Dividend Stocks
Dividends can produce as much as a third of your total return over long periods, and you can even retire on dividends.
There are 4 key stock dividend dates that are involved with dividend payments:
1- The Declaration Date is several weeks in advance of a dividend payment—it’s when company’s board of directors sets the amount and timing of the proposed payment.
2- The Payable Date is the date set by the board on which the dividend will actually be paid out to shareholders.
3- The Record Date is for shareholders who hold the stock before the payable date and receive the dividend payment. That date is set any number of weeks before the payable date.
4-The Ex-Dividend Date is two business days before the record date and it’s when the shares begin to trade without their dividend. If you buy stocks one day or more before their ex-dividend date, you will still get the dividend. That’s when a stock is said to trade cum-dividend. If you buy on the ex-dividend date or later, you won’t get the dividend. The ex-dividend date is in place to allow pending stock trades to settle.
We think very highly of stocks that have been paying dividends for five or more years, at TSI Network. Many of these stocks fit in well with our three-part Successful Investor philosophy:
1- Invest mainly in well-established companies;
2- Spread your money out across most if not all of the five main economic sectors (Manufacturing & Industry; Resources & Commodities; Consumer; Finance; and Utilities);
3- Downplay or avoid stocks in the broker/media limelight.
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Dividend Stocks Library Archive
AT&T and Verizon continue to upgrade their wireless and Internet networks. Those outlays should keep new customers coming in and support their high dividend yields.
AT&T INC. $28 is a buy. The company (New York symbol T; Income-Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 7.0 billion; Market cap: $196.0 billion; Dividend yield: 4.0%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.att.com) is the largest wireless (cellphone) carrier in the U.S., with 120.11 million subscribers (excluding mobile devices such as tablets) and 24.68 million wireless subscribers in Mexico. It also has 14.70 million high-speed Internet users and provides traditional telephone services to consumers and businesses.
In April 2022, AT&T merged its WarnerMedia entertainment business with Discovery Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery (Nasdaq symbol WBD). At that time, AT&T shareholders owned 71% of the new firm. The company also received $40.4 billion in cash as part of the deal. As a result of the spinoff, AT&T cut its annual dividend rate from $2.08 a share to $1.11. That rate gives you a 4.0% yield.
AT&T INC. $28 is a buy. The company (New York symbol T; Income-Growth Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 7.0 billion; Market cap: $196.0 billion; Dividend yield: 4.0%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.att.com) is the largest wireless (cellphone) carrier in the U.S., with 120.11 million subscribers (excluding mobile devices such as tablets) and 24.68 million wireless subscribers in Mexico. It also has 14.70 million high-speed Internet users and provides traditional telephone services to consumers and businesses.
In April 2022, AT&T merged its WarnerMedia entertainment business with Discovery Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery (Nasdaq symbol WBD). At that time, AT&T shareholders owned 71% of the new firm. The company also received $40.4 billion in cash as part of the deal. As a result of the spinoff, AT&T cut its annual dividend rate from $2.08 a share to $1.11. That rate gives you a 4.0% yield.
RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $20 is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Cyclical-Growth Dividend Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing sector; Units outstanding: 293.7 million; Market cap: $5.9 billion; Dist. yield: 5.8%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Average; www.riocan.com) last raised your monthly distribution by 4.3% with the March 2025 payment. The new annual rate of $1.158 a unit yields 5.8%.
The shopping mall owner continues to do a good job of getting its existing tenants to renew their leases. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the retention rate was 94.5%, up from 78.8% a year earlier. That helped lift revenue in the quarter by 0.6%, to $295.1 million from $293.3 million a year earlier. Due to higher interest costs, cash flow declined 6.8%, to $115.7 million from $124.2 million. On a per-unit basis, cash flow declined at a slower rate of 4.9%, to $0.39 from $0.41, due to fewer units outstanding.
The shopping mall owner continues to do a good job of getting its existing tenants to renew their leases. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the retention rate was 94.5%, up from 78.8% a year earlier. That helped lift revenue in the quarter by 0.6%, to $295.1 million from $293.3 million a year earlier. Due to higher interest costs, cash flow declined 6.8%, to $115.7 million from $124.2 million. On a per-unit basis, cash flow declined at a slower rate of 4.9%, to $0.39 from $0.41, due to fewer units outstanding.
We can be wrong on any of our stock or REIT recommendations, of course. That’s why we feel that investors should build a portfolio of 10 to 20 mainly well established, dividend-paying stocks, including REITs, chosen mainly from our Average or higher ratings; you must also spread your holdings across most if not all of the five main economic sectors. That way the overall gains in the portfolio will offset declines in one or two holdings.
The unit price for Allied Properties has dropped over 25% given the REIT’s plans to sell additional units to pay down its high debt. That’s likely to dilute value for existing investors. In terms of these two REITs, we prefer Dream Office—enjoying rising demand. We now see Allied as a hold.
The unit price for Allied Properties has dropped over 25% given the REIT’s plans to sell additional units to pay down its high debt. That’s likely to dilute value for existing investors. In terms of these two REITs, we prefer Dream Office—enjoying rising demand. We now see Allied as a hold.
FINANCIAL 15 SPLIT CORP. $10.78 (Toronto symbol FTN; Shares o/s: 68.7 million; Market cap: $740.6 million; Dividend yield: 14.1%; www.quadravest.com) holds shares of 15 big Canadian and U.S. financial companies.
These include Bank of Nova Scotia, TD Bank, Manulife, Sun Life, National Bank, Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Wells Fargo.
Financial 15 yields a very high 14.1%. However, its income does not cover those high distributions to its shareholders. To make up the difference, it must realize capital gains on its securities. But those gains are far from guaranteed, so it supports its distributions by selling call options on the stocks it holds.
These include Bank of Nova Scotia, TD Bank, Manulife, Sun Life, National Bank, Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Wells Fargo.
Financial 15 yields a very high 14.1%. However, its income does not cover those high distributions to its shareholders. To make up the difference, it must realize capital gains on its securities. But those gains are far from guaranteed, so it supports its distributions by selling call options on the stocks it holds.
IBM’s shares have fallen 27% from their November 2025 peak of $325. The drop reflects investor concerns that new artificial intelligence (AI) tools to streamline legacy computer code could hurt IBM’s mainframe and consulting businesses. However, the company is already employing AI and other value-added services that will help it hang onto clients focused on cutting costs and boosting efficiency. In fact, its AI-related backlog more than doubled from $6 billion in March 2025 to $12.5 billion by the end of the year.
That impressive order book bodes well for investors, as it lets IBM keep raising your dividend. The company has, in fact, increased the annual dividend rate each of the past 30 years.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP. $238 is a buy. The company (New York symbol IBM, Conservative-Growth Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 938.0 million; Market cap: $223.2 billion; Dividend yield: 2.8%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.ibm.com) is one of the world’s largest computer firms, with operations in over 175 countries.
That impressive order book bodes well for investors, as it lets IBM keep raising your dividend. The company has, in fact, increased the annual dividend rate each of the past 30 years.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP. $238 is a buy. The company (New York symbol IBM, Conservative-Growth Payer Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 938.0 million; Market cap: $223.2 billion; Dividend yield: 2.8%; Dividend Sustainability Rating: Above Average; www.ibm.com) is one of the world’s largest computer firms, with operations in over 175 countries.
TELUS CORP. $19 (www.telus.com) is a buy. The company has acquired new spectrum (radio frequency) licences in B.C. and Alberta for $317.6 million. That’s equal to 1% of its $29.9 billion market cap. The extra spectrum will help Telus meet rising demand for high-speed wireless data services. The cost of this purchase should not impact it ability to maintain its current annual dividend rate of $1.674 a share, which yields a high 8.8%. Telus is a buy.
RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $20 is a buy. The REIT (Toronto symbol REI.UN; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Units outstanding: 292.7 million; Market cap: $5.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.1; Distribution yield: 5.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.riocan.com) owns all or part of 173 shopping centres and other properties across Canada. Its occupancy rate is a high 97.8%.
PRIMARIS REIT, $17.19, is a buy. The trust (Toronto symbol PMZ.UN; Units o/s: 118.5 million; Market cap: $2.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Yield: 5.0%; www.primarisreit.com) has gained full control of all 1.3 million square feet of its leasable area vacated by the former Hudson’s Bay Company. That’s in addition to 500,000 square feet once home to Sears locations.
TELUS, $19.50, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol T; Shares outstanding: 1.6 billion; Market cap: $29.3 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 8.6%; www.telus.com) helps clinics, pharmacies and hospitals manage electronic patient records and healthcare plans through its Telus Health division. This business supplies about 10% of its total revenue, and 5% of its earnings.
BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, $102.10, is a buy. The lender (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $127.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.3%; www.scotiabank.com) continues to pivot away from poorly performing Latin American markets in favour of its North American operations.