How Much Passive Income Can $10,000 in Dividend Stocks Earn?

Here’s how much passive income you can earn with dividend stocks, and how to choose the right mix of companies for your portfolio.

Dividend stocks are some of the best investments you can make for several reasons, in addition, of course, to the passive income they provide.

First, they are typically the lowest risk stocks with solid operations and well-established businesses capable of generating consistent cash flow to pay back to investors. But in addition to being low-risk, having stocks that consistently earn you passive income makes your returns a lot more predictable. Not to mention it can go a long way to helping you compound your money.

It’s extremely difficult to try to get rich quickly when it comes to investing. Not only that, but in addition to the difficulty, the faster you try and grow your money, the more risk you naturally have to take on.

This is why taking a long-term approach is crucial. Not only does it allow you to buy safer stocks, but you can use the power of compound interest to your advantage.

And some of the best stocks to own over the long term if you’re looking to compound your money rapidly, are dividend stocks that pay you passive income.

So let’s look at just how much passive income you can generate, starting with just $10,000 in savings today.

How much passive income can you make if you buy $10,000 of dividend stocks?

How much actual passive income your investment can generate will depend largely on how much the dividend stocks you buy yield. If you bought all high-yield dividend stocks that average a yield of more than 6.5%, you could generate $650 a year, or more than $50 a month in passive income.

However, if you buy dividend stocks that averaged a yield of just 1%, you’d only earn about $100 per year, or less than $10 a month.

This simple example above makes high-yield dividend stocks look like better investments. But there are a couple of things to consider. First, super high-yield dividend stocks can often be a red flag and a sign the stock could be at risk of trimming the dividend.

However, in addition, even if the stock is in great shape, higher yield stocks typically translate to less share price growth. That’s not all. Often dividend stocks that have lower yields but are high-quality companies will be increasing their dividend payments each year.

So higher-yield dividend stocks don’t always mean better investments. In fact, some of the top dividend stocks to buy now have lower yields but offer exceptional dividend growth potential.

A top low-yield dividend stock to buy now

One of the best Canadian stocks you can buy today, especially considering the massive discount it trades at, is goeasy (TSX: GSY). goeasy is a dividend growth stock and a Canadian dividend aristocrat. In fact, during its recent earnings report, it increased the dividend by a whopping 33%. However, the stock still only offers a yield today of 2.7%, and that’s with the stock trading cheap.

But goeasy, like many other low-yield dividend stocks, has an advantage because it can retain more of its earnings to invest in growth. And in goeasy’s case, thanks to management’s strong execution, the company has seen its net income skyrocket by over 360% in just the last 36 months. So although it offers less passive income than a higher yield stock, in most cases, it can grow your capital faster.

goeasy’s business model earns it a return on equity of close to 30%, an extremely attractive figure and significantly more than its Canadian bank stock peers.

So it’s the perfect example of why low-yield dividend stocks can be just as good as, if not better than, higher-yield stocks that earn you more passive income.

Fool contributor Daniel Da Costa owns goeasy Ltd. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

More on Dividend Stocks

Blocks conceptualizing Canada's Tax Free Savings Account
Dividend Stocks

TFSA Strategy: How to Earn $500 a Month in Tax-Free Dividend Income

Canadians can earn $500 in tax-free dividend income or another desired amount every month using a simple TFSA strategy.

Read more »

doctor uses telehealth
Dividend Stocks

TFSA Investors: This Monthly Dividend Stock Yields 7.6%

This REIT offers investors a monthly yield investors and a regular and frequent passive income stream to supplement their regular…

Read more »

shopper chooses vegetables at grocery store
Dividend Stocks

Loblaw vs. Empire: Which Grocery Stock Would I Choose for Long-Term Growth?

Both grocers benefit from repeat shoppers. I’d give Loblaw the edge for the ways it can earn more from those…

Read more »

ETF is short for exchange traded fund, a popular investment choice for Canadians
Dividend Stocks

2 Top TSX ETFs to Buy and Hold in a TFSA Forever

Looking for top TSX ETFs for your TFSA? Explore how VFV and VDY combine U.S. stock exposure and Canadian dividends…

Read more »

Retirees sip their morning coffee outside.
Dividend Stocks

2 Canadian Stocks to Buy and Hold for 20 More Years

CP Rail (TSX:CP) and another outstanding Canadian stock that's more than worth holding for many decades.

Read more »

woman relaxes with phone
Dividend Stocks

Is TELUS Stock a Buy for Its 6% Dividend Yield?

TELUS's attractive 6% dividend yield and ongoing business transformation could offer patient investors an opportunity to benefit from income and…

Read more »

middle-aged couple work together on laptop
Dividend Stocks

Dividend Income Outside a TFSA? The OAS Math I’d Check Before Buying More

A $1,000 dividend can add $1,380 to the income used to calculate your Old Age Security recovery tax.

Read more »

Colored pins on calendar showing a month
Dividend Stocks

Monthly Dividend Stocks: 3 TSX Picks That Pay Every 30 Days

These monthly dividend stocks stand out for their strong distribution history and ability to sustain payouts in the years ahead.

Read more »