Top Dividend Stocks to Buy Now as Bond Yields Could Lower

Key Points

• As bond yields could lower in the coming months, a pending rotation is underway, especially into dividend-paying stocks.
• For investors who don't like to hold individual stocks, a diversified dividend ETF is worth considering.
• Then, there are two stocks in industries filled with tailwinds that need to be gotten in the right risk-to-reward profiles.

The concept of market relativity is more alive than ever in today’s economy, as gone are the days of individualistic price action in different asset classes and even stocks. With the advances in data delivery and technology, traders across the financial sector have found ways to connect the dots in pretty much all markets, and that is the one thing that these big hedge funds and investment bank traders get right.

By relativity, investors can focus on the shifting preferences between different markets, especially when taking into account what’s considered to be the next best thing. For example, the United States 10-Year Treasury Bond Note Yield is typically considered the “risk-free” rate, the benchmark from which all other yields and potential risks are viewed.

That is why, as the possibility of a new bond rally looms bigger, investors should prepare themselves for the rotations that would likely follow. Particularly the rotations back into dividend stocks as bond yields become less attractive next to these names. Names like the Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF NYSEARCA: SCHD, Exxon Mobil Co. NYSE: XOM as one of the energy sector’s leaders, and even Whirlpool Co. NYSE: WHR.

A Diversified Way to Play Dividend Stocks

Some investors find that owning individual stocks can become a headache due to their capital requirements and risk tolerances. This strategy involves keeping up with individual company developments, earnings, price action, and everything else that entails managing a concentrated portfolio.

That is why the Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF could become an attractive proposition. It is diversified well enough across different sectors and industries, giving investors a relatively smoother ride for their allocations. Investors can see that this ETF traded a bit lower as bond yields were rising recently.

This price action, bringing the ETF nearly 10% off its 52-week high, is because its dividend yield couldn’t justify the added equity risk when bonds started offering 4.6% again. However, its $2.56 payout per share brought the yield to a much higher 9.3% today, starting to draw some new buyer attention.

As of November 2024, those at MML Investor Services decided to boost their holdings in this dividend ETF by as much as 5.9%, bringing their net position to a high of $145.6 million today. These weren’t the only buyers for the month, though; High Tower Advisors boosted theirs by 0.4% to get them to $138.5 million as well.

Risk-to-Reward Setups Favor Oil Stocks

There’s a reason Warren Buffett decided to buy up to 29% of Occidental Petroleum Co. (NYSE OXY): He realizes that the energy sector's upside potential is unmatched. Even hedge funds have started buying up oil futures to load on their inventory in case prices rally from their current cyclical lows.

However, not all oil stocks are made the same. Exxon Mobil shares have an inherent advantage: They carry a lower beta, meaning they are less volatile and, therefore, more attractive during this rotation out of lower bond yields into the next best thing.

This lower beta exposure, coupled with Exxon’s $3.96 a share payout, would make the stock’s 3.7% dividend yield today an attractive proposition when the rotation out of bonds gets to the market. This is especially true as investors realize that it isn’t only the low volatility and income potential but also the upside.

Wall Street analysts, particularly those from the UBS Group, were willing to publish their optimistic outlooks on Exxon Mobil stock. As of December 2024, they see Exxon Mobil as a buy and have placed a valuation of $147 a share on it, calling for up to 38% from where it trades today.

A Discount in Whirlpool Stock Won’t Last

As the mortgage market index fell to a 1996 low, lateral names in the real estate sector followed, suggesting less demand and activity in housing. This is why investors can see Whirlpool stock trade at discounts to the rest of the consumer discretionary sector today.

With a price-to-book (P/B) ratio of only 2.5x, Whirlpool stock is significantly below the sector’s average 5.6x multiple today. This discount, along with its 6.1% dividend payout, makes Whirlpool stock a potential buy for investors looking to successfully rotate out of bonds and into more attractive income-generating assets with some additional upside.

This theme is reflected in the recent institutional buying activity for Whirlpool stock, led by those from Charles Schwab at a 14.7% boost as of November 2024, getting them to a net $216.1 million position or 3.6% ownership in the company. If the stock is cheap enough for the bank that runs this dividend ETF, then it sure is cheap enough for investors today.