In February, Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) rocked the markets with news that it was slashing its dividend by a mammoth 66%. That's a huge blow to investors who counted on that dividend. The danger ultimately comes down to cash flow as Intel was burning through cash from its day-to-day operations, and that is a huge red flag for income investors.

Three dividend stocks that look to be in much better shape and have stronger cash flows than Intel are AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST), and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). Not only are their yields relatively safe, but they are likely to rise as well.

Drugmaker AbbVie is a Dividend King known for raising its payouts on a regular basis. Plus, it's a cash cow as it has generated more than $24 billion in free cash flow last year, which is more than double the $10 billion it paid in dividends.

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Source Fool.com