Best Dividend Stocks to Buy Now for November 2025
5 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy Today
| Company (Ticker) | 12 Week Price Change | Annual Dividend | Annualized Dividend Growth | Dividend Payout Ratio | Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prudential Financial (PRU) | -0.80% | $5.40 | 4.17% | 38.00% | 5.00% |
| Euroseas (ESEA) | -3.08% | $2.80 | 11.65% | 18.00% | 4.68% |
| Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) | 0.85% | $0.80 | 47.73% | 40.00% | 4.51% |
| Lincoln National (LNC) | -4.33% | $1.80 | 1.85% | 23.00% | 4.35% |
| Regions Financial (RF) | -6.98% | $1.06 | 13.37% | 45.00% | 4.16% |
*Updated on November 29, 2025.
Prudential Financial (PRU)
$108.25 USD +0.28 (0.26%)
3-Year Stock Price Performance
Premium Research for PRU
- Zacks Rank
- Hold 3
- Style Scores
A Value D Growth C Momentum B VGM
- Market Cap:$36.25B (Large Cap)
- Last Announced Dividend Amount: $1.35
- Last Dividend Payout Date:Dec. 11, 2025
- Projected EPS Growth:13.39%
- Next EPS Report Date:Feb. 3, 2026
Our Take:
Prudential is a diversified insurer and asset manager with U.S., international, and PGIM investment platforms spanning life, annuities, retirement services, and institutional asset management.
Its income appeal rests on a 5.21% dividend yield supported by a conservative 38% payout and a reasonable 7.4x cash-flow multiple, metrics that point to steady coverage alongside mid-teens ROE. Balance-sheet risk looks moderate with a 0.58 debt/equity ratio, offering flexibility to sustain dividends across rate and credit cycles.
Beyond income, PGIM’s fee revenue and the mix of spread and underwriting earnings provide diversified cash drivers that help smooth results. Ongoing focus on retirement solutions, disciplined risk management, and capital return reinforces through-cycle durability.
With a Value Score of A, the shares offer a sensible entry point. The combination of prudent leverage, diversified earnings, and a conservative payout framework supports a steady, sustainable dividend profile.
Euroseas (ESEA)
$60.29 USD +0.42 (0.70%)
3-Year Stock Price Performance
Premium Research for ESEA
- Zacks Rank
Sell 4
- Style Scores
A Value D Growth A Momentum A VGM
- Market Cap:$415.91M (Small Cap)
- Last Announced Dividend Amount:$0.70
- Last Dividend Payout Date:Dec. 16, 2025
- Projected EPS Growth:12.17%
- Next EPS Report date:Feb. 26, 2026
Our Take:
Euroseas is a Greece-based owner-operator of feeder and intermediate containerships, employed on spot and multi-year charters, and managed by its affiliated operator, Eurobulk.
The dividend case is underpinned by a 4.72% yield, a conservative 17% payout, and a low 3.31x price-to-cash-flow. Balance-sheet leverage is restrained at 0.51 debt/equity, while charter coverage at profitable day rates adds visibility to cash generation and cushions freight-rate volatility, key for protecting distributions.
Strategically, management has been renewing and expanding the fleet with modern vessels that can command better economics and reduce operating risk, while maintaining regular dividends. That mix of younger ships and disciplined capital allocation supports mid-cycle cash generation and cushions volatility.
A Value Score of A signals a reasonable entry. The combination of low payout, modest leverage, and improving contract visibility strengthens confidence that Euroseas can maintain a steady, sustainable dividend.
Host Hotels & Resorts (HST)
$17.63 USD -0.11 (-0.62%)
3-Year Stock Price Performance
Premium Research for HST
- Zacks Rank
Buy 2
- Style Scores
A Value D Growth B Momentum C VGM
- Market Cap: $11.69B (Large Cap)
- Last Announced Dividend Amount: $0.20
- Last Dividend Payout Date:Oct. 15, 2025
- Projected EPS Growth: 3.55%
- Next EPS Report Date: Feb. 18, 2026
Our Take:
Host is the world’s largest publicly traded lodging REIT, owning a diversified portfolio of luxury and upper-upscale hotels across key U.S. markets, including properties with top brands like Marriott and Hyatt.
Income investors get a 4.71% dividend yield with an approximately 40% payout and an 8.09x price-to-cash-flow, supported by investment-grade discipline. A 0.76 debt/equity ratio is reasonable for a real-asset REIT, providing capacity to navigate travel cycles while funding dividends and selective reinvestment.
Fundamentally, Host’s scale, brand affiliations, and active asset management support recurring EBITDA and cash flow, while demand normalization in group and leisure, plus capital recycling, enhance returns. Investment-grade funding helps contain interest costs and sustain distributions through demand swings.
With a Value Score of B, valuation remains supportive even as estimates are steady. Its portfolio quality, measured leverage, and prudent payout together argue for steady, sustainable distributions.
Lincoln National (LNC)
$41.14 USD -0.21 (-0.51%)
3-Year Stock Price Performance
Premium Research for LNC
- Zacks Rank
- Hold 3
- Style Scores
C Value F Growth C Momentum F VGM
- Market Cap: $7.58B (Mid Cap)
- Last Announced Dividend Amount: $0.45
- Last Dividend Payout Date: Feb. 2, 2026
- Projected EPS Growth:11.17%
- Next EPS Report Date: Feb. 5, 2026
Our Take:
Lincoln provides life insurance, annuities, group protection, and retirement plan services through a broad adviser network and multiple distribution channels.
A 4.51% yield and a modest 23% payout, alongside a 5.18x price-to-cash-flow, indicate comfortable dividend coverage as earnings stabilize. Leverage is moderate at 0.61 debt/equity, while product repricing, risk-transfer actions, and a more balanced annuity mix support cash generation for distributions.
Beyond income, Lincoln’s wide mix of protection and retirement products, paired with innovation and strong distribution, including efforts to expand adviser-driven investment offerings, broadens fee and spread sources supporting dividends across rate cycles. Together with these, ongoing simplification helps reduce volatility and rebuild capital flexibility.
While Style Scores are mixed, investors get time to underwrite improvement. Its measured payouts, diversified franchises, and ongoing remediation point to a steady, sustainable dividend for investors comfortable with an improving turnaround.
Regions Financial (RF)
$25.45 USD 0.00 (0.00%)
3-Year Stock Price Performance
Premium Research for RF
- Zacks Rank
- Hold 3
- Style Scores
A Value C Growth D Momentum B VGM
- Market Cap:$21.24B (Large Cap)
- Last Announced Dividend Amount:$0.27
- Last Dividend Payout Date:Jan. 2, 2026
- Projected EPS Growth:11.32%
- Next EPS Report Date:Jan. 16, 2026
Our Take:
Regions is a Sun Belt–focused regional bank offering consumer, commercial, wealth, and mortgage services across the South, Midwest, and Texas.
For income, the 4.38% yield, a 45% payout, and sub-10x price-to-cash-flow suggest through-cycle coverage. Leverage is very lean at 0.27 debt/equity, reinforcing balance-sheet resilience as funding pressures normalize and credit remains disciplined.
Strategically, Regions benefits from a loyal deposit franchise, diversified fee income, and ongoing digital investments that support efficiency and prudent risk management. These drivers help sustain cash generation needed to fund dividends. Capital is robust, with a CET1 ratio around the high-10% range, providing flexibility for steady distributions and selective buybacks. Recent results also showed resilient profitability and balanced credit metrics.
While estimate trends are steady rather than catalytic, a Value Score of A points to a reasonable entry, with franchise quality, conservative leverage, and a measured payout policy underpinning a steady, sustainable dividend outlook.
Methodology
The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that uses trends in earnings estimate revisions and earnings-per-share (EPS) surprises to classify stocks into five groups: #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy), #3 (Hold), #4 (Sell) and #5 (Strong Sell). The Zacks Rank is calculated through four primary factors related to earnings estimates: analysts' consensus on earnings estimate revisions, the magnitude of revision change, the upside potential and estimate surprise (or the degree in which earnings per share deviated from the previous quarter).
Zacks builds the data from 3,000 analysts at over 150 different brokerage firms. The average yearly gain for Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks is +23.62% per year from January, 1988, through June 2, 2025.
For this list, only companies trading on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ with a dividend yield of 4 to 6% were included. We also only evaluated stock with a low debt-to-equity ratio, as well as a conservative payout ratio and dividend growth. Only stocks with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or higher were considered. All information is current as of market open, Nov. 20, 2025.
Guide to Best Dividend Stocks
What Are Dividend Stocks?
Dividend stocks are shares of companies that return a portion of their earnings to shareholders on a regular basis. Rather than relying solely on stock price appreciation, dividend investors benefit from this income stream, which can complement long-term growth.
How Do Dividend Stocks Work?
Corporations that generate surplus cash may decide to share part of it with shareholders through dividends. The firm’s board will declare a dividend — often expressed as a dollar amount per share — and set a record date to identify eligible shareholders. On the payment date, the company sends the dividend (in cash or additional shares) to investors who held the stock on the record date.
Dividends typically come out of a company’s profits or free cash flow. To continue paying dividends, companies need consistent earnings, prudent capital allocation, and manageable debt levels.
How Often Do Dividend Stocks Pay in a Year?
Most U.S. dividend-paying companies distribute dividends quarterly (four times per year). Some firms choose semiannual or annual payments, depending on business norms or cash flow timing. What matters more than the frequency is consistency — companies that maintain or increase their dividend over time tend to instill more investor confidence.
Benefits and Risks of Dividend Stocks
Benefits:
- Supplemental income stream — Dividends provide cash flow even if the stock price is flat or in decline.
- Total return boost — Over long horizons, dividends have historically contributed a meaningful share of returns. (Many capital markets analyses show dividends often account for 30–50% of total equity returns.)
- Downside cushion — In volatile markets, dividend income helps offset capital losses.
- Sign of stability — Companies that consistently pay or increase dividends often have disciplined management and stable cash flows.
Risks:
- Dividend cuts — If a company hits a rough patch, it might reduce or suspend dividends, which often leads to share price declines.
- Limited growth reinvestment — High dividend payments may reduce funds available for expansion or innovation.
- Interest rate competition — When bond yields rise, dividend stocks (especially those with modest growth prospects) may look less attractive in comparison.
- Tax drag — Dividends are taxed (depending on account structure and holding period), which can eat into net return.
Dividend Stock ETFs vs Individual Stocks
When considering dividend exposure, investors have two main paths:
- Individual dividend stocks: You pick specific companies you trust to pay and grow dividends. This gives you direct control over stocks and allows targeted allocation to sectors or themes you favor.
- Dividend ETFs / mutual funds: Pools of dividend-paying stocks maintained by professional managers. These provide instant diversification, reduce individual stock risk, and simplify portfolio management.
Pros of Dividend ETFs
- Automatic diversification lowers the risk of a single holding failing.
- Fund managers monitor holdings and rebalance.
- Easier to scale and maintain, especially for smaller portfolios.
Cons of Dividend ETFs vs Individual Stocks
- Yields tend to be diluted by including lower-yielding names.
- Less control over specific holdings or sector weightings.
- Management fees may erode yields over time.
Many investors use a hybrid strategy: core allocation via a dividend ETF (for stability) supplemented by hand-picked individual dividend stocks for yield or growth.
How to Choose the Best Dividend Stocks
Not all dividend stocks are created equal. Here’s what to look for when evaluating candidates:
Dividend Yield
Yield = (Annual Dividend per Share) ÷ (Current Share Price). A moderate, well-supported yield (say 2 %–6 %, depending on sector) can be healthy, while extremely high yields often signal trouble (e.g. deep decline in share price)
Dividend Payout Ratio
This ratio shows what percentage of a company’s earnings are paid out as dividends. If a company distributes too much (e.g. > 80–90 %), it may lack flexibility to weather downturns. More conservative ratios (e.g. 30–60 %) often indicate room for future increases or a buffer in tough times.
Dividend Growth History
Look for firms that have steadily raised their dividends over years. A consistent upward trend signals confidence in future earnings. Dividend “Aristocrats” — firms in the S&P 500 that have raised dividends for at least 25 consecutive years — are often viewed as safer dividend picks.
Company Financial Health
Examine fundamentals:
- Free cash flow and cash flow stability
- Debt load and interest coverage
- Profit margins
- Growth prospects
- Competitive advantage (moat)
A company with healthy cash flow and manageable debt is more likely to sustain and grow dividends.
Sector and Market Trends
Some sectors are inherently more dividend-friendly (utilities, consumer staples, real estate, energy) because they generate steady cash flows. Others (like high-growth tech) may pay little to none in dividends as they reinvest heavily.
Also consider macro conditions — for example, rising interest rates, inflation pressures, regulatory risks — which may disproportionately affect certain sectors.
Tips for Building a Dividend Portfolio
- Start with a foundation of blue-chip dividend stocks — Established companies with strong balance sheets and long payout histories.
- Diversify across sectors — Avoid being overly concentrated in one industry (e.g. energy or REITs).
- Reinvest dividends — Using a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP) can compound returns over time.
- Allocate some portion to growth or higher-yield names, if your risk tolerance allows — but don’t let them dominate.
- Review and rebalance periodically — Monitor fundamentals, payout changes, valuation shifts, and sector dynamics.
- Use metrics and screening tools — Apply filters (yield, payout ratios, growth, fundamentals) to narrow your universe, then do deeper research.
Mistakes to Avoid about Dividend Stocks
- Chasing the highest yield blindly — extremely high yields can indicate a distressed company or impending cuts.
- Ignoring payout sustainability — yield without coverage (earnings, cash flow) is precarious.
- Overconcentration in one stock or sector — a dividend cut or sector downturn can deeply hurt.
- Neglecting growth potential — pure high-yield stocks may underperform in growth cycles.
- Forgetting taxes and fees — dividends taxed or fees eroding yield can reduce net returns.
Also, be cautious if yield spikes because of falling share price — that could be a warning sign rather than opportunity.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dividend Stocks
How are dividends taxed?
In the U.S., qualified dividends (if holding periods are met) are taxed at long-term capital gains rates (0 %, 15 %, or 20 %, depending on income bracket). Non-qualified dividends are taxed at ordinary income rates. Additionally, when you sell shares, capital gains taxes may apply to the appreciation portion.
Are dividend stocks good for retirees?
Yes. They can provide a predictable stream of income and may buffer volatility. However, retirees should emphasize safety and sustainability — favor those with strong balance sheets, stable business models, and moderate payout ratios. Also, be aware of tax effects and inflation.
What’s a good dividend yield?
There’s no one “ideal” yield. Many investors view 2 %–6 % as reasonable, depending on the sector and interest rate environment. Yields well above that range warrant extra scrutiny — high yields often come with higher risk.
Are dividend stocks safe for beginners?
They can be, especially when you start with well-known, financially sound dividend payers and diversify. The income cushion helps offset downside risk. But beginners must still research fundamentals, avoid yield traps, and avoid overconcentration.
