With central banks still wrestling with inflation signals, credit conditions tightening in places, and consumer confidence sending mixed messages across regions, dependable income has become a key focus for many investors. High-yield stocks that keep paying, and aim to keep growing, their dividends can help smooth out some of the noise from shifting rates and geopolitical headlines. The Dividend Powerhouses screener looks for companies offering more than a 5% yield that is covered by earnings and supported by a consistent record. In this article, you will see 3 of the strongest candidates from that list.

CME Group (CME)

Overview: CME Group operates some of the world’s largest futures and options exchanges, allowing investors, corporations, and governments to trade contracts tied to interest rates, stock indexes, foreign exchange, and key commodities, as well as access market data and clearing services.

Operations: CME Group generates about US$6.7b in revenue from unclassified services across its trading, clearing, and data offerings.

Market Cap: US$80.1b

CME Group stands out on this dividend-focused list because it blends a 5.14% yield with high profitability, including a 62.9% net margin and 16% return on equity, while operating at the center of global risk management activity. At the same time, the stock presents questions around dividend coverage from free cash flow, funding risk from relying on external sources rather than deposits, and regulatory uncertainty tied to crypto perpetual futures that could affect trading volumes and valuation. With seasoned leadership preparing for a CEO transition and new products such as Micro contracts and 24/7 trading expanding its reach, investors interested in income and defensiveness may find CME Group worth a closer look.

CME Group’s rich margins and 5.14% yield can easily distract from what is really driving the story, and what might still be missing from it, so it is worth reviewing the 4 key rewards and 2 important warning signs

EOG Resources (EOG)

Overview: EOG Resources is a Houston based oil and gas producer that explores for, develops, and sells crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas across key U.S. basins and in Trinidad and Tobago, supported by its own gathering, processing, and marketing operations.

Operations: EOG Resources generates about US$23.6b in revenue from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production, with roughly US$23.2b coming from the United States and US$362m from Trinidad.

Market Cap: US$70.6b

EOG Resources brings together a large scale U.S. focused resource base, recent acquisitions like Encino, and investment in drilling technology to support capital efficiency and free cash flow, while pairing this with a mix of regular dividends and a sizeable US$20b buyback authorization. At the same time, investors need to weigh an unstable dividend record, modest revenue and earnings growth expectations, and exposure to commodity price swings and the energy transition, alongside questions about future drilling inventory quality. For income focused investors willing to accept the sector specific risks, EOG Resources offers a mix of size, balance sheet strength, and shareholder return policies that may warrant a closer look within high yield portfolios.

EOG Resources looks like an income story on the surface, but the real tension is how its acquisitions, drilling tech and buyback plans stack up against commodity swings. This is exactly what the 3 key rewards and 1 important warning sign starts to unpack.

DHT Holdings (DHT)

Overview: DHT Holdings owns and operates a fleet of very large crude carriers that move crude oil on long haul routes between major export hubs and import markets, and also provides technical management services for its vessels.

Operations: DHT Holdings generates about US$659.4m in revenue from its fleet of crude oil tankers.

Market Cap: US$2.8b

DHT Holdings may appeal to income-focused investors because it combines a 5.55% dividend yield, recent earnings strength and net margins of 50.3% with direct exposure to VLCC spot rates that can react sharply to events such as the Strait of Hormuz disruptions. At the same time, the dividend is not well covered by free cash flow and the business relies on external borrowing. As a result, the new US$250m revolving credit facility and fleet renewal plans may warrant close attention. For investors who want to understand how those cash flow risks, geopolitical swings and governance strengths fit together, there is more to the DHT Holdings story than the headline yield suggests.

DHT Holdings’ 5.55% yield and 50.3% net margin may be masking a far more interesting tension between tanker cash flows, new debt and fleet renewal, and the 3 key rewards and 3 important warning signs (2 are major!)

The three high yield stocks in this article are only a starting point. The full Dividend Powerhouses screen surfaces 92 more companies that pair income potential with equally detailed stories around cash flows, balance sheets and dividend track records, all captured in the Dividend Powerhouses (3%+ Yield) screener. Identify and analyze the companies that best match the catalysts and narratives that matter to you, using Simply Wall St to filter by dividend growth, payout coverage, leverage and other key signals so you can focus on your highest conviction ideas.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.