Dogs of the Dow Enjoyed a Successful Year: Discover the 10 Stocks for 2026.
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 29 2025
0mins
Source: Barron's
- Performance of Dog of the Dow: The ten highest-yielding stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average have seen an average increase of 17.8% in 2025 as of December 26.
- Comparison with Dow 30: This performance surpasses the overall gain of 14.5% for the Dow 30 index during the same period.
- Focus on Dividend Investors: The year has been particularly favorable for dividend investors who focus on these high-yielding stocks.
- Market Trends: The trend indicates a strong preference for dividend-paying stocks among investors in the current market environment.
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Analyst Views on VZ
Wall Street analysts forecast VZ stock price to rise
14 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
10 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 45.420
Low
43.00
Averages
46.42
High
51.00
Current: 45.420
Low
43.00
Averages
46.42
High
51.00
About VZ
Verizon Communications Inc. is a holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides communications, technology, information and streaming products and services to consumers, businesses and government entities. Its Consumer segment provides wireless and wireline communications services. It also provides fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband through its 5G or 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks portfolio. The Company's Business segment provides wireless and wireline communications services and products, including FWA broadband, data, video and advanced communication services, corporate networking solutions, security and managed network services, local and long-distance voice services and network access to deliver various Internet of Things (IoT) services and products. It provides these products and services to businesses, public sector customers and wireless and wireline carriers across the U.S. and a subset of these products and services to customers around the world.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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Verizon (VZ) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
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- Cash Flow and Shareholder Returns: Verizon's free cash flow outlook and shareholder returns remain solid, although the current valuation suggests limited upside; however, its 5.6% dividend yield continues to attract income-focused investors, indicating some investment value.
- Quant Ratings and Market Sentiment: Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating supports a Hold stance with a score of 3.49, reflecting strong profitability but weak growth, and while Wall Street analysts have assigned Buy ratings, the Quant scores approaching Hold territory suggest a more cautious market sentiment regarding Verizon's future performance.
See More
Verizon (VZ) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
See More
High-Yield Stocks: Reliable Dividend Income Sources
- Telecom Stock Advantage: Verizon Communications boasts a dividend yield of 6.2%, significantly higher than the S&P 500's 1.2%, with an $8,000 investment generating approximately $500 annually, highlighting its stable financials and suitability for long-term holding.
- Logistics Giant Challenges: United Parcel Service offers a 6.4% dividend yield, and despite a 40% stock price drop over the past five years, it aims to improve margins by reducing business with Amazon, with an $8,000 investment yielding over $510 annually, showcasing its potential amid e-commerce growth.
- Pharmaceutical Industry Outlook: Pfizer's dividend yield stands at 6.3%, and although its stock has declined over 25% in five years, it has over 100 drug candidates and generated $7.8 billion in profit last year, indicating stability amid uncertainty, with an $8,000 investment yielding about $500 annually.
- Overall Income Analysis: Investing $8,000 in Verizon, UPS, and Pfizer could yield over $1,500 in total annual dividends, reflecting the significance of these high-yield stocks in a portfolio, making them ideal for income-seeking investors.
See More
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- Significant Growth: Verizon's net adds exceeded 1 million in Q4 2025, marking the highest level since 2019, indicating strong momentum in attracting investors and likely positive implications for future performance.
- Upcoming Earnings Report: The company is set to release its Q1 2026 earnings on April 27, with market expectations for continued growth following Q4; strong results could further boost investor confidence.
- Dividend Appeal: Even if future performance falls short, Verizon's stock remains attractive, trading at just nine times estimated future earnings and offering a dividend yield of 6.2%, significantly above the S&P 500 average of 1.2%, providing reliable long-term returns for investors.
- Optimistic Acquisition Outlook: Verizon's recent acquisition of Frontier has significantly expanded its fiber network, enhancing long-term growth prospects and expected to provide robust support for future performance growth.
See More
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- Artemis II Success: The Artemis II mission has successfully concluded, with four astronauts safely back on Earth, laying the groundwork for future lunar bases and demonstrating NASA's ongoing commitment to deep space exploration.
- Reduced Launch Costs: According to CSIS Aerospace Security, SpaceX's reusable Falcon 1 rocket has brought launch costs down to under $6,000 per pound, while Falcon Heavy's costs are around $1,000, significantly lowering the economic barriers to accessing space.
- Emerging Investment Opportunities: With decreasing launch costs, companies like AST SpaceMobile are capitalizing on this trend, planning to deploy up to 60 satellites in low Earth orbit by year-end to provide global mobile broadband, attracting customers like Verizon and Telus.
- Industry Growth Outlook: Research firm IMARC anticipates that the global space launch service market will grow at an average annual rate of nearly 15% through 2034, indicating substantial opportunities for investors in this emerging sector.
See More
Significant Drop in Space Launch Costs
- Dramatic Cost Reduction: The cost of sending payloads into space has fallen by over 90% since the inception of modern rocketry, accelerating the development of satellites and related technologies, which is expected to create new investment opportunities in the space industry.
- Successful Artemis II Mission: NASA's Artemis II mission has successfully returned four astronauts to Earth, marking a significant step in the U.S. lunar exploration efforts and laying the groundwork for future lunar base establishment.
- AST SpaceMobile Network Expansion: AST SpaceMobile plans to deploy up to 60 satellites in low Earth orbit by the end of the year to provide mobile broadband internet from space, having already partnered with Verizon and Telus, indicating strong market potential.
- Optimistic Industry Growth Outlook: IMARC forecasts that the global space launch service market will grow at an average annual rate of nearly 15% through 2034, reflecting increasing investment opportunities as launch costs continue to decline.
See More
