We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Diversified Dividend Stocks To Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) stands against the other diversified dividend stocks.

In this article, we will take a look at some of the best diversified dividend stocks.

Diversified stocks refer to companies involved in multiple sectors, industries, or regions. These businesses, often large conglomerates like Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, generate income from a variety of operations. The main goal of diversification is to lower risk by spreading investments across various areas, reducing the potential negative impact of poor performance in any one stock or sector. Nathan Wallace, principal wealth manager at Savvy Advisors, also supported the idea of diversifying portfolio. Here are some comments from the analyst:

“Through intelligent portfolio building and diversifying, investors can create a portfolio of risky assets with an aggregate volatility that is lower than any of the individual securities. The key here is to buy securities with attractive risk profiles that are not correlated to each other in a significant way with the goal that when one asset is performing poorly, another asset will pick up the slack through positive performance.”

That said, diversification doesn’t guarantee a lack of correlation between your investments. For example, owning 100 tech stocks might reduce risk compared to holding just one, but those 100 stocks are likely to be correlated with each other. To truly minimize risk, it’s important to diversify beyond just one sector. According to analysts, the higher yields on Treasury bonds could provide some protection in the event of a major stock market decline. Despite this, those who believe in diversification are facing uncertainty. US stocks continue to outperform year after year, driven by the consistent profits of American companies, making other investments seem like a path to underperformance.

On the other hand, a recent study by Preqin revealed that institutions, including pensions, endowments, and foundations, hold $21 trillion in traditional diversified strategies, as of June 2024. These strategies allocate funds across various investments such as bonds, stocks, real estate, and cash.

The year 2024 proved to be exceptional for US stocks, with the broader market rising over 23%. The Nasdaq outperformed with a nearly 29% gain, while the Nasdaq 100 rose close to 25%. These impressive gains were largely driven by the Magnificent 7 stocks, which surged by nearly 67%, along with other mega-cap companies. This marked the second consecutive year that the broader market achieved gains exceeding 20%, a feat last seen in the late 1990s.

Regardless of market conditions, investors have consistently sought comfort in dividend stocks. Among these, dividend growth stocks have gained significant interest. A report from BlackRock revealed that, over time, stocks that consistently increased or maintained their dividends have tended to perform better than those that didn’t pay dividends or cut their payouts. In times of market decline, dividend-paying stocks often offer a safeguard against fluctuating share prices. Companies that pay dividends typically aim to sustain these payments and are usually hesitant to reduce them unless it’s essential.

When considering dividend stocks, investors typically assess the dividend yield. Experts suggest targeting yields between 3% and 6%, as yields higher than this could signal potential yield traps. Brian Bollinger, president of Simply Safe Dividends, has highlighted this advice. Below are some insights from the analyst:

“I generally like to advocate for an approach of targeting great businesses that might pay closer to a 3% to 4% dividend yield.”

Our Methodology

For this list, we scanned Insider Monkey’s database of Q3 2024 and selected conglomerate firms that specialize in several different businesses and pay regular dividends to shareholders. The list is ranked in ascending order based on the number of hedge funds having stakes in the companies.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).

3M Company (NYSE:MMM)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 82

3M Company (NYSE:MMM) is a Minnesota-based multinational conglomerate that operates in a wide range of industries. While the company is currently presenting a more positive outlook, it faced considerable challenges last year, including spinning off its healthcare division and cutting its dividend by 50%. In addition, it has been dealing with ongoing legal and regulatory pressures for several years. However, 3M is actively working to manage these challenges with a strategic plan to handle related costs. This effort is evident in the stock’s performance, which has risen over 65% over the past 12 months.

In its Q4 2024 earnings, 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) reported revenue of over $6 billion, which beat analysts’ estimates by $157 million. Recently, the company has been focusing its efforts on core business areas. Innovation continues to be a key priority, with substantial investments in proprietary technologies and patents strengthening its competitive position. In addition, it has worked on improving operational efficiency, particularly in its supply chain, leading to a 70% improvement in supplier on-time delivery. The company’s ability to navigate regulatory requirements and manage ongoing litigation has also been crucial for maintaining financial stability and building investor confidence.

3M Company (NYSE:MMM)’s cash position remained stable in FY24. The company reported an operating cash flow of $1.8 billion and its free cash flow came in at $4.9 billion. During the year, it also returned $3.8 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, which makes MMM one of the best dividend stocks on our list. The company offers a quarterly dividend of $0.70 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.88%, as of January 22.

The number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owning stakes in 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) jumped to 82 in Q3 2024, from 66 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a total value of roughly $3.6 billion. With over 2.7 million shares, Citadel Investment Group was the company’s largest stakeholder in Q3.

Overall MMM ranks 2nd on our list of the best diversified dividend stocks to buy now. While we acknowledge the potential for MMM as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MMM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stock To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.