Dividend stocks are gaining popularity again due to the recent wave of bearishness in the stock market. Both retail and institutional investors chased AI and growth stocks in the past two years, and dividend stocks were rarely on their bucket list as the returns paled compared to the hottest names on the market.

Late-February 2025, 28 of the 30 “Safer” MoPay Equities were tagged “IDEAL” for dividends as they showed positive one-year returns, free-cash-flow-yields greater-than dividend-yields, and dividends from $1,000 invested exceeding single share prices.

Dividends are a simple way to collect income from stocks without selling part of a position. In this vein, dividends can be an excellent way to earn a return regardless of what st