Why AT&T and Verizon Pay the Dow's Biggest Dividends

In the following video, Fool markets analyst Mike Klesta talks with Fool contributor Dan Caplinger about how investors are seeking stocks that offer high dividend yields. Within the Dow Jones Industrials , AT&T and Verizon have the highest yields.

Mike and Dan discuss how the two telecom stocks are able to pay such lucrative dividends, with Dan noting that having made huge capital investments in their networks, both companies are able to collect monthly income from their millions of customers with relatively little additional expense. Moreover, because earnings based on accounting rules don't accurately reflect the amount of free cash flow available to AT&T and Verizon to pay out dividends, comparing dividend payouts to earnings can give a misleading picture of the companies' financial conditions. Mike closes by asking Dan for his views on which of the two companies offers a more compelling future for investors.

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The article Why AT&T and Verizon Pay the Dow's Biggest Dividends originally appeared on Fool.com.

Neither Fool contributor Dan Caplinger nor Fool markets analyst Mike Klesta has any position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool also has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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