The selloff in many dividend-paying stocks this year has sent yields soaring, especially among Canadian equities and in the energy sector. When a stock yields more than 8 percent, investors start to question the sustainability of its payout—especially if the company in question disburses the bulk of its cash flow to investors.
This pain has a silver lining: All it takes for a stock with an elevated yield to generate an outsized return is to maintain the dividend.