It can be hard to see the bright side when stocks are on a seemingly endless downward spiral. However, these sales are often great opportunities for investors with long-term horizons and cash on the sidelines. This is especially true when it comes to investing in stocks that pay dividends. The lower the price of a stock, the higher its dividend yield.
Many high-quality dividend-paying stocks have seen their prices fall in recent months, making them even more attractive to income-oriented investors. Three dividend payers that currently stand out as attractive buys are real estate investment trusts (REITs) Residential Equity (EQR 0.93%), industrial deer (STAG 0.31%)and STORE Capital (STOCK 0.27%).
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More rental income
Shares of Equity Residential have fallen more than 20% in the past month. This prompted the apartment to focus Residential REITthe dividend yield from 2.7% to 3.4%. That’s more than double the dividend yield of the S&P500.
While Equity Residential’s share price has fallen, its underlying business is booming. The company recently reported strong first quarter results, thanks to high demand for apartments, driving up occupancy and rental rates. CEO Mark Parrell said “lease rates accelerated faster than expected due to exceptionally strong demand.” Meanwhile, the company is about to enter its first rental season. This puts it in an excellent position to grow its cash flow in the coming year.
The current strength in the apartment market recently caused the REIT to increase its dividend by 3.7%. Equity Residential’s payout is rock solid, even at this higher payout level. It has a relatively low dividend payout ratio for a REIT and has one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry. With rising house prices and mortgage rates, demand for apartments should remain strong, further supporting its attractive dividend.
A big drop for a small headwind
Shares of Stag Industrial have plunged more than 30% this year. This bombardment led industrial REITThe dividend yield from 3% to start the year down to 4.5%.
One of the factors weighing on the REIT is the news this e-commerce giant Amazon (AMZN 0.25%) has more than enough storage capacity to meet its needs. While Amazon is STAG’s largest tenant, the e-commerce giant only provides 3.2% of its annual base rent, given the overall diversification of Stag’s industrial portfolio. Meanwhile, even though Amazon has plenty of capacity, demand for industrial real estate remains strong due to growing adoption of e-commerce, changes in inventory management practices and supply chain issues.
Due to these catalysts, Stag buildings remain in high demand. Retention of existing tenants was strong at 58.4% in the first quarter, maintaining occupancy at 97.3% while driving double-digit growth in rental rates. In the meantime, the REIT continues to find attractive acquisition opportunities. These factors should enable Stag to continue to grow its cash flow and place its attractive dividend on even more solid long-term foundations.
A stunning stream of income
STORE Capital’s stock price has fallen nearly 25% since its peak at the start of the year. This liquidation increased its dividend yield from 4.5% to 5.9%. This is almost double the return offered by the average REIT.
This drop in share price comes even though STORE Capital is firing on all cylinders. The company recently locked in some low-cost debt despite rising interest rates, giving it more funds to buy revenue profit center real estate. STORE now expects to buy between $1.3 billion and $1.5 billion worth of properties this year, which will help grow its adjusted operating funds by 6.3% to 8.3% per share. That’s an acceleration from its compound annual rate of 5.7% since its initial public offering (IPO) in 2014.
This growing rental income will allow STORE Capital to continue to increase its dividend. It gave its investors a 6.9% raise last year and has increased the payout at a compound annual rate of 6.1% since its IPO.
The perfect time to add a little more income to your portfolio
The stock market sell-off, while difficult, presents income-oriented investors with some interesting opportunities. Shares of several high-quality REITs fell, boosting their dividend yields. This means that investors can increase their income by buying shares of blue chip REITs like Equity Residential, Stag Industrial and STORE Capital while they are on sale.