24/7 Insights

• Dividend stocks offer investors the opportunity to increase investment total return.
• Companies that pay dependable dividends help generate passive income streams.
• Check out this free report: Access 2 legendary, high-yield dividend stocks Wall Street loves.

Dividend stocks are a trusted choice among investors. They offer a secure income stream and a promising path for total return, which is a measure of investment performance that includes interest, capital gains, dividends, and distributions realized over time. 

Let's take a closerlook at total return. If you purchase a stock at $20 that offers a 3% dividend, and the stock price rises to $22 within a year, your total return is 13%. This is calculated by adding the 10% increase in stock price to the 3% dividend. 

As mentioned, dividend stocks are a reliable way for investors to generate passive income streams, significantly contributing to the overall portfolio performance.

We screenedour 24/7 Wall St. dividend stock database for quality stocks priced under $50 that offer solid and dependable dividends and still have outstanding upside potential. Five companies are terrific additions to portfolios now; all are rated Buy at top firms on Wall Street.

Altria

This tobacco companyoffers value investors a great entry point. Now trading at a cheap 8.8 times estimated 2025 earnings, it pays a rich 8.84% dividend. Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO) manufactures and sells smokable and oral tobacco products in the United States through its subsidiaries.

The company provides cigarettesprimarily under the Marlboro brand, as well as:

• Cigars and pipe tobacco, principally under the Black & Mild brand
• Moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands
• on! Oral nicotine pouches.

It sells its tobacco products primarilyto wholesalers, including distributors and large retail organizations, such as chain stores.

Altria used to own over 10% of Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A. (NYSE: BUD), the world's largest brewer. The company sold 35 million of its 197 million shares through a global secondary offering. That represents 18% of the holdings, but it still leaves a hefty 8% of the outstanding shares in their back pocket. They also announced a $2.4 billion stock repurchase plan partially funded by the sale. 

Bristol-Myers Squibb

This top company remainsa solid pharmaceutical stock to own long-term, offering an outstanding entry point and a massive 5.83% dividend. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE: BMY) discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, and markets pharmaceutical products worldwide.

The company offers productsin hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, and immunology therapeutic classes.

The company’s products include:

• Revlimid, an oral immunomodulatory drug for the treatment of multiple myeloma
• Opdivo for anti-cancer indications
• Eliquis, an oral inhibitor indicated for the reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in NVAF and for the treatment of DVT/PE
• Orencia for adult patients with active RA and psoriatic arthritis, as well as reducing signs and symptoms in pediatric patients with active polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis

The company also provides:

• Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia
• Yervoy for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma
• Abraxane, a protein-bound chemotherapy product
• Implicit for the treatment of multiple myeloma
• Reblozyl for the treatment of anemia in adult patients with beta-thalassemia

Cisco

This is a mega-cap tech leader for more conservative accounts that pays a very solid 3.50% dividend. Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) designs, manufactures, and sells Internet Protocol-based networking and other products related to the communications and information technology industry in:

• The Americas
• Europe
• The Middle East
• Africa
• The Asia Pacific
• Japan
• China

The company also offers a switching portfolio that encompasses campus switching as well as:

• Data center switching
• Enterprise routing portfolio interconnects public and private wireline and mobile networks, delivering highly secure and reliable connectivity to campus, data center, and branch networks
• Wireless products include wireless access points and controllers
• Compute portfolio including the Cisco unified computing system, hyperflex, and software management capabilities, which combine computing, networking, and storage infrastructure management and virtualization

In addition, it provides Internet for future products consisting of:

• Routed optical networking
• 5G
• Silicon, and optics solutions
• Collaboration products, such as meetings, collaboration devices, calling, contact center, and communication platform as a service
• End-to-end security product consists of network security, cloud security, security endpoints, unified threat management, and zero trust
• Optimized application experiences products including full-stack observability and network assurance

Further, the company offers a range of service and support options for its customers, including technical support advanced services, and advisory services. It serves businesses of various sizes, public institutions, governments, and service providers.

Comerica

Based in Dallas, this fast-growingbanking center giant pays a substantial 6.07% dividend. Comerica Inc. (NYSE: CMA) provides various financial products and services.

The companyoperates through:

• Commercial banking
• Retail banking
• Wealth management
• Finance segments

The Commercial Banksegment offers:

• Commercial loans and lines of credit
• Deposits
• Cash management
• Capital market products
• International trade finance
• Letters of credit
• Foreign exchange management services
• Loan syndication services
• Payment and card services for small and middle-market businesses, multinational corporations, and governmental entities

The Retail Bank segment provides:

• Personal financial services, such as consumer lending
• Consumer deposit gathering
• Mortgage loan origination and various
• Consumer products that include deposit accounts, installment loans, credit cards, student loans, home equity lines of credit
• Residential mortgage loans and commercial products and services to micro-businesses.

The Wealth Managementsegment offers products and services comprising:

• Fiduciary
• Private banking
• Retirement
• Investment management and advisory
• Investment banking and brokerage services
• Annuity products and life, disability, and long-term care insurance products

The Finance segmentengages in the securities portfolio and asset and liability management activities.

Comericaoperates in:

• Texas
• California
• Michigan
• Arizona
• Florida
• Canada
• Mexico

Three Ultra-High Dividend Stocks to Buy With $200 Right Now

Verizon Communications

This top telecommunications company offers tremendous value trading at just 8.7 times estimated 2025 earnings and pays investors a hefty 6.71% dividend. Verizon Communications, Inc. (NYSE: VZ)  through its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of communications, technology, information, and entertainment products and services to consumers, businesses, and governmental entities worldwide.

It operatesin two segments:

• Verizon Consumer Group 
• Verizon Business Group 

The Consumer segmentprovides wireless services across the wireless networks in the United States under the Verizon and TracFone brands and through wholesale and other arrangements; and fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband through its wireless networks, as well as related equipment and devices, such as smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and other wireless-enabled connected devices.

The segmentalso offers wireline services in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States and Washington D.C. through its fiber-optic network, Verizon Fios product portfolio, and a copper-based network.

The Business segmentprovides wireless and wireline communications services and products, including:

• FWA broadband
• Data
• Video and conferencing
• Corporate networking
• Security and managed network
• Local and long-distance voice
• Network access services to deliver various IoT services and products to businesses, government customers, and wireless and wireline carriers in the United States and internationally

 

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.