In this article, we will discuss dividend giants with the lowest short interest.

Short sellers have faced significant challenges over the past few years, as the market’s ongoing rally has not been favorable to them, with 2023 being no exception. According to S3 Partners Research, investors betting against US and Canadian stocks incurred paper losses totaling $194.9 billion last year due to a sharp market rally. The report highlighted that 2023 was a particularly tough year for short sellers, with tech stocks soaring 43.4% and the broader market rising 24.2%. Despite the difficulties, some investors managed to profit from short positions, particularly during the banking crisis in March last year.

Short selling is a common and regulated investment strategy that investors use when they believe a stock is overpriced based on their research. It enhances market liquidity, contributes to market stability, and helps both investors and companies manage risk in their portfolios.

Short selling isn’t just used for excitement; it plays a key role in improving price accuracy, ensuring more efficient capital allocation, preventing financial bubbles, and revealing fraud. According to a report by the Washington-based Managed Funds Association, short selling signaled that the US housing market was overvalued in 2008, helping to limit the broader impact of the financial crisis. The report also mentioned that over the past two decades, short selling has exposed numerous corporate frauds, including cases like Enron, Tyco, Worldcom, MBIA, Insys Therapeutics, Valeant, and Wirecard, among others.

In August, short sellers focused their attention on airlines due to increasing concerns about the sector, which has been experiencing declines in earnings and rising costs, according to a report from data and technology firm Hazeltree. Some investors and analysts believe that the airline industry, which is cyclical and closely linked to macroeconomic conditions, may be heading for another downturn as travel demand normalizes after COVID-19 and consumers become more sensitive to pricing. The Hazeltree report also noted that traders made bets against banks during the same month.

Short sellers have clearly identified opportunities in neglected or struggling segments of the market. Last year, the instability among regional banks drew the attention of short sellers, who examined these lenders’ balance sheets for weaknesses related to rising interest rates and took positions against their stocks. In 2023, while the overall market was on an upward trend, this sector proved to be particularly lucrative for these traders. The volatility experienced by regional bank stocks earlier this year once again led to significant paper profits for short sellers, mirroring the gains achieved during last year’s disruptions in the sector. As a result, analysts are reassessing their view of short sellers. Carson Block, founder of Muddy Waters Research, believes that markets are increasingly reliant on short sellers. However, he pointed out that ongoing stock rallies and emerging regulatory hurdles are posing challenges for bearish investors, making it harder for them to secure capital. With this, we will take a look at some dividend giants with the lowest short interest.

Our Methodology:

To create this list, we used the Finviz stock screener to find dividend stocks with a market capitalization of at least $10 billion and dividend yields exceeding 3% as of September 22. We then narrowed down the selection to stocks with less than 3% of their float sold short, using data from Yahoo Finance recorded on September 22. The stocks are arranged in descending order based on their short interest rates.

We also measured hedge fund sentiment around each stock according to Insider Monkey’s database of 912 funds as of Q2 2024. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).

8. Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY)

Short % of Float as of September 22: 2.97%

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY) is a Michigan-based bank holding company. The company provides services related to banking, investing, home loans, and auto finance. At a recent Barclays conference, CFO Russ Hutchinson mentioned that the company is facing increasing “credit challenges,” with auto delinquencies rising in July and August. He noted that charge-off rates were higher than anticipated and indicated that delinquencies could continue to grow due to ongoing inflationary pressures on customers. However, he stated that credit card rates are meeting expectations. The stock is down by nearly 4% since the start of 2024.

The investment appeal of Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY) stems from its digital-first approach, which helps reduce overhead costs compared to traditional banks. Its significant position in auto lending and growing deposit base provide a strong foundation for future growth. However, an economic downturn could impact loan performance, particularly in the auto sector. As a result, this stock may not be ideal for short-term traders looking for quick profits but is likely to attract value investors willing to hold through various business cycles.

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY)’s business model highlights the future direction of banking, especially with the increasing role of AI technology. The absence of physical branches could become an asset, particularly in attracting new deposits. By the second quarter of 2024, the bank had grown its deposit customer base to 3.2 million, up from 1.2 million in 2016, with an impressive 96% retention rate. In addition, it reported $13 billion in deposit balances from investing customers. Ally’s fully digital approach has proven its value beyond just offering competitive rates, as shown by 61 consecutive quarters of deposit customer growth and over one million actively engaged savings customers.

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY) pays a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.53%, as of September 22. It is one of the best dividend giants on our list as the company has been making uninterrupted dividend payments to shareholders since 2016.

At the end of Q2 2024, 45 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:ALLY), down from 47 in the previous quarter. These stakes are collectively valued at over $2.36 billion. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q2.

7. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM)

Short % of Float as of September 22: 2.20%

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM) is an Illinois-based food company that specializes in food processing and commodities trading. The company delivered strong results during the second quarter of 2024, despite difficult market conditions, and the company expressed satisfaction with the progress made toward its 2024 priorities and strategic initiatives. However, as a processor and trader of grain, the company is influenced by commodity prices. An increase in supply has caused prices to drop, which has had a negative effect on its performance.

Analysts are also reconsidering their outlook on Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM). Here is what Diamond Hill Capital highlighted about the company in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

“We exited three positions in Q2, including Generac Holdings, NXP Semiconductors and Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM). Agricultural commodities and products company Archer-Daniels-Midland recently announced a nutrition-segment accounting issue — while it didn’t require a restatement of consolidated financials, we think it may be the proverbial canary in the coal mine. As we consequently lost our confidence in the management team, we exited our position.”

In Q2 2024, Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM) reported revenue of $22.2 billion, which fell by 12% from the same period last year. The revenue also beat analysts’ estimates by $908.2 million. The stock is down by over 16% since the start of 2024. That said, the company remains confident in its future earnings outlook. For the second half of the year, improvements in both the crush and ethanol segments, along with a focus on operational excellence, and key priorities reinforce confidence in meeting full-year expectations, despite external uncertainties.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM), one of the best dividend giants, currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share. In January this year, the company achieved its 51st consecutive year of dividend growth. The stock supports a dividend yield of 3.28%, as of September 22.

Insider Monkey’s database of Q2 2024 indicated that 35 hedge funds owned stakes in Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM), compared with 40 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a consolidated value of nearly $732 million. Among these hedge funds, AQR Capital Management was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q2.