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3 Smartest Dividend Stocks to Buy With $100 Right Now

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24/7 Insights

Dividend stocks are favorites among investors because of their dual benefits: a steady income stream and the potential for significant total return. Total return, a comprehensive measure of investment performance, encompasses interest, capital gains, dividends, and distributions realized over time. In simpler terms, it’s the sum of an investment or portfolio’s income and stock appreciation.

For example, if you buy a stock at $20 that pays a 3% dividend, and it goes up to $22 in a year, your total return is 13%. That is, 10% for the increase in stock price and 3% for the dividends paid.

When you start building a portfolio of stocks, the most important ingredient for success is to get started early. Regardless of how much money you begin with, if you continue to add to the pot and reinvest your dividends to buy more shares, there is a good chance for long-term success. 

We screened our 24/7 Wall Street dividend stock database, looking for companies that pay dependable dividends and can supply some serious total return if they trade higher over time. We found three that look like great ideas. All are priced under $5, if you have $100 to invest now. 

B2Gold

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B2Gold is a Canadian mining company that owns and operates gold mines in Mali, Namibia, and the Philippines.

For those seeking high returns, this small-cap gold stock offers an exciting opportunity for sector exposure. B2Gold Corp. (NYSE: BTG) is a dynamic gold producer with three mines operating in Mali, the Philippines, and Namibia.

It also operates the Fekola Mine in Mali, the Masbate Mine in the Philippines, and the Otjikoto Mine in Namibia.

The company also has a 25% interest in Calibre Mining Corp. and approximately 19% interest in BeMetals Corp. In addition, it has a portfolio of other evaluation and exploration assets in Mali, Uzbekistan, and Finland.

Lloyds Banking Group

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Lloyds is a British retail and commercial bank with branches across England and Wales.

Those who know European financials are familiar with this top company that pays a 5.48% dividend. Lloyds Banking Group PLC (NYSE: LYG) provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom and internationally.

It operates through three segments:

  • Retail
  • Commercial Banking
  • Insurance and Wealth Management

The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings accounts, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, credit cards, and other financial services to personal and small business customers.

The Commercial Banking segment provides lending, transactional banking, working capital management, risk management, and debt capital market services to small and medium-sized entities, corporates, and financial institutions.

The Insurance and Wealth segment of Lloyds Banking Group is a testament to its versatility. It offers a wide array of life, home, and car insurance products and pension, investment, and wealth management products and services.

The company also caters to the digital age with its digital and mobile banking services and provides advisory services for savings, investments, and retirement planning.

All these services are offered under the trusted brands of:

  • Lloyds Bank
  • Halifax
  • Bank of Scotland
  • Scottish Widows
  • MBNA
  • Schroders Personal Wealth
  • Black Horse
  • Lex Autolease
  • Birmingham Midshires
  • LDC
  • IWeb
  • Agricultural Mortgage Corporation

5 Dividend Kings to Buy Now for Dependable Retirement Passive Income

Uniti Group

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Uniti is an internally managed real estate investment trust that acquires and constructs mission-critical communications.

Way off the radar, this specialty company delivers a massive 18.68% dividend. Uniti Group Inc. (NASDAQ: UNIT) is an internally managed real estate investment trust engaged in the acquisition and construction of mission-critical communications infrastructure and is a leading provider of fiber and other wireless solutions for the communications industry.

As of December 31, 2023, Uniti owns approximately 140,000 fiber route miles, 8.5 million fiber strand miles, and other communications real estate throughout the United States.

Uniti is not resting on its laurels. The company recently announced a significant network expansion in Huntsville, Alabama, one of its existing 30 enterprise markets. This expansion, spanning approximately 70 route miles, is not just a move to increase its footprint. It’s a strategic decision to support one of its hyperscale customers, demonstrating Uniti’s forward-thinking approach and potential for future success.

Uniti provides multiple conduits and high-strand count fiber to its hyper-scale customer to connect key data center locations within the Huntsville metropolitan area and tie in diverse, long-haul routes connecting Huntsville to other regional and national data center markets.

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