3 Dividend Stocks to Invest and Forget About for Relatively Safe Passive Income

Traders thrive on asset volatility, be it stocks or Bitcoin and altcoins. But what about people who want to avoid such daily anxiety and unpredictability?

Traders rely on asset price volatility for gains, be it in stocks or Bitcoin and altcoins. But what about those who want to avoid the daily anxiety and unpredictability? This is where the invest-and-forget approach can come in handy, especially when considering dividend stocks.

However, not just any dividend stock will do the trick. Investors must be confident that they can “forget” about these stocks after investing, which translates to companies with unique competitive advantages that are unlikely to be disrupted. At the same time, their dividend yields have to be high to outpace the inflation rate.

These three dividend stocks fit the bill for investors who value relatively safe passive income over the long haul.

Enbridge Inc. (NYSE: ENB) – 6.03% dividend yield

This pipeline infrastructure company headquartered in Canada has paid shareholders dividends for nearly 70 years. Over the last 29 years, Enbridge has grown its dividend at an average compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10%, making it a dividend aristocrat stock.

It is safe to say that Enbridge is a critical cog in modern civilization, as the company maintains a vast network of crude oil/natural gas pipelines across North America. In turn, this business model yields predictable cash flows. So much so that in 2023, Enbridge acquired three US gas utilities to further solidify its market position.

Enbridge announced another 3% common share dividend increase in early December, from an annualized $3.66 to $3.77 per share, which goes into effect on March 1st, 2025. Likewise, the company projected $19.4 – $20 billion EBITDA guidance for 2025, compared to reaffirmed $18.3 billion for 2024.

On February 14th, Enbridge is scheduled to report its Q4 2024 earnings. In November’s Q3 report, the company announced the completion of all planned US utilities, such as PSNC, and acquired a 15% interest in the DBR gas system to bolster growth.

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Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) – 7.07% dividend yield

Besides the distribution of energy, another layer for modern civilization to function is telecommunication infrastructure. Verizon fulfills this role as an almost dividend aristocrat stock. The “almost” part should be removed within a year. Reminder: dividend aristocrat stocks have to increase their dividend payouts consecutively for 25 years.

Relative to competitors in the communications services sector, Verizon holds 11.53% market share, neck and neck with AT&T at 11.89%, while Comcast is trailing at 10.39%. In October 2024, Verizon made a big move in expansion by acquiring Frontier Communications for $20 billion, at $38.50 per share in cash. This was to further broaden Verizon’s fiber-optic internet footprint, alongside wireless.

That month, Verizon released its latest Q3 2024 earnings showing relatively flat $33.3 billion revenue, while increasing wireless service revenue year-over-year.

Verizon ended the quarter with a $14.5 billion free cash flow, leaving the telecom giant with a 2.5x debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio. Moving forward, the company aims to cut costs, expand 5G Ultra Wideband and utilize AI technology to remove unnecessary expenditures.

Verizon’s annual dividend payout per share is $2.71. At present, VZ stock is priced at relatively cheap below the 52-week average of $41.17 per share. Verizon’s next earnings report is scheduled for January 24th.

Ares Capital Corporation (NYSE: ARCC) – 8.35% dividend yield

Next to energy and telecommunications, what do businesses need to grow? Finance. This is where Ares Capital comes in with direct lending to middle-market companies. Ares doesn’t issue new shares to raise lending capital, making it a closed-ended specialty finance firm.

Rather, Ares generates cash flows from paid interest and dividends from its own investments. In other words, exposure to Ares is equal to exposure to a broad spectrum of reputable companies across different sectors, from IT and health care to insurance, retail, media and energy infrastructure.

In November, Ares released its Q3 2024 earnings report, showing a 13% annualized shareholder return. This significantly outperforms the S&P 500 index as well as the big players in the banking sector.

As of September 2024, Ares holds $5.8 billion in available liquidity, which is 1.6x greater than its unfunded investment commitments. Against its BDC (Business Development Company) peers