Does Ford's 4.8%-Yielding Dividend Make It a Top Income Stock?

Dividend stocks can be fantastic investments. That's abundantly clear from looking at their long-term returns. According to a study by Ned Davis Research and Hartford Funds, dividend-paying stocks in the S&P 500 have outperformed the index over the last 50 years. They've delivered a 9.2% average annual total return compared to a 7.7% average annual total return for an equal-weighted S&P 500 index. Giant automaker Ford Motor Company (F -0.48%) is offering an above-average distribution right now -- at the cur ...