These dividend payers have surged.

Halfway through the year, it’s been a doozy for investors. The S&P 500 index of large-cap stocks has tacked on 18% through the end of June, and despite continued talks of trade wars or an economic slowdown, it appears the bull market is running strong. Meanwhile, a select group of dividend payers has surged more than 50% in the same period. These 10 income investments not only offer regular distributions, but have delivered tremendous upside in share price over the last six months. These aren't no-name companies, either. To make the list, each stock has to have a yield of at least 2% and a market capitalization of at least $2 billion.

Next:10. Synchrony Financial (ticker: SYF) Credit

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10. Synchrony Financial (ticker: SYF)

Synchrony is a consumer-focused financial firm that specializes in online banking services. Born out of GE Capital, the firm was spun off after General Electric Co. (GE) faced a cash crunch in the wake of the financial crisis and had an initial public offering as its own entity in 2014. While SYF isn't as well-heeled as the biggest banks, it has the benefit of being a 21st century operation with online-focused business lines and important private-label credit card partnerships with third parties like retailers or entertainment companies. Business has been booming lately and so has SYF stock.

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Year-to-date gains: 50%
Current yield: 2.4%

Next:

These dividend payers have surged.

Halfway through the year, it’s been a doozy for investors. The S&P 500 index of large-cap stocks has tacked on 18% through the end of June, and despite continued talks of trade wars or an economic slowdown, it appears the bull market is running strong. Meanwhile, a select group of dividend payers has surged more than 50% in the same period. These 10 income investments not only offer regular distributions, but have delivered tremendous upside in share price over the last six months. These aren't no-name companies, either. To make the list, each stock has to have a yield of at least 2% and a market capitalization of at least $2 billion.

10. Synchrony Financial (ticker: SYF)

Synchrony is a consumer-focused financial firm that specializes in online banking services. Born out of GE Capital, the firm was spun off after General Electric Co. (GE) faced a cash crunch in the wake of the financial crisis and had an initial public offering as its own entity in 2014. While SYF isn't as well-heeled as the biggest banks, it has the benefit of being a 21st century operation with online-focused business lines and important private-label credit card partnerships with third parties like retailers or entertainment companies. Business has been booming lately and so has SYF stock.

Year-to-date gains: 50%
Current yield: 2.4%

9. ManpowerGroup (MAN)

Staffing firm Manpower is a resource for companies whether they are simply looking to cut costs by using temps or fast-growing firms that need help immediately as they figure out long-term staffing needs. With the economy near "full employment" in the U.S. and hiring particularly difficult, it's this latter solution that has made MAN indispensable. It's worth noting that shares are still down significantly from the beginning of 2018, when eager investors got a bit ahead of themselves, but MAN has come roaring back as of late – and recently bumped its twice-annual dividend to boot.

Year-to-date gains: 50%
Current yield: 2.2%

8. Ares Management Corp. (ARES)

Investment firm Ares is an institutional asset manager, operating much like a hedge fund. However, while you have to have a massive portfolio and important connections to get into the hedge fund’s client roll, all you need is a brokerage account to share in the success of Ares. That's because the firm passes on a portion of its profits to shareholders via regular dividends, including cash from management fees and capital earned on its direct investments. Payouts can fluctuate quarter to quarter based on performance, but in 2019 things have been going quite well for ARES shareholders.

Year-to-date gains: 50%
Current yield: 4.8%

7. Cohen & Steers (CNS)

Cohen & Steers is another hedge fund-like stock, passing on a portion of its profits to shareholders via dividends and seeing its fate rise and fall based on its portfolio. CNS has had a great 2019 as the bull market has kept running and shareholders have cashed in significantly as a result. One word of note on the payouts: There is typically a much bigger distribution in the fourth quarter than during other quarters, but the annualized payout rate is still very generous.

Year-to-date gains: 51%
Current yield: 7.4%

6. Kosmos Energy Ltd. (KOS)

Deepwater explorer Kosmos has been rallying nicely in 2019 along with crude oil, as the better pricing means bigger profits. In an era of cheap onshore energy thanks to fracking, many offshore stocks have suffered because their extraction methods are comparatively much more expensive and margins are razor thin. However, as oil surged from a low near $40 to start the year to current levels around $60, things have been much better for companies like Kosmos. That's reflected in its share price, as well as dividends since this stock recently instituted a 4.5-cent payout per quarter because of improving finances.

Year-to-date gains: 51%
Current yield: 2.9%

5. The Blackstone Group (BX)

Blackstone is one of the biggest investment firms in the world, operating in many ways like a private equity fund. In addition to providing asset management services for clients, where it simply manages a portfolio of stocks and bonds for high net-worth individuals, BX also invests capital in real estate, credit-focused opportunities and other hedge-fund like strategies. Dividends are substantial but inconsistent, since profits ebb and flow based on performance. And as Blackstone has done well lately, its stock has surged in addition to the payouts.

Year-to-date gains: 54%
Current yield: 3.2%

4. Navient Corp. (NAVI)

Student loan servicer Navient hasn't gone much of anywhere in the last five years, save for a few short-lived ups and downs. One of the big downs occurred in December 2018, but since then, NAVI stock has been rallying soundly. There are long-term concerns about the sustainability of this company, given the current student loan crisis and talk of a Democratic platform that would include massive student loan relief. However, thus far in 2019 it has been a decent move to hold Navient.

Year-to-date gains: 57%
Current yield: 4.7%

3. Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. (SMG)

SMG was a momentum darling in 2017 thanks to a strange interest from cannabis investors. With legalization marijuana in Canada and continued decriminalization across parts of the U.S., Scotts' hydroponic growing business and the acquisition of marijuana-related assets were seen as a massive growth opportunity. Except that in 2018, SMG sold off big-time as interest waned. Shares have recovered most of those losses with a big rally in 2019, however, and a well-timed buy at the beginning of the year would have you sitting pretty in this dividend stock.

Year-to-date gains: 60%
Current yield: 2.2%

2. Coty (COTY)

Though shares have run into a snag this summer and given up some of their gains, beauty giant Coty has surged in 2019 on hopes of a turnaround for a stock that has fallen pretty hard from its 2015 highs. The brand behind Cover Girl and Clairol as well as perfumes co-branded by top names such as Calvin Klein has struggled to keep up with evolving consumer tastes and a highly competitive landscape. Restructuring has provided new hope the stock will get it together. Though a recent $3 billion write-down let some air out of the balloon, shares are still up significantly in 2019.

Year-to-date gains: 72%
Current yield: 3.7%

1. Xerox Corp. (XRX)

While paper is on the outs in a digital age, Xerox has been reinventing itself as a business solutions provider that offers cloud storage and print management software in addition to the copiers and printers that were its bread and butter in decades past. Shares are still down slightly from where they were five years ago and the gains in 2019 have largely been a short-term snap-back as the international company posted better earnings than investors expected. However, the big gains coupled with a substantial dividend at XRX are quite noteworthy.

Year-to-date gains: 82%
Current yield: 2.8%

Top dividend stocks up at least 50% – and more:

Xerox Corp. (XRX)Coty (COTY)Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. (SMG)Navient Corp. (NAVI)The Blackstone Group (BX)Kosmos Energy Ltd. (KOS)Cohen & Steers (CNS)Ares Management Corp. (ARES)ManpowerGroup (MAN)Synchrony Financial (SYF)1 of 13

Jeff Reeves, Contributor

A veteran journalist with extensive capital markets experience, Jeff Reeves began writing for ...  Read more

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