The S&P 500 index is only offering investors a 1.3% or so yield today, which is pretty slim by just about any standard. You can do much better than that. If you have $100, $1,000, $10,000 or more, you’ll want to look at high-yield stocks like Enbridge (NYSE: ENB), WEC Energy (NYSE: WEC), and Brookfield Renewable (NYSE: BEP)(NYSE: BEPC). Here’s a quick overview of each one.
1. Enbridge has a lofty 7.4% yield
Enbridge is an energy infrastructure company, with a portfolio that includes oil pipelines, natural gas pipelines, regulated natural gas utilities, and renewable power. The vast majority of its revenue comes from its pipelines, which make up about 75% of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). Meanwhile, all of its assets are driven by fees, contracts, or regulated income streams, so the cash flows it generates are highly consistent over time.
This is how Enbridge has managed to increase its dividend annually for 29 consecutive years. The dividend is also backed by an investment-grade-rated balance sheet. And the distributable-cash-flow payout ratio is well within management’s 60% to 70% target range. The impressive 7.4% dividend yield looks like it is on a rock-solid foundation. The one drawback is that the yield will likely make up the bulk of the return here, with growth expected to be modest over time. But if you are an income investor that probably won’t bother you.
2. WEC Energy is a steady dividend grower with a 4.1% yield
WEC Energy is a fairly boring natural gas and electric utility serving 4.7 million customers in parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota. That said, it has increased its dividend for 21 years and at a fairly rapid 7% annualized rate over the trailing one-, three-, five-, and 10-year periods. Now that’s consistent, and maybe a bit boring. Note, however, that 7% dividend growth would be around twice the historical growth rate of inflation, which means that the buying power of WEC Energy’s dividend has grown strongly over time. That’s actually pretty exciting.
The company’s yield is 4.1% right…
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