Uncovering Income: Dividend Stocks with Strong Yields

Amid the current market volatility, attractive income-generating investments can be hard to find.

Treasury bond yields hover near record lows, and U.S. companies face restrictions on issuing dividends if they accept COVID-19 stimulus funds. Moreover, Goldman Sachs estimates dividends for S&P 500 stocks will decline by 25% this year.

Which stocks can investors turn to for stable distributions and relatively high dividend yields? Today’s visualization shows 35 stocks that may meet this criteria, leveraging Goldman Sachs data as published by Forbes.

The Dividend Stocks to Watch

To compile the list, Goldman Sachs identified stocks from the Russell 1000 index that met a number of requirements:

• A minimum annualized dividend yield of 3%
• An S&P credit rating of at least BBB+
• Ample cash on hand
• Strong balance sheets
• ”Reasonable” payout ratios
• At least average performance since the market peak

Dividend yields, which measure dividend income in relation to the share price, were initially calculated March 27. We have updated them as of market close on April 8. Here’s the full breakdown, sorted from highest to lowest dividend yield:

Note: From the original list, 5 stocks have been excluded as they no longer meet the 3% annualized yield threshold.

Centerpoint Energy, an electric and natural gas utility company, is at the top of the list. Since utility stocks are generally considered to be recession-resistant, investors may benefit from both the company’s yield and its defensive qualities.

Financials are the most-represented sector, with 11 companies on the list. Although regulators have pressured European banks to suspend dividend payments, U.S. banks will likely be able to continue their distributions. Top banking executives have argued they have sufficient capital to weather the COVID-19 crisis, and that halting payments would be “destabilizing to investors.”

There are also a number of well-known names on the list, including Home Depot, IBM, and 3M. The latter is the largest maker of respirator masks worldwide, and has been providing critical supplies to the U.S., Canada, and Latin America.

Caution: Volatility Ahead

As the pandemic’s financial impact continues, it’s likely many companies will delay or suspend their dividends. To avoid falling into “yield traps”—a trap in which an attractive yield could be due to a fundamental business problem—investors can screen for the qualities laid out above.

A strong balance sheet, good credit rating, and average or better performance since the downturn can all help point towards stability.

In the UK, money is the #1 cause of stress—ranking above physical health, work, or family.

When people begin investing, they see immediate emotional benefits compared to non-investors. In fact, investors are 16 percentage points happier, and 23 percentage points more positive about their well-being.

However, only 37% of Brits hold market-based investments. So why aren’t more people taking steps to invest? Today’s infographic from BlackRock outlines the barriers people face, and how wealthtech can help address these issues at scale.

The Wealth Problem

A variety of hurdles keep people from taking control of their finances.

1. Lack of Resources: 59% of Brits feel they don’t have enough money to invest.
2. Lack of Knowledge: 39% say a lack of knowledge holds them back.
3. Fear of Failure: 34% are afraid of losing everything if they invest.

All of these factors culminate in insufficient investing. In fact, 50% of the €26 trillion European wealth market is currently in uninvested cash, earning zero interest.

What’s the Current Solution?

Traditionally, investment advisers helped tackle these issues. However, investors have faced challenges accessing professional advice in recent years.

A shortage of UK advisers is a main contributing factor:

• There are only 26,700 advisers, who can service an average of 100 clients each.
• This leaves over 51 million adults without professional advice.

Among available advisers, many impose investment minimums or fees that create barriers for lower-income populations. Financial advisers charge an average of £150/hour, and half of all surveyed advisers turned away clients with less than £50,000 to invest.

With so many hurdles to overcome, how can Brits take charge of their investments?

A Modern Solution

Wealth technology—or simply wealthtech—helps address these issues at scale, offering four main digital-first solutions:

1. Helps investors build better portfolios.
   Gone are the days of rudimentary spreadsheets. With the help of algorithms and machine learning, investors can now automatically build sophisticated portfolios.
2. Helps advisors scale their services.
   The automation of time-consuming processes allows advisers to service more clients.
3. Reaches more people.
   Wealthtech is accessible for all, not just the wealthy. For example, micro-investing apps allow investors to make small, regular contributions without paying a commission.
4. Modernises infrastructure.
   Wealthtech updates old legacy systems with more streamlined, automated systems. As a result, paper-based processes are replaced with mobile transactions that can be done with the click of a button.

These benefits can be applied across various branches of wealth management.

The Wealthtech Ecosystem

Investors can choose one of three main paths, based on their level of knowledge and interest.

“Do It Yourself” Investing
Confident investors who enjoy managing their own money can trade securities through self-directed online platforms.

“Do It For Me” Investing
Novice investors can use platforms that execute trades on their behalf, such as micro-investing or robo-advisers.

“Do It With Me” Investing
For investors in the middle of this spectrum, certain platforms offer a hybrid of digital transactions and professional advice.

With a wide variety of solutions available, investing has never been easier.

Inclusive Wealth-Building

It’s clear Brits are open to the shift: 64% say new technology would help them be more involved in their investments.

As wealthtech evolves, it will be seamlessly integrated into daily life as part of a holistic financial services offering. Traditional barriers will be broken down, empowering individuals to take charge of their financial future.