In this low interest rate environment, dividends are still looking great. After all, the S&P 500 currently yields about 2%, and that is a heck of a lot better than you can get through most savings accounts. On top of this, dividends do two important things:

1. First, a generous dividend payment lowers a stock’s volatility. I’d much rather own a stock that’s stable rather than one that scatters all over the place.
2. They also tell me how much money a company really has. If the company is willing to part with cash in the form of a dividend payment, then I know they really earned it.

But you still have to do your homework and screen dividend stocks for fundamental health. Stock selection remains critical with dividend stocks, because if you choose them correctly, you can make a fortune both as your invested capital appreciates over the years — and as the quarterly dividend grows.

And now is the perfect time to do so because we’re coming up on a bunch of ex-dividend dates over the next few weeks.

• 5 Stocks to Buy for May

I’ve listed the big dividends below, as well as my current Portfolio Grader ranking for each of these stocks.

Louis Navellier is a renowned growth investor. He is the editor of five investing newsletters: Blue Chip Growth, Emerging Growth, Ultimate Growth, Family Trust and Platinum Growth. His most popular service, Blue Chip Growth, has a track record of beating the market 3:1 over the last 14 years. He uses a combination of quantitative and fundamental analysis to identify market-beating stocks. Mr. Navellier has made his proven formula accessible to investors via his free, online stock rating tool, PortfolioGrader.com. Louis Navellier may hold some of the aforementioned securities in one or more of his newsletters.

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