3 Top Stocks With High Dividend Yields

The S&P 500 has gone on a strong run over the past 1 1/2 years, powered by low interest rates and government stimulus to jump-start a pandemic-stricken economy. Overall, the index has rallied nearly 30% since the start of 2020, including almost 12% so far in 2021.

However, one of the downsides of this rally in the stock market is its inverse effect on dividend yields. Overall, they've fallen to a rather lackluster 1.4% average for stocks in the S&P 500.

On a more positive note, there are still some attractive dividend stocks out there. Three top ones with yields more than double the S&P 500's average are AvalonBay Communities (NYSE: AVB), Boston Properties (NYSE: BXP), and Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK).