Posted on January 20, 2012
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Dividend Investing
Dividend yield is the percentage that a stock yields in dividends per year. You can find dividend yield by taking the total dividend paid per year and dividing it by the stock price. Because stock prices change from day to day, or minute to minute, the dividend yield will also change.
Investing in any equity security involves the risk of loss of entire principal. When investing for dividends, you always bear the initial risk that the company will not continue to pay a lower dividend than it paid in the previous year, or eliminate the dividend completely.
Investors should use special caution when evaluating stocks with significantly higher dividends than their industry peers or the broader market as these are often red flags for equity analysts. These companies often use dividends, as well as other distributions, to return cash to shareholders when they cannot deploy it in a manner that would achieve their target rate of return.
Top 15 Dow Dividend Stocks* - Updated February 2, 2012
| Equity | Ticker | Recent Price | Estimated Dividend | Yield % | Related Articles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | T | $29.60 | 1.77 | 5.98% | [1] [2] [3] |
| Verizon | VZ | $37.80 | 2.03 | 5.37% | [1] [2] [3] |
| Merck | MRK | $38.34 | 1.70 | 4.43% | [1] [2] [3] |
| Pfizer | PFE | $21.77 | 0.88 | 4.04% | [1] |
| General Electric | GE | $18.56 | 0.71 | 3.83% | [1] |
| Johnson & Johnson | JNJ | $65.48 | 2.37 | 3.62% | [1] [2] |
| Procter & Gamble | PG | $63.21 | 2.20 | 3.48% | [1] [2] |
| Intel | INTC | $26.55 | 0.84 | 3.26% | [1] [2] |
| Chevron | CVX | $102.18 | 3.28 | 3.19% | [1] |
| Dupont | DD | $51.56 | 1.64 | 3.18% | [1] [2] [3] |
| Kraft Foods | KFT | $38.47 | 1.20 | 3.12% | [1] [2] |
| JP Morgan Chase | JPM | $37.60 | 1.12 | 2.08% | |
| Coke | KO | $67.85 | 2.00 | 2.95% | [1] [2] |
| McDonalds | MCD | $98.38 | 2.88 | 2.93% | [1] [2] |
| Travelers | TRV | $59.04 | 1.74 | 2.92% | [1] |
| Microsoft | MSFT | $29.90 | 0.84 | 2.81% | [1] |
| Home Depot | HD | $44.47 | 1.21 | 2.72% | [1] [2] |
| Walmart | WMT | $62.18 | 1.68 | 2.70% | |
| 3M | MMM | $87.35 | 2.32 | 2.66% |
* The estimated dividend for each stock is an estimate of the per share amount that will be paid as a dividend during the next 12 months, based on the company's recent dividend history and its dividend policy. Most US companies pay dividends quarterly; some pay annually or semi-annually.
The above list of the 15 highest paying dividend stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average does not constitute a guarantee of any yield or a recommendation to buy any specific stock.
