The 20 Best Canadian Dividend Stocks for U.S. Investors

These 20 Canadian Dividend Aristocrats trade on either the NYSE or Nasdaq, and have increased their dividends annually for at least seven years.

Canadian 25 cent coin
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The U.S. is home to literally thousands of dividend payers, which would seem to eliminate the need to look elsewhere for income. But there's a convincing case to be made for at least a handful of Canadian dividend stocks.

American investors interested in generating a combination of income and capital appreciation often look to the Dividend Aristocrats – a select group of 65 S&P 500 stocks that have improved their annual payouts for at least 25 consecutive years.

However, a little international diversification can help provide ballast to most portfolios. And if you like the idea of purchasing payout-raising stocks, you can do that across a number of regions – including our neighbors up north.

The Canadian Dividend Aristocrats currently total 94 stocks at present. To qualify for inclusion, these Canadian dividend stocks must be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, be a member of the S&P Canada BMI (Broad Market Index), must increase their annual payout for five consecutive years (they can maintain the same dividend for two consecutive years) and have a float-adjusted market cap of at least C$300 million.

While 94 stocks qualify for the index, we've thinned the herd somewhat for U.S. investors. Here, then, are 20 of the top Canadian dividend stocks to buy that are listed on either the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq.

Disclaimer

Data is as of May 17. Dividend yields are calculated by annualizing the most recent quarterly payout and dividing by the share price. Analysts' opinions provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated. Stocks listed in reverse order of the length of their dividend-growth streaks.

Will Ashworth
Contributing Writer, Kiplinger.com

Will has written professionally for investment and finance publications in both the U.S. and Canada since 2004. A native of Toronto, Canada, his sole objective is to help people become better and more informed investors. Fascinated by how companies make money, he's a keen student of business history. Married and now living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he's also got an interest in equity and debt crowdfunding.