When investors are looking for dividend stocks to buy, they may not immediately think of technology stocks. After all, tech stocks are generally associated with capital gains through share price appreciation, not dividends, since many tech stocks do not pay dividends.
However, this has begun to change. The technology sector contains many reliable, high-yield dividend stocks. This article will discuss three blue-chip tech stocks with solid dividend yields and high dividend growth potential.
Qualcomm (QCOM)
Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) is a semiconductor manufacturer that develops and sells integrated circuits for use in voice and data communications. The chip maker receives royalty payments for its patents used in devices that are on 3G, 4G and 5G networks. Qualcomm has a current market capitalization of $149 billion and has annual sales of about $38 billion.
On May 3, the company reported second-quarter financial results. Revenue of $9.27 billion fell 17% year-over-year as the company faced difficult comparisons to a very successful 2022, as well as the impact of a slowing global economy. Adjusted earnings per share of $2.15 missed estimates by 1 cent. Total QCT revenue and Handsets revenue fell 17%, partially offset by a 20% increase in revenue from its automotive segment. Qualcomm expects quarterly revenue between $8.1 billion and $8.9 billion for the current quarter.
The company has grown EPS at a rate of 6.6% per year over the last decade. An agreement with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Huawei, a lower share count, and leadership in 5G should allow the company to grow in the coming years.
The components that Qualcomm produces are considered to be the best available, so phone makers will likely continue using the company’s products in future iterations of their devices. This is especially true as 5G launches continue to occur.
Qualcomm has increased its dividend for 21 consecutive years. With a dividend payout ratio under 40%, the dividend appears highly secure. Shares currently yield 2.9%.
International Business Machines (IBM)
International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) is a global information technology company that provides integrated enterprise solutions for software, hardware and services. IBM’s focus is running mission-critical systems for large, multi-national customers and governments. IBM typically provides end-to-end solutions. After the spinoff of Kyndryl, its managed infrastructure business, the company now has four business segments: Software, Consulting, Infrastructure and Financing. IBM had annual revenue of about $60.5 billion in 2022.
IBM reported results for Q1 2023 on April 19. Companywide revenue grew 0.4% to $14.25 million from $14.19 million. Diluted adjusted EPS fell 3% to $1.36 from $1.40 on a year-over-year basis. Diluted GAAP EPS increased to $1.02 in the quarter from 73 cents in the prior year on lower expenses and higher margins on better pricing.
Also, IBM’s revenue and earnings are being impacted by the strong U.S. dollar causing a 4% headwind. Revenue for Software increased 2.6% to $5.92 million from $5.77 million in comparable quarters due to 2% growth in Hybrid Platform & Solutions and a 3% increase in Transaction Processing. Revenue was up 8% for RedHat, down 1% for Automation, up 1% for Data & AI, and down 1% for Security. Consulting revenue increased 2.8% to $4.96 million from $4.82 million due to a 1% rise in Business Transformation, a 1% decline in Technology Consulting, and 7% growth in Application Operations.
IBM’s competitive strength is its brand, entrenched customer relations and extensive patent portfolio. IBM is also the market leader in mainframe computers, where it has 90% of the market and little competition. IBM is a different company after the Kyndryl spinoff, but it should still be recession resistant. The nature of mission-critical IT enterprise systems and software makes this unlikely to change in the near future.
IBM has increased its dividend for over 25 years, making it a Dividend Aristocrat. Shares currently yield 5.4%.
Oracle Corporation (ORCL)
Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) is an information technology company that provides software, hardware and services. Its offerings include applications, platforms, infrastructure technologies (cloud software), hardware products such as servers, hardware-related software products (e.g., operating systems) and services such as consultation and education.
Oracle reported its most recent quarterly results, for its fiscal third quarter, on March 9. The company announced that it generated revenues of $12.4 billion during the quarter, which represents an increase of 18% YOY. Growth was positively impacted by mergers and acquisitions (M&A), which is why Oracle grew faster than the average over the last couple of years. Oracle generated EPS of $1.22 during the third quarter, which was up 8% versus the prior year’s quarter and beat the consensus estimate slightly.
For the current fiscal year, Oracle is forecasting that it will grow its revenues meaningfully, while EPS should be up slightly this year. Oracle is not operating a cloud business as large as some of its peers, but it still is generating attractive growth in the markets it addresses. Infrastructure-as-a-Service, as well as Platform-as-a-Service, are markets that are growing at a fast pace. They should allow Oracle to maintain an attractive cloud computing growth rate going forward.
Oracle’s dividend payout ratio was extremely low a decade ago, but since then the payout ratio has risen relatively consistently. At a payout ratio of less than 30%, the dividend is very manageable, and there is still a lot of room for further dividend increases. Due to the low payout ratio and the fact that the company was not impacted to a large degree during the last financial crisis, Oracle’s dividend is rated very safe. The stock currently yields 1.7%.
On the date of publication, Bob Ciura did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.