The state of the economy is uncertain, if not volatile, right now. As of this writing, the S&P/TSX Composite Index is going through a slight pullback after hitting new all-time highs. Yet, the Bank of Canada has served up yet another interest rate cut. Investors are rightfully wondering what the next big change on the Canadian benchmark index will be.
Inflation is still a major issue, and there is a realistic possibility that the rate cuts will end. Chances of a reversal of rate cuts are also there. If you are new to investing, you might be wondering where the best place to park your investment capital is right now.
Lower interest rates mean fixed-income assets like Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) might not offer the same returns as before the rate cuts. Investing in dividend stocks can be an excellent way to secure higher returns.
When investing in dividend stocks, high-yielding returns are not the only thing to consider. You must do your due diligence to see whether the underlying business can support regular payouts and has the kind of track record to prove it. To this end, Telus (TSX:T) might be a good name to consider.
Telus
For Canadians who have been investing for a while, Telus is not a new name. Telus is a $31.9 billion market-capitalization giant in the Canadian telecom space. More recently, it is garnering a lot of interest among investors seeking high-yielding dividends that are backed by a solid business.
Interest rate cuts can spur upticks across the board in the stock market. While we are yet to see an upward trend after the recent rate cut, we can be almost sure it is on its way. Identifying high-quality dividend stocks trading at discounted prices will become increasingly difficult when the rally comes.
Right now, share prices are still going down, and Telus stock looks more attractive than ever. As of this writing, the telco giant stock trades for $20.77 per share, down by 10.8% from its 52-week high. While pullbacks can be alarming, the downturn has also inflated the dividend yield of Telus stock to 8.1%. That is an impressive dividend yield and, so far, it looks quite safe.
There is a realistic possibility of Telus stock shares hitting multi-year lows, at least in the short term. However, I believe this top dividend stock has the kind of economic moat to emerge stronger on the other side of turbulence.
Foolish takeaway
Telus stock has a long-term dividend growth track record. The stock has distributed shareholder dividends without fail for a long time, and the company enjoys a top position in a largely consolidated telecom industry. However, the possibility of further cuts in share prices means a bit of patience might come in handy for value-seeking investors.
I would not wait around to try to time the bottom for Telus stock. Instead, it might be wiser to stagger investing in its shares along with further price drops to lock in higher and higher-yielding dividends.
