Group 1: Ares Capital - Ares Capital offers a high dividend yield of 8.68%, which is sustainable due to its stable financial performance and a history of paying dividends for 15 consecutive years [2][3] - As a business development company (BDC), Ares Capital must return at least 90% of earnings to shareholders as dividends to avoid federal income taxes, providing a strong incentive for management to maintain dividend payments [3] - Ares Capital is the largest publicly traded BDC with a diversified portfolio, boasting the highest base dividend per share and net asset value per share growth among large publicly traded BDCs over the past decade [4] Group 2: Energy Transfer - Energy Transfer has a forward distribution yield of 6.95% and plans to increase its distribution by 3% to 5% annually, having recently raised the payout by 3.2% in Q4 2024 [6] - The company operates over 130,000 miles of pipeline in the U.S., positioning itself as a leader in the North American midstream energy industry [7] - PJM projects a 19% increase in summer peak power demand over the next five years, driven by data centers and electrification trends, prompting Energy Transfer to invest in capital projects to meet this demand [8] Group 3: Pfizer - Pfizer offers a forward dividend yield of 6.82%, one of the highest in the healthcare sector, with management committed to maintaining and growing the dividend [10] - The company reported revenue of 17.7 billion last year, indicating strong financial health to support its dividend strategy [11] - Despite facing patent expirations for several top products, Pfizer has a robust pipeline with 115 candidates, including five awaiting regulatory approvals and 32 in late-stage testing, providing multiple growth drivers [12]
3 Ultra-High-Yield Dividend Stocks to Buy in April