After a 35-year career in the financial industry, including two decades as an institutional stockbroker at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley, I developed an institutional perspective on dividend-focused investing.
Early in my career, I realized that dividend investing is not merely an income strategy but also a comprehensive framework for building wealth through companies that consistently return capital to shareholders, maintain financial stability, and offer high total-return potential. I used those metrics to screen for high-yield dividend stocks trading under $20.
While not suited for everybody, those trying to build strong passive income streams can do exceptionally well with some of these top companies in their portfolios. Paired with more conservative blue-chip dividend giants, investors can use a barbell approach to generate substantial passive income.
This post originally appeared at 24/7 Wall St.