Investors love dividend stocks, especially those with high yields, because they provide a substantial income stream and offer significant 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. At 24/7 Wall St., we consistently emphasize the potential of total return to our readers. It is one of the most effective ways to enhance the prospects of overall investing success. Once again, total return refers to the collective increase in a stock’s value, including dividends.
When sizing up the landscape for the last two months of 2025, one thing is sure: after a wild rollercoaster 2025, which has seen declines of 20% and then gains of over 30%, one would think we are due for a pullback before the end of the year, or perhaps in January of 2026. Our five top November high-yield picks were screened for price to earnings, dividend yield, and most importantly, those with solid forward momentum that should hold their ground well, even if we experience a 10% or bigger correction. All are rated Buy at top firms on Wall Street.
Why do we cover high-yield dividend stocks?
At 24/7 Wall St., we have focused on dividend stocks for over 15 years because, despite the stock market’s ups and downs, many people face the reality of needing solid passive income streams to supplement their income from employment or other sources.
Ares Capital
The company specializes in providing financing solutions for the middle market and appears poised to reach new highs, while garnering a Buy rating from 12 analysts. This company is a high-yielding business development company (BDC) with a substantial 9.56% dividend yield. Ares Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: ARCC | ARCC Price Prediction) specializes in acquisition, recapitalization, mezzanine debt, restructurings, rescue financing, and leveraged buyout transactions of middle-market companies.
It also makes growth capital and general refinancing. It prefers to invest in companies engaged in basic and growth manufacturing, business services, consumer products, healthcare products and services, and information technology sectors.
The fund will also consider investments in industries such as:
- Restaurants
- Retail
- Oil and gas
- Technology
It focuses on investments in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Southwest regions from its New York office, the Midwest region from the Chicago office, and the Western region from the Los Angeles office.
The fund typically invests between $20 million and $200 million, with a maximum investment of $400 million, in companies with an EBITDA between $10 million and $250 million per year. It makes debt investments between $10 million and $100 million
The fund invests through:
- Revolvers
- First-lien loans
- Warrants
- Unitranche structures
- Second-lien loans
- Mezzanine debt
- Private high yield
- Junior Capital
- Subordinated debt
- Non-control preferred and common equity
The fund also selectively considers third-party-led senior and subordinated debt financings and opportunistically acquires stressed and discounted debt positions.
Ares Capital prefers to be an agent and lead the transactions in which it invests. The fund also seeks board representation in its portfolio companies.
Wells Fargo’s Overweight rating is accompanied by a $23 target price.
CTO Realty Growth
CTO Realty Growth Inc. (NYSE: CTO) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns and operates a portfolio of high-quality, retail-based properties. With a rich 9.21% dividend and solid upside potential, this unknown REIT makes sense for passive income investors. CTO Realty Growth owns and operates a portfolio of high-quality, retail-based properties located primarily in higher-growth markets in the United States. With a 96% leased occupancy rate and a strategy targeting high-yield acquisitions, CTO offers strong income potential. It has paid dividends for 48 consecutive years, reflecting reliability. In addition, CTO’s smaller market cap and focus on retail REITs in specific growth markets make it less visible compared to larger, more diversified REITs.
The company’s segments include:
- Income properties
- Management services
- Commercial loans and investments
- Real estate operations
The CTO holds a stake in Alpine Income Property Trust, adding to its diversification. With a 96% leased occupancy rate and a strategy targeting high-yield acquisitions, CTO offers strong income potential. It has paid dividends for 48 consecutive years, reflecting reliability.
The commercial loans and investments segment includes a portfolio of five commercial loan investments and two preferred equity investments.
Its income property operations consist of income-producing properties.
CTO Realty Growth’s business includes its investment in PINE. The portfolio of properties includes:
- Carolina Pavilion
- Millenia Crossing
- Lake Brandon Village
- Crabby’s Oceanside
- Fidelity
- LandShark Bar & Grill
- Granada Plaza
- The Strand at St. Johns Town Center
- The Shops at Legacy
- Price Plaza
Raymond James has a Strong Buy rating on the shares with a $22 target price.
Energy Transfer
Energy Transfer L.P. (NYSE: ET) is one of North America’s largest and most diversified midstream energy companies. This top master limited partnership is a safe option for investors seeking energy exposure and income, as the company pays a substantial 7.68% distribution. Energy Transfer owns and operates one of the largest and most diversified portfolios of energy assets in the United States, with a strategic footprint in all of the major domestic production basins.
The company is a publicly traded limited partnership with core operations that include:
- Complementary natural gas midstream, intrastate, and interstate transportation and storage assets
- Crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGL), and refined product transportation and terminalling assets
- NGL fractionation
- Various acquisition and marketing assets
Following the acquisition of Enable Partners in December 2021, Energy Transfer owns and operates over 114,000 miles of pipelines and related assets in 41 states, spanning all major U.S. producing regions and markets. This further solidifies its leadership position in the midstream sector.
Through its ownership of Energy Transfer Operating, formerly known as Energy Transfer Partners, the company also owns Lake Charles LNG Company, the general partner interests, the incentive distribution rights, and 28.5 million standard units of Sunoco L.P. (NYSE: SUN), and the public partner interests and 39.7 million standard units of USA Compression Partners L.P. (NYSE: USAC).
Barclays has an Overweight rating with a target price of $25.
OneMain
While off the radar of many investors, with a rich 7.43% dividend yield, this financial stock holds significant upside potential from its current trading levels. OneMain Holdings Inc. (NYSE OMF) is a financial services holding company.
The company provides personal loan products while offering:
- Auto financing
- Credit cards
- Optional products
- Customer-focused financial wellness program
- Services
- Loans
- Acquisitions and dispositions of assets and businesses
OneMain also provides origination, underwriting, and servicing of personal loans, primarily to nonprime customers.
In addition, the company offers two credit cards, BrightWay and BrightWay+, through a third-party bank partner.
The company offers optional credit insurance products, such as:
- Credit life insurance, which provides for payment to the lender of the finance receivable in the event of the borrower’s death
- Credit disability insurance, which provides scheduled monthly loan payments to the lender during a borrower’s disability due to illness or injury
- Credit involuntary unemployment insurance, which provides scheduled monthly loan payments during involuntary unemployment
JMP Securities has a Market Outperform rating and a target price of $63.
Verizon
This American multinational telecommunications company continues to offer tremendous value and has a safe 7.06% dividend. It trades at 9.13 times its estimated 2026 earnings, is up almost 10% in 2025, and posted solid third-quarter results. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) provides a range of communications, technology, information, and entertainment products and services to consumers, businesses, and government entities worldwide.
It operates in two segments:
- Verizon Consumer Group
- Verizon Business Group
The Consumer segment provides wireless services across the United States through Verizon and TracFone networks, as well as through wholesale and other arrangements. It also provides fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband through its wireless networks and related equipment and devices, such as:
- Smartphones
- Tablets
- Smartwatches and other wireless-enabled connected devices
The segment also offers wireline services in the Mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States through its fiber-optic network, Verizon Fios product portfolio, and copper-based network.
The Business segment provides wireless and wireline communications services and products, including:
- FWA broadband
- Data
- Video and conferencing
- Corporate networking
- Security and managed network
- Local and long-distance voice
Network access services to deliver various IoT services and products to businesses, government customers, and wireless and wireline carriers in the United States and internationally.
TD Cowen has a Buy rating with a $51 target price.
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