Dividend Kings are a unique class of stock that offers investors a phenomenal track record of annual dividend increases.
These elite members of the Dividend Aristocrats (companies in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index that have raised payouts once a year for 25 years running) have far more extensive track records.
Specifically, Dividend Kings must have a minimum of 50 consecutive years of uninterrupted annual dividend hikes.
Dividend Kings' appeal should be obvious amid surges in volatility and uncertainty not seen since 2020's COVID-19 outbreak.
Many dividend stocks cut or even suspended their payouts amid widespread disruptions five years ago.
Income investors who had hoped these companies would reduce their personal risk simply because they paid dividends received a rude awakening as payout cuts accompanied deep share price declines.
With half a century of increasing distributions, however, Dividend Kings have a great track record that adds a layer of stability in an otherwise uncertain market environment.
Nothing is ever certain on Wall Street, but these are 14 of the best stocks to buy for dividend growth.
The names featured here are longtime leaders with more than 55 years of dividend increases, making them a bit more trustworthy than your typical income investment.
One pick has a track record of 70 straight dividend hikes.
The list of Dividend Aristocrats is maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Dividend yields are calculated by annualizing the most recent payout and dividing by the share price. Dividend history based on company information and S&P data.
Dividend-growth streaks include the current year if the company has announced a dividend hike in 2025.
Data is as of April 24.
Hormel
- Sector: Consumer staples
- Market value: $16.6 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 59
- Dividend yield: 3.8%
Hormel Foods (HRL, $30.19) is perhaps best known to consumers for its eponymous lunch meats. But it also offers other popular items such as Skippy peanut butter, Chi-Chi's salsa and Dinty Moore stew.
HRL's strong brand portfolio supports consistent revenue and cash flow that have fueled 59 consecutive annual increases to its dividend.
Minnesota-based Hormel was founded in 1891. It's been a difficult half-decade for the stock as investors have turned their attention to riskier growth stocks, but HRL has a strong long-term track record.
Over the past 20 years, HRL stock has performed broadly in line with the S&P 500 on a total return basis (price change plus dividends). And so far in 2025 HRL is up 0.1% vs a loss of 8.2% for the index.
Consumer staples stocks like Hormel are great ways to weather any economic downturn, as people cutting back on spending will eat at home more to save some cash.
More than 40 brands are either No. 1 or No. 2 in their respective categories, a clear benefit the bottom line for one of Wall Street's top Dividend Kings.
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Lancaster Colony
- Sector: Consumer staples
- Market value: $5.2 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 62
- Dividend yield: 2.0%
Lancaster Colony (LANC, $190.33) manufactures food products under a host of familiar consumer brands such as Marzetti salad dressings, New York Bakery bread and Sister Schubert's cinnamon rolls.
It also sells licensed products such as Buffalo Wild Wings and Chick-fil-A sauces. The company sells its products directly to restaurants.
The Foodservice segment is particularly noteworthy, as it represents a big share of revenue.
During its fiscal 2025 second quarter, Lancaster Colony reported total sales of $509.3 million, up 4.8% year over year and a company record for a three-month period.
Retail net sales grew by 6.3% to $280.8 million, while Foodservice net sales increased by 3.0% to $228.5 million.
LANC has stabilized since 2020 and is now putting up consistent revenue and profit numbers once more.
It's also a testament to LANC's long-term commitment to dividends that it didn't interrupt its streak of consecutive payout increases.
And, in November 2024, the company announced it had raised its quarterly dividend to 95 cents per common share.
That's 62 consecutive years of payout growth for this Dividend King.
LANC stock has been a standout performer so far in 2025, with a total return of 11% vs a loss of more than 8% for the S&P 500.
LANC has outperformed the S&P 500 over the past 20 years as well, with an average annual return of 11% vs 10% for the index.
Long-term investors have good reason to believe this Dividend King will continue to generously share its success going forward.
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Coca-Cola
- Sector: Consumer staples
- Market value: $311.9 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 63
- Dividend yield: 2.8%
Weighing in at roughly $312 billion in market cap and boasting some of the most powerful consumer brands on the planet, Coca-Cola (KO, $72.52) is a blue-chip icon and a mainstay in many dividend portfolios.
There are a host of reasons underscoring the stock's stability, including six decades of dividend increases and more than 135 years of successful operations.
Additionally, KO has long been a member of the Berkshire Hathaway equity portfolio, with Warren Buffett's holding company currently Coke's largest shareholder.
Last but not least, the stable nature of its revenue in tough times makes Coca-Cola a "safe haven" of sorts, as seen in its notable gain in 2022, a year in which most other stocks on Wall Street stumbled.
And it's up more than 18% so far in 2025 as the S&P 500 has shed more than 8%.
Some have soured on Coca-Cola in recent years over fears that its sugary soft drinks are falling out of favor.
However, it's worth noting the company has a wide array of brands that cater to the healthier-living trend, including Smartwater and Vitaminwater.
Plus, analysts see steady revenue growth for the company over the next several years.
All in all, KO is one Dividend King with long-term stability unmatched by most other stocks.
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Nordson
- Sector: Industrials
- Market value: $10.8 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 61
- Dividend yield: 1.7%
Nordson (NDSN, $189.45), a mid-sized industrial stock is valued at around $11 billion that makes adhesives, coatings, polymers and sealants, isn't the most exciting member of the Dividend Kings.
But long-term dividend investors aren't always concerned with flash.
The bottom line is that Nordson has a rich history of protecting shareholder value since its founding in 1935, with 61 years of consecutive dividend increases.
What's more, things are looking up in the short term, with NDSN increasing sales 2% year over year to $662 million in fiscal 2024.
A favorable acquisition influenced the increase, which offset a decrease in organic sales due to lower demand for the company's medical products and electronics.
Nordson may not be a household name, that's for sure. But it's a Dividend King worth considering all the same.
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Colgate-Palmolive
- Sector: Consumer staples
- Market value: $75.2 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 62
- Dividend yield: 2.2%
Colgate-Palmolive (CL, $92.70) is a mainstay of households around the world, as well as a presence in many dividend investor portfolios.
That's because it generates consistent, recession-proof revenue from its wide array of consumer brands that include Colgate and Tom's toothpaste, Speed Stick deodorant, Palmolive soap and Hill's pet food, among others.
CL is a go-to investment for low-risk portfolios thanks to stable operations in any environment. After all, folks will buy toothpaste and cleaning products regardless of whether the economy is up or down.
Its reliable commitment to dividend increases makes this an attractive option among Dividend Kings for those looking for one of the best long-term investment stocks to buy.
And with dividends less than two-thirds of total earnings, there is ample headroom for future increases down the road, too.
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Cincinnati Financial
- Sector: Financials
- Market value: $21.2 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 65
- Dividend yield: 2.6%
Cincinnati Financial (CINF, $135.36) is an investment and insurance company based in Ohio, with about 5,400 employees and a market value of around $21 billion.
Unlike high-profile insurance firms such as American International Group (AIG) that were forced to cut or eliminate dividends during the 2008 financial crisis, CINF has a tremendous track record of consistency.
This includes six straight decades of dividend increases. And lately the boosts haven't been just a penny here or there, either.
In January, CINF boosted its quarterly payment by 7% to 87 cents per share. The current payout is up 89% from where it was 10 years ago.
What's more, high-single-digit profit-growth projections for this fiscal year and next should more than cover that dividend twice over, a hint that future increases are well within the budget.
The financial stock has outpaced the broader S&P 500 so far this year, and the company's rock-solid insurance business should continue to rake in the premiums and perform well over the long term.
That consistency is the hallmark of a good buy-and-hold income investment and one with a high likelihood of increased dividends down the road.
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Johnson & Johnson
- Sector: Healthcare
- Market value: $372.8 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 63
- Dividend yield: 3.4%
Though not a mega-cap tech stock, healthcare icon Johnson & Johnson (JNJ, $154.93) is among the top 20 U.S. corporations by market capitalization.
This scale gives it unrivaled stability, particularly since many index funds are weighted by market value and, as a result, hold an outsized amount of JNJ shares.
On top of a nearly $378 billion market cap and wide institutional ownership, this Dividend King is also one of just two corporations — fellow Dow Jones stock Microsoft (MSFT) being the other — that gets a vaunted AAA credit rating on its debt.
Johnson & Johnson spun off its consumer brands division in mid-2023 in order to free up its high-margin healthcare firm.
JNJ is now able to focus on developed branded drugs to treat a variety of conditions such as cancer and HIV, while the now-split Kenvue (KVUE) owns massive over-the-counter products like Tylenol and Benadryl.
And to add another layer of stability, healthcare is an incredibly reliable sector, since those who are sick seek out care regardless of whether the market is down or the unemployment rate is up.
With unrivaled scale and a business model that's built to last, JNJ stock should be a consistent performer in any portfolio.
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Parker-Hannifin
- Sector: Industrials
- Market value: $76.8 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 69
- Dividend yield: 1.1%
Parker-Hannifin (PH, $596.81) is another low-profile industrial stock with a long-term commitment to dividend increases.
The Ohio-based company was founded in 1917 and, for more than half of its existence, has delivered consecutive annual dividend increases to shareholders.
PH manufactures motion and control technologies, thermal shields, fluid control systems, jet engines and other aerospace parts.
While a lot of its business is decidedly mundane, providing coatings and hoses and pumps, there is an innovative core to Parker-Hannifin that's looking to play an increasingly important role in the age of climate change.
For instance, in 2022, privately held Eviation Aircraft engaged PH's aerospace division to develop six technology packages for a first-of-its-kind all-electric commuter aircraft.
This kind of experimentation might not pay off immediately, but it ensures the solid core business won't be left behind in the decades ahead.
The dividend history of Parker-Hannifin also shows a long-term perspective. Just six short years ago, PH was paying 88 cents per share as its quarterly dividend.
Despite the significant disruptions caused by the pandemic, inflation and rising interest rates, the company is now delivering a $1.80 per share dividend — more than double the payday!
This, alongside the six decades of increases, is proof positive that PH is a company committed to paying back its shareholders.
And that makes it a solid choice among Dividend Kings to watch going forward.
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Emerson Electric
- Sector: Industrials
- Market value: $59.3 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 68
- Dividend yield: 2.1%
Like many of the Dividend Kings featured here, the more than $60-billion Emerson Electric (EMR, $105.05) is appealing because it's a company with fingers in many pies.
EMR provides various automation and measurement solutions around the globe, including products for oil refiners, chemicals companies, life sciences firms and food and beverage producers.
It also makes HVAC gear that includes "smart" thermostats and temperature sensors.
These markets have substantial long-term growth potential, particularly the automation line that is helping many industries keep labor costs down and defend their margins in an era of higher inflation.
Additionally, the harsh realities of global warming and extreme weather have made modern HVAC systems a mainstay for the growing middle classes in emerging markets.
Emerson was founded back in 1890 in St. Louis and has a long and proven history of dividend increases across all manner of market environments.
And based on sustainable tailwinds for its broader business model, there's a good chance for future paydays to be even bigger down the road.
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Genuine Parts
- Sector: Consumer discretionary
- Market value: $16.3 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 69
- Dividend yield: 3.6%
Genuine Parts (GPC, $117.09) is a $16 billion automotive replacement parts dealer and industrial materials supplier perhaps best known for its NAPA nameplate.
Its goods are necessary for maintenance of all manner of vehicles from hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs) to trucks to buses to motorcycles and even farm equipment.
It also distributes industrial replacement parts and related supplies, such as bearings, mechanical and electrical power transmission products across a wide swath of North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
GPC is a bit more cyclical than some of the other Dividend Kings on this list.
However, with the average age of a vehicle on U.S. roads now up to a stunning 12.6 years old, according to research from S&P Global Mobility, it's clear that repairs and maintenance are a necessary part of transportation for households regardless of the ups and downs of the broader economy.
Genuine Parts was incorporated almost 100 years ago and has weathered plenty of storms along the way.
One thing it has never given up on regardless of the economic challenges is its six-decade commitment to dividend increases.
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Northwest Natural
- Sector: Utilities
- Market value: $1.8 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 69
- Dividend yield: 4.5%
Northwest Natural Holding (NWN, $43.97) is a regulated natural gas utility valued at $1.6 billion.
NWN serves about 2 million customers in Oregon and southwest Washington. It also provides about 33,000 water and wastewater connections in the Pacific Northwest and Texas, though the gas business is its bread and butter.
Despite declining natural gas prices, NWN is seeing steady top- and bottom-line growth even in the highly regulated utilities sector.
Although that growth is expected to slow, analysts believe the company's future revenue will climb in rough lockstep with the industry.
Northwest Natural was founded in 1859 and has deep roots in the region.
This Dividend King also has a long-term commitment to sharing the wealth with its stakeholders, as evidenced by more than six decades of consecutive dividend hikes.
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Procter & Gamble
- Sector: Consumer staples
- Market value: $374.1 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 69
- Dividend yield: 2.6%
Procter & Gamble (PG, $159.53) is perhaps one of the best-known dividend stocks on Wall Street. It is also one of the most consistent when it comes to increasing those payouts over time.
The more than $350 billion consumer giant has some of the biggest brands in the world, adding up to large and reliable revenue streams that are hard for other companies to match.
PG's wide product portfolio includes Pampers diapers, Tide laundry detergent, Charmin toilet paper and a host of other goods that are mainstays of consumers worldwide.
These also are recession-proof expenses that don't get carved out of family budgets when times get a bit tight, so there's no risk of a steep and unexpected pullback as you might see in more cyclical stocks.
P&G reported fiscal 2024 net earnings per share of $6.02.
Considering annual dividends total just $4.23 per share (or approximately two-thirds of those earnings), there's a good chance of continuing dividend increases going forward as the company prospers.
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Dover
- Sector: Industrials
- Market value: $23.3 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 69
- Dividend yield: 1.2%
You might not recognize this stock immediately, but at more than $23 billion in market value, Dover (DOV, $169.72.) is actually in the top 350 or so U.S. corporations when ranked by size.
The industrial stock is focused on specialty machinery, including after-market vehicle exhaust systems, precision bar coding and logistics solutions, refrigeration systems and industrial winches.
The wide array of products lends some diversification to Dover's top line.
And while some corporations are struggling with supply-chain disruptions, it's worth noting that DOV is projecting a steady, albeit modest, revenue rise this fiscal year and growth commensurate with industry peers.
What's really impressive is the uptrend in profits, as earnings per share jumped to $9.15 in 2024 from $8.79. And in 2025 they're expected to reach $9.40.
The company has a track record of 69 straight years of dividend boosts, one of the best among the Dividend Kings.
And based on those improving fundamentals, investors can depend on more payout increases going forward, too.
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American States Water
- Sector: Utilities
- Market value: $3.0 billion
- Consecutive dividend increases: 70
- Dividend yield: 2.3%
When it comes to reliability and income, utility stocks are the kind of investments that many dividend investors take to the bank.
American States Water (AWR, $79.38) might not be the first name that you think of when you think of utilities. But, given its tremendous track record of dividend increases, this stock is certainly worth a look.
Unlike power companies, AWR provides water and wastewater services to municipalities and military bases. All told, its connections give it access to more than 264,000 customers located throughout 10 counties in California.
It also has a very small electricity generation business serving about 25,000 customers in the San Bernardino County mountain communities, but its water business is what really drives the bottom line.
Water is as much a necessity as electricity, and as a result, American States has tremendous reliability in its revenue — and consistent increases to its dividends, too.
This is based on its best-in-class history of an amazing 70 years of consecutive hikes — the most of any of the Dividend Kings featured here.
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