To place it mildly, 2020 has been an terrible 12 months for dividend stocks. A whole bunch of corporations have needed to in the reduction of on their payouts as a precaution because of the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19. That left revenue traders with fewer choices.
Nevertheless, whereas 2020 uncovered weaker dividend payers, it shined a highlight on the perfect ones that have been in a position to continue to grow them amid the pandemic. Two high choices that stand out for traders with a bit of money to spare are residence actual property funding belief (REIT) Camden Property Belief (NYSE:CPT) and power infrastructure big TC Power (NYSE:TRP).
Each corporations have bought off a bit this 12 months, regardless of persevering with to develop their dividends, which helped increase their yields. Add that to their top-notch monetary profiles and development prospects, and these dividend shares ought to produce sturdy revenue for years. That makes them nice methods to place $1,000 (or every other small quantity) to work.

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A low-cost method to change into a landlord
Camden Property Belief is certainly one of a number of REITs targeted on proudly owning residence communities. At present, the REIT owns greater than 56,000 residence houses in 14 main U.S. markets. It is diversified geographically, by property sort and market location.
That blend has turn out to be useful this 12 months as COVID-19 has put stress on high-cost markets by pushing renters towards the suburbs, leaving Camden much less uncovered than different REITs concentrating in city areas. That is why its inventory worth has solely declined by about 10%, in comparison with the more-than-20% decline of the typical apartment-focused REIT.
Camden can simply face up to the present headwinds dealing with the sector, because of its top-tier steadiness sheet. It is certainly one of solely eight REITs with A-rated credit score. It additionally has loads of cushion on the dividend, as its payout ratio has averaged lower than 80% this 12 months, which is a more-than-reasonable degree for a REIT. That sturdy monetary profile enabled it to extend its payout once more this 12 months, extending its streak to greater than a decade.
With a number of new communities underneath development and plenty of monetary flexibility to make acquisitions, Camden shouldn’t have any drawback persevering with to develop its portfolio, money circulate, and three.5%-yielding dividend. That mixture of yield, development, and security makes Camden a wonderful method for traders to benefit from the passive revenue advantages of being a landlord with out the related excessive prices and complications of shopping for and managing an residence constructing.
A well-fueled dividend
TC Power is certainly one of North America’s largest pipeline operators. What stands out about these pipelines is that they are almost proof against fluctuations in power costs and volumes, because of contractual and regulatory protections. Due to that, TC Power has continued to generate very secure money circulate to help its dividend, which has risen to a 5.5% yield attributable to a 17% share worth decline and an 8.7% dividend improve to start out the 12 months.
Regardless of all of the volatility within the power market, TC Power has loads of gasoline to proceed rising its dividend. The corporate has an in depth pipeline of contractually secured growth alternatives underway, together with new oil and fuel pipeline initiatives and a life extension of a nuclear energy plant. These initiatives help the corporate’s view that it might improve its dividend by one other 8% to 10% subsequent 12 months and develop it at a 5% to 7% price post-2021. Additional complementing that outlook is its low dividend payout ratio of about 40% of its money circulate and industry-leading credit standing.
In the meantime, like a rising variety of its friends, TC Power is beginning to pivot extra towards the clear energy {industry} — it not too long ago named the president of its energy and storage division as the brand new CEO — which ought to allow it to proceed rising within the a long time to come back. With a top-notch monetary profile and plenty of development coming down the pipeline, TC Power is a lower-risk method to accumulate an energy-fueled dividend.
Nice all-around dividend shares
Whereas 2020 has been difficult for dividend traders, not all payouts have headed decrease, as each Camden Property and TC Power have continued to extend theirs. Add that to their top-notch monetary profiles, seen development prospects, and decrease share costs, and the duo seem like glorious dividend shares for traders with a bit of bit of money to spare.