8 International Stocks That Pay Big Dividends

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Income hungry investors are often continually on the lookout for high yielding dividend stocks for their portfolios. Despite high profiles and mentions in the Wall Street Journal or Forbes, international stocks are often overlooked. One reason is that a significant number of well known companies trade their American depositary receipts (ADRs) on the over-the-counter pink sheet (OTCPNK) listings.

The pink sheets developed a negative connotation due to penny stock abuses, such as those committed by Stratton Oakmont and depicted in the Martin Scorsese film, The Wolf of Wall Street. However, the OTC markets are a less expensive way for a multinational company to offer its stock to the U.S. capital markets without the excessive costs of a NASDAQ or NYSE listing, especially when the company’s primary institutional investors are closer to home. 

Nevertheless, investors looking for high dividends with familiar name companies do themselves a disservice by dismissing an opportunity solely because of a Pink Sheet listing. The following 8 stocks are internationally known as leaders in their respective industrial sectors and well worth the consideration for a portfolio, bearing in mind the tax particulars when handling ADR dividends. All quotes are based on market prices at the time of this writing. 

Key Points in This Article:

• These foreign stocks provide investors with substantial dividend yields.
• Be mindful that dividends from foreign stocks may not be considered qualified.
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Mercedes-Benz Group AG

 Yield:  8.25%

52-week range: $12.55–$17.82

This summer, F1: The Movie is a box office hit. Starring Brad Pitt, the opening North American box-office take at the end of June was $55.6 million, with $144 million globally. German auto manufacturer Mercedes-Benz Group AG (OTCPK: MBGYY), which advised heavily on the film and whose motorsports role is highlighted extensively via its showcased GT63 APXGP Edition racer, is anticipated to be a big beneficiary from the positive audience reaction and word of mouth. With its extensive 99 year history in supplying premium quality luxury vehicles with sterling performance reputations, Mercedes-Benz continues to be a leader in the auto industry. Mercedes also notes that the fastest growing new demographic market for their luxury cars are Gen-Z women aged 16-24, so its association with F1: The Movie was a calculated, strategic marketing move.

As of Q2 2025, Mercedes-Benz anticipates 6-8% return on car sales. Van sales in 2024 notched 14.6% return and the company maintained a robust net industrial liquidity of €35 billion, even after returning around €10 billion to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. Significant amounts of R&D have been allocated to EVs, and its pioneering solar paint technology is touted as being able to supply enough power to drive 12,000km per year. This breakthrough can easily boost Mercedes revenues in the near term future. 

AP Moller-Maersk A/S

Yield: 12.41%

52-week range: $6.69–$9.97

Founded in 1904, AP Moller-Maersk A/S (OTCPK: AMKBY)  has been one of the largest companies by revenue in Denmark for many years, rivaled only of late by Ozempic drugmaker Novo Nordisk and children’s toymaker Lego. The company’s shipping containers are ubiquitous at maritime ports and shipping depots around the world. The company is one of the foremost world leaders in maritime cargo transport, logistics, terminal services and container manufacturing. The recent easing of Middle East and African hostilities should bode well for Maersk’s business going forward, now that trade routes through the Straits of Hormuz and the Congo River are less risky. 

In order to stay on the cutting edge of the shipping industry, Maersk recently unveiled its digital platform, Maersk Trade & Tariff Studio, to supply an AI based solution for navigating international customs and tariffs, starting in August. 

PT Astra International Tbk

Yield: 9.13%

52-week range: $5.15–$7.37

The example of the Japanese business model was not lost on Indonesia during the WWII occupation. While still a colony of the Dutch, Japanese forces took over control until Japan’s surrender in 1945. A 4-year war for Indonesian independence followed, finally removing Dutch control in 1949.

Eight years later, PT Astra International Tbk (OTCPK: PTAIY) was founded. It has since built itself into Indonesia’s largest automotive company. However, while its core business is automotive, PT Astra International Tbk has become a true conglomerate in a similar vein to Japan’s Mitsubishi.  Ironically, Mitsubishi is the one Japanese automotive company PT Astra International Tbk does not have a partnership with, since Honda, Isuzu, Toyota, and Daihatsu are all represented by it in Indonesia. 

PT Astra International Tbk’s conglomerate encompasses the following additional sectors:

• Banking
• Mining
• Construction
• Heavy machinery manufacturing
• Agriculture
• Energy
• Real estate
• Information technology

Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk

Yield: 8.93%

52-week range: $10.20–$18.25

Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (OTCPK: BKRKY), which trades on the IDX under BBRI, is presently the largest publicly traded Indonesian company by market cap. The company was announced to have made the Forbes Global 2000 list for 2025, placing it at #349. With U.S. $123.83 billion in assets, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk is a major Southeast Asian financial player. Apart from conventional standard banking products and services, the company’s range of specialty  financial services include:

• Microfinance for small entrepreneurs
• Franchise loans
• Cash collateral loans
• Time deposits
• Bank guarantees
• Foreign currencies

Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk is the nation’s oldest bank. It was founded during the Dutch colonial era in 1895, and continued to operate throughout the Japanese occupation during WWII and the subsequent post independence period of Indonesia’s history. 

BB Seguridade Participações SA

Yield: 9.76%

52-week range: $5.38–$8.08

As one of the largest market cap and insurance companies listed on the Brazilian exchange, BB Seguridade Participações SA (OTCPK: BBSEY) generates the bulk of its revenues from property, vehicle, and specialty risk insurance policy underwriting. Additionally, the company engages in reinsurance and in capitalization finance. BB Seguridade Participações SA’s other business is in insurance brokerage for reinsurance , life insurance, dental and pension plans, and health insurance for  business clients. 

Originally starting out as the insurance branch of Banco do Brasil in 1981, and officially founded in Sao Paulo in 2012 as a separate entity, BB Seguridade Participações SA went public in Brazil in 2013, and established its US ADRs in 2014. 

Orient Overseas (Int’l) Ltd.

Yield: 11.76%

52-week range: $59–$93.20

Hong Kong based Orient Overseas (Int’l) Ltd. (OTCPK: OROVY) trades on the Hong Kong exchange (0316) with ADRs available on the OTC Pink Sheets. Specializing in global logistics and maritime container transport, the company has 430 offices in 90 different countries. It was founded in 1969, and was ranked #11 in the world’s largest shipping companies by Leghorn Group last year. In addition to its large fleet of container ships, OOIL also manages and operates the Kaohsiung Container Terminal in Taiwan. The company previously managed Long Beach Container Terminal in CA until it was required to sell its rights to MacQuarie when COSCO, which is controlled by the Chinese government, took a majority stake in OOIL. 

Grupo Cibest SA/BanColumbia SA ADR

Yield: 17.13% (current) 33.01% (forward)

52-week range: $30.25–$46.68

Since its initial founding in 1875, Grupo Cibest SA/BanColumbia SA ADR (NYSE: CIB) has weathered the many geopolitical changes of its host nation, Colombia. BanColombia S.A. was the first Colombian company in 1995 to be listed on the NYSE (via its ADRs). It has since expanded to over 930 offices, with operations in Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Peru, Guatemala, and the Cayman Islands. A full-service financial institution, BanColombia S.A. offerings include, but are not limited to: automobile, personal, and education loans, credit and debit cards, securities brokerage services, fund transfers, lease and foreign trade financing, insurance, and pension funds. 

BanColumbia recently increased its dividend in May from $0.30 to $0.5745 per share. While Colombia boasts the 4th largest GDP in the Latin American region, the election of Gustavo Petro has led to slower economic growth and reduced investment, due to his left-leaning policies. On the other hand, BanColombia has led the move towards reducing interest rates for credit card holders, and, in coordination with the Petro administration, with assisting business growth via increased lending to the housing, agriculture, and tourism sectors. 

Vale S.A.

Yield: 14.19%

52-week range: $8.06–$12.05

With a $42 billion market cap, Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE), headquartered in Rio De Janeiro, is one of Brazil’s top conglomerate entities. Vale S.A.’s  global presence is in mining, most significantly, nickel and copper ore. The company also has extensive operations in the Brazilian rail transport, maritime port, and hydroelectric power industries. 

Thanks to the surge of AI industry development, a subsequent large proliferation of data centers to process the huge amounts of information required for AI have exploded in numerous locations around the globe. The trickle down effect continues, as commensurate expansion of electric power generation and distribution is necessary to operate the data centers without disrupting power grids for the rest of the cities housing the data centers, not to mention the physical connections demanded for high-speed data transmission. .

The huge amount of energy required to power AI and the proliferation of data centers needed to operate AI means that the corresponding electrical infrastructure must grow commensurately. As such, this means that copper electrical and data transmission wire and cable demand is expected to soar in the near and forthcoming future. Vale S.A’s  Salobo copper mines are the largest in Brazil, and is the reason the company is a top-10 copper supplier on the world market. Vale S.A. has already budgeted $3.3 billion to expand its copper production to 500,000 MT per year by 2030. 

Additionally, Vale S.A. is one of the largest nickel producers on the planet. Besides it being essential for Nickel-Cadmium (NiCad) batteries, nickel is a primary ingredient, along with iron ore, for the fabrication of stainless steel. Stainless steel is indispensable for the oil and gas, chemical, medical equipment, construction, and numerous other industries – all of which are expanding in the US, thanks to business-friendly policies. 

Vale S.A. current 14.19% yield, is largely due to previous geopolitical issues in South America and an executive succession issue, both of which have apparently been resolved, according to news reports.. 

Tax Considerations on Dividends From Foreign Companies

Even though stock positions may be held via ADRs, there are still certain tax considerations to bear in mind, depending on the domicile of the particular company. As a general rule of thumb to avoid any tax surprises, the following should be borne in mind:

• Taxes on ADR dividends are usually qualified dividends, so taxes would be at capital gains rates vs. higher income tax rates. 
• Foreign tax withholding can vary between different countries, and countries with US tax treaties will be at lower than standard rates, so checking for treaty status is advised.
• To avoid double taxation on the same dividend, IRS form 1116 to file for the foreign tax credit will allow US investors to offset their US tax liability on those dividends taxed abroad. 
• Retirement accounts, such as IRAs, cannot claim the foreign tax credit. 
• Consulting a financial professional on these tax matters is advised, especially if a portfolio holds dividend bearing ADRs from multiple countries. 

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