My basic approach to identifying stocks to buy boils down to looking at companies with strong dividend histories and buying when they have historically high yields. There's obviously a lot more that goes into it, but the big picture is that I'm often buying great companies that have fallen on hard times. Or you might say I like fallen angels.

It can take time for an angel to get back in the air again, however, so you have to be patient. Here are three stocks I own that are still trying to earn back their wings: Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL), (NYSE: CLX), and Realty Income (NYSE: O).

There's no point in ignoring the obvious -- Hormel has a sizable list of problems to deal with right now. For example, it hasn't been as successful as its food peers in pushing through price increases in the face of inflation. It has struggled with supply issues in its turkey business because of avian flu. The Planters acquisition has been performing well, but in a weak market for nuts.

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Source Fool.com