S&P 500 Dividend Stocks, Checked for Safety
Every scored S&P 500 stock with a dividend yield of 3% or more, ranked by fundamentals score, so dividends backed by a strong business come first. A high yield alone can be a trap: the price may have fallen because the business is struggling, or the dividend may be a one-off. The score checks the profit, debt and cash flow behind the payout. Yields above 15%, and yields from a payout at least 3 times the stock's best earlier year, are left out (1 stocks): these are one-off special dividends or data errors, not a steady income.
Quick answer
Scored S&P 500 stocks yielding 3% to 15%: 91. Of these, 9 yield 6%+. Strong score (80+): 2. Weak (under 40): 17. Highest scores: U.S. Bancorp (89), PNC Financial Services (82) and T. Rowe Price (78).
All 91 dividend stocks, ranked by score
91 stocks
| U.S. Bancorp Common StockU.S. Bancorp USB · BankingBank rules | 89 | 3.5% | US$ 92.6b | 80 | 100 | 83 | 83 | 100 | 42.4% | 5/5 |
| PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (The) Common StockPNC Financial Services PNC · BankingBank rules | 82 | 3.3% | US$ 90.5b | 80 | 83 | 67 | 83 | 100 | 38.6% | 5/5 |
| T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.T. Rowe Price TROW · Financial Services | 78 | 5% | US$ 22.2b | 80 | 100 | 83 | 67 | 70 | 52.2% | 5/5 |
| Federal Realty Investment Trust Common StockFederal Realty Investment Trust FRT · REIT | 74 | 4.1% | US$ 9.6b | 80 | 50 | 88 | 67 | 80 | 90.3% | 5/5 |
| Huntington Bancshares IncorporatedHuntington Bancshares HBAN · BankingBank rules | 74 | 3.9% | US$ 31.7b | 75 | 83 | 83 | 67 | 50 | 50.4% | 5/5 |
| Regency Centers CorporationRegency Centers REG · REIT | 74 | 4.1% | US$ 13.9b | 80 | 75 | 88 | 50 | 80 | 121.1% | 5/5 |
| Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.Host Hotels & Resorts HST · REITNew High | 73 | 6.6% | US$ 17.6b | 90 | 75 | 80 | 50 | 70 | 63.5% | 4/5 |
| VICI Properties Inc. Common StockVici Properties VICI · REIT | 73 | 7.4% | US$ 26.9b | 50 | 100 | 88 | 67 | 70 | 82.6% | 5/5 |
| Regions Financial Corporation Common StockRegions Financial RF · BankingBank rules | 72 | 3.8% | US$ 24.3b | 63 | 83 | 83 | 50 | 100 | 43.6% | 5/5 |
| McCormick & Company, Incorporated Common StockMcCormick & MKC · Consumer Defensive | 70 | 4.1% | US$ 12.7b | 90 | 50 | 63 | 83 | 67 | 35.5% | 5/5 |
| Prudential Financial, Inc. Common StockPrudential Financial PRU · Financial Services | 69 | 4.8% | US$ 40.2b | 63 | 50 | 67 | 83 | 75 | 49.7% | 5/5 |
| American Tower Corporation (REIT) Common StockAmerican Tower AMT · REIT | 66 | 3.8% | US$ 87.3b | 90 | 50 | 80 | 33 | 70 | 98.7% | 5/5 |
| Realty Income Corporation Common StockRealty Income O · REIT | 65 | 5.7% | US$ 53.9b | 80 | 75 | 63 | 33 | 75 | 236.4% | 5/5 |
| Simon Property Group, Inc. Common StockSimon Property Group SPG · REIT | 65 | 4.1% | US$ 82.7b | 90 | 50 | 60 | 50 | 70 | 72.3% | 5/5 |
| Prologis, Inc. Common StockPrologis PLD · REIT | 64 | 3.3% | US$ 124.4b | 70 | 100 | 75 | 17 | 70 | 93% | 5/5 |
| Transdigm Group Incorporated Common StockTransDigm Group TDG · Industrials | 64 | 7.9% | US$ 63.4b | 80 | 83 | 63 | 17 | 75 | 248.6% | 0/5 |
| Truist Financial Corporation Common StockTruist Financial TFC · BankingBank rules | 64 | 4.3% | US$ 58.5b | 25 | 100 | 83 | 50 | 50 | 55.5% | 5/5 |
| Fifth Third Bancorp Common StockFifth Third Bancorp FITB · BankingBank rules | 63 | 3% | US$ 48.7b | 63 | 83 | 83 | 33 | 50 | 50.4% | 5/5 |
| Edison International Common StockEdison International EIX · Utilities | 61 | 6% | US$ 22.7b | 90 | 17 | 38 | 83 | 75 | 35.9% | 5/5 |
| Invitation Homes Inc. Common StockInvitation Homes INVH · REIT | 61 | 4.5% | US$ 15.5b | 70 | 50 | 60 | 33 | 90 | 105.5% | 5/5 |
| Las Vegas Sands Corp. Common StockLas Vegas Sands LVS · Consumer Cyclical | 61 | 3.1% | US$ 23.9b | 70 | 50 | 63 | 33 | 83 | 55.3% | 3/5 |
| CME Group Inc.CME Group CME · Financial Services | 60 | 3.7% | US$ 109.0b | 88 | 83 | 75 | 0 | 63 | 92.5% | 5/5 |
| Extra Space Storage Inc Common StockExtra Space Storage EXR · REIT | 59 | 4.3% | US$ 33.3b | 70 | 50 | 80 | 17 | 70 | 132.1% | 5/5 |
| Kimco Realty Corporation (HC) Common StockKimco Realty KIM · REIT | 59 | 4.3% | US$ 16.3b | 60 | 50 | 83 | 33 | 70 | 99.4% | 5/5 |
| ONEOK, Inc. Common StockOneok OKE · Energy | 59 | 3.3% | US$ 61.2b | 90 | 17 | 63 | 50 | 75 | 65.7% | 5/5 |
| Vivmark Residential (formerly AvalonBay Communities)Vivmark Residential VMRK · REIT | 59 | 4.5% | US$ 47.9b | 63 | 100 | 60 | 33 | 50 | 97.2% | 5/5 |
| Verizon Communications Inc. Common StockVerizon VZ · Communication Services | 59 | 6.3% | US$ 185.4b | 60 | 17 | 75 | 83 | 58 | 71.4% | 5/5 |
| Blackstone Inc. Common StockBlackstone BX · Financial Services | 58 | 3.3% | US$ 141.6b | 80 | - | 83 | 33 | 60 | 179.6% | 5/5 |
| BXP, Inc. Common StockBXP BXP · REIT | 58 | 4.5% | US$ 11.3b | 70 | 25 | 50 | 67 | 70 | 102.3% | 5/5 |
| Comcast CorporationComcast CMCSA · Communication Services | 58 | 5.7% | US$ 81.9b | 30 | 33 | 88 | 67 | 70 | 42.6% | 5/5 |
| Duke Energy Corporation (Holding Company) Common StockDuke Energy DUK · Utilities | 58 | 3.4% | US$ 99.4b | 80 | 17 | 50 | 67 | 75 | 64.5% | 5/5 |
| UDR, Inc. Common StockUDR UDR · REIT | 58 | 4.1% | US$ 13.0b | 80 | 50 | 60 | 17 | 75 | 109.6% | 5/5 |
| Best Buy Co., Inc. Common StockBest Buy BBY · Consumer Cyclical | 57 | 4% | US$ 19.9b | 50 | 50 | 88 | 17 | 75 | 63.1% | 5/5 |
| KeyCorp Common StockKeyCorp KEY · BankingBank rules | 56 | 3.9% | US$ 22.3b | 50 | 100 | 67 | 33 | 17 | 51.4% | 5/5 |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Common StockBristol Myers Squibb BMY · Healthcare | 55 | 4% | US$ 128.2b | 50 | 67 | 63 | 17 | 75 | 55.4% | 5/5 |
| The Hershey Company Common StockHershey HSY · Consumer Defensive | 55 | 3.5% | US$ 33.3b | 50 | 50 | 88 | 17 | 67 | 63% | 5/5 |
| Altria Group, Inc.Altria MO · Consumer DefensiveNew High | 53 | 5.5% | US$ 129.8b | 30 | 67 | 63 | 17 | 83 | 87.7% | 5/5 |
| PepsiCo, Inc.PepsiCo PEP · Consumer Defensive | 53 | 4.2% | US$ 187.2b | 70 | 33 | 75 | 17 | 67 | 72.3% | 5/5 |
| Brown Forman Inc Class B Common StockBrown–Forman BF-B · Consumer Defensive | 52 | 3.2% | US$ 13.2b | 40 | 83 | 63 | 17 | 58 | 59.1% | 5/5 |
| Hormel Foods Corporation Common StockHormel Foods HRL · Consumer Defensive | 52 | 5.5% | US$ 11.7b | 10 | 100 | 75 | 17 | 58 | 187% | 5/5 |
| Franklin Resources, Inc. Common StockFranklin Resources BEN · Financial Services | 51 | 4.2% | US$ 15.9b | 40 | 67 | 67 | 33 | 50 | 85.4% | 5/5 |
| Paychex, Inc.Paychex PAYX · Technology | 51 | 5.1% | US$ 39.9b | 80 | 50 | 75 | 0 | 50 | 90% | 5/5 |
| Public Storage Common StockPublic Storage PSA · REIT | 51 | 3.7% | US$ 60.7b | 60 | 75 | 80 | 0 | 40 | 92.7% | 5/5 |
| Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. Common StockStanley Black & Decker SWK · Industrials | 51 | 3.2% | US$ 15.6b | 20 | 50 | 88 | 17 | 75 | 81% | 5/5 |
| Pfizer, Inc. Common StockPfizer PFE · Healthcare | 50 | 5.6% | US$ 174.0b | 40 | 50 | 63 | 17 | 75 | 225.8% | 5/5 |
| Camden Property Trust Common StockCamden Property Trust CPT · REIT | 49 | 4.2% | US$ 11.7b | 60 | 75 | 60 | 17 | 40 | 140.6% | 5/5 |
| Exelon CorporationExelon EXC · Utilities | 49 | 3.6% | US$ 47.7b | 50 | 33 | 50 | 33 | 75 | 60% | 5/5 |
| Ares Management Corporation Class A Common StockAres Management ARES · Financial Services | 48 | 4% | US$ 42.2b | 80 | 17 | 63 | 0 | 80 | 301.7% | 5/5 |
| PPL Corporation Common StockPPL PPL · Utilities | 48 | 3.2% | US$ 26.8b | 70 | 17 | 50 | 33 | 67 | 64.6% | 5/5 |
| The AES Corporation Common StockAES AES · Utilities | 47 | 4.8% | US$ 10.6b | 80 | 0 | 50 | 67 | 42 | 26.8% | 5/5 |
Common questions
This site counts a yield of 3% or more as Okay and 6% or more as Strong in its Dividend Quality measure, the same lines it uses for Bursa. Among S&P 500 stocks that paid a dividend in the last 12 months, the median yield is 1.8%. Many large US companies return cash through share buybacks instead, which a yield doesn't show.
A stock whose high yield hides a problem: the share price has fallen because profits are shrinking, or the dividend was a one-off the business can't repeat. Buying it for the yield can lose more on the share price than the dividend pays. This page sorts by score, so high yields from weak businesses sink to the bottom.
Dividends with an ex-date in the last 12 months, divided by the current share price. A company that pays twice a year is topped up to its usual number of payments, so its yield doesn't drop just before the next one is declared. A real cut still shows.
As of this site's latest data, U.S. Bancorp Common Stock (USB) has the highest fundamentals score among S&P 500 stocks yielding 3% or more, at 89/100, with a dividend yield of 3.5%.
Transdigm Group Incorporated Common Stock (TDG), at 7.9%. Its fundamentals score is 64/100. A yield this high is worth checking: it often follows a falling share price or a one-off special dividend.
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