It is very rare to witness a change in ranks in the top 15 of the most watched stocks that dividend investors are currently tracking.
Last week saw a healthcare giant displace a consumer goods company to claim the third spot on the list. Movement was also seen in the lower rungs of the top 15 stocks, as investors preferred a REIT over a conglomerate that has recently cut its dividend. During a rising interest rate environment, REITs typically do well since a lot of Americans prefer renting over purchasing a property as mortgage payments steadily go up.
Our new third place occupant receives a very high DARS rating because, in spite of the recent mini-crash that the market witnessed, the stock is down only 10% from its 52-week high. It still maintains a solid 2.5% dividend yield and is valued considerably lower than the broader benchmark at 16 P/E. It has raised its dividend for 55 years in a row and is scheduled to go ex-dividend on February 26 with a payout of $0.84 per share.
Other stocks that moved in the list last week were Union Pacific as the company recently raised its dividend from 66.5 cents per share to 73 cents per share, which is an 8.9% increase.
Upstream giant ConocoPhillips surprisingly slipped three places on the list on the back of a dividend increase that it recently delivered.
Our Most Watched Stocks List is a user-generated, interest-based ranking of dividend-paying stocks, giving you a real-time snapshot of buying interest in the market. Generated by our Premium members’ watchlists, it’s aggregated and ranked by the most watched criteria.
The list has been designed to help income investors navigate the top dividend stocks being tracked by one of the world’s most advanced investing communities.
