When it comes to stocks, they say past performance is no guarantee of future results (and that’s true). Still, past performance is often a good indicator of what’s to come.
With this as background, anyone looking for high-quality passive income at this time may want to start with the most reliable dividend payers on the market, as well as the most reliable dividend growers. These are the so-called Dividend Kings. Here are the details on the top five of these names you can bet on right now.
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If you’re not familiar with them, they’re not difficult to understand. A dividend king is a stock that has increased its dividend per share every year for at least 50 consecutive years. There is no minimum annual growth required…just a certain increase in annual dividend payments.
Of course, the impressive thing about these companies is that they’ve still been able to continue paying and growing their annual dividends. This shows that they have raised dividends in good years, but it also shows that they are financially capable of overcoming competition and economic headwinds to raise dividends in bad years, time and time again.
Of course, there’s a trade-off. Income investments tend not to grow quickly; single-digit percentage revenue and earnings growth is the norm for the vast majority of dividend kings.
Still, the trade-off is often worth it for investors who need reliable income and income growth that beats inflation.
If that’s you, here are five that might find a spot in your portfolio.
Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) This is such a commonly recommended stock pick that it’s almost become a cliché. Clichés, on the other hand, arise because they are often true.
You probably already know why Procter & Gamble has been able to increase its dividend payments every year for the past 69 years (and for the next 70 years). That said, it’s the parent company of some of the world’s best-known consumer products, such as Pampers diapers, Tide laundry detergent, Gillette razors, Dawn dish soap, and Crest toothpaste, to name a few. These are familiar brands that consumers buy over and over again, mostly out of habit and sheer comfort. These habits are also often passed down from generation to generation.
P&G also has enough market share to prevent potential competitors from penetrating its market, just as it is large enough to influence its retail partners to highlight its products.
Procter & Gamble’s forward dividend yield currently stands at 2.6%.
Just like beverage giant Procter & Gamble Coca Cola (NYSE: KO) is one of the most popular dividend stocks in the consumer staples industry. If you already have it, no problem. However, there is now a reason to join the competition. Pepsi (NASDAQ:PEP) Its yield is higher, at 3.5%.
If you’ve been following the company closely, you probably know that this suggestion seems a little “off.” Coca-Cola’s stock has performed well since 2024, while PepsiCo’s stock has underperformed, largely due to weakness in its food and snack chip businesses.
Dig deeper, though, and you’ll find that new, more relevant products like low-sodium chips and high-protein snacks should help it more easily extend its 54-year track record of dividend growth.
As you may have guessed, water america (NASDAQ:HTO) is a water company; you used to know the utility as SJW Group.
It’s also the perfect business to support its dividend. Consumers may forego buying some new clothes or put off buying a new car. But they will pay whatever is necessary to keep the taps running. That’s how the utility company has increased its dividend payments for 58 consecutive years.
When the stock yields a respectable 3.1%, you’re looking to keep the momentum going.
Kimberly Clarkof (Nasdaq: KMB) The record of annual dividend growth is nearly as strong, spanning 54 years.
You may be more familiar with this costume than you think. Kimberly-Clark produces a range of important paper products, including Huggies diapers, facial tissues, Cottonelle toilet paper, etc. None of this will change the world. However, all of this is very necessary every day.
What’s more: Owning shares of Kimberly-Clark may not provide a lot of growth, but with a forward yield of 4.6%, the newcomer will be entering the market with the highest starting yield of the five dividend kings focused on here.
Last but not least, add Emerson Electric (NYSE:EMR) When a stock yields 1.5%, you’ll be first on the dividend royalty list. That’s not big. But the fact that this company has been able to increase its dividend payout per share for 68 consecutive years is worthwhile for long-term income investors.
And then there are more timely matters.
Simply put, Emerson provides industrial automation solutions. From control systems to pneumatics, vacuum equipment, pressure relief valves to actuators, and the software to manage it all, this company provides all the equipment that factories and assembly plants need, but no one gives it a second thought.
This is a business that will never go away and certainly will never be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). That’s why Emerson continues to be profitable, which not only supports continued dividend payments and payout growth, but also adds to that value by funding ongoing share repurchases… not much, but enough to make a difference.
That’s not the core reason why you’d want to own shares of this company right now, though. Arguably underrated is the possibility that AI will actually create demand for industrial automation solutions like Emerson’s because AI can take full advantage of them. As CFO Michael Baughman commented during the first-quarter earnings call in early February: “As we saw today, the threat from artificial intelligence to our software business is very minimal. In fact, as a comparison, [the] Frankly, we’re building AI capabilities into our software, which should accelerate growth. “
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James Brumley worked for Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble. The Motley Fool owns and recommends Emerson Electric. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Looking for passive income in 2026? 5 Dividend King stocks to buy and hand over fist. Originally posted by The Motley Fool