These companies offer attractive dividend yields.
The S&P 500 currently has a historically low dividend yield of just 1.2%, making it challenging for investors to find attractive income opportunities.
However, there are still some high-quality stocks offering much higher dividend yields. Here are five top ones with payouts above 5% that you can buy without hesitation right now.
Clearway Energy
Clearway Energy (CWEN 1.23%) (CWEN.A 1.00%) offers a 6.3% dividend yield. The clean energy infrastructure company supports its payout with stable, predictable cash flow. It sells the electricity produced by its natural gas and renewable energy assets through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with utilities and large corporate buyers.
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The company aims to pay out 70%-80% of its stable cash flow as dividends, retaining the rest to invest in new clean energy assets. It has investments lined up through 2027, providing significant earnings growth visibility. Clearway expects its cash available for dividends will rise from $2.08 per share this year to $2.50-$2.70 per share in 2027. That growing cash flow should support dividend growth within its 5%-8% annual target range. Clearway is already working on growth opportunities beyond 2027 to power future dividend increases.
Enterprise Products Partners
Enterprise Products Partners (EPD 0.22%) has a current yield of 6.9%. The master limited partnership (MLP), which sends its investors a Schedule K-1 Federal Tax Form each year, also backs its payout with stable cash flow. Its pipelines, processing plants, and export facilities primarily earn fee-based income from long-term contracts and government-regulated rate structures.
The MLP currently has $6 billion of organic expansion projects on track to enter commercial service by the end of this year. It has additional projects under construction that should start up in 2026. These projects will supply Enterprise Products with stable sources of incidental cash flow as they come online. That should give it the fuel to continue increasing its high-yielding distribution, which it has done for 27 years in a row. The midstream giant also has one of the strongest balance sheets in the sector, giving it ample financial capacity to continue growing beyond next year.
Vici Properties
Vici Properties‘ (VICI -0.63%) dividend currently yields 5.4%. The real estate investment trust (REIT) invests in market-leading gaming, hospitality, wellness, entertainment, and leisure destinations. It leases the properties it owns under very long-term net leases, with a current average remaining term of 40 years, to high-quality operating companies. Those leases increasingly escalate rents at a rate that matches inflation, standing at 42% in 2025 and rising to 90% in 2035. As a result, Vici collects stable and steadily rising rental income.
The REIT will also invest in loans backed by experiential real estate. Those investments provide it with incremental income and future investment opportunities, as they often come with the option to acquire additional properties in sale-leaseback transactions.
Vici Properties’ growing portfolio has enabled it to steadily increase its dividend. It recently extended its dividend growth streak to eight straight years, every year since its formation. The REIT has grown the dividend at a peer-leading 6.6% compound annual rate during that period.
Verizon
Verizon (VZ 0.58%) has a 6.4% dividend yield. The U.S. telecom giant produces a massive amount of recurring revenue as consumers pay their cellphone and internet bills. The company uses that money to invest in maintaining its network, paying its dividend, and enhancing its financial flexibility. This year, Verizon is on track to produce between $19.5 billion and $20.5 billion in free cash flow after capital expenditures. That’s more than enough to cover its yearly dividend commitment of less than $12 billion annually.
The company’s strong financial profile enables it to make strategic investments in expanding its network, which should increase its free cash flow in the future. Among those investments is Frontier Communications. The company agreed to pay $20 billion to acquire Frontier to bolster its fiber network. Verizon’s growth investments should support continued dividend increases. It recently extended its dividend growth streak to 19 years in a row, the longest in the U.S. telecom sector.
W.P. Carey
W.P. Carey‘s (WPC 0.59%) dividend yield is 5.4%. The REIT owns a well-diversified portfolio of operationally critical real estate — including industrial, retail, warehouse, and other properties — secured by long-term net leases with built-in rent escalation. This portfolio provides it with very stable and steadily rising cash flow.
The landlord routinely invests in new properties. It has spent $1.3 billion through the first eight months of this year on new additions to its portfolio. It is well on its way toward achieving its $1.4 billion to $1.8 billion investment volume target range.
W.P. Carey’s investments to grow its portfolio enable it to increase its dividend. The REIT has raised its dividend every single quarter this year, while growing the payout by 3.4% over the past 12 months. Future rental increases and acquisitions should enable W.P. Carey to continue increasing its dividend.
Top-notch income stocks
Clearway Energy, Enterprise Products Partners, Verizon, Vici Properties, and W.P. Carey all generate recurring cash flow, providing funds for their attractive dividends and growth investments that fuel future dividend increases. These qualities make them attractive high-yield dividend stocks to buy.
Matt DiLallo has positions in Clearway Energy, Enterprise Products Partners, Verizon Communications, Vici Properties, and W.P. Carey. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners, Verizon Communications, and Vici Properties. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.