5 Top-Ranked Stocks With Dividend Yields Above 5%

Investors love dividends. After all, there are few things in life better than getting paid.

And in a historically-volatile 2022, dividends have become a hot topic.

Dividends help alleviate drawdowns in other positions, provide a passive income stream, and can provide maximum returns through dividend reinvestment.

Five top-ranked stocks with an annual dividend yield currently above 5% Ares Capital Corp. ARCC, AT&T T, CalMaine Foods CALM, Horizon Technology Finance Corp. HRZN, and CONSOL Energy CEIX could all be considerations for those seeking an income stream.

Below is a chart illustrating the year-to-date performance of all five stocks, with the S&P 500 blended in as a benchmark.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Lets take a closer look at each one.

Ares Capital Corp.

Ares Capital Corporation is a specialty finance company offering customized financing solutions, ranging from senior-debt instruments to equity capital, focusing on senior secured debt.

Analysts have pushed their bottom-line outlook notably higher over the last several months, helping push the stock into a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).