My 3 Favorite High-Yield Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now

When I think about consumer dividend stocks that actually feel comfortable to hold, I want brands you see on shelves every week and payouts that have become part of the company's identity.

Unilever (NYSE: UL), Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL), and Mondelez (NASDAQ: MDLZ) all fit that description. Together, they give you a mix of staples, hygiene, and snacks that can anchor an income-focused portfolio. Let's find out a bit more about these three high-yield dividend stocks and why they might be good buys right now.

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1. Unilever: Global staples, steady checks

Unilever is about as classic a consumer goods company as you can find. It owns brands like Dove, Axe, Hellmann's, and Ben & Jerry's, and sells personal care, home care, and food products in more than 100 countries. That mix gives you exposure to everyday habits rather than fashion trends. People wash, cook, and clean through thick and thin.

The dividend fits that profile. Unilever pays quarterly, with its second-quarter 2026 dividend announced on July 28, going ex-dividend on Aug. 6, and paid in mid-September. The forward yield is around 3.5% at the moment, comfortably above the market and backed by earnings and free cash flow generated by thousands of small purchases rather than a few big contracts.

What I like here is how simple the story is. Management focuses on modest volume growth, pricing discipline, and brand investment, and then sends a portion of the result to shareholders like clockwork. I think Unilever is a solid buy right now because the stock has bounced strongly from its yearly lows near $55 per share and is making its way back toward the high-$70s. The technical setup looks encouraging, and when you combine that momentum with management's current strategy and execution, Unilever looks safe and strong.

2. Colgate-Palmolive: Oral care and household resilience

Colgate-Palmolive sits closer to the "boring is good" end of the spectrum. It dominates toothpaste in many markets, sells soaps and cleaners, and leans heavily on health and hygiene as core themes. That business has low drama, which is a feature when your goal is income.

The company pays a regular quarterly dividend, currently at $0.53 per share, with recent ex-dividend dates in April and July 2026 and payments in May and August. The yield is lower than that of some high-yield names, currently around 2.4%, but it has grown steadily over time and is supported by a strong balance sheet and stable cash generation.

For a dividend investor looking for a solid buy right now, Colgate-Palmolive is a reliable, lower-risk component. The company's management is also pushing for better U.S. advertising and premium products to combat some of its weak domestic performance. Its products are small line items in household budgets, yet they carry strong brand loyalty. If the company's premium products take off, the ticker could soon give elevated returns.

3. Mondelez: Snacks with staying power

Mondelez gives you a different angle on consumer goods. It focuses on snacks and confectionery, with brands like Oreo, Cadbury, Toblerone, and Ritz. These products may not be as essential as toothpaste, but they are deeply embedded in routines, from lunch boxes to office pantries. That makes revenue surprisingly resilient.

The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, with recent ex-dividend dates on June 30 and payments on July 14, and a yield of around 3.2% to a bit above that. Management has raised the dividend annually for more than a decade and combines payouts with buybacks, so total shareholder yield looks better than the headline number.

What makes Mondelez interesting now is its push into emerging markets. Snack demand is growing faster in places like India and Latin America than in mature markets, and the company has been investing heavily there. That gives you a mix of defensive and growth brands, which can support both the dividend and the stock price over time.

Different reasons for being great dividend payers

If I were building a consumer-facing dividend basket today, I would think of Unilever as the global staple anchor, Colgate-Palmolive as the health-and-hygiene stabilizer, and Mondelez as the growth-leaning snack play. Together, they give you exposure to very different kinds of everyday spending, backed by management teams that have treated dividends as a core part of their approach to returning value to shareholders.

Micah Zimmerman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Colgate-Palmolive. The Motley Fool recommends Unilever. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.