We recently published a list of 8 Unstoppable Dividend Stocks to Invest in. In this article, we are going to take a look at where AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) stands against other unstoppable dividend stocks to invest in.

On December 27, the Magnificent Seven tech stocks declined by 3.1%, driven by the rising popularity of China’s DeepSeek, which uses cost-effective technology, tempering expectations for increased AI-related spending. The broader market also dropped 1.5%. While the long-term potential of DeepSeek remains uncertain, the market’s nervous response highlights the fragile state of the two-year-old bull market. Stocks, which recently reached record highs, are now trading at price-to-earnings ratios not seen since the 1990s. According to analysts, for investors seeking stability amid market volatility, dividend stocks may offer an appealing alternative to bonds, providing strong yields without some of the recent challenges facing the fixed-income market.

Dividend stocks underperformed in 2024 as the ongoing AI boom and growing enthusiasm for tech stocks drew investor attention elsewhere. The Dividend Aristocrats index, which tracks the performance of companies with at least 25 consecutive years of dividend growth, trailed the broader market during the year. Despite this, analysts are confident about the long-term prospects of dividend stocks. Their optimism stems from the strong cash reserves held by many US companies, which provide a solid foundation for maintaining or increasing dividend payments. According to the Wells Fargo Investment Institute, large-cap US companies collectively hold over $2.4 trillion in cash, offering ample potential to initiate or boost dividends.

READ ALSO: 12 Best High Dividend Stocks Under $100

Dividend growth stocks often appeal to investors because they signal a company’s long-term commitment and financial strength. Regular dividend payments typically require profitability, reliable returns, and steady cash flow, making them a strong indicator of a company’s quality. Companies that consistently raise their dividends demonstrate their ability to maintain earnings, which often reflects greater resilience during economic or market challenges. Research shows that dividend-paying companies within the broader market have historically been more profitable than those that do not distribute dividends.

In line with this investor preference, many US companies have been increasing their payouts and establishing dividend policies. By September 30, 2024, approximately 80% of companies in the Index were paying dividends, a figure unchanged from a decade ago. Notably, the technology sector now accounts for 24% of these dividend-paying companies, up from 13% ten years prior, according to Franklin Templeton. Other sectors, such as healthcare and industrials, have also seen a rise in the number of companies offering dividends.

Since the beginning of 2025, the broader market has experienced a gain of just 2.88%. In this context, UBS has highlighted high-quality stocks that are less likely to reduce their current dividend payouts compared to peers. The firm predicts a 22.9% overall likelihood of dividend cuts across regions and sectors, with the US emerging as the most secure market, showing only a 6.2% chance of reductions. In addition, most sectors in the US demonstrate relative stability. Japan, however, stands out as the most promising region for dividend growth, with an expected growth rate of 9.9%.

Companies that prioritize increasing their dividends tend to have characteristics that position them for strong future performance. Over time, firms that regularly raise or initiate dividends have outperformed other market sectors, delivering higher annual returns with less volatility.

Our Methodology

For this article, we first used a stock screener to identify stocks that have reported positive returns in 2024 so far. From this selection, we chose dividend stocks with 12-month gains of at least 30%, as of the close of January 27. The stocks were then arranged in ascending order of their 12-month gain. We also considered hedge fund sentiment around each stock using Insider Monkey’s data for Q3 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).

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T)

12-Month Return as of January 27: 40.4%

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is an American telecommunications, media, and technology services company based in Texas. Over the past 12 months, the stock has delivered a 40.4% return to shareholders, driven by improved financial performance, including higher gross margins and lower debt levels. In Q3 2024, the company disclosed the sale of its remaining 70% stake in DirecTV to private equity firm TPG, a move expected to generate substantial cash flow for debt reduction and shareholder returns. With its strong financial position, growing stock value, and appealing dividend yield, AT&T is emerging as a favorable choice for investors seeking income opportunities.

In its recently announced Q4 2024 earnings, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) posted strong earnings, with revenues amounting to $32.3 billion, up 0.6% from the same period last year. The company’s operating income came in at $5.3 billion and its net income was $4.4 billion. It reported 482,000 net additions in its postpaid phone segment, accompanied by an anticipated industry-leading postpaid phone churn rate of 0.85%. Mobility service revenues reached $16.6 billion, reflecting a 3.3% year-over-year increase. In addition, the company achieved 307,000 net additions in its AT&T Fiber segment, marking the 20th consecutive quarter with 200,000 or more net additions.

TCW Funds stated the following about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) in its Q3 2024 investor letter:

“AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), based in Dallas, TX, is a nationwide provider of voice, video, and data communications services to businesses and consumers in the wired, wireless, and broadband. At initiation, the stock had a $141 billion market capitalization and met all five valuation factors with an above market dividend yield of 5.6%. From a sustainability prism, the company completed its commitment to invest $2 billion by the end of 2023 to help bridge the digital divide. AT&T is working on enabling low-income households to access to low-cost broadband services through its Access service plan as well as reaching out to more rural communities and Tribal lands where internet access remains a challenge. It is nearly 85% the way to providing one million people in need with digital resources through AT&T Connected Learning® with the goal to be reached by the end of 2025. In 2020, the company announced that it is committed to be carbon neutral by 2035 with zero carbon emission across all operations. It is deploying Smart Climate Solutions – through efforts like its Connected Climate Initiative – that will help enable its business customers to reduce their emissions as well. The company’s goal is to help collectively reduce its emissions by one billion metric tons – a gigaton – by 2035, compared to 2018 levels. The primary catalysts are new/strong management and restructuring. John Stankey was appointed CEO in July 2020 and he is committed to refocusing the company and improving its financial performance. The company combined its WarnerMedia operation with Discovery during 1Q:22 which eliminated AT&T’s exposure to the rapidly evolving media industry and refocused its core telecommunication business thus eliminating a major drag on profitability and the company’s balance sheet by reducing long-term debt from a peak $176 billion during 2020 to $142 billion at the end of June 2024 quarter. AT&T is moving aggressively to reduce cost and sell non-core assets such as its advertising platform Xander to Microsoft† which was accomplished during 2022. The company has redesigned its network to be software driven structure reducing the capital investment cycle in its national network – resulting in a network that is flexible with unrivaled speed and reliability – thus enhancing its nationwide position. By the end of 2023, it expanded its 5G network to reach more than 302 million people in nearly 24,500 cities and towns in the U.S. The company’s mid-band 5G+ network alone grew to cover more than 210 million people. AT&T is one of the largest investors in digital infrastructure in the U.S. Over the five years ending 2023, the company invested nearly $150 billion primarily in its wireless, fiber optics, and wireline networks. The extensive restructuring and refocusing of AT&T on its core business should result in improved earnings and cash flow while at the same time reducing uncertainty for shareholders.”

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T)’s cash position also came in strong which funds its dividend payments comfortably. The company reported an operating cash flow of $11.9 billion in the most recent quarter and its free cash flow came in at $4.8 billion. The company currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.2775 per share for a dividend yield of 4.60%, as of January 27.

As of the close of Q3 2024, 59 hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database owned stakes in AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), down from 71 in the previous quarter. The consolidated value of these stakes is over $5.6 billion.

Overall, T ranks 7th on our list of unstoppable dividend stocks to invest in. 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.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.