High-Yield Dividend Screens
Best Dividends is a set of ten ready-made screens, such as Dividend Aristocrats yielding 3% or more, each with fixed rules on yield, dividend increases, volatility and price trend. The REITs, MLPs and Closed End Funds reports list those income securities we track with their yield and latest dividend, and for closed-end funds the price's premium or discount to net asset value. The three reports are free; Best Dividends shows the symbols to Premium and Premium Dividends members.
What are the high-yield dividend screens?
Income investors often start from a list: high-yielding companies that keep raising their dividends, or the real estate investment trusts (REITs), master limited partnerships (MLPs) and closed-end funds built to pay out income. Best Dividends is a set of ten ready-made dividend screens with fixed rules, such as Dividend Aristocrats with the highest yields. The REITs, MLPs and Closed End Funds reports list those kinds of securities we track with their yield and latest dividend, and for closed-end funds how far the price is from the fund's net asset value.
How the lists are built
- Yield. The indicative yield: the dividends we expect over the next year, divided by the current price.
- Increases and decreases. The 3-year counts show how many times in the last three years a regular dividend was higher, or lower, than the one before, adjusted for stock splits. Special dividends and our own estimates are not counted.
- Best Dividends rules are fixed. Each list is a preset screen on the Stock Screener's data, with rules on yield, dividend history, market cap, volatility and price trend; the table below lists them. Groups such as the Dividend Aristocrats or utilities come from the holdings of an ETF, such as NOBL or XLU. Two lists rank the stocks and keep only the top 20.
- REITs and MLPs. Each row shows the latest dividend - the upcoming one once its date is declared, otherwise the most recent one - with its % change from the previous dividend of the same frequency, its frequency, the yield and the 3-year counts, plus the price, its distance from the 52-week low and high, market cap, 30-day implied volatility, 52-week historical volatility and the category and sub-category.
- Closed-end funds. The yield, and the premium or discount of the share price to the fund's net asset value (NAV) per share: Last compares the previous close with the latest NAV, 52-Week Avg is the average over the last 252 trading days, and Last vs. Avg is the difference. A fund needs a NAV from the past year to be listed.
- Updates. Best Dividends follows the Stock Screener's data, rebuilt about every 3 minutes; the REIT and MLP lists are built when the page opens; the closed-end fund list refreshes about every 8 minutes. Before the open, and on weekends and holidays, they use the last trading day.
These are screens on yield and dividend history, not recommendations: a high yield can come from a falling price, and companies can cut their dividends.
What you can find out
Which Dividend Aristocrats have the highest yields?
Aristocrats With Highest Yield lists the holdings of NOBL, an ETF that tracks the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, that yield 3% or more and raised their dividend at least three times, with no cuts, in the last three years. Largest companies first; sort by Dividend Yield for the highest. See the Aristocrats list
Which dividend stocks have low volatility?
Five lists look for yield with low volatility: Low Volatility for common stocks, and SPY, Utilities, REITs and Energy Low Volatility for the holdings of those ETFs. Each sets limits on 30-day implied volatility and 1-year volatility, and most on IV rank and the price trend. See low-volatility dividend stocks
Which companies raise their dividend most often?
Most Dividend Increasers keeps the 20 stocks yielding 4% or more with the most increases in three years, and Highest Dividend Growth the 20 with the fastest 3-year dividend growth. For the latest raises as they are announced, use the Dividend Increases report. How the Dividend Increases report works
Which REITs and MLPs pay the highest yields?
Sort the REIT or MLP report by Yield. The search box matches any column, so typing a category such as Office narrows the list to REITs in that category. See the REIT report
Which closed-end funds trade at a discount to their NAV?
Sort the Closed End Funds report by Last premium/discount: negative numbers are discounts. Last vs. Avg shows whether a fund's discount is wider or narrower than its own 52-week average, and the search box finds a category such as Fixed Income or a country. See closed-end funds
Where to find it
Menu: Stocks › For Premium Users › Dividends › Best Dividends, or go straight to /best-dividend-stocks/dividend-aristocrats-highest-yield; the other nine lists are in the list menu on that page. The reports are under Stocks › Dividends: REITs, MLPs and Closed End Funds, 25 rows to a page or All.
The REIT, MLP and Closed End Funds reports are free, with no Premium-only parts. The Best Dividends lists are open to everyone, but the symbol and company name are shown only to Premium and Premium Dividends members.
The ten Best Dividends lists
| List | Stocks | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Aristocrats With Highest Yield | Holdings of NOBL | Yield 3% or more; 3 or more increases and no decreases in 3 years |
| Most Dividend Increasers | Any | Yield 4% or more; no decreases; price above its 20-day average; the 20 with the most increases in 3 years |
| Highest Dividend Growth | Any | Yield 4% or more; 3 or more increases, no decreases; price above its 20-day average; the 20 with the fastest 3-year dividend growth |
| Near 52-Wk High Price | Market cap $1 billion or more | Yield 3% or more; 3 or more increases, no decreases; within 5% of the 52-week high; above the 20-, 50- and 250-day averages; IV30 20 or less; IV rank 50% or less |
| Low Volatility | Common stocks | Yield 3% or more; no decreases; price at least 2% above its 20-day average; IV30 and 1-year volatility 20 or less |
| SPY Low Volatility | Holdings of SPY | Yield 2% or more; 1 or more increases, no decreases; 1-year volatility 10 or less; IV30 20 or less; IV rank 50% or less |
| Utilities Low Volatility | Holdings of XLU with listed options | Yield 3% or more; 1 or more increases, no decreases; IV30 and 1-year volatility 20 or less; IV rank 50% or less; above the 20-, 50- and 250-day averages |
| REITs Low Volatility | Holdings of VNQ with listed options | The same, with a yield of 4% or more |
| Energy Low Volatility | Holdings of XLE with listed options | The same as Utilities, yield 3% or more |
| Rebounding from 52-Wk Low | Market cap $1 billion or more | Yield 3% or more; 3 or more increases, no decreases; within 10% of the 52-week low and at least twice as far from the high; at least 1% above the 20-day average |
FAQ
- What is a Dividend Aristocrat?
- An S&P 500 company that has raised its dividend every year for at least 25 years. Our list uses the holdings of NOBL, an ETF that tracks the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats.
- How is the yield worked out?
- It is the indicative yield: the dividends we expect over the next year, divided by the current price.
- What do the 3-year increase and decrease counts measure?
- How many times in the last three years a regular dividend was higher, or lower, than the one before, adjusted for stock splits. Special dividends and our own estimates are not counted.
- What is a closed-end fund's premium or discount?
- How far the fund's share price is above (a premium) or below (a discount) its net asset value per share. Last uses the previous close and the latest NAV; 52-Week Avg is the average over the last 252 trading days.
- Are these lists free?
- The REIT, MLP and Closed End Funds reports are free. Best Dividends is open to everyone, with the symbols and company names shown to Premium and Premium Dividends members.
- Is a high-yield stock a buy?
- No. A high yield can come from a falling price, and dividends can be cut. The lists show which securities pass the rules, not which to buy.
Related
Dividend Calendar Dividend Increases Stock Screener Buy-writes and covered callsTerms on this page
Dividend yield Dividend Aristocrats REIT MLP Net asset value (NAV)Market Chameleon provides data, not investment advice.