Finding the highest dividend stocks is income investors’ ultimate goal. In pursuit of that goal, investors use common financial analysis methods, as well as develop their individual metrics and strategies.

As most investors should know, high dividend yields are not necessarily good indications of high returns. The nature of the dividend yield is that it represents only the ratio of the total annual dividend distribution amount and the equity’s current share price.

Income investors also look for long streaks of rising dividend payouts, which could result in a rising dividend yield. However, the dividend yield growth could also be caused by a share price decline. Therefore, investors must use additional metrics even in their initial even in the initial search for equities with good total returns to minimize possible losses and chose the equites with best returns potential.

Market analysis can include dozens of criteria to find the optimal equities for one’s investment portfolio. However, to keep the list below as broad as possible, no equities have been excluded based on market capitalization, total returns over the past three or five years, dividend payout ratio levels or any number of potential filter criteria.

The list below — generated with the Dividend Screener tool available at DividendInvestor.com — excludes funds, trusts, exchange notes, etc. However, the remaining companies had to meet just two criteria. Each equity on the list had to have increased its dividend payout for at least one year and the total return over the past 12 months had to exceed the dividend yield rate.

A total return that is equal to the dividend yield indicates that dividend income distributions delivered all gains over the past 12 months and that the share price was flat. Additionally, a total annual return that is lower than the dividend yield implies that share price decline offset some of the dividend income gains. Therefore, the second criterion was included to ensure that equities on the list delivered at least a small asset appreciation in addition to high dividend yields.

The list below comprises the 25 stocks that meet the couple of basic criteria mentioned above and are sorted by their respective dividend yields in ascending order.

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #25

Main Street Capital Corporation (NYSE:MAIN)

Market Cap: $2.34 billion

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2007

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 4 years

Dividend Frequency: Monthly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $37.86

Dividend Yield: 6.34%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #24

One Liberty Properties, Inc. (NYSE:OLP)

Market Cap: $539.68 million

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 1991

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 6 years

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $27.55

Dividend Yield: 6.53%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #23

Gladstone Investment Corporation (NASDAQ:GAIN)

Market Cap: $397.47 million

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2005

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 3 years

Dividend Frequency: Monthly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $12.11

Dividend Yield: 6.77%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #22

Iron Mountain, Inc. (NYSE:IRM)

Market Cap: $10.30 billion

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2010

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 1 year

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $35.97

Dividend Yield: 6.78%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #21

StoneCastle Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:BANX)

Market Cap: $131.94 million

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2013

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 2 years

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $21.99

Dividend Yield: 6.91%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #20

Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc. (NASDAQ:GLPI)

Market Cap: $8.37 billion

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2014

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 3 years

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $39.00

Dividend Yield: 6.97%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #19

Golub Capital BDC, Inc. (NASDAQ:GBDC)

Market Cap: $1.10 billion

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2010

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 1 year

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $18.17

Dividend Yield: 7.04%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #18

Capital Southwest Corporation (NASDAQ:CSWC)

Market Cap: $367.58 million

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 1990

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 3 years

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $21.33

Dividend Yield: 7.13%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #17

CVR Energy, Inc. (NYSE:CVI)

Market Cap: $4.20 billion

Sector: Energy

First Dividend Paid: 2013

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 1 year

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $41.77

Dividend Yield: 7.18%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #16

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (NYSE:OHI)

Market Cap: $7.42 billion

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 1992

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 15 years

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $36.33

Dividend Yield: 7.27%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #15

Exantas Capital Corporation (NYSE:XAN)

Market Cap: $339.55 million

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2015

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 1 year

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $10.66

Dividend Yield: 7.50%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #14

Solar Capital Ltd. (NASDAQ:SLRC)

Market Cap: $901 million

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2010

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 1 year

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $21.32

Dividend Yield: 7.69%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #13

TPG Specialty Lending, Inc. (NYSE:TSLX)

Market Cap: $1.31 billion

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2014

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 2 years

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $20.01

Dividend Yield: 7.80%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #12

Advanced Emissions Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADES)

Market Cap: $225.32 million

Sector: Materials

First Dividend Paid: 2017

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 1 year

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $12.17

Dividend Yield: 8.22%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #11

Newtek Business Services Corporation (NASDAQ:NEWT)

Market Cap: $400.81 million

Sector: Industrials

First Dividend Paid: 2009

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 1 year

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $21.03

Dividend Yield: 8.56%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #10

Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (NYSE:ACRE)

Market Cap: $443.42 million

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2012

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 3 years

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $15.42

Dividend Yield: 8.56%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #9

Ares Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:ARCC) 

Market Cap: $7.34 billion

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2004

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 1 year

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $17.22

Dividend Yield: 9.29%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #8

Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBRA)

Market Cap: $3.43 billion

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2011

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 7 years

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $19.23

Dividend Yield: 9.36%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #7

Great Ajax Corporation (NYSE:AJX)

Market Cap: $258.34 million

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2015

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 3 years

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $13.66

Dividend Yield: 9.37%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #6

Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC)

Market Cap: $1.22 billion

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2005

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 1 year

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $12.64

Dividend Yield: 9.81%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #5

TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corpration (NYSE:TPVG)

Market Cap: $342.96 million

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2014

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 1 year

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $13.84

Dividend Yield: 10.40%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #4

OFS Capital Corporation (NASDAQ:OFS) 

Market Cap: $161.35 million

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2013

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 1 year

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $12.08

Dividend Yield: 11.26%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #3

Global Net Lease, Inc. (NYSE:GNL)

Market Cap: $1.58 billion

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2015

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 1 year

Dividend Frequency: Monthly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $18.87

Dividend Yield: 11.29%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #2

New Residential Investment Corporation (NYSE:NRZ)

Market Cap: $6.13 billion

Sector: Financials

First Dividend Paid: 2013

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 3 years

Dividend Frequency: Quarterly

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $16.62

Dividend Yield: 12.03%

 

The 25 Highest Dividend Stocks by Yield: #1

ATA, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATAI) 

Market Cap: $97.52 million

Sector: Services

First Dividend Paid: 2011

Consecutive Annual Dividend Hikes: 1 year

Dividend Frequency: Annually

April 9, 2019, Closing Price: $2.12

Dividend Yield: 18.40%

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Ned Piplovic is the assistant editor of website content at Eagle Financial Publications. He graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Philosophy. Prior to joining Eagle, Ned spent 15 years in corporate operations and financial management. Ned writes for www.DividendInvestor.com and www.StockInvestor.com.

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