There's a fairly simple solution if you're looking for stocks that can provide market-beating gains over the long run without many big risks. Buying dividend-paying stocks and holding them for long periods might be the easiest and safest way to grow your nest egg, and there are numbers to prove it.

During the 50 years between 1973 and 2023, dividend-paying stocks in the S&P 500 index delivered a 9.17% average-annual gain. Non-dividend payers in the same index returned just 4.27% per year on average according to Hartford Funds and Ned Davis Research.

These two dividend payers attracted the attention of billionaire hedge fund managers in the first three months of 2024. Let's look a little closer to see if they're right for your portfolio.

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Source Fool.com