3 Strong Buy Stocks Yielding at Least 9% That Have Huge Upside Potential

Grabbing shares of these three quality companies that pay at least a 9% dividend makes sense for investors looking for passive income.

Published May 30, 2025, 4:47pm ET · 4 min read

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A close-up photograph of a financial chart with red and blue candlestick patterns and various colored trend lines. The word 'DIVIDENDS' is printed large across the lower left of the chart. A black pen rests diagonally on the paper, and a dark grey calculator is partially visible in the upper right corner.
Financial charts and analysis tools highlight the importance of consistent dividend growth for investors seeking reliable income streams in a dynamic market. © jittawit21 / Shutterstock.com

Investors love dividend stocks, especially high-yield varieties, because they offer a significant income stream and have substantial total return potential. Total return includes interest, capital gains, dividends, and distributions realized over time. In other words, the total return on an investment or a portfolio consists of income and stock appreciation. For example, if you buy a stock at $20 that pays a 3% dividend and rises to $22 in a year, your total return is 13%. That is, 10% for the increase in stock price and 3% for the dividends paid. The higher the dividend a company pays, the greater the odds are for total return success.

Since 1926, dividends have contributed approximately 32% of the total return for the S&P 500, while capital appreciation has contributed 68%. Therefore, sustainable dividend income and capital appreciation potential are essential for total return expectations. A study by Hartford Funds, in collaboration with Ned Davis Research, found that dividend stocks delivered an annualized return of 9.18% over the 50 years from 1973 to 2023. Over the same timeline, this was more than double the 3.95% annualized return for those who did not pay.

We screened our 24/7 Wall St. high-yield dividend stocks research database looking for quality companies that pay at least a 9% dividend. Three standouts in their respective sectors hit our screens, and all make sense for those looking for passive income and with a somewhat higher risk tolerance. Top Wall Street firms we cover rate all these stocks at Buy.

Why do we cover high-yield dividend stocks?

ShutterstockProfessional / Shutterstock.com

High-yield dividend stocks offer investors a reliable source of passive income. Passive income is characterized by its ability to generate revenue without requiring the earner’s continuous active effort, making it a desirable financial strategy for those seeking to diversify their income streams or achieve financial independence.

Lyondell Basell

This top chemical giant has been hammered over the past year, and despite already paying a massive dividend, it just raised its payout yet again. LyondellBasell N.V. (NYSE: LYB | LYB Price Prediction) is a chemical company creating solutions for everyday sustainable living.

Its segments include:

  • Olefins and Polyolefins-Americas (O&P-Americas)
  • Olefins and Polyolefins-Europe, Asia, International (O&P-EAI)
  • Intermediates and Derivatives (I&D)
  • Advanced Polymer Solutions (APS)
  • Refining and Technology

The O&P-Americas and O&P-EAI segments produce and market olefins and co-products, polyethylene, and polypropylene.

The I&D segment produces and markets propylene oxide (PO) and its derivatives, as well as oxyfuels and related products, and intermediate chemicals, including styrene monomer (SM) and acetyls.

The APS segment produces and markets compounds and solutions, including polypropylene compounds, engineered plastics, masterbatches, engineered composites, colors, and powders.

The Refining segment refines heavy, high-sulfur crude oil and other crude oils of various types, while the Technology segment develops and licenses chemical and polyolefin process technologies.

Wells Fargo has an Overweight rating and an $85 target price.

Hercules Capital

This company is the lender of choice for many innovative entrepreneurs and their VC partners. Hercules Capital Inc. (NYSE: HTGC) is a specialty finance company that focuses on providing financing solutions to venture capital-backed and institutional-backed companies across various technology and life sciences industries.

It is structured as an internally managed, non-diversified, closed-end investment company.

Its business objectives are to increase its net income, net investment income, and net asset value through investments in primarily structured debt or senior secured debt instruments of venture capital-backed and institutional-backed companies across various technology-related industries, at attractive yields.

It invests in a range of companies active in the technology industry sub-sectors characterized by products or services that require advanced technologies, including:

  • Computer software and hardware
  • Networking systems
  • Semiconductors
  • Telecommunications equipment and media
  • Semiconductor capital equipment
  • Information technology infrastructure

Wells Fargo has assigned an Overweight rating, accompanied by a $19 target price.

Starwood Property Trust

Run by real estate legend Barry Sternlicht, Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD) is a high-quality real estate investment trust offering a reliable, ultra-high-yield dividend.

The company’s segments include:

  • Commercial and Residential Lending
  • Infrastructure Lending
  • Property
  • Investing and Servicing

The Commercial and Residential Lending segment is engaged in:

  • Originating, acquiring, financing, and managing commercial first mortgages
  • Non-agency residential mortgages
  • Subordinated mortgages
  • Mezzanine loans
  • Preferred equity
  • Commercial mortgage-backed securities
  • Residential mortgage-backed securities
  • Real estate and real estate-related debt investments in the United States, Europe, and Australia

The Infrastructure Lending Segment is engaged in originating, acquiring, financing, and managing infrastructure debt investments.

The Property Segment is engaged in acquiring and managing equity interests in stabilized commercial real estate properties.

The Investing and Servicing segment includes a servicing business in the United States, an investment business, and a mortgage loan business.

J.P. Morgan has an Overweight rating for the stock with a $19.50 price objective.

Need $16,500 per Year in Passive Income? Invest $25,000 in These 4 Ultra-High-Yield Stocks

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Lee Jackson

Lee Jackson has covered Wall Street analysts' equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad, diverse career, including a stint as creative services director at an NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry.

Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans more than 30 years, including nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career spanned pivotal sell-side Wall Street events, from the dot-com rise and bubble to the Long-Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This reflects his resilience and adaptability amid market volatility.

Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, gained through a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing across various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies of Wall Street in a way only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.

Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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