5 Buy-Rated Dividend Stocks

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

TheStreet Ratings' stock model projects a stock's total return potential over a 12-month period including both price appreciation and dividends. Our Buy, Hold or Sell ratings designate how we expect these stocks to perform against a general benchmark of the equities market and interest rates.

While plenty of high-yield opportunities exist, investors must always consider the safety of their dividend and the total return potential of their investment. It is not uncommon for a struggling company to suspend high-yielding dividends and subsequently result in precipitous share price declines.

TheStreet Ratings' stock rating model views dividends favorably, but not so much that other factors are disregarded. Our model gauges the relationship between risk and reward in several ways, including: the pricing drawdown as compared to potential profit volatility, i.e. how much one is willing to risk in order to earn profits?; the level of acceptable volatility for highly performing stocks; the current valuation as compared to projected earnings growth; and the financial strength of the underlying company as compared to its stock's valuation as compared to its stock's performance.

These and many more derived observations are then combined, ranked, weighted, and scenario-tested to create a more complete analysis. The result is a systematic and disciplined method of selecting stocks. As always, stock ratings should not be treated as gospel — rather, use them as a starting point for your own research.

The following pages contain our analysis of 5 stocks with substantial yields, that ultimately, we have rated "Buy."

AmeriGas Partners

Dividend Yield: 7.40%

AmeriGas Partners (NYSE:APU) shares currently have a dividend yield of 7.40%.

AmeriGas Partners, L.P. operates as a retail and wholesale distributor of propane gas, and related equipment and supplies in the United States. The company has a P/E ratio of 161.00. Currently there is 1 analyst that rates AmeriGas Partners a buy, 2 analysts rate it a sell, and 4 rate it a hold.

The average volume for AmeriGas Partners has been 153,200 shares per day over the past 30 days. AmeriGas Partners has a market cap of $4.0 billion and is part of the utilities industry. Shares are up 12% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.

TheStreet Ratings rates AmeriGas Partners as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, expanding profit margins, good cash flow from operations, increase in net income and growth in earnings per share. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had lackluster performance in the stock itself.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 3.7%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 28.2%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share.

• 48.30% is the gross profit margin for AMERIGAS PARTNERS -LP which we consider to be strong. It has increased significantly from the same period last year. Along with this, the net profit margin of 11.02% is above that of the industry average.

• Net operating cash flow has significantly increased by 441.71% to $40.49 million when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, AMERIGAS PARTNERS -LP has also vastly surpassed the industry average cash flow growth rate of 38.61%.

• The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has significantly exceeded that of the S&P 500 and the Gas Utilities industry. The net income increased by 127.3% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, rising from $42.53 million to $96.67 million.

• AMERIGAS PARTNERS -LP reported significant earnings per share improvement in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, AMERIGAS PARTNERS -LP swung to a loss, reporting -$0.05 versus $1.51 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($2.46 versus -$0.05).

• You can view the full AmeriGas Partners Ratings Report.

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For more information on AmeriGas Partners LP click any of the following:

• AmeriGas Partners LP Stock Price

• AmeriGas Partners LP Analyst Ratings

• AmeriGas Partners LP Key Stats & Profile

• AmeriGas Partners LP Earnings

• AmeriGas Partners LP Ratio Comparison

• AmeriGas Partners LP Growth Rates

• AmeriGas Partners LP Balance Sheet

• AmeriGas Partners LP Cash Flow

• AmeriGas Partners LP Income Statement