Are All of the Highest-Paying Dividend Stocks High Risk?
Adding the markets highest-paying dividend stocks to your portfolio can be a huge help in generating regular income in todays ultra-low yield environment. In recent years, high-paying dividend stocks have become incredibly popular with retired investorsand young baby boomers too. Adding a few of the markets highest-paying dividend stocks to your portfolio can be a huge help in generating regular income in todays ultra-low yield environment. But many investors dont realize how much risk is inherent in most of the highest paying dividend stocks. The highest dividend stocks in the market are usually yielding so much because theyre very high riskmany of the energy stocks that offered double-digit yields at some time have since reduced or eliminated their dividends, for example. Others simply delivered investors staggering capital lossesan 11% yield is great but doesnt make up for a 70% loss. High Yields, Safely Find out which dividend stocks to buy today for high dividends with low risk in this FREE Special Report: Cabot's 5 Best Dividend Stocks. Chief Analyst Tom Hutchinson has a long track record of successfully building wealth and providing a high income for his private and corporate clients. Now you can benefit from his decades of experienceFREE! Get My Free Report Now  High Dividend Blue Chip Stocks  Many investors who want yield without (too much) risk have successfully found it using high dividend blue chip stocks. Telecoms AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ). Utilities are some of the highest paying dividend stocks, but most are very low risk, such as Southern Company (SO), the electric utility for much of the Southeastern U.S.. Some non-cyclical consumer stocks also offer consistency and high dividends. Philip Morris Internationals (PM) high quarterly dividend, for example, and the stock almost never pulls back more than 15%, even during the markets worst corrections (the benefit of selling a highly addictive product.) The Highest Paying Dividend Stocks: REITs and MLPs  Other investors in search of yield turn to some of the highest-paying dividend stocks in the market: Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and master limited partnerships (MLPs). These special types of income investments are designed to consistently pay higher-than-average dividends. So while a 7% yield from an ordinary stock is usually a red flag, yields that high can be perfectly normal and sustainable for one of these high-yield vehicles. For example, CoreCivic, Inc. (CXW) (formerly Corrections Corp. of America) is a REIT that operates for-profit prisons. The company has paid dividends since 2012. The stock is less volatile than many REITs but does tend to be sensitive to interest rate expectations, prompting big declines in advance of the last two rate hikes. I still advise avoiding the very highest yielding dividend stocks from these income-oriented categories, since outliers are more often than not outlying for a reason. In addition, some investors find the tax complications of owning REITs and MLPs more trouble than theyre worth. Hidden Gems  Lastly, theres one group of the highest-paying dividend stocks that income investors often overlook: turnaround stocks. Turnaround situations can be a great way to find relatively low risk, high paying dividend stocksand theyre usually a great value to boot. High Income and Peace of Mind Tom Hutchinson, Chief Analyst of Cabot Dividend Investor, is a Wall Street veteran with extensive experience in multiple areas within the financial world. His advisory is geared to providing you both high income and peace of mind. If youre retired or thinking about retirement, this advisory is designed for you. Learn More  This article was originally published on November 3, 2016 and is periodically updated.