A recent video with The Street, featured founder Jim Cramer's top dividend stock picks from an "Action Alerts Plus" conference call. On Wednesday, Chair of the Federal Reserve Board Janet Yellen raised the overnight federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a range of 0.75 to 1.00 percent. For the week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained marginally, and the Nasdaq Composite Index gained close to 0.60 percent.
Though Mr. Cramer feels that the companies listed here are in a position to pay scheduled dividends, conditions can change. Further, the price of dividend-paying stocks can decrease, significantly affecting the overall performance of dividend-paying stock investments.
Six of seven dividend stocks with yields above 3 percent
The first dividend-payer Jim Cramer listed was Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: MMP), which Yahoo Finance reports pays a quarterly dividend totaling $3.42 annually, currently yielding 4.36 percent. The $17.71 billion market capitalization firm holds cash of $14.7 million and debt of $4.09 billion, giving it a debt-to-equity ratio of 195.36 percent.
American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NYSE: AEP) was Cramer's next dividend pick. AEP stock pays a quarterly dividend totaling $2.36 annually that yields 3.58 percent. American Electrical Power has a market capitalization of $32.68 billion, and a last-reported cash position of $330.50 million, debt of $22.27 billion, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 127.87 percent.
Pepsico, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) came third on Jim Cramer's dividend stock list. Pepsi pays a quarterly dividend totaling $3.01 annually, which currently yields 2.71 percent. Pepsi has a market capitalization of $158.98 billion, and last reported a cash position of $16.12 billion, $36.94 billion in debt, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 329.90 percent.
Cramer's fourth dividend stock, General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), pays quarterly dividends totaling $0.96 annually, yielding 3.23 percent. GE has a market capitalization of $260.22 billion, last reported holding a cash position of $10.52 billion, $136.21 billion in debt, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 169.17 percent.
Higher dividend yields from smaller firms
Jim Cramer made note of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation's (NYSE: SIX) smaller $5.42 billion market capitalization, but still recommended the dividend player. Six Flags currently pays dividends totaling $2.56 annually, yielding 4.34 percent. The firm last reported holding $137.38 million in cash, owing $1.65 billion in debt, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 552.64 percent.
The next Action Alerts Plus conference call dividend stock listed was Cedar Fair, L.P. (NYSE: FUN), smaller than Six Flags, with a market capitalization of $3.83 billion, and dividends totaling $3.42 annually, currently yielding 5.03 percent. Cedar Fair last reported holding cash totaling $122.72 million, debt totaling $1.55 billion, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2,568.96 percent.
EPR Properties (NYSE: EPR) is the final dividend stock mentioned by Jim Cramer. The $4.68 billion market capitalization firm pays monthly dividends totaling $4.08 annually, currently yielding 5.65 percent. EPR last reported holding cash totaling $19.34 million, debt totaling $2.49 billion, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 113.52 percent.
