2 Dirt Cheap Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now

Dividend stocks can be a great source of passive income that can help smooth out losses during market downturns. Dividend-paying companies can also help negate (or decrease) the effects of inflation. The one thing better than a robust dividend stock, though, is a robust dividend stock that is trading at an attractive valuation. Let's look at two stocks income-seeking investors would do well to buy at current levels: Merck (NYSE: MRK) and Viatris (NASDAQ: VTRS). 

Pharma giant Merck currently boasts an above-average dividend yield of 3.3% backed by a solid business. The drugmaker's lineup features blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda, a pair of HPV vaccines, and a growing animal health business. Keytruda has been approved for dozens of indications in the U.S. and elsewhere, and it continues to grow its sales at a good clip. In 2021, sales of the cancer medicine came in at $17.2 billion, 20% higher than the previous fiscal year.

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Source Fool.com