Jonas Elmerraji: 5 Big Stocks That Want to Pay You More in 2015

Up first is oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil, a stock that's hitting some historic dividend levels of its own in 2015. Exxon currently pays a higher dividend yield than any time since 1994. No, that's not just the result of bigger payouts; it has a lot to do with Exxon's 16% selloff over the course of the last six months. As oil prices start to stabilize, XOM could be worth a second look here.

$159 billion IT company International Business Machines is another beaten-down stock that should be on income investors' radar again. IBM has done a whole lot of nothing in the last few months, basing after an earnings-induced selloff in October. But shares are starting to show some momentum again, and shares trade for a gaunt 10 times earnings today. IBM also pays out a $1.10 quarterly dividend check today, which adds up to a 2.7% yield. Investors should expect a dividend hike alongside next month's earnings call.

It's true that large-cap health insurer UnitedHealth Group isn't exactly a "dividend stock" - it's not hard to beat the firm's 1.3% payout elsewhere in the health care sector. But look at UNH from a total returns standpoint, and things look a whole lot more impressive: UNH is up nearly 12% since the start of 2015, beating the S&P 500 by nearly quadruple. Tack a dividend hike onto that this year, and it might just be enough to warrant income investors' attention.

Nothing goes together quite like dividends and so-called "sin stocks". Case in point: Reynolds American. Reynolds is the No. 2 tobacco company in the U.S., a position that's going to get a lot bigger with the pending acquisition of Lorillard. For now, RAI's flagship is Camel (it's selling big brands Kool, Winston, and Salem as part of its merger, taking on Lorillard's Newport instead).

Last up on our list of potential dividend hikes is Discover Financial Services. Discover has built a stellar business out of being the No. 4 payment network, a feat that has a lot to do with the fast growth of electronic payments. As a rising tide lifts all ships in the payments space, Discover should continue to rally. Right now, the firm pays a 1.6% dividend, but that looks ready to rise in as soon as next week.