With U.S. 10-year Treasuries yielding around 1.3%, income-seeking investors are likely looking at dividend stocks to generate regular income. Such stocks can not only enhance your regular dividend income significantly, but also offer attractive capital growth potential. Here are three dividend stocks, with yields ranging from 4.2% to 8%, that look appealing right now.
Enbridge
The stock of Canadian pipeline company Enbridge (ENB +0.02%) offers a yield of 6.6% as of this writing. The company has a strong track record of dividend growth and has increased its payout for 26 years in a row. Enbridge posted robust performance in the second quarter, with adjusted earnings rising from $1.1 billion a year ago to $1.4 billion in the latest quarter. The company also reaffirmed its EBITDA guidance range of $13.9 billion to $14.3 billion for full-year 2021, which at its midpoint implies a 6% growth over 2020.
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Enbridge's regulated gas operations allow it to generate utility-like earnings. On the other hand, its liquids pipelines are strategically located connecting Canada's oil sands to the refineries along the Gulf Coast. The capacity on these pipelines finds strong demand, and so these are usually fully reserved at attractive rates. This earnings stability explains Enbridge's consistent dividend growth over the years. As building new pipelines becomes increasingly difficult due to regulatory and environmental hurdles, Enbridge's pipelines should continue to enjoy robust demand.
At the same time, it's expanding operations in renewable energy. Of the 17 billion Canadian dollars ($13.6 billion) in projects that Enbridge expects to place in service in the next three years, CA$2.8 billion belongs to its renewable power segment. All in all, Enbridge looks set to continue growing in the long run.
Enterprise Products Partners
Enterprise Products Partners (EPD +1.16%) is one of the top pipeline operators in the U.S. It has been growing its distributions (master limited partnership language for dividends) for 23 straight years, one of the very few energy companies that has managed to keep dividends growing for so long.
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Enterprise Products' diversified assets, financial discipline, and fee-based earnings can be credited for this dividend growth streak. Being in the midstream segment of the commodity business protects Enterprise Products from wild earnings fluctuations that oil and gas producers experience. Though that alone isn't enough to shield pipeline operators' earnings, as evident by dividend cuts by several of Enterprise's peers in the last few years.
It is Enterprise Products' financial discipline that allowed the company to sail through the challenging times. It has always maintained a strong balance sheet. Its debt-to-EBITDA ratio is currently around 3.5, one of the lowest among its top peers. Distributable cash flow (DCF) has consistently been much higher than what it pays as distributions. In the second quarter, the company's DCF was 1.6 times its distributions for the quarter.
Enterprise Products sees continued demand for oil and gas (and its services) in the coming years. Furthermore, it believes its infrastructure can play a key role as energy policies and newer sources evolve. The company is keeping a close eye on these developments. All in all, not only has the company been growing in the past, but it also looks well placed to grow in the future.
Clearway Energy
Renewable energy utility Clearway Energy (CWEN +2.70%) is one of the few renewable energy stocks that currently pay attractive dividends. The stock trades at a yield of 4.2% as of this writing. The utility owns over 7,000 megawatts of wind, solar, and gas-fired power generation assets. It has been growing its operational cash handsomely over the last few years.
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In the second quarter, Clearway Energy grew its adjusted EBITDA by 15.5% to $365 million, driven by higher sales and contributions from growth investments. The company raised its quarterly dividend by 1.7%. In the long run, it targets annual dividend growth of 5% to 8%.
Clearway Energy is investing in several growth projects that should help it achieve its targeted dividend growth. These include a 1.6-gigawatt portfolio of wind and solar assets in which it plans to invest $238 million through the first half of 2023. Overall, Clearway Energy stock offers an attractive opportunity for dividend investors in the renewable energy space.
