We recently compiled a list of the 10 Dividend Stocks Grow Firmer Despite Mixed Market Sentiment. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) stands against the other dividend stocks.

Dividend stocks are proving their worth despite the ever-changing market conditions. The changes in laws and regulations brought up by the new presidency of the U.S. and the advent of the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) models from foreign countries, and such events are having an unprecedented effect on the market, making it more volatile than ever before. Sometimes, investors are unsure where things are headed and how their investment will turn out. Even so, some dividend-paying companies stand firm, earning their trust, irrespective of the uncertainty. For these investors who are looking for steady returns, dividend stocks have proven to be a worthwhile investment. In our article, we will look closely into ten stocks that have stayed firm despite the ups and downs.

READ ALSO: Dividend Stock Portfolio For Income: Top 10 Stocks to Buy

Before entering the list, let’s see why dividend stocks are preferred. Primarily, they offer a reliable income stream. Some of them also show growth potential. However, we need to remember that they are not invincible. Changes in inflation rates, interest rates, and economic changes also affect dividend stocks. The uncertainty created by these factors makes picking the right ones a matter of informed decision. It is not always about high yields. We also focus on other aspects, including earnings, payout ratios, and consistency in making dividend payments.

In recent days, the smartness of the companies, reflected in their operational and financial management, has helped them maintain such consistency and even grow their dividends. Some sectors, like technology, are doing better than others. However, growth is recognized in companies irrespective of the favorableness of the market, showing they can handle harsh conditions. The big question: which among them firmly held their position and consistently rewarded their investors?

An investor must constantly balance risk and reward. When the market feels unpredictable, an investor must collect information and conduct research before making an investment decision. We aim to serve investors who are looking to make such informed decisions.

Our list contains dividend stocks with strong performance over the past three days, even though the market has been experiencing fluctuations. They can be worthy investments. But it is difficult to say based on the previous three days of performances alone. Hence, we urge our readers to thoroughly research the stocks they may find attractive in our list.

The following section will explain what makes these ten dividend stocks stand out. We believe valid reasons should accompany performance. Understanding the reason helps the investor decide better. In this regard, our article might be what you want before deciding to restructure your portfolio.

Our Methodology

While putting together the list of 10 dividend stocks that have grown despite mixed market sentiment, we followed a few key criteria. Primarily, we considered only those stocks with a minimum dividend yield of 3% shareholder returns to ensure consistency in returns. We further narrowed the list to those stocks that have grown at least 1.5% between February 24 and February 26, 2025. This three-day window is to capture stocks, maintaining stability irrespective of rapid market fluctuations. Since we wanted to ensure sufficient liquidity in our list of stocks, we did not consider those with a market capitalization of less than $300 million. With these criteria, we aimed to optimize the value of our article for income-focused investors. In our article, in addition to the growth of the stocks over the three days, we look into dividend yield, payout ratio, and the number of hedge funds holding onto them.

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 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC)

Dividend yield: 3.79%

Dividend payout ratio: 15.71%

Ex-Dividend Date: March 26, 2025

Number of Hedge Funds: 26

Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) saw a 2.15% increase in its value between February 24, 2025, and February 26, 2025.

The Canada-based company is a global leader in responsibly sourced pulp and solid wood products. Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) was traded as high as $8.08 on February 26, 2025. The high was a gradual increase in the stock price after the company released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20. The earnings per share (EPS) reported by the company stood at $0.25. The consensus estimate was $0.02, meaning the released EPS results beat the consensus estimate by $0.23. It demonstrated the company’s strong performance to the investors in the market. However, the business revenue of $488.41 million during the quarter falls below the anticipated $497 million, negatively reflecting the return on equity and net margin of the company, raising concerns among the investors.

Mercer International Inc. (NASDAQ:MERC) offers a dividend yield of 3.79%. It is covered by the dividend payout ratio of 15.71%, indicating that the company generates more earnings than required for making its dividend payments. We noted 26 hedge fund portfolios in the Insider Monkey database, backing the stock in Q4 2024 and suggesting strong institutional interest. Investors interested in stock can purchase it before March 26, 2025, to receive dividend payments on April 2, 2025.

Overall MERC ranks 6th on our list of the dividend stocks that grow firmer despite mixed market sentiment. While we acknowledge the potential for MERC 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 MERC but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks 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.