Value stocks right now are generally out of favor as the big Wall Street money has been flowing toward and into hot tech and social media names.

Dividend stocks can be a great way to boost your portfolio's growth potential or provide a form of passive income over the years. While not all dividend stocks are the same, finding great companies that can stand the test of time can enable you to magnify your returns through market ups and downs.

The same is true for stocks. Consider that global icon Apple Inc. (ticker: AAPL) yields a mere 0.4%, despite having roughly $100 billion in net income and one of the most entrenched brands in the planet. That's because it's easy to maintain a nominal dividend, but much harder to drive a huge yield – even for titans like Apple.