Looking for 3 Gems With Yields Higher Than 4.5%?

Here are my top three picks for yield-focused investors looking for companies with yields in excess of 4.5%: Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (TSX:AQN)(NYSE:AQN), Killam Apartment REIT (TSX:KMP.UN), and Bird Construction Inc. (TSX:BDT).

| More on:
The Motley Fool

Income-focused investors as well as prudent long-term investors looking for a balanced portfolio of growth and income opportunities largely have a hard time finding companies with stable, growing yields in excess of the 4.5% level.

I’ll discuss three companies I believe are well positioned to add growth, yield, and diversity to any long-term RRSP or TFSA portfolio (each of the three companies happen to exist in distinct industries).

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. 

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (TSX:AQN)(NYSE:AQN) has been one of my top picks for some time now due to the company’s asset profile, compounded earnings generation, and dividend growth over time. Largely considered to be one of the safest utilities traded on the TSX, Algonquin Power has a fantastic mix of high-quality assets that have continued to produce impressive earnings results and income distributions over time. An investor who’d purchased $10,000 of Algonquin Power five years ago would have received over $12,000 in capital appreciation as well as $3,250 in the form of dividend payments over this time frame alone.

Killam Apartment REIT

Moving to the real estate space, Killam Aparment REIT (TSX:KMP.UN) is currently my favourite pick for investors considering a REIT with stability and growth potential amid a basket of real estate investment trust (REIT) options with high yields and perhaps issues with yield sustainability or growth long term.

Killam operates in the Canadian Maritimes, an area which is largely considered to be somewhat insulated from the overheated metropolitan areas of Canada (think Toronto and Vancouver) and in a specific segment (apartments), which is somewhat more defensive than other REIT categories, such as office or industrial, which may be more reliant on the economy. Regardless of how the Canadian economy performs over the coming years, Canadians are unlikely to shift away from apartments — if anything, apartments will become a larger and more important segment of the real estate sector in Canada

Bird Construction Inc. 

In the construction space, Bird Construction Inc. (TSX:BDT) may be one of the best value plays currently trading on the TSX. Largely oversold due to concerns about the western Canadian economy (specifically Alberta), income-focused investors have sold off BDT stock and put their money elsewhere; this deterioration in the company’s stock price has led to an increasing yield, one which has recently breached the 4.5% yield level, making this an even more attractive contrarian play for enterprising investors willing to buy into the idea that tailwinds in the construction industry may materialize over the next few years as the capital-expenditure budgets of firms begin to stabilize and increase to meet demand, contrasting the past few years of budget contraction, which have not been friendly to Bird.

Stay Foolish, my friends.

Fool contributor Chris MacDonald has no position in any stocks mentioned.

More on Dividend Stocks

Female raising hands enjoying vacation, standing on background of blue cloudless sky.
Dividend Stocks

It’s a Wonderful Lifetime Strategy: Buy and Hold Dividend Stocks Forever

CN Rail (TSX:CNR) stock looks like a dividend bargain worth holding forever in a TFSA or RRSP.

Read more »

a woman sleeps with her eyes covered with a mask
Dividend Stocks

The “Sleep-Well” TFSA Portfolio for 2026: 3 Blue-Chip Stocks to Buy in January

A simple “sleep-better” TFSA core for January 2026 can start with a bank, a utility, and an energy blue chip,…

Read more »

Retirees sip their morning coffee outside.
Dividend Stocks

2 Stocks Retirees Should Absolutely Love

Discover strategies for managing stocks during retirement, especially in light of market uncertainties and downturns.

Read more »

Person holds banknotes of Canadian dollars
Dividend Stocks

This Monthly Dividend Stock Could Make January Feel Like Payday Season

Freehold Royalties’ 8% yield can make your TFSA feel like “payday season,” but that monthly cheque is tied to energy…

Read more »

Hourglass and stock price chart
Dividend Stocks

2 TSX Stocks That Could Turn $20K Into Decades of Reliable Income

These TSX stocks have a proven record of dividend payments and the financial strength to sustain and grow their payouts.

Read more »

Piggy bank with word TFSA for tax-free savings accounts.
Dividend Stocks

Got $14,000? Here’s a TFSA Setup That Can Pay You Every Month in 2026

A $14,000 TFSA split between two high-income names can create a steady cash “drip,” but the real sleep-well factor is…

Read more »

A close up color image of a small green plant sprouting out of a pile of Canadian dollar coins "loonies."
Dividend Stocks

This 7% Dividend Giant Could Be the Ultimate Retirement Ally

SmartCentres’ 7% monthly payout could anchor a TFSA, but only if you’re comfortable with tight payout coverage.

Read more »

TFSA (Tax free savings account) acronym on wooden cubes on the background of stacks of coins
Dividend Stocks

The Best $10,000 TFSA Approach for Canadian Investors

A $10,000 TFSA can start compounding into real income later, if you pick durable growers and reinvest patiently.

Read more »