Dividend investors should know that blindly buying the highest-yielding dividend stocks can be a dangerous game.
An unusually high dividend yield is often a warning sign because stock prices and dividend yields move in opposite directions. It's possible that a too-good-to-be-true dividend yield is simply an effect of a stock having lost a lot of value.
Anytime a company's stock is slumping badly, it's worth wondering if its dividend is sustainable at current levels.
Case in point: Look at Walgreens Boots Alliance. Not long ago, the troubled pharmacy chain was a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, an index of companies that have hiked their payouts annually for at least a quarter of a century.
Walgreens was forced to cut its dividend in early 2024 to save cash and was dropped from the Dow and the Aristocrats. On January 29, 2025, Walgreens' dividend sported a tempting yield of 8.7%. The following day, however, Walgreens suspended its dividend.
Cut to today, and Walgreens has gone private.
Highest-yielding dividend stocks
Sometimes the highest-yielding dividend stocks can be fool's gold, and this could be pertinent to even some S&P 500 stocks with high yields.
Be forewarned that in some cases, the names below have entered elite-yield territory only because their share prices have come under stress. In turn, that has some analysts concerned about the sustainability of payouts going forward.
LyondellBasell (LYB) leads the list once again this month, then shares have come under pressure due to what management calls a "prolonged cyclical downturn."
Note that Goldman Sachs analysts have a Sell rating on the materials stock, citing the chemical company's pause of share buybacks through 2026. Wall Street's consensus recommendation on LYB stands at Hold.
Happily for dividend investors, a number of Buy-rated blue chip stocks anchor the list.
Verizon Communications (VZ), one of Wall Street's top Dow Jones stocks, has raised its dividend annually for two decades. Meanwhile, Pfizer (PFE) has a 16-year track record of consecutive hikes to its payout.
Elsewhere, Amcor (AMCR), one of the best dividend stocks for dependable dividend growth, gets a high-conviction Buy rating from industry analysts.
With those explanations and caveats out of the way, below find the 15 highest-yielding dividend stocks in the S&P 500.
Market data, analysts' estimates and analysts' recommendations are as of December 8, 2025, courtesy of YCharts and S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Company (Ticker) |
Forward dividend yield |
Analysts' consensus recommendation |
|---|---|---|
LyondellBasell (LYB) |
12.6% |
Hold |
Conagra Brands (CAG) |
8.2% |
Hold |
Altria Group (MO) |
7.3% |
Hold |
Healthpeak Properties (DOC) |
7.2% |
Buy |
United Parcel Service (UPS) |
6.9% |
Buy |
Verizon Communications (VZ) |
6.6% |
Buy |
Pfizer (PFE) |
6.6% |
Buy |
Kraft Heinz (KHC) |
6.6% |
Hold |
VICI Properties (VICI) |
6.5% |
Buy |
Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) |
6.3% |
Buy |
Amcor (AMCR) |
6.3% |
Buy |
Dow (DOW) |
6.1% |
Hold |
Edison International (EIX) |
5.7% |
Buy |
Realty Income (O) |
5.5% |
Hold |
Franklin Resources (BEN) |
5.5% |
Hold |
