10 Dividend-Paying Stocks to Buy Now

TSC Ratings provides exclusive stock, ETF and mutual fund ratings and commentary based on award-winning, proprietary tools. Its "safety first" approach to investing aims to reduce risk while seeking solid outperformance on a total return basis.

Investors have been struggling to separate the weak from the strong in the stock market for the past year. Instead of looking for the biggest price gains, they should seek out companies paying the biggest dividends. Here are 10 options.

TheStreet.com Ratings ranks more than 5,000 stocks based on their finances, prices and performance. Only 11% have "buy" recommendations, including the companies below.

Bargain hunters seeking upside potential and income should consider these small-cap companies before the herd piles in. Each stock has a price-to-earnings ratio that's less than 10, making them extremely cheap. By paying dividends, they provide an income stream derived from corporate profits, which are more reliable than stock appreciation.