Just looking back at how dividend stocks performed in 2019, and it's interesting to see which ones actually delivered. The highest dividend stocks that year came from some unexpected places -- investment management firms like Carlyle Group, Apollo, and Blackstone absolutely crushed it, with returns over 100%. Makes sense given how strong the market was that year.

What caught my attention is how three tech plays also dominated the list. Western Digital and Seagate both benefited from strong data storage demand, while Mobile TeleSystems (the Russian telecom) had that crazy 8.7% yield. High yields like that usually come with more volatility though -- MTS barely moved over the decade despite that great 2019.

The energy and utility sectors also showed up well. TC Energy and Phillips 66 Partners both had solid runs, and utilities like Southern Company and Brookfield Infrastructure Partners rounded out the top performers. These are the kinds of companies people typically look at when they want consistent dividend income.

Looking back now, it's a good reminder of what the highest dividend stocks looked like during that particular market cycle. The investment firms leading the charge made sense given all the capital flowing around in 2019, but the real lesson is how different sectors rotated in and out of favor.