Here Are My Top 3 High-Yield Dividend Stocks to Buy Now

From oil briefly crossing $100 a barrel to some of the largest swings in the major indexes in months, some investors may be feeling a bit queasy aboard the 2026 topsy-turvy stock market roller coaster. Generating passive income from stocks is a great way to offset some of the headaches that can come with market volatility.

Here are three high-yield dividend stocks for investors to build a passive income portfolio around in March.

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1. Chevron

Chevron (NYSE: CVX) is hovering around an all-time high and knocking on the door of $200 a share. But it remains one of the best oil and gas stocks to buy.

Chevron checks all the boxes of an energy stock to build a portfolio around. It has 39 consecutive years of boosting its payout and a high yield of 3.8%. It has upside potential from higher oil prices but also protects against downside risk because it can fund its operations, capital expenditures, and dividend expenses below $50 per Brent crude oil barrel.

For context, Brent averaged $69.14 in 2025 and is just under $90 per barrel at the time of this writing.

2. UPS

After a hot start to the year, United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) has sold off in recent weeks due to skyrocketing oil prices -- which raise package delivery costs. UPS is up just over 2% in the last decade compared to a 242.5% gain in the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC). But UPS could soon turn a corner.

The company is undergoing a multiyear turnaround to improve its margins -- including slashing its dependence on low-margin Amazon package deliveries. UPS is streamlining its supply chain and processing network, emphasizing higher-margin deliveries from small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and temperature- and time-sensitive healthcare deliveries.

In its latest quarter, SMBs made up 31.2% of total U.S. volume -- a fourth-quarter record. Healthcare portfolio revenue reached $11.2 billion or 12.6% of the total 2025 revenue.

With a 6.6% yield, UPS offers patient investors considerable passive income while they wait for its turnaround to play out.

3. General Mills

General Mills (NYSE: GIS) hit a 52-week low on March 10 and is now hovering around its lowest level in 13 years.

Results have gone from bad to worse, as General Mills slashed its full-year fiscal 2026 guidance amid weak consumer sentiment and higher costs.

It can be difficult to buy a stock when earnings are going down with no end in sight. But General Mills has the makings of a deep-value stock for long-term investors.

For starters, its brand portfolio is much better than other packaged food companies' because it specializes in breakfast and has a nice balance between meals and snacks. From PepsiCo's push toward mini meals to Coca-Cola Zero Sugar consistently outperforming Trademark Coca-Cola, many packaged food, beverage, and snack companies have noted changes in consumer preferences and are adapting to cater to health trends.

Despite a weak near-term outlook, analyst estimates have General Mills earning $3.51 in fiscal 2026 -- way above its forward dividend of $2.44 per share. Investors can also rest easy knowing that General Mills has a 127-year streak of never cutting its dividend.

With a 5.6% yield, General Mills can provide a significant boost to a value investor's passive income stream.

Daniel Foelber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Chevron, and United Parcel Service. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.