The 8 Highest Yielding Stocks With Safe Dividends

By Dividend Stocks Online:Payout ratios are used by dividend investors to help determine how safe a dividend is. The higher the payout ratio, the less likely it is that the company will be able to continue paying out its current dividend. A company's payout ratio is calculated by dividing its dividend per share by earnings per share.

eChristian Investing submits:When researching potential dividend stocks, looking at solid blue-chip stocks is always a good bet. Many investors tend to focus only on stocks included in the Dow Jones Industrial average. This is not necessarily a bad strategy since the Dow includes some of the finest companies in America and 29 of the 30 stocks in the Dow also pay dividends.

By Dividend Stocks Online:Our safe dividend stock list has 43 stocks that have raised their dividend for 29 consecutive years or more. Long-term investors are always on the hunt for stocks with solid growth and sustainable dividends. Companies that have a long track record of raising their dividend and increasing their income can be great core holdings for any retirement portfolio.

By Dividend Stocks Online:The dividend growth rate is an important factor in our dividend ranking system. We like to identify and buy companies that have a commitment to growing their dividend. Dividend increases drive stock prices higher and maintain yields as the stock price increases. Healthy companies with growing net income are able to increase their dividend on an annual basis.

By Dividend Stocks Online:The Dow is made up of 30 stocks, most of which pay dividends. Many of these dividend payers have a history of consistent dividend growth. We used the DSO rating to identify the 10 best dividend stocks listed in the index.

By Dividend Stocks Online:Companies with solid earnings are being rewarded so far this year. In this stock-pickers' market, dividend investors want to see income growth because growing income means higher stock prices and sustainable dividend increases. As we discussed in our top rated dividend stocks article a few days ago, we have started to put more emphasis on income growth when we rate dividend stocks.

Scott's Investments submits:I frequently use DRIP Investing's US Dividend Champions list to identify potential high yield equities. My site tends to focus on price momentum strategies for picking ETFs and stocks.

By Dividend Stocks Online:After a recent selloff, utility stocks that pay dividends have been on the mend. Many of these companies are offering good value and strong yields. But value and yield are only a part of the equation dividend investors use to find the best dividend stocks. For the long term investor we believe the most important factor to be dividend growth.