Stock market investing in Canada can be an excellent way to use your money to make more. By investing in dividend stocks, you can own shares of companies that pay investors quarterly or monthly distributions as appreciation and an enticement for them. While dividends are not a guarantee, several TSX stocks have a reputation for virtually guaranteeing regular payouts.
Some of these companies also have solid fundamentals that let them increase payouts over time, making them appealing to investors who want long-term wealth creation and income. Companies with proven track records of dividends, healthy earnings, and sustainable payouts make for the best holdings for many investors.
Today, I will discuss two high-quality dividend stocks you can consider adding to your self-directed investment portfolio.
Fortis
Fortis Inc. (TSX:FTS) is one of the most, if not THE most, reliable dividend stocks on the TSX. The $34.3 billion market-cap company owns and operates several electric and natural gas utility businesses across Canada, the US, and the Caribbean. Operating in highly rate-regulated markets means that its cash flows are predictable.
Since most of its revenue comes from long-term contracted assets, Fortis’ earnings don’t fluctuate too much during volatile market conditions. However, it is prone to high key interest rates, as we saw in the last couple of years. However, its defensive business model gives the company plenty of room to sustain and increase payouts.
Fortis stock trades for $68.02 per share at writing, boasts a 3.6% dividend yield, and has an over 50-year dividend growth streak.
TC Energy
TC Energy (TSX:TRP) is a $74.8 billion market-cap energy infrastructure company that owns and operates a massive 92,600-km network of natural gas pipelines. Its extensive network transports a lot of the hydrocarbons produced in Canada. The company also has interests in several power-generation facilities that further diversify its revenues.
Like Fortis, it also has a defensive business model within a regulated market and long-term contracts. Generating 97% of its revenue through those assets also shields it from commodity price fluctuations and volatility in volumes transported.
The company’s business model has helped it regularly pay its shareholders and increase payouts for 25 years. As of this writing, TC Energy stock trades for $71.98 per share, and it boasts a 4.7% dividend yield that you can lock into your self-directed portfolio.
Foolish takeaway
It’s important to remember that stock market investing is inherently risky. No matter how good a stock is, you must diversify your investment across several holdings to mitigate the risk. Just to provide a clear picture, here’s how a hypothetical $25,000 investment will look when evenly divided across Fortis stock and TC Energy stock.
| Ticker | Recent Price | Total Investment | Number of Shares | Dividend Per Share Per Year | Total Annual Payout |
| FTS | $68.02 | $12,500 | 183 | $2.46 | $450.18 |
| TRP | $71.98 | $12,500 | 173 | $3.40 | $588.20 |
| Total Payout | $1,038.38 |
