In the grand universe of investing—an expansive cosmic joke with billions of stars and even more screamingly dull owner manuals—dividends stand out as the pocket calculators of the financial realm. They promise a bit of income, a gentle nudge from the universe that, yes, your money might possibly be working, even if it looks like it’s taking a well-earned nap. As any seasoned or aspiring investor knows, dividends aren’t just a nice touch; they are the financial equivalent of a reassuring wink in the dark. And just like that wink, they can sometimes be unexpectedly charming, causing even the staunchest skeptics to crack a smile.
There are thousands of stocks out there, orbiting their own little suns, each offering dividends like a vending machine offers snacks—some worth biting into, some best ignored, and others so enticing that you might find yourself contemplating a lifelong subscription. But which of these celestial bodies are worth charting a course towards this August? Here are three stocks that shine brighter amid the celestial clutter, each with its own peculiar appeal and, quite possibly, a few surprises tucked into their orbital paths.
1. Enbridge
Enbridge (ENB)—a name so unremarkable yet so essential it could be a secret code for a failed bicycle courier service—summed up its appeal in the most unambiguous terms during its first quarter update: it’s “low-risk” and “utility-like.” (In the universe of stocks, “low-risk” is a phrase that usually appears in celestial charts alongside “drinkable water” and “infinite patience”.) Given that the S&P 500 CAPE ratio—a statistical spell indicating whether the market is likely to perform like a caffeinated squirrel or a sluggish sloth—is hovering at heights that suggest we’re either on the brink of a financial crescendo or a most spectacular crash, enlisting stocks with a utility-like reputation looks increasingly like predicting the weather with a crystal ball made of old beer coasters.
Enbridge has long been a titan of midstream energy—think of it as the world’s longest but slightly less glamorous conveyor belt for oil and natural gas. Its pipeline system spans over 18,000 miles of crude oil and nearly 19,000 miles of natural gas pipelines—an impressive feat diminishing the likelihood of many investors from wandering off into the wilds of the unknown without a GPS. These pipelines, like toll roads in the sky, generate reliable, almost hypnotic cash flow, which is to say, they keep humming without much fuss, providing a steady income stream akin to a polite but persistent telephone solicitor.
Recent acquisitions—three of them, no less, as if the company suddenly decided that conglomeration was a good way to keep the universe from collapsing—have made Enbridge more utility-like than ever. Now, it’s the largest natural gas utility in North America, delivering roughly 9.3 billion cubic feet per day to seven million customers who, presumably, are quietly grateful or at least too busy to complain. And, with a dividend that’s increased for 30 consecutive years, it seems that Enbridge is the beneficiary of a sort of corporate stubbornness—one that refuses to let go of its payouts even when the market throws its worst tantrums. Current yields top 6%, promising perhaps a modest but reliable return—less of a rollercoaster, more of a gently swinging hammock with a dividend stick attached, swaying in predictable rhythms.
2. Enterprise Products Partners
For those who prefer their investments less like utility, and more like a well-oiled machine that appears to have survived both the asteroid belt and the financial equivalent thereof, Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD) remains an alluring candidate. Its 6.93% distribution yield comfortably sits in the lap of the brave, having increased for 26 years—nearly three decades of steadily boosting what amounts to its dividend—it’s the investment equivalent of a persistent but kindly toad that keeps bowing politely from the edge of the pond.
This MLP (Master Limited Partnership, or perhaps just acronymic diplomacy) doesn’t have the niceness of Enbridge—no, it’s more akin to a grizzled miner whistling as it drills through the earth, its low valuation (around 11.2 times forward earnings) making it as tempting as finding a forgotten chocolate bar in a pocket after a decade. Its cash flows are strong, and its growth prospects are stimulating—particularly with Europe‘s recent decision to increase imports of American natural gas, passing through more than 50,000 miles of pipelines that, like a nervous cousin, stretches far and wide. It’s about as close as you get to a “sure thing” in the wild cosmos of commodities, provided you ignore the potential for the universe to surprise everyone with a giant meteor.
Further sweetening the pot, Enterprise’s valuation isn’t sky-high. Its P/E ratio remains comfortably below many peers and less than half of the S&P 500, making it an attractive candidate for those with a taste for risk that’s been libelously described as “low.”
3. Realty Income
Contrary to the tendency of energy stocks to dominate the dividend headlines—like loud neighbors with a penchant for fireworks—Realty Income (O) is a different breed entirely. It’s a REIT, which is short for “really enduring investment trust,” or at least that’s what they’d prefer you to think. With 15,627 properties spread across eight countries, it’s like a real estate version of the British Empire—persistent, sprawling, and occasionally frustrating in its bureaucratic bureaucracies.
This diversified collection of properties (roughly 1,600 tenants across 91 industries) is as close as you’ll get to a hedge against economic turbulence—unless you believe the economy is a giant, boisterous toddler prone to tantrums. Its rent is, surprisingly, resistant to global downturns and the inevitable e-commerce invasion—an umbrella that somehow withstands the rain and the occasional lightning strike.
Since its IPO in 1994, Realty Income has managed the improbable: delivering an average total annual return of 13.6%. Its dividend, paid monthly as if to remind you of life’s persistent demands, has grown for 30 consecutive years, amounting to a total of 110 quarters of what could generously be called “steadfastness.” Its forward yield rests at 5.68%, promising the sort of income that would make even the most suspicious accountant crack a smile. And in Europe, an 8.5 trillion-dollar market beckons—less of a gamble and more of a certainty that, with the right strategy, prosperity is merely waiting for you to visit, as long as you don’t mind having a few billion competitors.
The universe isn’t predictable, but some things—like the steady drip of rent payments—are remarkably predictable, even in the chaos of cosmic capitalism.
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2025-08-03 12:38