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I’ve written a few times about how looking at dividend yield could be misleading. One part of the reason is that some companies end up paying more than they can afford to. FTR is one obvious example and I will discuss it a bit later but there are many more.
Can you believe that none of the top 20 companies in this chart have a payout ratio under 50%!! To me that is shocking. Dividend investing is about much more than finding a big yield, it is about finding longer term stocks that will be able to increase their dividend yields over time.
I wrote about why dividend investing is not just a trend and I think that finding the right stocks to include is a critical part.
Today, we are back with our list of the top 100 dividend stocks from the S&P500 and there is no surprise in who is on top. I would caution greatly against investing based only off of a dividend yield though.
Frontier Communications Corp (FTR)
No big surprise again this month as Frontier Communications Corp (FTR) remains at the very top of our top dividend stocks in the S&P500 with a dividend yield over 17%. Why is that yield increasing every month? 2 reasons:
-The stock’s price keeps diminishing
-No one expects the company’s dividend to actually remain so high
The dark side of course remains that the company is paying out much more than it is actually able to make, making that dividend everything but sustainable. Every month, I do more in-depth research to find dividend names and FTR has never come out on top of that research..!!
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FTR’s Dividend Payout History
FTR’s days at the top of this chart are nearing its end in my opinion. Not only is FTR going to likely announce a dividend cut later this month but if things keep up, it will not be able to remain in the S&P500… should be interesting! Next week, we will do further research on the 100 stocks listed here to determine which ones are more likely to do well in the long term both based on sustainability and the 20 things that we look for in dividend stocks.
In the meantime, here is the list!
| Ticker | Name | Price | Dividend Yield | Payout Ratio | Ex-Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTR | Frontier Communications Corp | 4.28 | 17.56 | 346.75 | 2012/03/07 |
| RRD | RR Donnelley & Sons Co | 11.36 | 9.15 | 96.71 | 2012/04/17 |
| WIN | Windstream Corp | 12.07 | 8.29 | 150.63 | 2012/03/28 |
| CTL | CenturyLink Inc | 37.03 | 7.83 | 92.65 | 2012/02/17 |
| PBI | Pitney Bowes Inc | 18.97 | 7.8 | 97.09 | 2012/02/15 |
| T | AT&T Inc | 29.41 | 5.98 | 257.91 | 2012/04/04 |
| MO | Altria Group Inc | 28.4 | 5.77 | 96.34 | 2012/03/15 |
| RAI | Reynolds American Inc | 39.23 | 5.71 | 81.34 | 2012/03/07 |
| FII | Federated Investors Inc | 17.08 | 5.62 | 127.68 | 2012/02/06 |
| POM | Pepco Holdings Inc | 19.66 | 5.49 | 173.38 | 2012/03/08 |
| VZ | Verizon Communications Inc | 37.66 | 5.31 | 231.27 | 2012/04/04 |
| EXC | Exelon Corp | 39.78 | 5.28 | 55.8 | 2012/02/13 |
| TEG | Integrys Energy Group Inc | 51.91 | 5.24 | 94.56 | 2012/02/24 |
| LEG | Leggett & Platt Inc | 21.46 | 5.22 | 87.94 | 2012/03/13 |
| FE | FirstEnergy Corp | 42.22 | 5.21 | 85.46 | 2012/02/03 |
| AVP | Avon Products Inc | 17.77 | 5.18 | 63.71 | 2012/02/17 |
| HCN | Health Care REIT Inc | 57.21 | 5.18 | 554.64 | 2012/02/03 |
| PBCT | People's United Financial Inc | 12.33 | 5.11 | 110.08 | 2012/05/02 |
| SVU | SUPERVALU Inc | 6.91 | 5.07 | N/A | 2012/02/28 |
| AEE | Ameren Corp | 31.64 | 5.06 | 264.75 | 2012/03/05 |
| PPL | PPL Corp | 27.79 | 5.04 | 63.35 | 2012/03/07 |
| CINF | Cincinnati Financial Corp | 32.68 | 4.93 | 68.7 | 2012/03/19 |
| LLY | Eli Lilly & Co | 39.74 | 4.93 | 50.22 | 2012/02/13 |
| HRB | H&R Block Inc | 16.36 | 4.89 | 32.93 | 2012/03/09 |
| LMT | Lockheed Martin Corp | 82.32 | 4.86 | 41.17 | 2012/02/28 |
| LO | Lorillard Inc | 107.39 | 4.84 | 62.68 | 2012/02/24 |
| ETR | Entergy Corp | 69.38 | 4.79 | 43.75 | 2012/02/07 |
| TE | TECO Energy Inc | 18.05 | 4.76 | 73.1 | 2012/02/08 |
| HCP | HCP Inc | 42.03 | 4.76 | 198.62 | 2012/02/02 |
| AEP | American Electric Power Co Inc | 39.56 | 4.75 | 59.29 | 2012/02/08 |
| HCBK | Hudson City Bancorp Inc | 6.73 | 4.75 | 55.05 | 2012/02/08 |
| DUK | Duke Energy Corp | 21.31 | 4.7 | 97.07 | 2012/02/15 |
| PGN | Progress Energy Inc | 54.33 | 4.57 | 84.42 | 2012/02/15 |
| PEG | Public Service Enterprise Group Inc | 30.34 | 4.52 | 44.51 | 2012/03/07 |
| NYX | NYSE Euronext | 26.56 | 4.52 | 43.85 | 2012/03/14 |
| PCG | PG&E Corp | 40.66 | 4.48 | 60.24 | 2012/03/30 |
| PNW | Pinnacle West Capital Corp | 47.26 | 4.44 | 67.88 | 2012/05/03 |
| DTE | DTE Energy Co | 53.21 | 4.41 | 58.25 | 2012/03/15 |
| CMS | CMS Energy Corp | 21.83 | 4.4 | 43.38 | 2012/02/08 |
| MRK | Merck & Co Inc | 38.26 | 4.39 | 549.36 | 2012/03/09 |
| CNP | CenterPoint Energy Inc | 18.47 | 4.39 | 72.35 | 2012/02/14 |
| PCL | Plum Creek Timber Co Inc | 38.78 | 4.33 | 140.75 | 2012/02/16 |
| SCG | SCANA Corp | 44.83 | 4.33 | 63.56 | 2012/03/06 |
| BMY | Bristol-Myers Squibb Co | 32.24 | 4.22 | 60.96 | 2012/03/28 |
| D | Dominion Resources Inc/VA | 50.04 | 4.22 | 80.4 | 2012/02/29 |
| KIM | Kimco Realty Corp | 18.25 | 4.16 | 361.29 | 2012/04/03 |
| SO | Southern Co/The | 45.56 | 4.15 | 72.84 | 2012/02/02 |
| CVC | Cablevision Systems Corp | 14.55 | 4.13 | 39.39 | 2012/03/01 |
| PM | Philip Morris International Inc | 74.77 | 4.12 | 61.77 | 2012/03/21 |
| PFE | Pfizer Inc | 21.4 | 4.11 | 72.18 | 2012/02/01 |
| ED | Consolidated Edison Inc | 58.96 | 4.11 | 66.82 | 2012/02/13 |
| WM | Waste Management Inc | 34.76 | 4.09 | 63.38 | 2012/03/08 |
| PAYX | Paychex Inc | 31.5 | 4.06 | 87.09 | 2012/05/03 |
| NI | NiSource Inc | 22.73 | 4.05 | 86.8 | 2012/02/02 |
| MAT | Mattel Inc | 31 | 4 | 42.53 | 2012/02/21 |
| AVY | Avery Dennison Corp | 27.15 | 3.98 | 27.99 | 2012/03/05 |
| VTR | Ventas Inc | 58.31 | 3.94 | 153.91 | 2012/03/07 |
| KMB | Kimberly-Clark Corp | 71.56 | 3.91 | 70.15 | 2012/02/29 |
| XEL | Xcel Energy Inc | 26.6 | 3.91 | 61.8 | 2012/03/20 |
| CA | CA Inc | 25.78 | 3.88 | 9.84 | 2012/02/10 |
| COP | ConocoPhillips | 68.21 | 3.87 | 29.19 | 2012/02/16 |
| EQR | Equity Residential | 59.55 | 3.81 | N/A | 2012/03/08 |
| MCHP | Microchip Technology Inc | 36.91 | 3.77 | 59.84 | 2012/02/14 |
| DRI | Darden Restaurants Inc | 45.87 | 3.75 | 36.83 | 2012/04/04 |
| HNZ | HJ Heinz Co | 51.85 | 3.7 | 58.23 | 2012/03/20 |
| WHR | Whirlpool Corp | 54.32 | 3.68 | 21.17 | 2012/02/22 |
| NEE | NextEra Energy Inc | 59.85 | 3.68 | 47.94 | 2012/02/29 |
| CPB | Campbell Soup Co | 31.7 | 3.66 | 47.2 | 2012/04/12 |
| GE | General Electric Co | 18.71 | 3.63 | 49.53 | 2012/02/23 |
| CAG | ConAgra Foods Inc | 26.67 | 3.6 | 45.88 | 2012/04/25 |
| SYY | Sysco Corp | 30.11 | 3.59 | 52.47 | 2012/03/28 |
| WMB | Williams Cos Inc/The | 28.82 | 3.59 | N/A | 2012/03/07 |
| RTN | Raytheon Co | 47.99 | 3.58 | 32.4 | 2012/04/06 |
| SE | Spectra Energy Corp | 31.49 | 3.56 | 62.32 | 2012/02/08 |
| ABT | Abbott Laboratories | 54.15 | 3.55 | 63.62 | 2012/04/13 |
| PLD | ProLogis Inc | 31.71 | 3.53 | N/A | 2012/02/09 |
| WEC | Wisconsin Energy Corp | 34 | 3.53 | 41.15 | 2012/02/10 |
| MTB | M&T Bank Corp | 79.74 | 3.51 | 39.97 | 2012/02/24 |
| CLX | Clorox Co/The | 68.66 | 3.5 | 107.17 | 2012/04/23 |
| K | Kellogg Co | 49.52 | 3.47 | 46.83 | 2012/02/24 |
| JNJ | Johnson & Johnson | 65.91 | 3.46 | 43.54 | 2012/02/24 |
| NOC | Northrop Grumman Corp | 58.05 | 3.44 | 26.74 | 2012/02/23 |
| HAS | Hasbro Inc | 34.91 | 3.44 | 35.19 | 2012/05/02 |
| VNO | Vornado Realty Trust | 80.88 | 3.41 | 77.37 | 2012/05/08 |
| MWV | MeadWestvaco Corp | 29.44 | 3.39 | 64.96 | 2012/05/01 |
| SRE | Sempra Energy | 56.9 | 3.38 | 55.22 | 2012/03/13 |
| GAS | AGL Resources Inc | 41.51 | 3.38 | 56.84 | 2012/02/15 |
| IP | International Paper Co | 31.14 | 3.37 | 27.48 | 2012/02/13 |
| SLM | SLM Corp | 14.95 | 3.34 | 26.96 | 2012/02/29 |
| PG | Procter & Gamble Co/The | 63.04 | 3.33 | 47.77 | 2012/04/25 |
| CCL | Carnival Corp | 30.2 | 3.31 | 41.16 | 2012/02/15 |
| DPS | Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc | 38.82 | 3.3 | 40.98 | 2012/03/15 |
| NUE | Nucor Corp | 44.49 | 3.28 | 59.17 | 2012/03/27 |
| IRM | Iron Mountain Inc | 30.82 | 3.24 | N/A | 2012/03/28 |
| DD | EI du Pont de Nemours & Co | 50.89 | 3.22 | 43.83 | 2012/02/13 |
| INTC | Intel Corp | 26.42 | 3.18 | 34.11 | 2012/02/03 |
| NU | Northeast Utilities | 34.75 | 3.17 | 46.84 | 2012/02/24 |
| EIX | Edison International | 41.04 | 3.17 | 32.91 | 2012/03/28 |
| PEP | PepsiCo Inc/NC | 65.67 | 3.14 | 47.92 | 2012/03/07 |
| CVX | Chevron Corp | 103.08 | 3.14 | 22.82 | 2012/02/15 |
Thank you for this site. I use your info along with MSN Money to help make my decisions. Do you give any indication of Fair Value Price when you give info on stocks? I have not seen this. During this current run up in prices, I have missed out, always thinking things will soon fall apart “again”. I want to invest in good dividend paying stocks in the 20 to 40 dollar range. I am over 70 yrs young and want the dividends to live on and then to pass on to family. Thanks, jz
@Jerry- Thanks for the good words. What exactly do you mean by Fair Value Price?