We recently published a list of the 10 Best Value Dividend Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) stands against other best value dividend stocks.
Dividends, though sometimes underappreciated, have significantly contributed to long-term investor gains. Between 1960 and the end of the previous year, reinvested dividends and the effects of compounding accounted for about 85% of the S&P Index’s total return. Dividend-oriented strategies offer the advantage of steady income, improved portfolio stability, and a potential buffer during uncertain economic periods—making them a strong choice for all-weather portfolios.
With ongoing tariff tensions in the US adding to market volatility, many investors have begun favoring dividend-focused approaches to strengthen their portfolios. After a stretch where growth stocks took center stage, dividend investing has started to regain traction. According to a report by Franklin Templeton, US-listed dividend ETFs recorded average monthly net inflows of nearly $3.3 billion during the six months leading up to January 31, 2025—up sharply from just $107 million during the same period a year earlier.
Given the uncertain global environment, investors have increasingly leaned toward more reliable components to maintain portfolio balance. Dividend-paying stocks—particularly those backed by strong fundamentals—have emerged as a preferred option due to their ability to generate stable and predictable cash flows. Since these cash flows play a central role in equity valuation models, determining the intrinsic value of dividend stocks typically involves less uncertainty compared to valuing growth-oriented equities. As a result, such stocks are seen as a stabilizing force within a diversified investment strategy.
According to analysts, the strength of dividend-paying stocks lies in their capacity to cushion portfolio losses during market downturns while still providing a meaningful upside. Historically, dividend strategies have shown defensive qualities across different regions and time periods. Data for the three-year span ending December 31, 2024, revealed that dividend stocks experienced lower volatility and smaller maximum drawdowns than the broader market in global, US, and European segments. Notably, when concerns over inflation and rising interest rates resurfaced in August, dividend stocks proved more resilient than their growth-focused counterparts.
Historically, income-focused investing often leans heavily toward value stocks, as investors typically look for companies offering high dividend yields and lower valuation multiples. However, a report by S&P Dow Jones Indices points out that the Dividend Aristocrats Index strikes a balance between both value and growth characteristics. Since 1999, the index has maintained an average composition of roughly 60.5% value stocks and 39.5% growth stocks, showing no consistent bias toward either investing style. Analysts maintained that a portfolio combining strong dividend yield, consistent dividend growth, and resilience in payouts should always remain relevant. They noted that even without relying on market revaluation, the combination of income and income growth could support projected nominal gross returns exceeding 10% annually.
An executive in a suit on the floor of a trading exchange, with screens of stock prices in the background.
Our Methodology
For this article, we scanned Insider Monkey’s Q4 2024 proprietary database of billionaires’ stock holdings and identified dividend stocks from the list. From that group, we picked dividend stocks with forward P/E ratios below 20, as of April 13. The stocks are ranked according to the number of billionaires having stakes in them. Where two or more stocks were tied on billionaire sentiment, we used forward P/Es as a tiebreaker between them.
At Insider Monkey, we are obsessed with hedge funds. 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 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C)
Number of Billionaire Holders: 17
Forward P/E Ratio as of April 13: 8.22
Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) ranks fifth on our list of the best value stocks according to billionaires. The American multinational investment bank and financial services company has operations in five key segments: Services, Markets, Banking, U.S. Personal Banking, and Wealth. The Trump administration’s sweeping tariff policy has shaken markets and could disrupt supply chains and the broader economy. While Citigroup faces near-term risks across lending and investment banking, its global services like cash management and trading may benefit from shifting trade dynamics. The stock is down by nearly 12% since the start of 2025, however, it has returned over 5% in the past 12 months.
In FY24, Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) saw its net income climb nearly 40% to $12.7 billion, beating revenue expectations. This growth was fueled by strong results in its Services, Wealth, and US Personal Banking divisions, alongside improved cost management and a major restructuring effort. Overall, revenue rose 3% year over year to $81.1 billion.
Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) also continued delivering solid returns to shareholders, distributing $6.7 billion through dividends and buybacks. With a 34-year streak of uninterrupted dividend payments, C remains one of the best value dividend stocks to invest in. The company currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.56 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.63%, as recorded on April 13.
Overall, C ranks 5th on our list of the best value dividend stocks to buy according to billionaires. While we acknowledge the potential of C as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued dividend stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued dividend stock that is more promising than C but that trades at 10 times its earnings and grows its earnings at double digit rates annually, check out our report about the dirt cheap dividend stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
