This “Dividend Unicorn” Has Sent Its Payout Soaring, Yields 7.4%

What if I told you I’d uncovered a dividend “unicorn”: a stock with a 7.4% yield that’s hiked its payout by five digits in the last 14 years? It’s the kind of thing that “breaks” common investing wisdom. Most folks, after all, think you can have a high yield or a fast-growing payout, but not both. Verizon (VZ) is the classic case, with its 6.9% current yield. Sure, the telco’s payout does grow, but only around a penny a year. Verizon’s “Pay a Lot, Grow a Little” Dividend On the other side of the scale is a company like Mastercard (MA), whose dividend has soared 500% in the last decade, from just $0.11 quarterly to today’s level of $0.66.… Read more