Why Is Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) Among the Best Dividend Stocks to Invest In?

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We recently compiled a list of the 10 Dogs of the Dow Dividend Stocks to Invest in. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) stands against the other dividend stocks.

Dividend-focused investors are often drawn to stocks with high yields, shaping their strategies around acquiring such investments. A notable approach is the Dogs of the Dow (DOD) strategy, which involves selecting the 10 highest dividend-yielding stocks from the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) each year. This method operates on the belief that these so-called "Dogs" are either undervalued or out of favor. By targeting these stocks, investors hope to benefit from potential price appreciation while also securing a steady stream of dividend income. The strategy is based on the idea that these high-yield stocks are merely temporarily undervalued and are likely to recover shortly.

Numerous financial experts have provided detailed explanations of the strategy to help investors develop a thorough understanding of it. Robert R. Johnson, professor of finance at the Heider College of Business at Creighton University, spoke about the Dogs in one of his interviews with Business Insider. Here are some comments from the analyst:

“The underlying premise behind the strategy is mean reversion. The [Dogs of the Dow] is based on the theory that stocks can be over or undervalued, but over the long run those that are undervalued will 'revert to the mean.”

Dow stocks are typically not inexpensive without reason. These companies rarely face the risk of going out of business, and their high yields often result from falling out of favor. According to a report by Forbes, historically, the Dogs have delivered strong long-term performance, but their recent results have been mixed. While they lagged behind the broader market in 2019, 2020, and 2021, they surged ahead in 2022, only to underperform again in 2023.

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However, over the long term, the strategy has managed to outperform its benchmark. Michael O'Higgins found that over a 26-year period, a theoretical portfolio made up of high dividend-yield stocks from the Dow Jones delivered an annualized return of 17.9%. This performance exceeded the Dow Jones Industrial Average's annualized return of 13% during the same timeframe.

A study in the International Journal of Trade, Economics, and Finance analyzed various versions of the DOD strategy and found that they consistently outperformed the DJIA on a risk-adjusted basis. The research explored three DOD variations: Dow-10, Dow-5, and the "Small Dogs of the Dow," while incorporating recent market events like the 2001 dot-com bubble, the 2008 financial crisis, and the subsequent recovery. The study revealed that all three strategies delivered better investment performance than the DJIA between 1996 and 2006. Notably, the traditional Dow-10 portfolio achieved a total return of 406.6% during this time, surpassing the DJIA’s return of 355.6%.