As the Rolling Stones sang, "You can't always get what you want." Investors usually have to make trade-offs. You might be able to get what you want, but you often have to give up something else to get it.
For example, investors who seek steady income from dividends typically don't expect to benefit from impressive share-price appreciation. In many cases, growth opportunities are sacrificed to get an attractive dividend.
There can be notable exceptions to this, though. Here are three dividend stocks that Wall Street thinks will soar 20% or more over the next 12 months.
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GlaxoSmithKline
If you're looking for an especially juicy dividend, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK -0.85%) might be right up your alley. The big-drugmaker's dividend yield currently stands at close to 5.6%.
Even better, GSK could provide juicy growth, to boot. The average analyst price target for the pharma stock reflects a 22% premium above its current share price.
GSK's current product lineup includes several rising stars. Its respiratory drugs Trelegy Ellipta and Nucala continue to generate strong sales growth. Dovato is gaining momentum in the HIV market. Sales are soaring for Benlysta in treating lupus.
The company should receive plenty of help from its pipeline, as well. GSK recently launched the world's first long-acting HIV therapy, Cabenuva. It won regulatory approvals for Rukobia in treating HIV and Jemperli in treating endometrial cancer.
GSK faces some headwinds with its older drugs. However, the company has several growth drivers plus the coming spin-off of its consumer-health unit next year, and Wall Street analysts are confident that this high-yield dividend stock will be a winner.
Merck
Merck (MRK -0.58%) is another major drugmaker that's been a favorite for retirees and other income investors. The company's dividend currently yields nearly 3.6%. Merck has also steadily increased its dividend payout over the last decade.
Analysts are bullish about Merck's prospects. The consensus one-year price target for the stock is more than 29% above the current share price. What do analysts like about Merck? Keytruda stands at the top of the list. The cancer immunotherapy raked in sales of $14.4 billion last year.
Keytruda seems likely to continue picking up momentum. Merck has won several key regulatory approvals for the drug in recent months. It also announced great results from a late-stage study evaluating Keytruda as an adjuvant treatment for renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer.
Merck completed the spin-off of its women's health, biosimilars, and established-brands businesses into a stand-alone entity, Organon, earlier this month. This move could clear the way for even stronger growth for Merck going forward.
Viatris
Viatris (VTRS -1.77%) is the newest company on the list. It was formed in November 2020 by the merger of Pfizer's (PFE -0.48%) Upjohn unit and generic-drug maker Mylan. Viatris recently initiated its dividend program with a dividend yield of close to 2.9%.
There aren't very many investors talking about Viatris these days. The stock dropped more than 30% earlier this year. However, Viatris has bounced back somewhat, and Wall Street thinks it has plenty of room to run: The average analyst's price target reflects a premium of more than 30% over Viatris' current share price.
One reason analysts believe the stock could move significantly higher is that Viatris is dirt cheap right now. Its shares trade at less than five times expected earnings.
Granted, Viatris probably won't generate sizzling revenue growth anytime soon. Its bottom line could improve, though, as the company achieves synergies resulting from the Upjohn-Mylan merger. That could be all Viatris needs to hit the consensus price target.
