Why (& When) to Consider Dividend Stocks in Your Portfolio (2024)

FAQs

Why (& When) to Consider Dividend Stocks in Your Portfolio? ›

There are two reasons to invest in stocks that pay dividends. One is to improve the portfolio's total returns

As part of a diversified portfolio, dividend stocks have their place. They offer relative stability, may pay increasing amounts over time and may provide steady income. But relying too heavily on dividend stocks as a primary investment approach could put you at risk and reduce your long-term investment gains.

Yes, there are a lot of advantages. However, there's also a price to pay for those benefits. The most obvious advantage of dividend investing is that it gives investors extra income to use as they wish. This income can boost returns by being reinvested or withdrawn and used immediately.

There are a couple of reasons that make dividend-paying stocks particularly useful. First, the income they provide can help investors meet liquidity needs. And second, dividend-focused investing has historically demonstrated the ability to help to lower volatility and buffer losses during market drawdowns.

There's a misconception that dividend stocks are only for retirees or risk-averse investors. That's not the case. You should consider buying dividend-paying stocks whenever you start investing to reap their long-term benefits.

Overall, we believe creating a dividend portfolio with 20 to 60 stocks provides a reasonable balance between the need for diversification, a desire to keep trading activity low, and a limited amount of research time to devote to maintaining a portfolio.

Dividends are not guaranteed. A company may decide not to pay dividends any further. Alternatively, may choose to reduce their dividend. Another con of dividend investing for passive income is the eventual ceiling of returns.

Some of the best dividend stocks include Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), and AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV) with impressive track records of dividend growth and strong balance sheets.

The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), and Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) are some of the best dividend growers to generate regular income as these companies have raised their payouts for decades.

Some of the advantages of dividend stocks are that they tend to outperform growth stocks, offer consistent cash flow at regular intervals, and because stocks that offer dividends typically indicate that a company is financially healthy enough to pay shareholders cash, the investment can be less risky.

How long should you hold dividend stocks? ›

If you buy a stock one day before the ex-dividend, you will get the dividend. If you buy on the ex-dividend date or any day after, you won't get the dividend. Conversely, if you want to sell a stock and still get a dividend that has been declared, you need to hang onto it until the ex-dividend day.

Dividend investing is a strategy that investors use to generate a steady stream of income from their investments. Dividend investing primarily involves buying stocks in companies that pay regular dividends, which are essentially payments made to shareholders out of the company's profits.

Not necessarily. While dividend ETFs can offer stable income, their growth potential is generally lower over the long run. That said, dividend ETFs may outperform the S&P 500 during particular time frames, such as during a recession or a period of easing interest rates.

In some cases, a high dividend yield can indicate a company in distress. The yield is high because the company's shares have fallen in response to financial troubles. And the high yield may not last for much longer. A company under financial stress could reduce or scrap its dividend in an effort to conserve cash.

If you are looking to create wealth and have a longer time horizon, staying invested in growth will enable you to enjoy longer returns. But if you are looking for a more immediate return and steady cash flow, dividend investing could be the best choice for you.

Depending on how much money you have in those stocks or funds, their growth over time, and how much you reinvest your dividends, you could be generating enough money to live off of each year, without having any other retirement plan.

Dividends are the bread and butter of income investors. You don't need to sell your assets or spend hours every day managing your accounts. Instead, dividend stocks simply generate income on their own. Putting together a portfolio that generates at least $1,000 in dividends each month takes some work, though.