If you’re an income investor with cash on hand that you’re ready to put to work, then you’ve come to the right place. I’ve scoured the market and selected two high-quality stocks with high and safe yields of 4-9%, active streaks of annual increases, and the ability to continue growing their payouts going forward, so let’s take a quick look at each to determine which would be the best fit for your portfolio.
1. Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX:CJR.B) is one of the world’s leading media and content companies. Its assets include 45 specialty television channels, 15 conventional television stations, 39 radio stations, a content-creation business, and digital properties that allow its audiences to access its content wherever they are. Its premium brands include Global Television, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Canada, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, Disney Channel Canada, and Nickelodeon Canada.
Corus currently pays a monthly dividend of $0.095 per share, representing $1.14 per share on an annualized basis, which gives its stock a yield of about 9% at today’s levels. This yield may seem unsustainably high at first glance, but it’s actually very safe when you consider that its free cash flow totaled $126.8 million and its dividend payments totaled just $77.6 million in its nine-month period ended on May 31, 2016, resulting in a conservative 61.2% payout ratio.
Investors must also note that Corus’s 4.6% dividend hike in February 2015 has it on pace for 2016 to mark the 13th consecutive year in which it has raised its annual dividend payment, and its conservative payout ratio means it could announce an increase in the very near future.
2. Shaw Communications Inc.
Shaw Communications Inc. (TSX:SJR.B)(NYSE:SJR) is one of Canada’s leading pure-play connectivity providers. It provides consumers and businesses with broadband internet, WiFi, video, telephony, wireless, fleet tracking, enterprise colocation, and cloud services, and its brands include Shaw, WIND Mobile, and ViaWest.
Shaw currently pays a monthly dividend of $0.09875 per share, representing $1.185 per share on an annualized basis, which gives its stock a yield of about 4.5% at today’s levels. This yield is very safe when you consider that its free cash flow totaled $473 million and its dividend payments totaled just $286 million in its nine-month period ended on May 31, 2016, resulting in a conservative 60.5% payout ratio.
Investors must also note that Shaw’s 7.7% dividend hike in March 2015 has it on pace for 2016 to mark the 13th consecutive year in which it has raised its annual dividend payment, and its conservative payout ratio means it could announce an increase in the very near future.
Which should you buy today?
Corus Entertainment and Shaw Communications are two of the best investment opportunities for income investors in their respective industries. Take a closer look and strongly consider making one of them a core holding today.
