Im also holding T and WBD.
T has been beaten up by analysts..they really never like the acquisition of Time Warner. I dont really get it, many companies diversify from their main business. GE does "lots and lots and lots" Of stuff besides selling light bulbs and refrigerators. (There is a GE Aircraft engines plant not too far from me, for example)
The downside is that T will, (or has) fallen off The "dividend aristocrats" list. Im not exactly sure that T deserves to be taken off this list, because, while the divie did go down by about half, when you add back in the value of WBD shares, it was, or likely will be, a dividend increase.
Of course, it probably comes down to "Is the WBD spinoff" shares a divie, or is it a spinoff?
At least one person called the spinoff "a special dividend".
I agree that I would much rather have the WBD shares than a "full" 52 cent quartely divie.
This said, people buy stocks for different reasons, and many are grouped into 3:
1. Stocks for growth (pay no divies)
2. Stocks for dividends. Just collect the divie and dont worry about the pps because you plan on keeping the shares for a very long time.
3. Both of the above. (pays a smaller divie, but reinvests in improving the company leading to growth.
I completely understand this. I have divie stocks, and I have growth. Mostly, tho, my "bigger" money goes into divies, and only about 20 percent or so goes into more speculative growth stocks. I like my dividends!
Of course, you need to do your own DD because "too high a dividend" is often unsustainable. I did not think T's 52 cents was "too high", but not all shared that view.
In addition to T, my favorite divie stocks are EPD and QYLD. Epd is a pipeline, with 20 year history of increase dividends. Qyld is an ETF which sells covered calls on many big name stocks like Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, etc. EPD is paying around 7 percent while Qyld is around 12 % divie.
I consider Qyld, T, EPD as "low risk", but steady at pumping out higher yields.
