Cash accounts and CDs yields are measured with a microscope. Long-term bonds have higher returns, but lock in low yields. Investors looking for good yields that can outpace, or at least keep up with inflation should consider stocks for at least part of their income solution.

With a weak dollar, dividend-paying companies located outside the U.S. add the potential bonus -- and risk -- of currency gains to the earnings and dividend stream.

The Motley Fool's CAPS Screener cranked out a number of candidate stocks using the following criteria for the screen.

  • Current yield over 2%.
  • Price-to-Earnings ratio positive and less than 17.
  • Long-term debt to equity ratio less than 1.
  • Market Capitalization of over $2 billion.
  • Finally, a CAPS rating or four or five stars (out of five) to focus on companies our Foolish community believes are the best prospects.

The screen returned a total of 131 names with 45 headquartered outside the United States. The seven stocks below were picked to create a list of stocks from several industries and diversified around the globe.

Company

Currency

Current Dividend Yield %

P/E (TTM)

CAPS Rating 
(out of 5)

Industry

Vale
(NYSE: VALE) 		Brazilian Real

2.2%

10.5

****

 Metals & Mining
Unilever
(NYSE: UL) 		British Pound

3.5%

16.7

*****

 Food & Beverage
Banco Santande
 (NYSE: STD) 		Euro

8.3%

9.7

****

 Banking
Sanofi-Aventis
(NYSE: SNY) 		Euro

2.8%

13.9

*****

 Drugs
Guangshen Railway
 (NYSE: GSH) 		Chinese Yuan

2.6%

12.4

*****

 Transportation
ChinaMobile
(NYSE: CHL) 		Hong Kong Dollar

3.5%

10.4

****

 Telecommunications
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
(NYSE: TSM) 		Taiwan Dollar

3%

11.2

*****

 Electronics

Source: Motley Fool screener results and Yahoo! Finance. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Even though this list looks like a nice dividend portfolio, the results should be considered ideas for further research, not outright buy recommendations. U.S. investors' research on international stocks should include tax consequences, particularly if stock is going to be held in an IRA account.

By design, the seven stocks cover a number of industries and countries, but they have one common trait -- earnings aren't scored in U.S. dollars. Easy monetary policy from the Federal Reserve is likely to continue the pressure on the greenback. Of course, if the end of QE2 reverses the U.S. dollar's dive to devaluation, the currency tailwinds these companies are enjoying will quickly turn to headwinds.

Related Foolishness: