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So you've got $3,000 -- or perhaps just $300 or maybe $30,000 -- to invest and you want to park that money in dividend-paying stocks as you've paid off all your high-interest debt, have plumped up your emergency savings, and won't need the money for anything in the near or medium term. That's very smart of you! Dividend payers are often underappreciated, but they can be powerful wealth builders.
After all, a company has to grow successfully to a certain point where it has relatively reliable income before it will commit to paying shareholders a regular dividend. And such companies often grow in value over time, while their dividends grow, too. And during economic downturns, those dividends usually keep getting paid, even if the stock is in a slump. Though no dividend is guaranteed. Companies can and do cut dividends if they need to.
Here are three dividend payers to consider for your portfolio.
1. Altria
Altria (NYSE: MO) used to be known as Philip Morris before it was split up into two companies, one focused on the U.S. (that's Altria) and one on international operations. The stock will certainly draw the interest of dividend seekers, as its recent dividend yield was a whopping 7.4%!
It's not a slam-dunk investment, though, as Altria faces some challenges. Primarily this: Fewer Americans are smoking these days -- hitting an 80-year low last year. (Only 11% of survey respondents had smoked in the past week, vs. 41% in 1944.) That hasn't been a secret, though, and Altria has been combating it by investing in cigarette alternatives, such as vaping products.
It remains to be seen whether Altria will be a solid grower from here on out. The recent payout ratio of 61% suggests that the dividend is sustainable (at least in the short term), with room for growth, and Altria has increased its payout for more than 50 years in a row. So this can be a smart buy. Just plan to keep an eye on Altria's progress and prepare to jump ship if and when matters seem troubling.
2. Realty Income
Here's another portfolio contender -- with a recent dividend yield of 5.7%. Realty Income (NYSE: O) is a real estate investment trust (REIT), meaning that it owns lots of real estate, charging its tenants rent. REITs are required to pay out at least 90% of their taxable earnings as dividends, by the way.
While most dividend payers pay out quarterly, Realty Income pays out monthly. It just reported its fourth-quarter results. Earnings met expectations, revenue exceeded them, and management projections were slightly below expectations. This was enough to send shares down a bit, which only boosts the yield. Oh, and Realty Income has hiked its payout for 110 quarters in a row, giving me confidence it will continue to do so.