Dividend Stocks to Buy Today

Dividends are a critical component of total stock market return, accounting for 43% of the S&P 500's return from 1990 to 2010. Unfortunately, the dividend yield of the S&P 500 has fallen to 1.85% (approaching 120 year lows) -- income investors might find better opportunity in a diverse basket of carefully chosen stocks.

Each of the seven stocks listed below has a higher dividend yield than a S&P 500 index fund, has a buy rating from TheStreet Ratings award-winning stock rating model: B&G Foods(BGS), Deere(DE), Dow Chemical(DOW), Kraft(KFT), York Water Company(YORW), Molex(MOLX) and Illinois Tool Works(ITW).

Source: The Street

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