Small cap dividend stocks offer an appealing combination of income and growth potential, but safety remains paramount for investors seeking reliable distributions. Among sub-$10 billion companies paying dividends, six names stand out for their commitment to shareholder returns backed by operational strength and conservative payout policies. These companies range from a 208-year-old water utility to... From 208-Year-Old Utilities to Modern BDCs: Where Safe Income Meets Growth.

York Water remains a high-quality, conservative water utility, with a strong regulatory relationship and robust infrastructure maintenance. I maintain a Buy rating, with a reduced price target, reflecting prudent adjustments for increased debt and interest expense. YORW trades below 25x P/E, offering over 20% upside to a forward fair value based on historical multiples.

York Water (Nasdaq: YORW) declared a quarterly dividend of $0.228 per share in November 2025, marking a 4.0% increase from the prior year and extending a payment streak that stretches back over a decade.

Dividend stocks have more than doubled the average annual return of non-payers over the previous 51 years. Only around two dozen public companies (out of more than 5,500 listings) have been paying a continuous dividend for at least 100 years.

York Water (YORW) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.43 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.38 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.41 per share a year ago.

York Water has continuously paid a dividend to shareholders for more than 200 years. The water utility's recently filed rate case and incremental acquisitions could soon return it to growth. York Water maintains an A- S&P credit rating.

Both California Water Service and York Water have the potential to expand even further and efficiently serve their customers.

Despite periods of heightened volatility on Wall Street, it's turned into a banner year for the benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.44%), ageless Dow Jones Industrial Average, and growth-propelled Nasdaq Composite. All three major indexes have catapulted to multiple record-closing highs in 2025 in spite of dipping firmly into correction territory or a bear market (for the Nasdaq) in early April.

York Water (YORW) might move higher on growing optimism about its earnings prospects, which is reflected by its upgrade to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

The York Water Company's stock has given back its prior year-to-date gains, which presents another buying opportunity. The company has delivered more than 200 years of consecutive dividend payments and 29 years of dividend growth. Revenue growth is accelerating, and I expect EPS to rebound as interest rates start to decline.