Some ways of earning passive income aren't as passive as you might like. But buying dividend stocks requires only minimal effort.
Of course, many dividend stocks have such low yields that they don't pay out very much. There are some attractive exceptions, though. Here are three high-yield dividend stocks you can buy to make passive income.
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1. Devon Energy
You won't find many better stocks in the S&P 500 for generating passive income than Devon Energy (DVN 0.98%). The oil company's dividend yield currently stands at 8.75%. Devon also just gave investors a big raise, increasing its dividend earlier this month by 22% from the previous quarter.
The company's dividend program includes two components. The fixed portion only pays $0.02 per quarter. However, Devon uses its excess free cash flow to fund a variable dividend. As we can see with the juicy yield, the company has generated an impressive level of free cash flow lately.
While Devon's dividend is quite attractive, it's not the only reason to like the stock. The oil and gas producer's shares have skyrocketed more than 65% so far this year. This performance comes on the heels of a 179% gain in 2021.
As an added bonus, Devon is aggressively buying back its stock. CEO Rick Muncrief said in the company's second-quarter conference call, "With the share repurchase program, we are on track to retire up to 6% of our outstanding shares at what we believe to be trading at a substantial discount to our intrinsic value."
2. Enterprise Products Partners
Enterprise Products Partners (EPD -0.41%) stands out as another great source of passive income. The midstream energy company's dividend yield tops 7%. Enterprise has increased its distribution for 24 consecutive years.
Like Devon, Enterprise Products Partners has benefited from significant tailwinds for the energy sector. Its shares have jumped more than 20% year to date.
Enterprise's revenue doesn't fluctuate much due to rising oil and gas prices. The company charges the same fees for transporting crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and petrochemicals in its pipelines regardless of commodity prices. However, the current market dynamics boost demand for Enterprise's pipelines and processing facilities.
The company has several growth drivers on the way. Enterprise plans to build another natural gas processing facility in the Delaware Basin. It's acquiring a seventh natural gas processing facility in the Midland Basin. The company is also expanding its Shin Oak natural gas liquids pipeline.
3. Medical Properties Trust
Opportunities for generating significant passive income aren't limited to the energy sector. Healthcare real estate investment trust (REIT) Medical Properties Trust (MPW -0.22%) (MPT) offers a dividend yield of over 7.7%.
Unlike Devon and Enterprise Products Partners, MPT hasn't performed well so far this year. Shares of the healthcare REIT have tumbled more than 35%, primarily due to investors' concerns about the stability of one of MPT's top tenants and rising interest rates.
But MPT can easily fund its dividend with a payout ratio of 57%. The company is largely insulated from inflation. Its leases require hospital operators to cover most property maintenance costs and have automatic rent escalators built in.
MPT isn't nearly as risky as some seem to think. The financial positions of its largest tenants are improving. MPT believes (with good reason) that its properties would be attractive to other operators even if one of its tenants couldn't pay rent. This ultra-high-yield dividend stock should provide dependable passive income plus an opportunity for growth over the long term.
