We recently compiled a list of the 12 Best High Dividend Stocks Under $100. In this article, we are going to take a look at where AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) stands against the other high dividend stocks under $100.

Dividend stocks hold strong appeal for income generation for two main reasons. First, their regular payouts help investors address immediate liquidity needs. Second, historical trends indicate that dividend-paying stocks can help reduce market volatility and limit losses during downturns. Companies with a track record of dividend growth often provide added stability during bearish markets. For instance, between December 31, 1999, and March 31, 2022, during periods of market decline, the High Yield Dividend Aristocrats index outperformed the Composite 1500 and the High Dividend Index, delivering an average monthly outperformance of 140 and 49 basis points, respectively.

Investing in dividend stocks has always been a tug-of-war between those favoring high yields and those backing dividend growth. Analysts suggest that due to economic volatility since 2020 and ongoing market uncertainties impacting corporate earnings, high-yield companies without strong financial stability and discipline may struggle to maintain their dividend payouts. This could leave them at risk of dividend cuts or suspensions. In contrast, dividend growth strategies have proven effective in both rising and falling interest rate environments. According to a report by ProShares, the Dividend Aristocrats index, which tracks companies with at least 25 years of consistent dividend growth, achieved a 14.26% return during the period of declining interest rates from May 2005 to March 2024, outperforming high-yield stocks, which delivered just over 10%. Similarly, during periods of rising interest rates within the same timeframe, dividend growth stocks returned 10.26%, compared to 9.22% for high-yield stocks.

Also read: 10 Extreme Dividend Stocks to Invest in Now

That said, high-yield stocks aren’t entirely off the table. While analysts warn investors about the financial stability of high-yield companies, these stocks have historically delivered solid returns. The research from The Wellington study analyzed the broader market’s dividend-paying stocks from 1930 to 2019, dividing them into five categories based on their dividend yields. The top 20% of dividend payers outshone the rest, with the moderate dividend group also surpassing the broader market in several periods. However, stocks with lower dividend yields showed less consistent performance compared to the broader index.

Kirsten Cabacungan, an investment strategist at Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank, encouraged investors to focus on both price appreciation and dividend income when evaluating total returns. She highlighted that dividend-paying stocks bring added advantages, as their steady income can help cushion losses during market downturns, offering stability to a portfolio. Moreover, during periods of low interest rates, these stocks often provide higher income compared to options like Treasury bonds, CDs, or corporate bonds. Here are some other comments from the analyst:

“Companies that have consistently increased their dividends tend to be more stable, higher quality businesses, which historically have weathered downturns and are more likely to have the ability to pay dividends consistently.”

Cabacungan advised that investors looking for steady income might benefit from focusing on stocks with above-average dividend yields held over the long term. On the other hand, those prioritizing growth without the need for immediate income should consider stocks with a history of steadily increasing dividends. This strategy aligns with a growth-focused approach, enabling investors to capitalize on companies that consistently enhance their dividends as their profits and cash flows expand. Given this, we will take a look at some of the best high-yield stocks under $100.

Our Methodology:

For this list, we first used a stock screener to identify dividend-paying stocks priced below $100 and offering dividend yields above 4% as of January 24. From that selection, we chose 12 companies with strong dividend histories and ranked them in ascending order of hedge funds’ sentiment toward them, according to Insider Monkey’s database of Q4 2023.

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).

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 59

Dividend Yield as of January 24: 4.89%

Share Price as of January 24: $22.7

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a Texas-based telecommunications, media, and technology services company that provides a wide range of services to its consumers. The company has consistently expanded its wireless and fiber internet customer base in recent years. Between September 2022 and September 2024, it added approximately 7.5 million wireless customers. In addition, the company gained over two million fiber subscribers, which helped counterbalance the decline in traditional wireline service demand.

Over the past 12 months, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has surged by over 36%, fueled by stronger fundamentals such as improved gross margins and reduced debt. In Q3 2024, the company also announced the sale of its remaining 70% stake in DirecTV to private equity firm TPG, which will generate significant cash flow to further pay down debt and enhance shareholder value. With a solid balance sheet, a rising stock price, and a compelling dividend yield, AT&T is becoming an increasingly attractive option for income-focused investors.

TCW Funds stated the following about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) in its Q3 2024 investor letter:

“AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), based in Dallas, TX, is a nationwide provider of voice, video, and data communications services to businesses and consumers in the wired, wireless, and broadband. At initiation, the stock had a $141 billion market capitalization and met all five valuation factors with an above market dividend yield of 5.6%. From a sustainability prism, the company completed its commitment to invest $2 billion by the end of 2023 to help bridge the digital divide. AT&T is working on enabling low-income households to access to low-cost broadband services through its Access service plan as well as reaching out to more rural communities and Tribal lands where internet access remains a challenge. It is nearly 85% the way to providing one million people in need with digital resources through AT&T Connected Learning® with the goal to be reached by the end of 2025. In 2020, the company announced that it is committed to be carbon neutral by 2035 with zero carbon emission across all operations. It is deploying Smart Climate Solutions – through efforts like its Connected Climate Initiative – that will help enable its business customers to reduce their emissions as well. The company’s goal is to help collectively reduce its emissions by one billion metric tons – a gigaton – by 2035, compared to 2018 levels. The primary catalysts are new/strong management and restructuring. John Stankey was appointed CEO in July 2020 and he is committed to refocusing the company and improving its financial performance. The company combined its WarnerMedia operation with Discovery during 1Q:22 which eliminated AT&T’s exposure to the rapidly evolving media industry and refocused its core telecommunication business thus eliminating a major drag on profitability and the company’s balance sheet by reducing long-term debt from a peak $176 billion during 2020 to $142 billion at the end of June 2024 quarter. AT&T is moving aggressively to reduce cost and sell non-core assets such as its advertising platform Xander to Microsoft† which was accomplished during 2022. The company has redesigned its network to be software driven structure reducing the capital investment cycle in its national network – resulting in a network that is flexible with unrivaled speed and reliability – thus enhancing its nationwide position. By the end of 2023, it expanded its 5G network to reach more than 302 million people in nearly 24,500 cities and towns in the U.S. The company’s mid-band 5G+ network alone grew to cover more than 210 million people. AT&T is one of the largest investors in digital infrastructure in the U.S. Over the five years ending 2023, the company invested nearly $150 billion primarily in its wireless, fiber optics, and wireline networks. The extensive restructuring and refocusing of AT&T on its core business should result in improved earnings and cash flow while at the same time reducing uncertainty for shareholders.”

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is focused on delivering value to shareholders, with plans to allocate more than $40 billion through dividends and share repurchases over the next three years. In the latest quarter, the company maintained strong cash flow, reporting an operating cash flow of $10.2 billion and a free cash flow of $5.1 billion. Its quarterly dividend comes in at $0.2775 per share for a dividend yield of 4.89%, as of January 24.

With a collective stake value of more than $5.6 billion, 59 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held positions in AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) at the end of Q3 2024. Arrowstreet Capital was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q3.

Overall T ranks 1st on our list of the best high dividend stocks under $100. While we acknowledge the potential T 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 T 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.