Markets

Insider Trading

Hedge Funds

Retirement

Opinion

12 Best Foreign Dividend Stocks To Invest In

In this article, we discuss 12 best foreign dividend stocks to invest in. You can skip our detailed analysis of the performance of dividend stocks over the years, and go directly to read 5 Best Foreign Dividend Stocks To Invest In

Investors have consistently shown a preference for dividend stocks, whether they originate from American or international companies. The primary objective of investing in these stocks is to generate a steady income, making it a top priority for investors. Dividends can serve as indicators of a company’s financial strength. Over time, companies that have initiated or raised their dividends have tended to outperform those that have reduced or eliminated dividend payments. As per findings from Franklin Templeton, companies in the S&P 500 that consistently increased or initiated dividends experienced a positive return of 8.58% over the 30-year period ending in December 2022. In contrast, those that reduced dividends showed a negative return of 2.64%. Additionally, stocks that did not pay any dividends provided a 3.25% return during the same timeframe.

These returns extend beyond solely U.S. stocks; global companies that consistently increase dividends have also demonstrated robust performance over time. There is significant evidence from various equity markets indicating that investment strategies focused on dividends tend to outperform the broader market in the long term. Abrdn referenced data from Factset and disclosed that over the last two decades, companies in the MSCI All Country World Index, that initiated or consistently increased their dividends, yielded a return of 10.68%. In contrast, companies that cut or eliminated dividends experienced a negative return of 2.70%. The report highlighted that within the realm of global equities, the annual return volatility of Dividend Growers and Initiators is notably lower than that of Non-Dividend Payers and Dividend Cutters & Eliminators. Moreover, in comparison to the broader global equities represented by the MSCI ACWI Index, the return volatility of Dividend Growers & Initiators has also been lower, contributing to more favorable risk-adjusted returns.

During periods characterized by elevated inflation and surging interest rates, investors place a higher value on high yields. The prospect of earning additional percentage points on returns becomes particularly appealing. According to a report by Morningstar, as of May 2023, the markets with the highest yields include Norway, Hungary, Romania, and Iceland. On average, Norwegian stocks that provide dividends are anticipated to yield an impressive 17.83%, making them particularly attractive to investors seeking robust returns in such economic conditions.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ),  The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), and AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV) are some of the most prominent US dividend stocks. However, in this article, we will take a look at some of the best foreign dividend stocks to invest in.

Image Source: Shutterstock

Our Methodology:

For this list, we initially used a stock screener to identify foreign (non-U.S.) stocks that are traded on US stock exchanges. Subsequently, from this dataset, we selected 12 stocks that boasted the highest number of hedge fund investors from Insider Monkey’s database of Q3 2023. The stocks presented in the article were then arranged in ascending order based on the count of hedge fund investors. Hedge funds’ top 10 consensus stock picks outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here).

12. Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 19

Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY) is one of the largest and most prominent banks in Canada, and it is also a major player in the global financial industry. In November 2023, the company declared a 2% hike in its quarterly dividend to C$1.38 per share. It has raised its dividends every year since 2012, which makes RY one of the best foreign dividend stocks to invest in. The stock has a dividend yield of 4.16%, as of January 26.

RY can be added to dividend portfolios alongside popular US dividend stocks, such as Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ),  The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), and AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV).

At the end of Q3 2023, 19 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey reported having stakes in Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY), down slightly from 20 in the previous quarter. The consolidated value of these stakes is over $193.6 million. Among these hedge funds, Israel Englander’s Millennium Management was the largest stakeholder of the company in Q3.

11. Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) is a London-based multinational consumer goods company with a broad portfolio of products in various categories. In November 2023, the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.453 per share, which was consistent with its previous dividend. With a dividend yield of 3.94% as of January 26, UL is one of the best foreign dividend stocks on our list.

The number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owning stakes in Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) grew to 21 in Q3 2023, from 19 in the previous quarter. The collective value of these investments is over $628 million.

Artisan Partners mentioned Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) in its Q2 2023 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:

“We made two significant purchases during the quarter: Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) and Bayer AG. Both companies have been owned in prior years. And the share price of both companies became more attractive at least partially due to the stock market’s recent focus on technology stocks.

Unilever PLC is a manufacturer of consumer goods with a market cap of 100 billion pounds. You will be familiar with some of their products, such as Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, Dove Soap and Hellman’s mayonnaise. The company is a global powerhouse with 60 billion euros in revenue and 14 brands with sales over 1 billion euros. Dove, Knorr and OMO (Old Mother Owl, which is a global detergent brand) generate more than 4 billion euros in sales each. The company is diversified across five global divisions, including beauty and wellbeing, personal care, homecare and nutrition. Each of these businesses generates between 12 billion and 14 billion euros in revenue. Ice cream is the fifth division with close to 5 billion euros in revenue.”

10. Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 26

Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) is a multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Switzerland. It is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, and it operates in various segments of the healthcare industry. The company currently offers an annual dividend of CHF 3.20 per share, having raised it by 3.2% in February. This was the company’s 26th consecutive year of dividend growth, which places NVS on our list of the best foreign dividend stocks. As of January 26, the stock offers a dividend yield of 3.27%.

As of the close of Q3 2023, 26 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey reported having stakes in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS), which remained unchanged from the previous quarter. The total value of these stakes is more than $468 million.

9. Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 29

Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) is a Paris-based multinational pharmaceutical company that is primarily focused on the research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmaceutical products. The company offers an annual dividend of €3.56 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.81%, as of January 26. With a dividend growth streak of 29 years under its belt, SNY is one of the best foreign dividend stocks on our list.

Of the 910 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey at the end of Q3 2023, 29 funds owned stakes in Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY), compared with 30 in the preceding quarter. The collective value of these stakes is $1.18 billion. With roughly 15 million shares, Fisher Asset Management was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q3.

8. BP plc (NYSE:BP)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 35

BP plc (NYSE:BP) is a British multinational oil and gas company with operations across the entire energy spectrum. It provides a dividend of $0.4362 per American Depositary Share (ADS), equating to a dividend yield of 4.86, as of January 10. The company has been paying regular dividends to shareholders since 1998, which makes BP one of the best foreign dividend stocks on our list. The stock’s dividend yield on January 26 came in at 4.82%.

At the end of September 2023, 35 hedge funds owned investments in BP plc (NYSE:BP), down from 36 in the previous quarter, as per Insider Monkey’s database. These stakes are worth over $2.05 billion in total.

7. Barrick Gold Corp (NYSE:GOLD)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36

Barrick Gold Corp (NYSE:GOLD)  ranks seventh on our list of the best foreign dividend stocks. The leading international gold mining company is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and has a significant presence in the global mining industry. The company is primarily engaged in the exploration, development, and operation of gold mines. It currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.58%, as of January 26.

As of the end of Q3 2023, 36 hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database reported having stakes in Barrick Gold Corp (NYSE:GOLD), growing from 32 in the previous quarter. The collective value of these stakes is over $454.4 million. First Eagle Investment Management was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q3, owning over 42 million shares.

6. LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36

LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB) is a multinational chemical industry company, based in the Netherlands. The company operates in the manufacturing and refining of petrochemicals, polymers, and other chemical products. LYB is one of the best foreign dividend stocks on our list as the company maintains a 13-year track record of consistent dividend growth. As of January 26, the stock has a dividend yield of 5.24%.

In addition to popular dividend stocks, such as Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ),  The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), and AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV), LYB van also offer reliable investment options for investors.

The number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owning stakes in LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB) stood at 36 in Q3 2023, which remained unchanged from the previous quarter. The consolidated value of these stakes is over $687.2 million.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Best Foreign Dividend Stocks To Invest In

Suggested articles:

Disclosure. None. 12 Best Foreign Dividend Stocks To Invest In is originally published on Insider Monkey.

AI, Tariffs, Nuclear Power: One Undervalued Stock Connects ALL the Dots (Before It Explodes!)

Artificial intelligence is the greatest investment opportunity of our lifetime. The time to invest in groundbreaking AI is now, and this stock is a steal!

AI is eating the world—and the machines behind it are ravenous.

Each ChatGPT query, each model update, each robotic breakthrough consumes massive amounts of energy. In fact, AI is already pushing global power grids to the brink.

Wall Street is pouring hundreds of billions into artificial intelligence—training smarter chatbots, automating industries, and building the digital future. But there’s one urgent question few are asking:

Where will all of that energy come from?

AI is the most electricity-hungry technology ever invented. Each data center powering large language models like ChatGPT consumes as much energy as a small city. And it’s about to get worse.

Even Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, issued a stark warning:

“The future of AI depends on an energy breakthrough.”

Elon Musk was even more blunt:

“AI will run out of electricity by next year.”

As the world chases faster, smarter machines, a hidden crisis is emerging behind the scenes. Power grids are strained. Electricity prices are rising. Utilities are scrambling to expand capacity.

And that’s where the real opportunity lies…

One little-known company—almost entirely overlooked by most AI investors—could be the ultimate backdoor play. It’s not a chipmaker. It’s not a cloud platform. But it might be the most important AI stock in the US owns critical energy infrastructure assets positioned to feed the coming AI energy spike.

As demand from AI data centers explodes, this company is gearing up to profit from the most valuable commodity in the digital age: electricity.

The “Toll Booth” Operator of the AI Energy Boom

  • It owns critical nuclear energy infrastructure assets, positioning it at the heart of America’s next-generation power strategy.
  • It’s one of the only global companies capable of executing large-scale, complex EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) projects across oil, gas, renewable fuels, and industrial infrastructure.
  • It plays a pivotal role in U.S. LNG exportation—a sector about to explode under President Trump’s renewed “America First” energy doctrine.

Trump has made it clear: Europe and U.S. allies must buy American LNG.

And our company sits in the toll booth—collecting fees on every drop exported.

But that’s not all…

As Trump’s proposed tariffs push American manufacturers to bring their operations back home, this company will be first in line to rebuild, retrofit, and reengineer those facilities.

AI. Energy. Tariffs. Onshoring. This One Company Ties It All Together.

While the world is distracted by flashy AI tickers, a few smart investors are quietly scooping up shares of the one company powering it all from behind the scenes.

AI needs energy. Energy needs infrastructure.

And infrastructure needs a builder with experience, scale, and execution.

This company has its finger in every pie—and Wall Street is just starting to notice.

Wall Street is noticing this company also because it is quietly riding all of these tailwinds—without the sky-high valuation.

While most energy and utility firms are buried under mountains of debt and coughing up hefty interest payments just to appease bondholders…

This company is completely debt-free.

In fact, it’s sitting on a war chest of cash—equal to nearly one-third of its entire market cap.

It also owns a huge equity stake in another red-hot AI play, giving investors indirect exposure to multiple AI growth engines without paying a premium.

And here’s what the smart money has started whispering…

The Hedge Fund Secret That’s Starting to Leak Out

This stock is so off-the-radar, so absurdly undervalued, that some of the most secretive hedge fund managers in the world have begun pitching it at closed-door investment summits.

They’re sharing it quietly, away from the cameras, to rooms full of ultra-wealthy clients.

Why? Because excluding cash and investments, this company is trading at less than 7 times earnings.

And that’s for a business tied to:

  • The AI infrastructure supercycle
  • The onshoring boom driven by Trump-era tariffs
  • A surge in U.S. LNG exports
  • And a unique footprint in nuclear energy—the future of clean, reliable power

You simply won’t find another AI and energy stock this cheap… with this much upside.

This isn’t a hype stock. It’s not riding on hope.

It’s delivering real cash flows, owns critical infrastructure, and holds stakes in other major growth stories.

This is your chance to get in before the rockets take off!

Disruption is the New Name of the Game: Let’s face it, complacency breeds stagnation.

AI is the ultimate disruptor, and it’s shaking the foundations of traditional industries.

The companies that embrace AI will thrive, while the dinosaurs clinging to outdated methods will be left in the dust.

As an investor, you want to be on the side of the winners, and AI is the winning ticket.

The Talent Pool is Overflowing: The world’s brightest minds are flocking to AI.

From computer scientists to mathematicians, the next generation of innovators is pouring its energy into this field.

This influx of talent guarantees a constant stream of groundbreaking ideas and rapid advancements.

By investing in AI, you’re essentially backing the future.

The future is powered by artificial intelligence, and the time to invest is NOW.

Don’t be a spectator in this technological revolution.

Dive into the AI gold rush and watch your portfolio soar alongside the brightest minds of our generation.

This isn’t just about making money – it’s about being part of the future.

So, buckle up and get ready for the ride of your investment life!

Act Now and Unlock a Potential 100+% Return within 12 to 24 months.

We’re now offering month-to-month subscriptions with no commitments.

For a ridiculously low price of just $9.99 per month, you can unlock our in-depth investment research and exclusive insights – that’s less than a single fast food meal!

Space is Limited! Only 1000 spots are available for this exclusive offer. Don’t let this chance slip away – subscribe to our Premium Readership Newsletter today and unlock the potential for a life-changing investment.

Here’s what to do next:

1. Head over to our website and subscribe to our Premium Readership Newsletter for just $9.99.

2. Enjoy a month of ad-free browsing, exclusive access to our in-depth report on the Trump tariff and nuclear energy company as well as the revolutionary AI-robotics company, and the upcoming issues of our Premium Readership Newsletter.

3. Sit back, relax, and know that you’re backed by our ironclad 30-day money-back guarantee.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity! Subscribe now and take control of your AI investment future!


No worries about auto-renewals! Our 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee applies whether you’re joining us for the first time or renewing your subscription a month later!

A New Dawn is Coming to U.S. Stocks

I work for one of the largest independent financial publishers in the world – representing over 1 million people in 148 countries.

We’re independently funding today’s broadcast to address something on the mind of every investor in America right now…

Should I put my money in Artificial Intelligence?

Here to answer that for us… and give away his No. 1 free AI recommendation… is 50-year Wall Street titan, Marc Chaikin.

Marc’s been a trader, stockbroker, and analyst. He was the head of the options department at a major brokerage firm and is a sought-after expert for CNBC, Fox Business, Barron’s, and Yahoo! Finance…

But what Marc’s most known for is his award-winning stock-rating system. Which determines whether a stock could shoot sky-high in the next three to six months… or come crashing down.

That’s why Marc’s work appears in every Bloomberg and Reuters terminal on the planet…

And is still used by hundreds of banks, hedge funds, and brokerages to track the billions of dollars flowing in and out of stocks each day.

He’s used this system to survive nine bear markets… create three new indices for the Nasdaq… and even predict the brutal bear market of 2022, 90 days in advance.

Click to continue reading…