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12 Best Dividend Stocks Under $20

In this article, we discuss 12 best dividend stocks under $20. You can skip our detailed analysis of dividend stocks and their performance in the past, and go directly to read 5 Best Dividend Stocks Under $20

In 2023, dividend-paying stocks faced difficulties, but experienced investors understand that short-term setbacks don’t deter them. They know that dividend stocks hold enduring value, a fact repeatedly confirmed by their consistent appeal over time. Reflecting on the last two decades of Bloomberg data, it becomes evident that dividend-paying stocks tended to outperform the Russell 1000 Value index when non-dividend payers underperformed, and vice versa. This pattern occurred approximately 56% of the time, as reported by Sterling Capital. The report also mentioned that during the two-decade span, dividend-paying stocks generally displayed quarterly outperformance more frequently than underperformance, in contrast to non-dividend earners.

While dividend stocks may not have delivered strong results this year, it’s worth noting that dividend payments in the US are steadily increasing. According to a report by Janus Henderson, in the third quarter of 2023, common dividend increases in the US amounted to $18.0 billion, marking an 84.0% increase from the $9.8 billion seen in the second quarter of 2023. The report also mentioned that 448 US companies increased their dividends during the quarter. As dividend growth is on the right track, Howard Silverblatt, Senior Index Analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices, has given a positive outlook for dividend payments this year. Here are some comments from the analyst:

“For Q4 2023, the dollar aggregate of dividends are expected to increase. Absent an economic event, they could even set a dividend payment record for the S&P 500 Q4 period as large caps appear to be weathering the uncertainties better than others. This result would make 2023 the 14th consecutive year of dividend increases for the index, and the 12th consecutive record year. For 2024, we expect companies to remain cautious over both consumer and government spending, and consider any impact of the political environment. This could result in restrained net dividend increases, posting a 3.5%-4.5% increase in actual cash payments for 2024 over 2023.”

Given the present economic conditions, investors are showing a preference for cheap dividend stocks. These stocks often provide higher dividend yields, which can be an attractive source of passive income for investors. Additionally, the lower stock prices mean that you can potentially buy more shares for the same amount of capital, increasing the overall dividend income. McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), and Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) are some of the most popular dividend stocks due to their consistency in growing their dividends, however, we will discuss some of the best dividend stocks to buy under $20.

Our Methodology:

We scanned Insider Monkey’s database of 910 hedge funds and picked 12 dividend stocks priced under $20 as of October 30. We preferred companies with stable dividend histories. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds having stakes in them as of Q2 2023.

12. BRT Apartments Corp. (NYSE:BRT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 4

Share Price as of October 30: $16.32

BRT Apartments Corp. (NYSE:BRT) is an American real estate investment trust company that primarily focuses on owning, operating, and developing multi-family properties. In the second quarter of 2023, the company reported revenue of $23.3 million, which showed a 58.7% growth from the same period last year. It ended the quarter with over $31.3 million available in cash and cash equivalents and its total assets amounted to $727.8 million.

BRT Apartments Corp. (NYSE:BRT) has been growing its dividends for two consecutive years. The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.13%, as of October 30. It can be added to dividend portfolios alongside McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), and Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK).

At the end of Q2 2023, 4 hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database reported having stakes in BRT Apartments Corp. (NYSE:BRT), up from 3 in the previous quarter. The consolidated value of these stakes is over $3.8 million.

11. Farmers National Banc Corp. (NASDAQ:FMNB)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 4

Share Price as of October 30: $11.09

Farmers National Banc Corp. (NASDAQ:FMNB) is an Ohio-based bank holding company that focuses on providing banking and financial services to individuals, businesses, and communities. The company currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.17 per share, having raised it by 6% last year. The company has been growing its dividends consistently for the past seven years, which makes FMNB one of the best dividend stocks on our list. The stock has a dividend yield of 6.13%, as of October 30.

As of the end of Q2 2023, 4 hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database reported having stakes in Farmers National Banc Corp. (NASDAQ:FMNB), compared with 7 in the previous quarter. The consolidated value of these stakes is more than $1.5 million. Among these hedge funds, Two Sigma Advisors was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q2.

10. TFS Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:TFSL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 6

Share Price as of October 30: $11.68

TFS Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:TFSL) is an American bank holding company that specializes in residential mortgage lending, providing mortgage loans to individuals and families for the purchase or refinance of homes. In its recently announced third-quarter earnings, the company posted revenue of $75.4 million, which fell by 5.5% from the same period last year. At the end of the quarter, it had over $466.7 million available in cash and cash equivalents, up from $370 million in the prior-year period.

TFS Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:TFSL) has been making regular dividend payments to shareholders for the past nine years. The company currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.2825 per share and has a dividend yield of 9.67%, as recorded on October 30.

As of the end of the second quarter of 2023, 6 hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database reported having investments in TFS Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:TFSL), up from 5 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a collective value of over $13.3 million.

9. Star Group, L.P. (NYSE:SGU)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 7

Share Price as of October 30: $11.55

Star Group, L.P. (NYSE:SGU) is an American energy company that primarily operates in the propane distribution and related services industry. The company provides a range of energy-related products and services, with a focus on propane and heating oil. It is one of the best dividend stocks on our list as the company has been paying uninterrupted dividends to shareholders since 1996. The company offers a quarterly dividend of $0.1625 per share for a dividend yield of 5.63%, as of October 30.

The number of hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database owning stakes in Star Group, L.P. (NYSE:SGU) stood at 7 in Q2 2023, the same as in the previous quarter. The consolidated value of these stakes is more than $50 million. With over 3.4 million shares, Bandera Partners was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q2.

8. Northwest Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:NWBI)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 11

Share Price as of October 30: $10.42

Northwest Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:NWBI) is a financial holding company that engages in various financial and banking activities. These services include checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), personal loans, and other deposit and lending products.

In the third quarter of 2023, Northwest Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:NWBI) reported revenue of roughly $140 million, which beat analysts’ consensus by $5.8 million. At the end of the quarter, the company’s cash and cash equivalents amounted to nearly $162 million, up from $118.5 million in the prior-year period.

Northwest Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:NWBI) is one of the best dividend stocks on our list as the company has been paying regular dividends to shareholders for the past 116 quarters. The company’s quarterly dividend currently stands at $0.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 7.68%, as of October 30.

At the end of June 2023, 11 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owned stakes in Northwest Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:NWBI), compared with 12 in the previous quarter. The total value of these stakes is over $7.4 million.

7. Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 12

Share Price as of October 30: $15.09

Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) is an American specialty finance company, based in California. The primary focus of the company is to provide financing solutions and venture debt to technology and life sciences companies, particularly those in the early and growth stages. The company currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, growing it by 2.6% in August this year. This marked the company’s fifth consecutive year of dividend growth, which makes HTGC one of the best dividend stocks on our list.

According to Insider Monkey’s database of Q2 2023, the number of hedge funds holding stakes in Hercules Capital, Inc. (NYSE:HTGC) grew to 12, from 9 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a total value of roughly $30 million. Two Sigma Advisors was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q2.

6. Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 12

Share Price as of October 30: $12.60

An American real estate investment trust company, Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR) is next on our list of the best dividend stocks under $20. The company has raised its dividends for 11 years straight and currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.43 per share. The stock’s dividend yield on October 30 came in at 13.65%.

In addition to some of the best dividend stocks like McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), and Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK), ABR is also grabbing investors’ attention.

At the end of Q2 2023, Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR) was a part of 12 hedge fund portfolios, as per Insider Monkey’s database. The total value of stakes owned by these hedge funds is over $55 million. With roughly 3.5 million shares, Omega Advisors was the company’s largest stakeholder in Q2.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Best Dividend Stocks Under $20

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Disclosure. None. 12 Best Dividend Stocks Under $20 is originally published on Insider Monkey.

AI, Tariffs, Nuclear Power: One Undervalued Stock Connects ALL the Dots (Before It Explodes!)

Artificial intelligence is the greatest investment opportunity of our lifetime. The time to invest in groundbreaking AI is now, and this stock is a steal!

AI is eating the world—and the machines behind it are ravenous.

Each ChatGPT query, each model update, each robotic breakthrough consumes massive amounts of energy. In fact, AI is already pushing global power grids to the brink.

Wall Street is pouring hundreds of billions into artificial intelligence—training smarter chatbots, automating industries, and building the digital future. But there’s one urgent question few are asking:

Where will all of that energy come from?

AI is the most electricity-hungry technology ever invented. Each data center powering large language models like ChatGPT consumes as much energy as a small city. And it’s about to get worse.

Even Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, issued a stark warning:

“The future of AI depends on an energy breakthrough.”

Elon Musk was even more blunt:

“AI will run out of electricity by next year.”

As the world chases faster, smarter machines, a hidden crisis is emerging behind the scenes. Power grids are strained. Electricity prices are rising. Utilities are scrambling to expand capacity.

And that’s where the real opportunity lies…

One little-known company—almost entirely overlooked by most AI investors—could be the ultimate backdoor play. It’s not a chipmaker. It’s not a cloud platform. But it might be the most important AI stock in the US owns critical energy infrastructure assets positioned to feed the coming AI energy spike.

As demand from AI data centers explodes, this company is gearing up to profit from the most valuable commodity in the digital age: electricity.

The “Toll Booth” Operator of the AI Energy Boom

  • It owns critical nuclear energy infrastructure assets, positioning it at the heart of America’s next-generation power strategy.
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Trump has made it clear: Europe and U.S. allies must buy American LNG.

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AI. Energy. Tariffs. Onshoring. This One Company Ties It All Together.

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AI needs energy. Energy needs infrastructure.

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This company has its finger in every pie—and Wall Street is just starting to notice.

Wall Street is noticing this company also because it is quietly riding all of these tailwinds—without the sky-high valuation.

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This company is completely debt-free.

In fact, it’s sitting on a war chest of cash—equal to nearly one-third of its entire market cap.

It also owns a huge equity stake in another red-hot AI play, giving investors indirect exposure to multiple AI growth engines without paying a premium.

And here’s what the smart money has started whispering…

The Hedge Fund Secret That’s Starting to Leak Out

This stock is so off-the-radar, so absurdly undervalued, that some of the most secretive hedge fund managers in the world have begun pitching it at closed-door investment summits.

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Why? Because excluding cash and investments, this company is trading at less than 7 times earnings.

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  • The AI infrastructure supercycle
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You simply won’t find another AI and energy stock this cheap… with this much upside.

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Disruption is the New Name of the Game: Let’s face it, complacency breeds stagnation.

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A New Dawn is Coming to U.S. Stocks

I work for one of the largest independent financial publishers in the world – representing over 1 million people in 148 countries.

We’re independently funding today’s broadcast to address something on the mind of every investor in America right now…

Should I put my money in Artificial Intelligence?

Here to answer that for us… and give away his No. 1 free AI recommendation… is 50-year Wall Street titan, Marc Chaikin.

Marc’s been a trader, stockbroker, and analyst. He was the head of the options department at a major brokerage firm and is a sought-after expert for CNBC, Fox Business, Barron’s, and Yahoo! Finance…

But what Marc’s most known for is his award-winning stock-rating system. Which determines whether a stock could shoot sky-high in the next three to six months… or come crashing down.

That’s why Marc’s work appears in every Bloomberg and Reuters terminal on the planet…

And is still used by hundreds of banks, hedge funds, and brokerages to track the billions of dollars flowing in and out of stocks each day.

He’s used this system to survive nine bear markets… create three new indices for the Nasdaq… and even predict the brutal bear market of 2022, 90 days in advance.

Click to continue reading…