Dividend investors may be interested in the following stocks, as they offer much higher dividend yields than the S&P 500 Index. The U.S. benchmark index returned 1.76% at the end of regular hours on Thursday. Wall Street sell-side analysts are also positive on these stocks.
Cisco Systems Inc.
The first company dividend investors could be interested in is Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO, Financial), a San Jose, California-based communication equipment company. The network hardware and software sales division is the largest business area in which the company has a leading market share. The company also sells cybersecurity software such as firewalls. It sells its products, which are mainly manufactured by third parties under outsourcing agreements, worldwide, relying on a strong sales and marketing force in 90 countries.
Based on a price of $40.60 per share as of Friday's regular trading hours, Cisco Systems Inc. offers a trailing 12-month dividend yield of 3.7% and a forward dividend yield of 3.75%. The company will pay a quarterly dividend of 38 cents per common share on Oct. 26. The company has been paying dividends for 10 consecutive years.
On Wall Street, the stock has a median recommendation rating of overweight with an average target price of $53.85 per share.
The share price has decreased by 26.42% over the past year, determining a market capitalization of $166.70 billion and a 52-week range of $40.12 to $64.28.
The 14-day relative strength index of 30.71 indicates the stock is getting closer and closer to oversold levels.
Exxon Mobil Corp
The second company dividend investors could be interested in is Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM, Financial), an Irving, Texas-based crude oil and natural gas explorer and producer. It produced 2.3 million barrels of liquids and 8.5 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas in 2021 from 18.5 billion barrels of stored oil equivalent in reserves. ExxonMobil is also the world's largest refiner, processing up to 4.6 million barrels of oil per day worldwide.
Based on a price of $88.70 per share as of Friday's regular trading hours, Exxon Mobil Corp. grants a trailing 12-month dividend yield of 3.97% and a forward dividend yield of 3.97%. The company paid a quarterly dividend of 99 cents per common share on Sept. 9. The company has been paying dividends for 19 consecutive years.
On Wall Street, the stock has a median recommendation rating of overweight with an average target price of $107.41 per share.
The share price has risen by 45.54% over the past year for a market capitalization of $369.59 billion and a 52-week range of $57.96 to $105.57.
The 14-day relative strength index of 42.85 suggests the stock is neither overbought nor oversold.
Gold Fields Ltd
The third company dividend investors could be interested in is Gold Fields Ltd (GFI, Financial), a South African gold mining company producing the precious metal from mineral activities at resources it owns on the mainland, as well as in Ghana, Australia, Peru and Chile. Interest in nine operating mines hosting gold resources of nearly 112 million ounces results in annual production of approximately 2.34 million gold equivalent ounces. The company is also exploiting some copper deposits in Peru.
Based on a price of $8.10 per share as of Friday's regular trading hours, Gold Fields Ltd offers a trailing 12-month and forward dividend yield of 4.21%. The last quarterly payment of 16.9 cents per common share was made on Sept. 29. Although the company has been paying dividends since 2000, its dividends are highly irregular with pauses.
On Wall Street, the stock has a median recommendation rating of overweight with an average target price of $10.28 per share.
Year over year, the share price has fallen 0.98%, establishing a market cap of $7.24 billion and a 52-week range of $7.03 to $17.20.
The 14-day relative strength index of 51.88 suggests the stock is neither overbought nor oversold.
Exelon Corp
The fourth company dividend investors could be interested in is Exelon Corp. (EXC, Financial), a Chicago-based diversified utility operator of renewable energy-generating facilities in North America. Besides renewable energy, the company sells electricity and natural gas to North American and international wholesale and retail customers. Its portfolio includes approximately 10 million customers who use electricity and gas through six regulated utilities in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and Washington, D.C.
Based on a price of $37.80 per share as of Friday's regular trading hours, Exelon Corp. grants a trailing 12-month dividend yield of 3.7% and a forward dividend yield of 3.58%. The company last paid a quarterly dividend of 33.8 cents per common share on Sept. 9. The company has been paying dividends for eight consecutive years.
On Wall Street, the stock has a median recommendation rating of overweight with an average target price of $49.18 per share.
The share price was up 10.77% year over year for a market capitalization of $37.50 billion and a 52-week range of $33.87 to $50.71.
The 14-day relative strength index of 19.1 suggests the stock is oversold.
