We recently compiled a list of the 14 Best Performing Dividend Stocks To Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) stands against the other dividend stocks.
Dividend stocks have taken a backseat in the market as technology and AI-driven equities have soared to record highs. However, analysts at Ned Davis Research believe that a more challenging macroeconomic landscape this year could create opportunities for dividend stocks to regain momentum.
Amid concerns about economic growth and uncertainty surrounding former President Trump’s tariff policies, investors have been turning to defensive strategies. In this environment, dividend stocks have proven resilient, offering both stability and attractive passive income. The Dividend Aristocrat index, which tracks companies with a history of at least 25 years of consistent dividend growth, has climbed by over 5.3% in 2025. In contrast, the broader market has declined by nearly 1.7%, as of the close of March 7.
READ ALSO: 13 Best Cheap Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now
While analysts remain cautious about the market’s ability to sustain its recent gains, dividend stocks have increasingly drawn their attention for several reasons. According to Ameriprise Financial, the S&P index is widely regarded as one of the most significant benchmarks for global equity markets. Over the past decade, dividend growth and share buybacks have become defining characteristics of the index, which includes numerous global dividend-paying companies. Dividend growth saw a sharp slowdown in the final quarter of 2024, largely attributed to the election and uncertainty surrounding potential policy changes. With these concerns now in the past, Ameriprise Financial expects a resurgence in dividend growth within the broader market. For 2025, projections indicate a potential 8% increase in dividend payouts, following growth rates of 6% in 2024 and 5% in 2023.
The report further mentioned that The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 also played a significant role in boosting dividends and share buybacks in 2018. By lowering the corporate federal tax rate from 35% to 21%, the legislation contributed to a surge in shareholder returns, with buybacks and dividend payouts reaching multi-year highs the following year. As the TCJA approaches its expiration in 2025, discussions around corporate tax reductions have resurfaced. While the proposed decrease from 21% to 15% is not as substantial as the previous cut, it could still provide an upside for shareholder returns within the broader market once a final decision is reached.
Companies with a history of regular dividend payments are generally seen as stable investments, reflecting their strong cash flow and financial resilience. These businesses are often found in defensive sectors such as consumer staples, utilities, and healthcare, which tend to be less affected by economic fluctuations. As a result, they help investors manage portfolio risks more effectively. At the beginning of 2025, growing concerns over rising inflation and sluggish economic growth led investors to increase their exposure to defensive stocks. This shift in strategy was intended to protect portfolios from potential market volatility linked to these economic uncertainties.
Ned Davis’s Clissold and his team shared their perspective on the situation:
“One would expect that companies that pay dividends are more stable and have lower growth rates. As a result, they should rally less in up markets and decline less in down markets. In other words, they have lower betas than non-dividend-payers. … As a group, dividend-payers have a beta of 0.99 versus 1.11 for nonpayers.”
Our Methodology
For this article, we scanned the list of companies that have delivered positive returns in 2025. From that group, we identified dividend companies with strong dividend policies and stable cash positions. We began with a pool of fifty companies, narrowed it down by considering their share price increases, and ultimately selected the top 14 dividend stocks with the highest share price gains as of March 7, arranging them in ascending order of performance.
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).
A person in the field using their smartphone to connect to wireless communication services.
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T)
Year-to-Date Return as of March 7: 18.40%
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) ranks third on our list of the best performing stocks that pay dividends. The American telecommunications company continues to experience steady growth in its wireless and broadband segments, driven by its bundling strategy. In the fourth quarter, the company added 839,000 retail postpaid subscribers, including 482,000 new postpaid phone customers. However, prepaid subscriptions declined by 119,000, reflecting the ongoing impact of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) ending last spring.
For Q4 2024, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) reported strong financial results, with revenue rising 0.6% year-over-year to $32.3 billion. The company posted an operating income of $5.3 billion and a net income of $4.4 billion. Its mobility segment remained a key growth driver, with revenue climbing 3.3% to $23.1 billion. Both mobility service revenue and equipment sales saw a 3.3% increase, reaching $16.6 billion and $6.6 billion, respectively. In addition, postpaid phone average revenue per subscriber (ARPS) edged up 0.9% to $56.72.
With a strong cash position, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) continues to prioritize shareholder returns. In the latest quarter, the company generated $11.9 billion in operating cash flow, while free cash flow totaled $4.8 billion. Currently, it pays a quarterly dividend of $0.2775 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.09%, as of March 7.
Overall T ranks 3rd on our list of the best performing dividend stocks to buy now. While we acknowledge the potential for T as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than T but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
