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Top U.S. Dividend Stocks
UPDATED Dec 20, 2024
What are the best U.S. Dividend Stocks?
According to our Simply Wall St analysis these are the best U.S. dividend companies. We look for companies with high quality dividends and healthy balance sheets to find the top Dividend Stocks.
Our criteria to find Top Dividend Companies
High Yield
- Companies with a high dividend yield are more attractive due to the higher expected income for each dollar invested.
- Yields vary between markets, so we focus on the top dividend payers in each market.
What do we look for?
- Is the yield in the top 25% of the market's dividend payers.
Consistent Dividends
- Companies with a strong track record of paying a consistent and growing dividend are the most attractive.
- If the dividend has been cut substantially in the past, then it's difficult to be confident about future payments.
What do we look for?
- Has the dividend been stable over the last 10 years.
- Has the dividend grown over the last 10 years.
Dividend Cover
- Ideally the company doesn't pay out all of its earnings, neglecting future growth.
- If a company is unable to afford its dividend, then it will probably lead to a dividend cut and share price erosion.
What do we look for?
- Are dividends covered by earnings.
- Are dividends forecast to be covered by earnings in the future.
Healthy Balance Sheet
- Investors want to make sure the company is positioned to cover its debts. Repayments on debt typically take priority over shareholder return initiatives.
What do we look for?
- Does the company have a manageable level of debt.
- Is the company able to cover its interest repayments.