Safe High-Yield Dividend Stocks
High yield is easy to find; safe high yield is the hard part. These dividend stocks pair an above-market forward yield (4–13%) with a dividend-safety score of 75 or higher — so you get the income without the yield-trap risk.
Prefer to set your own bar? Use the value screener to filter by yield, safety and margin of safety, or see the broader highest-yield list.
Updated · 50 stocks · refreshed daily
Key facts: Safe High-Yield Dividend Stocks
Data as of · Source: SmarterDividends data
- As of Oct 8, 2026, SmarterDividends' Safe High-Yield Dividend Stocks list includes 50 stocks.
- Ranked first on SmarterDividends' Safe High-Yield Dividend Stocks list as of Oct 8, 2026 is Abrdn Global Dynamic Dividend Fund (AGD), with a forward dividend yield of 12.68%.
- The median forward dividend yield of the 50 stocks on SmarterDividends' Safe High-Yield Dividend Stocks list is 8.71% as of Oct 8, 2026.
- By SmarterDividends' count, Universal Health Realty Income Trust (UHT) has the longest dividend-growth streak on SmarterDividends' Safe High-Yield Dividend Stocks list, at 38 consecutive years as of Oct 8, 2026.
- 21 of the 50 stocks on SmarterDividends' Safe High-Yield Dividend Stocks list with a SmarterDividends safety grade are graded A as of Oct 8, 2026.
Cite this page
SmarterDividends, "Safe High-Yield Dividend Stocks," updated Oct 8, 2026, https://smarterdividends.com/safe-high-yield-dividend-stocks
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the safest high-yield dividend stocks?
The safest high-yield dividend stocks combine an above-market yield (here, 4–13%) with a strong dividend-safety score — meaning the payout is well covered by earnings and free cash flow, the balance sheet is sound, and the company has a dependable dividend history. This list requires a safety score of 75+, filtering out the yield traps that dominate naive high-yield screens.
Is a high dividend yield safe?
Not always. A very high yield often signals that the market expects a dividend cut — the share price has fallen, pushing the yield up. That's why pairing yield with a safety score matters: it separates durable income from distressed payouts. Every stock here clears a 75+ safety score.
What yield is considered high but safe?
Roughly 4–7% is the sweet spot where you can find genuinely safe payers. Above ~8%, safe options thin out fast and most high yields carry real cut risk. This list spans 4–13% but every name still meets the safety bar.
How is the dividend safety score calculated?
It's a 0–100 score built from payout coverage (earnings and free cash flow), balance-sheet strength, dividend-growth history and cut history, validated by backtesting which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years.
Data is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Yields and figures refresh daily.