Canadian seniors are searching for ways to squeeze more passive income out of their savings to help offset rising living costs. One popular strategy to achieve the goal is to own top TSX dividend-growth stocks inside a self-directed Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA).
Enbridge
Enbridge (TSX:ENB) is a major player in the North American energy infrastructure industry. The company’s networks of oil and natural gas pipelines move 30% of the oil produced in the U.S. and Canada and 20% of the natural gas used in the United States. In recent years, Enbridge has focused its growth investments on other segments, including oil exports, natural gas exports, natural gas utilities, and renewable energy. For example, the company recently announced a US$14 billion deal to buy three natural gas utilities in the United States.
Enbridge stock trades below $48 at the time of writing compared to $59 at one point in 2022.
The drop looks overdone. Enbridge’s assets have performed well in 2023, and the company expects the new acquisitions and the ongoing capital program to generate revenue and cash flow growth in the next few years.
Enbridge raised the dividend by 3.1% for 2024. This is the 29th consecutive annual dividend hike. Investors who buy at the current price can get a 7.7% dividend yield.
BCE
BCE (TSX:BCE) is another top Canadian dividend stock that looks oversold and offers a great yield. The share price is down to about $51.50 at the time of writing compared to $65 earlier this year. High interest rates are driving up borrowing costs for BCE. As with Enbridge, the company has a large capital program and uses debt to finance part of the overall investments. A jump in borrowing expenses will contribute to a small drop in profits in 2023. Weak ad sales in the media business will also put some pressure on earnings.
That being said, BCE still expects to generate higher total revenue and better free cash flow in 2023 than it did last year. This should provide support for the dividend in 2024. BCE raised the payout by at least 5% in each of the past 15 years. Investors who buy BCE stock at the current price can get a 7.5% dividend yield.
The bottom line on top stocks for passive income
Ongoing volatility in the market should be expected, and further downside is possible in the next few months. That being said, Enbridge and BCE are leaders in their respective industries and pay attractive dividends that should continue to grow. If you have some cash to put to work in a TFSA focused on passive income, these stocks already look cheap and deserve to be on your radar.
