7 High Dividend Stocks With a Real Moat (2026)

Yield alone is a dangerous filter. A falling share price lifts the yield right up until the dividend is cut, which is why the highest-yielding lists are so often lists of businesses in trouble. The screen worth running adds a second condition: the company must have something protecting its profits.

Running our screener for a yield above 4.5%, a moat score above 55 and an overall rating above 55 (all live, all free), seven names pass right now.

| Stock | Yield | P/E | Moat | Rating |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| Pfizer (PFE) | 7.12% | 18.5 | 60 | 61 |

| British American Tobacco (BATS.L) | 5.49% | 12.8 | 72 | 66 |

| Standard Bank (SBK.JO) | 5.41% | 10.9 | 68 | 67 |

| FirstRand (FSR.JO) | 5.40% | 12.3 | 72 | 68 |

| BP (BP.L) | 5.16% | 30.2 | 58 | 59 |

| Gold Fields (GFI.JO) | 4.58% | 8.6 | 55 | 62 |

| Rio Tinto (RIO.L) | 4.50% | 14.6 | 60 | 63 |

Two observations. First, four of the seven are listed outside the United States, which is exactly what you would expect: US indices have been priced for growth for years, and the income has migrated to London and Johannesburg. Second, the cheapest names on earnings here are the banks and the miner, which tells you the market doubts the durability of those earnings. Your job is to decide whether it is right.

What the moat score means

Our moat score is a 0 to 100 measure built from margin stability, return on equity, leverage and scale. It is not a verdict, it is a starting point that saves you from reading fifty annual reports to find the ten worth reading.

Run it yourself

Prices and yields move, so this table will age. [Open the free screener](/register), set the dividend slider to 4.5% and the moat slider to 55, and you will have today's version in a second. No card needed.

Educational information, not financial advice. Dividends can be cut.

The bottom line

A high yield with no moat is a trap. These seven pay 4.5% or more and still score above 55 on our competitive-advantage scale.

You can check any of this yourself: we screen for dividends a company can actually afford, and explain how to spot a dividend trap.

This is educational information, not financial advice.