3 Top Dividend Stocks to Buy in July

If you have some cash to put to work in July, it is a great time to be looking at dividend stocks

NextEra Energy is a dividend growth stock NextEra Energy's dividend yield is the lowest on this list, at "just" 3

Notably, NextEra's dividend performance is backed by 31 consecutive annual dividend increases

NextEra Energy is really two es in one

The company's foundation is its regulated utility operations in Florida

This is a slow and steadily growing

On top of that, management has layered one of the world's largest ducers of solar and wind power

Investors are worried the clean energy right now because of changing political trends, but the world continues to shift away from dirtier energy sources

There is ly to be a long runway for growth ahead for NextEra

It should continue to support rapid dividend growth well into the future, too

If you are a dividend growth investor, NextEra is ly to be an attractive buy in July

Image source: Getty Images

Chevron is built to survive in a volatile sector Next up is Chevron, which has a lofty 4

Chevron has increased its dividend annually for 38 consecutive years, which is pretty incredible given the volatility in the energy sector over that span

Chevron is built from the ground up to handle the swings in oil prices

For starters, it has one of the strongest balance sheets of its closest peer group

On top of that foundation, it has built a geographically diversified that has exposure to the entire energy value chain

This diversification helps to soften the impact of swings in oil prices, with the strong balance sheet allowing management to take on debt so it can muddle through downturns

The model has worked very well for a long time

With oil prices again in a volatile state, July could be a good time to buy high-yielding Chevron

Enterprise is a high-yield tortoise Enterprise also hails from the energy sector, but it only operates in the mid segment

That means it owns the energy infrastructure, pipelines, that help to move oil and natural gas around the world

The master limited partnership (MLP) has a distribution yield of 6

The distribution has been increased annually for 26 years and counting

The key piece of the puzzle here is that Enterprise is a toll taker

It largely charges fees for the use of its energy infrastructure assets

That means that the volume of energy flowing through its system is more important than the price of that energy

Given how important energy is to modern life, volumes tend to remain resilient even when energy prices are low

And, thus, Enterprise has very reliable cash flows to back its lofty yield

That said, there is one caveat here

Enterprise's high yield will ly make up the lion's of an investor's return over time

But if you are looking to maximize the income your portfolio generates, that bably won't be a bother to you

Good options in July if you take the time to look The "market" isn't a single thing; it is a collection of smaller things

Even with the market near all-time highs and offering a fairly disappointing dividend yield, you can still find attractive dividend stocks

You just have to look past the forest to see the trees that make it

And if you do that in July, you'll find dividend gems NextEra Energy, Chevron, and Enterprise

Reuben Gregg Brewer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned

The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chevron and NextEra Energy

The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise ducts Partners

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.