Group 1 - REITs have been viewed as underperformers due to the high interest rate environment, but this perspective may vary based on the timing of investments [1] - The article suggests that REITs could experience strong upside potential in the coming years, challenging the prevailing negative sentiment [1] - The author emphasizes a buy-and-hold investment strategy focused on quality dividend-paying stocks, including REITs, to support retirement income [1] Group 2 - The author aims to assist lower and middle-class workers in building investment portfolios that consist of high-quality, dividend-paying companies [1] - There is a personal aspiration to provide a new perspective for investors seeking financial independence through dividend investing [1]

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights several high-quality dividend stocks that offer attractive yields above 5%, despite the overall decline in dividend yields in the market, particularly the S&P 500's yield at around 1.2% [1]. Group 1: Brookfield Infrastructure Partners - Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (BIP) currently yields approximately 5.8%, outperforming its corporate counterpart, Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (BIPC), which yields 4.4% [3]. - About 85% of Brookfield's funds from operations (FFO) are derived from long-term contracts or regulated frameworks, with a conservative dividend payout ratio of 60%-70% [4]. - The company anticipates FFO per share growth of 10% or more, supporting annual dividend increases of 5% to 9% over the long term, extending its 16-year growth streak [5]. Group 2: EPR Properties - EPR Properties offers a yield of 6.7% and pays dividends monthly, appealing to investors seeking consistent passive income [6]. - The REIT focuses on experiential real estate investments, generating predictable rental income through long-term, primarily triple net leases [7]. - EPR plans to invest between $200 million and $300 million annually in acquisitions and development projects, aiming for a 3% to 4% annual growth in income per share [8]. Group 3: Main Street Capital - Main Street Capital has a unique dividend policy, paying a monthly dividend that has never been decreased or suspended, with a cumulative increase of 132% since its public debut in 2007, resulting in a yield of 6.6% [9]. - The company supports its dividends through a portfolio of debt and equity investments, maintaining an investment-grade credit rating [10]. Group 4: MPLX - MPLX, a master limited partnership, yields over 7.5% and generates stable cash flow from long-term contracts [11]. - The company produces cash sufficient to cover its distribution by 1.5 times, allowing for funding of expansion projects while maintaining a strong financial profile [12]. - MPLX's recent $2.4 billion acquisition of Northwind Midstream and ongoing organic projects are expected to support continued distribution increases, with a compound annual growth rate above 10% since 2021 [13]. Group 5: Realty Income - Realty Income yields more than 5.5% and owns a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate, providing stable rental income through net leases [14]. - The company has increased its dividend 131 times since its public listing in 1994, with a strong financial profile and significant room for expansion in the net lease market [15]. Group 6: Conclusion - The highlighted companies exhibit strong dividend-paying track records, stable and growing cash flows, and robust financial profiles, making them suitable candidates for long-term investment to boost income [16].

Group 1 - The article expresses a strong enthusiasm for Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), indicating a positive outlook on this sector [1] - The author identifies as a buy-and-hold investor focused on quality investments, particularly in blue-chip stocks, Business Development Companies (BDCs), and REITs [2] - The goal is to help lower and middle-class workers build high-quality, dividend-paying investment portfolios to achieve financial independence [2] Group 2 - The author has a beneficial long position in ADC shares, indicating confidence in the company's performance [3] - The article is presented as an opinion piece without compensation from any mentioned companies, emphasizing independence in analysis [3] - Seeking Alpha clarifies that past performance does not guarantee future results, highlighting the importance of individual due diligence [4]

Market Overview - The overall market is considered expensive by historical metrics, with the S&P 500's forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio at 22.1, a level last seen during the COVID rebound and the dot-com bubble [3][4] Investment Opportunities Cheap Dividends - **AES Corp.**: Virginia-based electric utility with a 5.5% yield, trading at 5 times cash-flow estimates and a PEG of 0.6, indicating it is inexpensive compared to growth estimates [4][5] - **Edison International**: Offers a 5.9% yield, with shares down over 25% due to wildfire litigation, but expected to generate decent top-line growth and significant profit recovery in the coming years [6][8][9] - **Amcor**: A packaging specialist yielding 5.2%, acting defensively while being involved in various sectors, with a P/CF of roughly 6x [11][19] - **Kodiak Gas Services**: An energy services firm yielding 5.2%, well-positioned for growth with a young fleet and trading at 6 times cash flow estimates [12][14] - **Atlas Energy Solutions**: Yielding 8.4%, but shares have dropped 45% this year; however, it has sufficient free cash flow to cover dividends [15][17] - **United Parcel Service (UPS)**: A blue-chip stock yielding 7.5%, shares have lost nearly half their value in two years, trading at roughly 8 times cash-flow estimates [18][21][22] - **Western Union**: Yielding 11.3%, facing competition from payment apps, but has launched initiatives to improve operations and expand digital offerings [23][24]

Group 1 - Samuel Smith has extensive experience in dividend stock research and investment, having served as lead analyst and Vice President at notable firms [1] - He is a Professional Engineer and Project Management Professional, holding degrees in Civil Engineering & Mathematics and a Master's in Engineering with a focus on applied mathematics and machine learning [1] - Samuel leads the High Yield Investor investing group, collaborating with Jussi Askola and Paul R. Drake to balance safety, growth, yield, and value in investment strategies [2] Group 2 - High Yield Investor provides real-money core, retirement, and international portfolios, along with regular trade alerts and educational content [2] - The service includes an active chat room for investors to share insights and strategies [2]

Company Overview - Univest (UVSP) is headquartered in Souderton and operates in the Finance sector, with a year-to-date stock price change of 3.46% [3] - The company currently pays a dividend of $0.22 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 2.88%, which is higher than the Banks - Northeast industry's yield of 2.69% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.48% [3] Dividend Performance - Univest's current annualized dividend of $0.88 has increased by 4.8% from the previous year [4] - Over the past 5 years, the company has raised its dividend twice, achieving an average annual increase of 1.61% [4] - The current payout ratio is 32%, indicating that the company distributes 32% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Growth - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Univest's earnings in 2025 is $2.76 per share, reflecting a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 10.40% [5] Investment Considerations - Univest is considered a compelling investment opportunity due to its strong dividend profile and current Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [6] - The company is positioned well in the context of rising interest rates, which typically challenge high-yielding stocks [6]

Company Overview - Essential Utilities (WTRG) is headquartered in Bryn Mawr and has experienced a price change of 7.57% this year [3] - The company currently pays a dividend of $0.33 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.51%, which is higher than the Utility - Water Supply industry's yield of 2.56% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.48% [3] Dividend Performance - The current annualized dividend of Essential Utilities is $1.37, reflecting an 8.3% increase from the previous year [4] - Over the past 5 years, the company has increased its dividend 5 times, achieving an average annual increase of 6.53% [4] - The current payout ratio is 56%, indicating that the company paid out 56% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Growth Expectations - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in 2025 is $2.11 per share, which represents a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 7.11% [5] - Future dividend growth will depend on earnings growth and the payout ratio [4] Investment Appeal - Essential Utilities is considered an attractive dividend play and a compelling investment opportunity, holding a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [6] - The company is positioned well for income investors, especially in comparison to high-growth firms that typically do not offer dividends [6]

Company Overview - BNP Paribas SA is headquartered in Paris and operates in the Finance sector [3] - The stock has experienced a price change of 59.64% since the beginning of the year [3] Dividend Information - The company currently pays a dividend of $2.01 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 4.1% [3] - This yield is higher than the Banks - Foreign industry's yield of 3.04% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.48% [3] - The annualized dividend of $2.01 represents a 9% increase from the previous year [4] - Over the last 5 years, BNP Paribas has increased its dividend 4 times, averaging an annual increase of 9.87% [4] - The current payout ratio is 38%, indicating that the company pays out 38% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividends [4] Earnings Growth Expectations - For the fiscal year, BNP Paribas expects solid earnings growth, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 at $5.67 per share, reflecting a year-over-year growth rate of 1.61% [5] Investment Considerations - The company is viewed as a compelling investment opportunity due to its strong dividend play and current Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [6]

Company Overview - Sempra (SRE) is based in San Diego and operates in the Utilities sector, with a year-to-date share price change of -6.66% [3] - The company currently pays a dividend of $0.64 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.15%, which is lower than the Utility - Gas Distribution industry's yield of 3.56% and significantly higher than the S&P 500's yield of 1.48% [3] Dividend Performance - Sempra's annualized dividend of $2.58 has increased by 4% from the previous year, with a historical average annual increase of 4.28% over the last five years [4] - The company's current payout ratio is 55%, indicating that it distributes 55% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Expectations - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sempra's earnings in 2025 is projected at $4.68 per share, reflecting a year-over-year growth rate of 0.65% [5] - The company is expected to experience earnings expansion in the current fiscal year [5] Investment Appeal - Sempra is considered an attractive dividend play and a compelling investment opportunity, currently holding a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [6]

Core Viewpoint - Medtronic's stock has declined approximately 33% since mid-2021, but this decline may be overdone given the company's strong operating history and commitment to rewarding investors [1] Group 1: Dividend Performance - Medtronic's current dividend yield is around 3.1%, significantly higher than the S&P 500's 1.2% and the average healthcare stock's 1.8% [3] - The company has increased its dividend annually for 48 consecutive years, nearing Dividend King status, indicating a robust business model [4] - Despite current challenges, Medtronic is expected to continue rewarding investors with reliable dividends [5] Group 2: Innovation and Growth Challenges - Medtronic faces challenges in introducing new products quickly due to the complexity of medical device development and regulatory processes [6] - The company is making progress in innovation, with surgical robots and other new products expected to gain traction over time [7] - Long-term investors should remain optimistic about Medtronic's potential for future growth [8] Group 3: Business Revamping - Medtronic is focusing on improving profitability by divesting from less profitable segments, which is a standard practice for large companies [9] - The planned spin-off of its diabetes business is expected to enhance profitability and free up capital for R&D or acquisitions [10] - While the diabetes spinoff may present short-term challenges, the long-term outlook for dividend investors remains positive [12]