3 Warren Buffett dividend stocks yielding as high as 4.6%

It’s not easy trying to build a passive income stream these days.

Thanks to still-historically low interest rates, savings accounts pay next to nothing. And currently, the average S&P 500 company sports an annual dividend yield of just 1.3%.

But that doesn’t mean you have to go home empty-handed.

One man who’s made a lot of money from dividend stocks is legendary investor and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett.

In fact, the majority of Berkshire’s holdings are now dividend-paying companies. And that means each year, the Oracle of Omaha collects billions of dollars just from dividends.

You don’t need to be a billionaire investor to earn dividend checks. There are plenty of apps that allow you to invest as much as you want for free.

Here are three companies in Buffett’s portfolio that provide a particularly generous passive income stream to investors.

Verizon Communications (VZ)

Verizon was a new addition to Buffett’s portfolio in 2021. And it’s a pretty chunky stake: At the end of Q3, Berkshire owned nearly 159 million shares of the telecom giant.

The company is a household name.

Its 4G LTE network covers 99% of the U.S. population. And while we’re still in the early stages of 5G adoption, more than 230 million people are already covered by Verizon’s 5G network.

Massive recurring revenue means Verizon is well-positioned to pay regular dividends. Right now, Verizon has a quarterly dividend rate of $0.64 per share, translating to an annual yield of 4.8%.

Of course, Verizon isn’t the highest yielder in the space. AT&T, for instance, yields an even juicier 7.6%.

Cell phone bills are on the rise. And what’s the old saying? If you can’t beat them, join them.

If you’re not happy with what you pay Verizon or AT&T every month, collecting dividends from these companies might be a small way to get even.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

When it comes to delivering recession-proof returns, few companies have done a better job than healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson.

The stock has been trending up for decades and for good reason. Johnson & Johnson’s business grows consistently through thick and thin.

Over the past 20 years, Johnson & Johnson’s adjusted EPS has increased at a steady pace of 8% annually.

And that means shareholders can look forward to higher dividends every year.

Johnson & Johnson announced its 59th consecutive annual dividend increase last April. The stock currently yields 2.5% — nearly twice as much as the average yield of the S&P 500.

The company boasts consumer staples found in any U.S. home: skin care products like Neutrogena, pain medications Tylenol and Motrin, Listerine, Band-Aids, and more.

In fact, Johnson & Johnson recently announced plans to spin off its consumer health segment into a separate company in order to unlock value. Once the split is complete, investors will be given shares in both companies and, in turn, receive dividend payments from both stocks.

That makes J&J a particularly timely and attractive inflation play. As of the most recent quarter, Berkshire owned about 327,000 shares in the company.

Store Capital (STOR)

Being a landlord is one of the oldest ways to earn a passive income.

If you want to collect rental income without worrying about the headaches that come with tenants, consider using real estate investment trusts — companies that own and manage income-producing real estate.

Buffett has a sizable stake in a REIT called Store Capital.

Store has a large portfolio consisting of investments in over 2,700 properties diversified across 49 states.

The company collects rent on these properties and passes it along to shareholders in the form of dividends. The stock is offering a handsome yield of 4.6% at the current price.

Store’s tenants tend to be leading national and regional companies with large revenue bases. Notably, one of the company’s top 10 tenants is movie theater giant AMC Entertainment Holdings, whose shares are always followed these days.

And because Store’s portfolio is leased to 529 tenants coming from 118 different industries, the REIT can maintain its dividend even if one tenant or industry enters a downturn.

As of Berkshire’s latest filing, it owned roughly 24.4 million shares in Store.