What is the highest dividen yielding stock for a major US bank ?

Answer 1

There are a number of banks yielding above 5% currently. The mortgage crisis has put the fear of God into investors of financial institutions. You might give some consideration to the thought that a 5%+ yield today might turn into something less tomarrow if these banks have to write off a lot of worthless loans, and they very well might. Actually, the yield might be an indication of the market's idea of the vulnerability.

BAC 5.2%
WB 5.3%
USB 5.1%
WM 6.4%
NCC 6.2%

Those are the U S banks with capitalization greater than 10 billion.

Dropping down the capitalization ladder to 2billion.

HBAN 6.2%
NYB 5.4%


But why limit yourself to U S banks?

BCS 6.3%
LYG 6.5%

Or to just banks

ACAS 9.5%
CSE 13.5%

These are not exactly banks but they do lend money so one might consider them in that relm.

Answer 2

I ran Yahoo Finance's Stock Screening tool with industry equal to money center bank. Wachovia has a 5.2% yield. Bank of America has a 5% yield.

Answer 3

For the dividend alone, it's Bank of America at $2.56 per share per year at last count, but for a better yield it's Washington Mutual right now at 6.2% per year.