There Are Only a Handful of Nasdaq-100 Stocks That Yield Over 3%. Here's My Top Pick to Buy Now.

The Nasdaq-100 is many things. Widely followed index? Check. A roster of famed large- and mega-cap growth companies? Definitely. A history of long-term outperformance over other domestic equity indexes? You bet.

A dividend destination? Not so much. While marquee components such as Apple and Microsoft, among others, have evolved into legitimate dividend growth stories, the largest exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracking the Nasdaq-100 yields a paltry 0.4%. That's not even half of the roughly 1% that investors find in an S&P 500 index fund, and that's saying something, because the S&P 500's current dividend yield is near all-time lows.

Mondelez is the winner among the Nasdaq-100 stocks with dividend yields of at least 3%. Image source: Getty Images.

The quest to find high-dividend stocks in the Nasdaq-100 isn't hard. The pool comprises just eight names, one of which is Mondelez (NASDAQ: MDLZ). Yes, the tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 has some exposure to consumer staples. A mere 2.1% to be exact, but three of the index's components from that sector, including Mondelez, yield 3% or more.

The Oreo maker isn't just the safest bet of that trio. For long-term investors, it could easily be the best (or one of the top) performers of that group of eight. Multiple reasons support my bullish view of this snack giant, particularly when comparing it with its "peers" in the Nasdaq-100.

Better by comparison and some diversification, too

As noted above, Mondelez is one of three consumer staples stocks in the Nasdaq-100 yielding at least 3%. The other two are Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ: KHC) and PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP). Those are big names, to be sure, and, to its credit, PepsiCo is a Dividend King, or one of the companies with a payout increase streak of at least 50 years.

In the case of Kraft Heinz, that's a stock that flummoxed some of the biggest names in investing, and waiting on its redemption story is turning into a Waiting for Godot moment. Bottom line: Mondelez has beaten Kraft and Pepsi over the past 10 years, and that feat can be repeated.

MDLZ Total Return Level data by YCharts

Owing to the utility sector's status as a high-yield hangout, it's not surprising that three such stocks are among the eight Nasdaq-100 stocks yielding 3% or more. That trio consists of American Electric Power, Exelon, and Xcel Energy. These utility stocks have clear ties to the artificial intelligence (AI) trade, but that may not be all it's cracked up to be.

Investors have avenues for potentially superior AI returns in other sectors, and those AI ties could reduce some of the safety associated with utilities equities. Plus, with the Federal Reserve unlikely to lower interest rates anytime soon, debt-laden utilities may lack catalysts.

With $21 billion in liabilities, Mondelez is no "debt angel," but given that most of that debt doesn't mature over the next five years, a case can be made that the Ritz maker is less rate-sensitive than utilities stocks.

As for the other two Nasdaq-100 names in the 3%-plus yield club, that's Comcast and Paychex. Comcast yields close to 5%, the result of a five-year decline of nearly 54%. Some might argue the stock is inexpensive, but it's challenged by declines in the old-guard broadband business, and its cash-flow and earnings growth outlooks appear light relative to longer-running averages.

Paychex was one of the software names caught up in the "SaaSpocalypse" earlier this year. While the company has done an admirable job of allaying those concerns, as highlighted by a 25.7% gain over the past 90 days, it's still a purveyor of human resources (HR) software in a lethargic job market. I'll take Mondelez's reduced macroeconomic sensitivity.

Sort of a discount

One of the rubs with the consumer staples sector is that investors pay up on valuation for the privilege of accessing the group's defensive traits. However, it's mainly Costco Wholesale and Walmart that skew the sector's valuation higher. Yes, Costco has a stellar long-term growth track record, but it trades at 46.7 times earnings. At 28.4 times earnings, Nvidia looks cheap by comparison.

Valuation isn't a concern with Mondelez. In fact, some experts view the stock as deeply discounted, particularly when measured against Costco and Walmart, which are the largest staples names in the Nasdaq-100.

That discount doesn't mean investors are sacrificing upside potential or solid fundamentals. Mondelez is considered one of the best-run food companies, revenue grew at a decent 3.3% compound annual growth rate over the past five years, and earnings could grow at more 9% per year from 2028 through 2030. Sign me up for this star of the Nasdaq-100 3% yield club.

Todd Shriber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Costco Wholesale, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends Comcast and Kraft Heinz. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.