ohio by brothers Eric and Evan Nord, but the company can trace its roots back to 1909 with the U.S. Automatic Company.

Today the company has operations in over 35 countries and engineers, manufactures, and markets products used for dispensing adhesives, coatings, sealants, biomaterials, plastics, and other materials, with applications ranging from diapers and straws to cell phones and aerospace.

Source: Investor Presentation

On August 14th, 2024, Nordson increased its dividend by 15% to $0.78 per share quarterly, marking 61 years of increases.

On December 11th, 2024, Nordson reported fourth quarter results for the period ending October 31st, 2024. For the quarter, the company reported sales of $744 million, 4% higher compared to $719 million in Q4 2023, which was driven by a positive acquisition impact, and offset by organic decrease of 3%.

Industrial Precision saw sales decrease by 3%, while the Medical and Fluid Solutions and Advanced Technology Solutions segments had sales increases of 19% and 5%, respectively. The company generated adjusted earnings per share of $2.78, a 3% increase compared to the same prior-year quarter.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on NDSN (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Dividend King To Hold Forever: Sysco Corp. (SYY)

Sysco Corporation is the largest wholesale food distributor in the United States. The company serves 600,000 locations with food delivery, including restaurants, hospitals, schools, hotels, and other facilities.

Source: Investor Presentation

On January 28th, 2025, Sysco reported second-quarter results for Fiscal Year (FY)2025. The company reported a 4.5% increase in sales for the second quarter of fiscal year 2025, reaching $20.2 billion.

U.S. Foodservice volume grew by 1.4%, while gross profit rose 3.9% to $3.7 billion. Operating income increased 1.7% to $712 million, with adjusted operating income growing 5.1% to $783 million. Earnings per share (EPS) remained at $0.82, while adjusted EPS grew 4.5% to $0.93.

The company reaffirmed its full-year guidance, projecting sales growth of 4%-5% and adjusted EPS growth of 6%-7%.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SYY (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Dividend King To Hold Forever: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)

Archer-Daniels-Midland is the largest publicly traded farmland product company in the United States. Archer-Daniels-Midland’s businesses include processing cereal grains, oilseeds, and agricultural storage and transportation.

Archer-Daniels-Midland reported its third-quarter results for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 on November 18th, 2024. The company reported adjusted net earnings of $530 million and adjusted EPS of $1.09, both down from the prior year due to a $461 million non-cash charge related to its Wilmar equity investment.

Consolidated cash flows year-to-date reached $2.34 billion, reflecting strong operations despite market challenges.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on ADM (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Dividend King To Hold Forever: Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (FMCB)

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp is a locally owned and operated community bank with 32 locations in California. Due to its small market cap and its low liquidity, it passes under the radar of most investors.

F&M Bank has paid uninterrupted dividends for 88 consecutive years and has raised its dividend for 59 consecutive years.

In late January, F&M Bank reported (1/23/25) financial results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024. The bank grew its earnings-per-share 9% over the prior year’s quarter, from $28.55 to a new all-time high of $31.11. Loans and deposits grew 1% each.

Net interest income dipped -3% due to a contraction of net interest margin from 4.30% to 4.05% amid higher deposit costs. Management remains optimistic for the foreseeable future, as the bank enjoys one of the widest net interest margins in its sector.

We reiterate that F&M Bank is one of the most resilient banks during downturns, such as the pandemic, a potential recession or the financial turmoil caused by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse and First Republic.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on FMCB (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Dividend King To Hold Forever: Hormel Foods (HRL)

Hormel Foods was founded back in 1891 in Minnesota. Since that time, the company has grown into a juggernaut in the food products industry with nearly $10 billion in annual revenue.

Hormel has kept with its core competency as a processor of meat products for well over a hundred years, but has also grown into other business lines through acquisitions.

Hormel has a large portfolio of category-leading brands. Just a few of its top brands include include Skippy, SPAM, Applegate, Justin’s, and more than 30 others.

It has also pursued acquisitions to drive growth. For example, in 2021, Hormel acquired the Planters snack nuts business from Kraft-Heinz (KHC) for $3.35 billion, which has boosted Hormel’s growth.

Source: Investor Presentation

Hormel posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on December 4th, 2024, and results were in line with expectations. The company posted adjusted earnings-per-share of 42 cents, which met estimates. Revenue was off 2% year-on-year to $3.14 billion, also hitting estimates.

Operating income was $308 million for the quarter on an adjusted basis, or 9.8% of revenue. Operating cash flow was $409 million for Q4.

For the year, sales were $11.9 billion, and adjusted operating income was $1.1 billion, or 9.6% of revenue. Adjusted earnings-per-share was $1.58. Operating cash flow hit a record of $1.3 billion.

Guidance for 2025 was initiated at $11.9 billion to $12.2 billion in sales, with organic net sales growth of 1% to 3%.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on HRL (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Dividend King To Hold Forever: PPG Industries (PPG)

PPG Industries is the world’s largest paints and coatings company. Its only competitors of similar size are Sherwin-Williams and Dutch paint company Akzo Nobel.

PPG Industries was founded in 1883 as a manufacturer and distributor of glass (its name stands for Pittsburgh Plate Glass) and today has approximately 3,500 technical employees located in more than 70 countries at 100 locations.

On January 31st, 2025, PPG Industries announced fourth quarter and full year results for the period ending December 31st, 2024. For the quarter, revenue declined 4.6% to $3.73 billion and missed estimates by $241 million.

Adjusted net income of $375 million, or $1.61 per share, compared favorably to adjusted net income of $372 million, or $1.56 per share, in the prior year. Adjusted earnings-per-share was $0.02 below expectations.

Source: Investor Presentation

For the year, revenue from continuing operations decreased 2% to $15.8 billion while adjusted earnings-per-share totaled $7.87.

PPG Industries repurchased ~$750 million worth of shares during 2024 and has $2.8 billion, or ~10.3% of its current market capitalization, remaining on its share repurchase authorization. The company expects to repurchase ~$400 million worth of shares in Q1 2025.

For 2025, the company expects adjusted earnings-per-share in a range of $7.75 to $8.05.

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Dividend King To Hold Forever: California Water Service Group (CWT)

California Water Service is a water stock and is the third-largest publicly-owned water utility in the United States.

It was founded in 1926 and has six subsidiaries that provide water to approximately 2 million people in 100 communities, primarily in California but also in Washington, New Mexico and Hawaii.

Source: Investor Presentation

California Water Service reported its third quarter earnings results on October 31st. Operating revenues totaled $300 million during the quarter, which was 18% higher than the same quarter last year. This represents a stronger performance compared to what the analyst community had forecasted.

The operating revenue increase was driven by rate increases over the last year as well as by higher accrued unbilled revenue compared to the previous year’s quarter.

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Dividend King To Hold Forever: Gorman-Rupp Co. (GRC)

Gorman-Rupp began manufacturing pumps and pumping systems back in 1933. Since that time, it has grown into an industry leader with annual sales of nearly $700 million and a market capitalization of $1 billion.

Today, Gorman-Rupp is a focused, niche manufacturer of critical systems that many industrial clients rely upon for their own success.

Gorman Rupp generates about one-third of its total revenue from outside of the U.S.

Source: Investor Presentation

Gorman-Rupp posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on February 7th, 2025, and results were weaker than expected. Adjusted earnings-per-share came to 42 cents, which was three cents light of estimates.

Revenue was up 1.3% year-over-year to $162.7 million, which matched expectations. The increase in sales was primarily attributed to the impact of pricing increases taken in the year-ago period.

Gross profit was $49.2 million for the quarter, or 30.2% of revenue. These were down from $50.9 million and 31.7%, respectively, in the same period of 2023.

The decline in gross margins of 150 basis points included 220 basis points of increased labor and overhead costs, which were driven by healthcare expenses.

That was partially offset by a 70-basis point improvement in cost of materials, which itself was driven by a 140-basis point improvement in selling prices offset by a 70-basis point decline from inventory costing.

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Dividend King To Hold Forever: SJW Group (SJW)

SJW Group is a water utility company that produces, purchases, stores, purifies and distributes water to consumers and businesses in the Silicon Valley area of California, the area north of San Antonio, Texas, Connecticut, and Maine.

SJW Group has a small real estate division that owns and develops properties for residential and warehouse customers in California and Tennessee. The company generates about $670 million in annual revenues.

Source: Investor Presentation

On October 28th, 2024, SJW Group reported third quarter results for the period ending June 30th, 2024. For the quarter, revenue grew 9.9% to $225.1 million, beating estimates by $11.6 million. Earnings-per-share of $1.18 compared favorably to earnings-per-share of $1.13 in the prior year and was $0.04 more than expected.

As with prior periods, the improvement in revenue was mostly due to SJW Group’s California and Connecticut businesses, which benefited from higher water rates, while growth in customers aided the Texas business.

Higher rates overall added $40 million to results for the quarter, higher customer usage added $4.8 million, and growth in customers contributed $2.4 million. Operating production expenses totaled $166.7 million, which was a 12% increase from the prior year.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SJW (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Dividend King To Hold Forever: Stepan Co. (SCL)

Stepan manufactures basic and intermediate chemicals, including surfactants, specialty products, germicidal and fabric softening quaternaries, phthalic anhydride, polyurethane polyols and special ingredients for the food, supplement, and pharmaceutical markets.

It is organized into three distinct business lines: surfactants, polymers, and specialty products. These businesses serve a wide variety of end markets, meaning that Stepan is not beholden to just a handful of industries.

Source: Investor presentation

The surfactants business is Stepan’s largest by revenue, accounting for ~68% of total sales in the most recent quarter. A surfactant is an organic compound that contains both water-soluble and water-insoluble components.

Stepan posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on February 19th, 2025, and results were mixed once again. Revenue was down 1.2% year-on-year to $526 million, but did beat estimates by almost $5 million. Adjusted earnings-per-share came to 12 cents, which missed estimates by 21 cents.

Global sales volume was off 1% year-over-year as double-digit growth in surfactants was offset and then some by demand weakness in polymers. Surfactants were up 3% year-over-year in Q4 to $379 million. Polymer net sales fell 12% to $130 million.

The company managed to generate about $13 million in pre-tax cost savings during the quarter, and about $48 million for the full year.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SCL (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Final Thoughts

Screening to find the best Dividend Kings is not the only way to find high-quality dividend growth stocks to hold forever.

Sure Dividend maintains similar databases on the following useful universes of stocks:

There is nothing magical about investing in the Dividend Kings. They are simply a group of high-quality businesses with shareholder-friendly management teams that have strong competitive advantages.

Purchasing businesses with these characteristics–at fair or better prices–and holding them forever, will likely result in strong long-term investment performance.