by Jeff Reeves | May 25, 2010 9:12 am
Stock investing is difficult in this volatile stock market, and low risk trading strategies seem to be key. Finding the best stocks to buy is only half the battle, and limiting your losses is just as important as maximizing your profits. That means the best investment strategy involves investing money in stock picks that pay you no matter what antics the market sends our ways.
Trading strategies like this aren’t just make believe – stock investing can come with a consistent payday when you buy stocks with high dividend yields.
To help you find the best stocks to buy that pay high dividends and invest your money wisely in the top stock picks, here’s a list of the top 25 dividend stocks in the S&P 500 stock market index.
| Symbol | Company Name | Dividend Yield | Market Cap |
| CTL | CenturyTel Inc | 8.6% | $10 Bil |
| RAI | Reynolds American Inc | 7.0% | $15 Bil |
| VZ | Verizon Communications Inc | 6.9% | $78 Bil |
| T | AT&T Inc | 6.9% | $144 Bil |
| MO | Altria Group Inc | 6.7% | $43 Bil |
| HCN | Health Care REIT Inc | 6.6% | $5 Bil |
| PGN | Progress Energy Inc | 6.5% | $11 Bil |
| AEE | Ameren Corp | 6.4% | $6 Bil |
| FE | FirstEnergy Corp | 6.4% | $11 Bil |
| Q | Qwest Communications | 6.3% | $9 Bil |
| HCP | HCP Inc | 6.1% | $9 Bil |
| DUK | Duke Energy Corp | 6.0% | $21 Bil |
| LLY | Eli Lilly and Co | 5.9% | $38 Bil |
| CNP | CenterPoint Energy Inc | 5.9% | $5 Bil |
| PPL | PPL Corp | 5.7% | $9 Bil |
| BMY | Bristol-Myers Squibb Co | 5.6% | $40 Bil |
| ED | Consolidated Edison Inc | 5.6% | $12 Bil |
| SO | Southern Company | 5.5% | $27 Bil |
| LO | Lorillard Inc | 5.4% | $11 Bil |
| EXC | Exelon Corp | 5.4% | $26 Bil |
| AEP | American Electric Power Co Inc | 5.4% | $15 Bil |
| PLD | ProLogis | 5.4% | $5 Bil |
| PM | Philip Morris International Inc | 5.2% | $82 Bil |
| SE | Spectra Energy Corp | 5.2% | $13 Bil |
| XEL | Xcel Energy Inc | 4.9% | $9 Bil |
One word of caution: Remember when you buy stock that investing is different for everyone. Do your own research on these stock picks before you consider any one of these investments a stock to buy for your personal portfolio. A high dividend yield is just one thing to look for in a low-risk investment. It’s also worth noting that these dividend yields are annualized based on previous payouts, and there are no guarantees that any of these picks will not cut or altogether eliminate dividends going forward.
Related Article: Top 10 High Yield Dow Dividend Stocks[1]
But disclaimers aside, if you find a good stock pick that can hold steady in a volatile market, the hefty dividend payouts you receive can add up in a hurry. Every investor should consider dividend stock picks as a low-risk addition to their portfolio right now.
As of this writing, Jeff Reeves did not own a position in any of the stocks named here.
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If you’re looking for high dividend yields and low-risk stocks to fill out your portfolio and add some stability, you’re in luck! Get the names of 10 top dividend stocks here! [6]
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