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This Month’s Bonus Article
5 High-Yield Stocks to Shield Your Portfolio From the Storm
Submitted by Ryan Hasson. Date Posted: 3/23/2026.
Key Points
- With the S&P 500 breaking below its 200-day SMA, high-yield dividend stocks are increasingly worth considering as a source of income and portfolio protection.
- BTI, PFE, and VZ are holding up well amid the selloff, offering defensive characteristics, strong institutional backing, and dividend yields ranging from 5.5% to 6.4%.
- KHC and MPLX have yields above 7%, compelling valuations, and growing institutional interest, making them potentially attractive for income-focused investors.
- Special Report: Elon’s “Hidden” Company
The stock market recently slipped below its 200-day simple moving average, and investor fear is accelerating. The popular S&P 500 ETF, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA: SPY), not only sliced through that key technical level last week but also fell below a major area of multi-year support around $660. It’s now nearing correction territory, down nearly 5% year-to-date and more than 7% below its 52-week high. Friday’s 1.7% decline alone was enough to rattle even the most patient bulls.
What began as a targeted selloff in mega-cap technology and software stocks has since broadened into a wider market and economic headwind. Surging oil prices tied to the Middle East conflict, rising inflation, and the near-complete evaporation of rate cut expectations have created a deeply uncertain backdrop. Risk-off sentiment is firmly in control, and the dollar has bounced sharply off its 52-week lows in recent weeks.
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Many investors are now asking the right questions: move to cash and wait for a bottom, sit tight, or rotate into high-yield dividend stocks that can provide income protection during a prolonged period of volatility? For those considering the latter, here are five high-yield dividend stocksworth watching closely.
British American Tobacco: Defensive Positioning With a 5.6% Yield
British American Tobacco plc (NYSE: BTI) is a multinational tobacco and nicotine-products company headquartered in London. Its defensive characteristics are already showing up in its 2026 performance.
While the broader market has sold off, BTI is up more than 1% year-to-date, excluding dividends. That’s a meaningful outperformance that reflects the appeal of consumer defensive stocks during times of stress.
The headline attraction is its 5.6% dividend yield, one of the most substantial income offerings among large-cap defensive names. Valuation metrics add further appeal, with a P/E of 12.5 and a forward P/E of about 11. Institutions have taken notice, recording $3 billion in inflows over the prior 12 months versus $960 million in outflows.
On the chart, BTI has maintained a firm uptrend over the past year, gaining nearly 40%. As long as the $50 to $53 support zone holds, the longer-term bullish trend remains intact.
Pfizer: A Healthcare Giant Quietly Bucking the Trend
Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) benefits from one of investing’s most reliable defensive traits: demand for prescriptions and medical treatments tends to be stable regardless of economic conditions.
That dynamic, combined with meaningful fundamental improvements, has helped PFE surge almost 8% year-to-date.
On a longer timeframe, the stock appears to have found its footing, with $28 the next key resistance and potential breakout level.
From an income perspective, Pfizer is compelling. It offers a 6.4% dividend yieldand an annual dividend of $1.72 per share. Analysts maintain a neutral Hold consensus rating, while the average price target implies roughly 5% additional upside.
Institutional activity has been constructive, with $16.1 billion in purchases over the prior 12 months versus $11.9 billion in outflows, reflecting growing confidence in the stock’s recovery.
Kraft Heinz: Deep Value and a 7.42% Yield for Patient Investors
Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ: KHC) is not without its challenges. The global food and beverage giant has fallen nearly 12% year-to-date, weighed down by shifting consumer preferences toward private-label brands and persistent volume declines across North American categories.
Q4 2025 revenue came in at $6.35 billion, down 3.4% year-over-year and slightly below consensus, though EPS of $0.67 beat expectations of $0.61.
For patient investors, however, KHC is becoming increasingly interesting. The stock is approaching its 2020 lows on the longer-term chart. Its forward P/E is nearing single digits, and its dividend yield has climbed to roughly 7.5%.
Analysts hold a consensus Reduce rating but still see nearly 15% upside to their $24.78 price target.
Institutions have been active buyers as well, recording $4 billion in inflows over the prior 12 months versus $1.8 billion in outflows. For income-focused investors with patience, that combination is hard to ignore.
Verizon Communications: Momentum, Income, and a 20-Year Dividend Growth Streak
Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) is the clear momentum leader on this list, with shares surging more than 23% year-to-date. The rally was ignited by a strong Q4 earnings report that delivered the best postpaid phone subscriber additions in six years.
Strong 5G demand, a $25 billion buyback program, improved free cash flow, and a shift in market sentiment toward high-yield names have all added fuel to the rally.
Despite that significant run, the income proposition remains attractive. Verizon offers a 5.5% dividend yield and pays an annual dividend of $2.76 per share, backed by an impressive 20-year streak of consecutive dividend increases.
Its payout ratio of about 68% is sustainable and leaves room for continued growth. Institutional conviction has been strong, with $19.1 billion in inflows over the past 12 months compared to $9.67 billion in outflows.
MPLX LP: Energy Infrastructure Income With a 7.44% Yield
MPLX LP (NYSE: MPLX) is a midstream master limited partnership that owns, operates, and develops energy infrastructure across the United States. With the energy sector among the best-performing areas of the market in 2026, MPLX has kept pace, rising close to 10% year-to-date while maintaining a healthy uptrend on longer-term charts.
Despite an over 70% surge over the prior three years, the stock still trades at a P/E of about 12. The dividend yield of 7.4%, supported by a nine-year history of consecutive increases, is among the most attractive on this list.
Analysts are constructive, with a Moderate Buy consensus rating and a price target that implies roughly 4% additional upside.
For income-focused investors seeking energy-sector exposure with a substantial, growing yield, MPLX could warrant a close look.
Yield as Defense in an Uncertain Market
Market downturns can be uncomfortable, but they also steer attention toward stocks that might otherwise be overlooked. Each of the five names on this list offers something different: the defensive stability of British American Tobacco and Pfizer, the potential deep-value proposition of Kraft Heinz, the momentum-plus-income combination of Verizon, and the energy-infrastructure yield of MPLX. All share the ability to generate meaningful income for investors while the broader market finds its footing.
No dividend stock is immune to further selling pressure if conditions deteriorate. But for investors looking to adopt a more defensive posture without moving entirely to cash, high-yield names with solid fundamentals and strong institutional backing offer a compelling middle ground. In a market defined by uncertainty, income can be a powerful buffer.
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