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Stock ScreenerStock IdeasBest Dividend Paying Stocks For The Long Term
Dividend Stock Screener: Best Dividend Paying Stocks For The Long Term
A dividend stock screener to help you uncover the best dividend paying stocks for the long term (to buy and hold)

Dividend Yield: Has dividends
Ticker
Company
Country
Market Cap
Shares
Institutional %
Insider %
Net Insider (L12M)
Net Insider (L3M)
MSFT
MICROSOFT CORP
United States
$3.13T7,430,436,22971.15%6.24%Net SellingNet Selling
AAPL
APPLE INC
United States
$2.65T15,441,881,00060.43%0.11%Net SellingNet Selling
NVDA
NVIDIA CORP
United States
$2.26T2,500,000,00065.24%4.38%Net SellingNet Selling
META
META PLATFORMS INC
United States
$1.24T2,549,405,10666.22%11.38%Net SellingNet Selling
LLY
ELI LILLY & CO
United States
$739.19B950,164,45282.44%11.18%Net SellingNet Selling
TSM
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO LTD
Taiwan
$705.61B25,932,071,0003.31%0.00%
AVGO
BROADCOM INC
United States
$614.22B463,421,23719.01%80.99%Net SellingNet Selling
NVO
NOVO NORDISK A S
Denmark
$579.08B4,510,000,0006.84%0.00%
JPM
JPMORGAN CHASE & CO
United States
$576.94B2,880,371,49871.63%2.32%Net SellingNet Selling
V
VISA INC
United States
$563.27B1,836,509,70282.08%0.15%Net SellingNet Selling
WMT
WALMART INC
United States
$484.85B8,058,048,6744.49%95.51%Net SellingNet Selling
XOM
EXXON MOBIL CORP
United States
$461.22B3,967,844,30761.87%0.85%Net SellingNet Selling
UNH
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC
United States
$456.08B921,934,10987.84%2.02%Net SellingNet Selling
MA
MASTERCARD INC
United States
$449.25B932,891,50076.38%21.16%Net SellingNet Selling
ASML
ASML HOLDING NV
Netherlands
$381.80B393,421,72118.60%0.00%
PG
PROCTER & GAMBLE CO
United States
$381.78B2,353,021,05465.73%0.58%Net SellingNet Selling
JNJ
JOHNSON & JOHNSON
United States
$381.04B2,408,767,22869.52%0.19%Net SellingNet Selling
HD
HOME DEPOT INC
United States
$380.15B991,015,77370.79%4.37%Net SellingNet Selling
ORCL
ORACLE CORP
United States
$345.24B2,748,514,00042.71%42.14%Net SellingNet Buying
MRK
MERCK & CO INC
United States
$334.18B2,532,643,87276.17%0.19%Net BuyingNet Buying
COST
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP
United States
$324.92B443,504,03668.33%0.84%Net SellingNet Selling
ABBV
ABBVIE INC
United States
$321.67B1,766,473,35970.16%0.15%Net SellingNet Selling
BAC
BANK OF AMERICA CORP
United States
$298.53B7,872,657,54270.80%26.83%Net SellingNet Selling
CVX
CHEVRON CORP
United States
$292.97B1,857,269,16072.28%0.12%Net SellingNet Selling
CRM
SALESFORCE INC
United States
$292.14B970,000,00080.42%5.34%Net SellingNet Selling
KO
COCA COLA CO
United States
$263.84B4,312,456,16870.18%6.29%Net SellingNet Selling
PEP
PEPSICO INC
United States
$240.54B1,374,429,27173.02%0.62%Net SellingNet Selling
ACN
ACCENTURE PLC
Ireland
$232.48B670,736,49670.33%0.90%Net SellingNet Selling
SAP
SAP SE
Germany
$227.64B1,167,229,0565.62%0.00%
LIN
LINDE PLC
United Kingdom
$223.61B481,576,47282.55%0.25%Net SellingNet Selling
TMO
THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC
United States
$221.62B381,312,26889.26%0.87%Net SellingNet Selling
SHEL
SHELL PLC
Netherlands
$217.42B6,486,295,9845.07%0.00%
AZN
ASTRAZENECA PLC
United Kingdom
$210.05B1,550,162,62631.49%0.00%
WFC
WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
United States
$207.35B3,577,443,48972.62%27.38%Net SellingNet Selling
MCD
MCDONALDS CORP
United States
$203.58B722,051,48870.38%0.24%Net SellingNet Selling
CSCO
CISCO SYSTEMS INC
United States
$202.09B4,049,187,08073.24%1.84%Net SellingNet Selling
NVS
NOVARTIS AG
Switzerland
$197.72B2,044,033,9866.92%0.00%
ABT
ABBOTT LABORATORIES
United States
$197.22B1,735,184,28975.12%1.14%Net SellingNet Selling
TMUS
T-MOBILE US INC
United States
$193.72B1,186,867,57516.41%83.59%Net SellingNet Selling
GE
GENERAL ELECTRIC CO
United States
$191.04B1,088,334,30474.95%2.72%Net SellingNet Selling
QCOM
QUALCOMM INC
United States
$188.94B1,116,000,00074.38%2.42%Net SellingNet Selling
CAT
CATERPILLAR INC
United States
$186.93B510,143,09769.38%0.98%Net BuyingNet Selling
INTC
INTEL CORP
United States
$186.75B4,228,000,00064.58%5.06%Net SellingNet Selling
DHR
DANAHER CORP
United States
$184.72B739,701,72575.94%24.06%Net BuyingNet Selling
BABA
ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD
Hong Kong
$182.15B20,138,000,0001.68%0.00%
INTU
INTUIT INC
United States
$181.99B279,979,00083.68%6.17%Net SellingNet Selling
VZ
VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC
United States
$176.41B4,204,272,44361.97%0.23%Net SellingNet Selling
IBM
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP
United States
$175.06B916,744,84858.87%0.44%Net SellingNet Selling
CMCSA
COMCAST CORP
United States
$172.18B3,971,857,33984.23%1.41%Net SellingNet Selling
AMAT
APPLIED MATERIALS INC
United States
$171.36B830,897,35680.24%2.86%Net SellingNet Selling
TTE
TOTALENERGIES SE
France
$166.04B2,412,251,8356.48%0.00%
AXP
AMERICAN EXPRESS CO
United States
$164.82B723,869,78784.37%0.95%Net SellingNet Selling
TXN
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC
United States
$158.41B909,287,67385.09%0.59%Net SellingNet Selling
PFE
PFIZER INC
United States
$156.70B5,646,778,42568.45%0.27%Net SellingNet Selling
MS
MORGAN STANLEY
United States
$153.98B1,635,268,29768.89%31.11%Net SellingNet Selling
AMGN
AMGEN INC
United States
$152.37B535,918,90176.49%1.01%Net SellingNet Selling
HSBC
HSBC HOLDINGS PLC
United Kingdom
$151.64B19,262,728,1930.29%0.00%
UNP
UNION PACIFIC CORP
United States
$149.96B609,777,91480.48%1.30%Net SellingNet Selling
COP
CONOCOPHILLIPS
United States
$149.73B1,176,408,36882.25%0.46%Net SellingNet Selling
BHP
BHP GROUP LTD
Australia
$146.12B5,065,820,5561.90%0.00%
LOW
LOWES COMPANIES INC
United States
$145.75B572,184,24374.32%1.03%Net SellingNet Selling
NKE
NIKE INC
United States
$142.39B1,515,122,06864.58%1.39%Net SellingNet Selling
PM
PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL INC
United States
$142.24B1,552,456,59778.69%0.56%Net SellingNet Selling
RY
ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
Canada
$142.06B1,408,257,00045.42%0.00%
SYK
STRYKER CORP
United States
$136.09B380,264,03645.77%54.23%Net SellingNet Selling
GS
GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC
United States
$135.98B325,562,74771.05%5.47%Net SellingNet Selling
HON
HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC
United States
$133.86B652,181,81275.94%0.67%Net SellingNet Selling
SPGI
S&P GLOBAL INC
United States
$133.63B314,100,00087.21%1.99%Net SellingNet Buying
SCHW
SCHWAB CHARLES CORP
United States
$131.97B1,824,369,01881.97%12.59%Net SellingNet Selling
NEE
NEXTERA ENERGY INC
United States
$131.17B2,052,429,15478.71%0.37%Net SellingNet Selling
MU
MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC
United States
$130.55B1,107,368,11080.52%1.62%Net SellingNet Selling
RTX
RTX CORP
United States
$129.41B1,326,826,89686.60%0.42%Net BuyingNet Buying
LRCX
LAM RESEARCH CORP
United States
$127.38B131,103,00084.64%1.12%Net SellingNet Selling
UPS
UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INC
United States
$126.73B852,653,06160.20%0.35%Net SellingNet Selling
UL
UNILEVER PLC
United Kingdom
$126.55B2,521,497,3389.64%0.00%
T
AT&T INC
United States
$125.89B7,152,792,25356.98%0.29%Net SellingNet Selling
ETN
EATON CORP PLC
Ireland
$124.92B399,500,00082.92%0.70%Net SellingNet Selling
BLK
BLACKROCK INC
United States
$124.17B148,942,49162.13%37.87%Net SellingNet Selling
BKNG
BOOKING HOLDINGS INC
United States
$123.97B34,171,02774.80%25.20%Net SellingNet Selling
SNY
SANOFI
France
$122.94B1,264,799,96919.51%0.00%
BUD
ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV SA
Belgium
$122.73B2,019,241,9734.83%0.00%
PGR
PROGRESSIVE CORP
United States
$121.13B585,677,46485.35%8.86%Net SellingNet Selling
C
CITIGROUP INC
United States
$120.87B1,911,366,78371.61%4.40%Net SellingNet Selling
ELV
ELEVANCE HEALTH INC
United States
$120.65B232,668,73589.25%2.58%Net SellingNet Selling
PLD
PROLOGIS INC
United States
$120.44B924,881,00093.07%0.71%Net SellingNet Selling
MDT
MEDTRONIC PLC
Ireland
$115.72B1,327,822,53982.10%0.53%Net SellingNet Selling
TJX
TJX COMPANIES INC
United States
$115.59B1,139,676,81690.49%0.47%Net SellingNet Selling
DE
DEERE & CO
United States
$114.33B278,358,21068.48%11.63%Net Selling
LMT
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP
United States
$109.92B241,643,30473.82%0.39%Net SellingNet Selling
BMY
BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB CO
United States
$109.66B2,022,193,41176.46%0.36%Net SellingNet Selling
TD
TORONTO DOMINION BANK
Canada
$108.17B1,791,422,41251.38%0.00%
UBS
UBS GROUP AG
Switzerland
$106.36B3,462,087,72238.79%0.00%
RACE
FERRARI NV
Italy
$106.26B243,750,96223.76%0.00%
CI
CIGNA GROUP
United States
$106.18B292,355,02287.03%1.49%Net SellingNet Selling
BP
BP PLC
United Kingdom
$105.86B16,823,721,4851.92%0.00%
CB
CHUBB LTD
Switzerland
$105.14B405,758,79683.97%1.18%Net SellingNet Selling
HDB
HDFC BANK LTD
India
$104.00B5,579,742,7865.87%0.00%
RIO
RIO TINTO LTD
Australia
$103.71B1,627,108,3128.02%0.00%
SBUX
STARBUCKS CORP
United States
$103.47B1,132,200,00072.19%2.63%Net SellingNet Selling
ADP
AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING INC
United States
$102.59B410,790,56779.97%2.06%Net SellingNet Selling

Find the Best Dividend Paying Stocks to Buy and Hold (For the Long Term)

Dividend stocks have a reputation among the investing public as safe, reliable, and yes, boring investments.

The famous dividend aristocrats list - a list of companies in the S&P 500 with 25+ years of consecutive dividend increases, are generally considered stable, safe companies.

However, just because a company is generating dividends, doesn't necessarily make it a safe investment.

In this article, you will learn:

  • Why high dividend yield is not necessarily good
  • How to avoid dividend traps
  • What to look for in long-term dividend stocks

Before we dive into finding the best dividend paying stocks for the long term, let's step back and examine why some companies offer higher dividends than others in the first place.

Why Do Some Dividend Paying Stocks Offer Higher Yields Than Others?

A high dividend yield may be a reflection of a company's mature status.

Some large, established businesses may find it difficult to identify enough growth investments to efficiently deploy their profits. In such a case, management often returns profits to shareholders in the form of dividends.

A good example of this would be telecommunications and utility companies.

In other instances, the business structure of a company itself may require the company to distribute the majority of their cash flow to investors for tax purposes, as is the case with REITs (real estate investment trusts). REITs were created in the 1960s as a tax-efficient vehicle to fund the growth of American real estate. These entities are not required to pay federal income tax, provided they payout 90%+ of their income as dividends.

Unfortunately, boosting dividend yields can also be a way for management to pacify frustrated investors when the stock isn't performing. As you can imagine, this almost never works out well - the temporary yield boost can make the stock look tempting at first, but as profits drop and the struggling company's financial woes deepen, these unsustainable payouts eventually get cut. This can be a dangerous trap for dividend investors seeking yield.

To avoid these so-called "dividend traps", it's important to understand the overall health of a company, and also how dividends fit into management's overall corporate strategy.

Why High Yield Is Not Always Good

Investors nearing retirement are attracted to high dividend stocks because of the generous passive income they can provide.

The highest paying dividend stocks can offer a yield greater than 4% a year, and some high dividend paying stocks even yield more than 10% a year.

However, not all high yield dividend stocks are safe. The best dividend stocks to buy and hold not only pay a high dividend yield (anything above 4% can be considered high), but also show indicators of dividend stability, dividend growth, and a sustainable earnings stream that can support their dividend payouts.

Furthermore, it's important to consider dividend yield in conjunction with a stock's overall value. After all, dividends are just a percentage of a company's profits being paid out to owners (shareholders) - when you use a dividend screener to screen companies based solely on dividend yield, you'll see that many of these companies are not necessarily top performers in the long term.

The best dividend paying stocks for the long term pay a stable, steady dividend built on a foundation of healthy earnings and a strong balance sheet.

Dividend Payout Ratio

One of the key factors in determining whether a company can sustain their dividend payout is whether the company is generating sufficient earnings. The dividend payout ratio is a metric that tracks the percentage of a company's earnings being paid out as a dividend.

It is a key metric to watch if you're looking for the best long term dividend stocks, since it is a sign that the dividend paying company has the necessary profits to support future dividend payments.

Here at WallStreetZen, we run an automated due diligence check that fails when a company pays out more than 90% of its earnings as a dividend. However, conservative dividend investors may want to see a dividend payout ratio in the 50% range, meaning the company only pays out half of its earnings as a dividend.

The dividend payout ratio you'd want to target really depends on your risk tolerance and personal goal as an investor. A retiree who is entirely dependent on their dividends for living expenses may want to target a more conservative payout ratio, while for a younger investor who only has a chunk of their portfolio set aside for dividend stocks, a 90% payout ratio may be a good benchmark.

Is the Dividend Stable?

While past performance does not always equal future performance, a company that has a long history of stable dividend payouts is generally a better dividend stock for a long-term buy and hold than one that has gone up and down over time.

Here at WallStreetZen, we run an automated due diligence check that checks how many times a company's stock has dropped over the past 10 years. If it has dropped at any point, it fails the check.

How Risky Is the Stock?

Some other important risk factors to consider when evaluating a dividend stock for the long-term are the amount of debt on the balance sheet, the leverage inherent in the business model, the size of the company, and the valuation multiple.

At WallStreetZen, we run due diligence checks that analyze a company's financials and valuation, you can learn more about our process for automating fundamental analysis checks here.

Don't Over Concentrate Your Portfolio Chasing Dividend Yields

Finally, dividend investors should also be wary of overconcentration in their portfolio.

Because certain sectors such as utilities, energy trusts and REITs tend to produce companies with high yield dividends, a dividend investor's portfolio can become overweighted in these sectors over time if they focus solely on finding the best dividend paying stocks to buy and hold, without considering other factors.

It's important for dividend investors to maintain a balanced portfolio that focuses on dividend growth and yield, but also continue to pay attention to traditional investing priorities such as diversification.

While building your dividend portfolio, keep in mind these 4 important factors that will affect the volatility of your holdings:

  1. number of holdings
  2. correlation between holdings (industry diversification)
  3. leverage that each holding has (higher leverage means more volatility)
  4. market cap of each holding (smaller companies tend to be more volatile)

Don't Invest in Dividend Paying Stocks You Don't Understand

Like with any investment, it should go without saying that you shouldn't invest in anything you don't understand.

If a dividend stock has a high yield but you don't understand the business, keep in mind Warren Buffett's mental model of staying within one's circle of competence.

Keeping this maxim in mind will serve you well in your search for the best dividend paying stocks to buy and hold - for the long term.

WallStreetZen does not provide financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security.

Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes and is not advice. WallStreetZen does not bear any responsibility for any losses or damage that may occur as a result of reliance on this data.