Investors love dividend stocks because they provide dependable passive income streams and an excellent opportunity for solid total return. Total return includes interest, capital gains, dividends, and distributions realized over time. In other words, the total return on an investment or portfolio consists of income and stock appreciation. Here at 247 Wall St., we consistently emphasize the power of total return to our readers. This strategy can significantly boost your overall investing success. Total return is the combined increase in a stock’s value and the dividends it pays.
Companies that have raised their dividends for shareholders for 50 years or longer are the kind of investments that passive income investors need to own. Dependability is crucial for individuals seeking to increase their annual income through dividend stock investments. The Dividend Kings are 55 companies that have raised their dividends for 50 years, a testament to their dependability and reliability. Those are two “must-have” items for investors who rely on passive income to boost their overall revenue. Unlike the Dividend Aristocrats, the Dividend Kings do not have to be members of the S&P 500.
While doing mid-year research on the Dividend Kings, we discovered that five top companies have posted massive double-digit total return figures year to date. When compared to the meager gains of 2.6% for the S&P 500 and 2% for the Nasdaq, the five leading gainers from the Dividend Kings are burying those numbers with total return gains from 16.08% to almost 40%. While it remains to be seen if they can keep up the huge gains, investors who own them now are doing victory laps and sharing high-fives. All five total return champs are also Buy-rated by top Wall Street firms we cover. For reference, the gains are as of the end of May.
Why we recommend the Dividend Kings
Companies that have paid and raised their dividends for 50 years or longer are the kind that growth and income investors want to buy and hold in stock portfolios forever. These stocks are mostly conservative, and should we see a dramatic market correction, they will likely hold their ground much better than volatile technology names.
National Fuel Gas
National Fuel Gas Co. (NYSE: NFG | NFG Price Prediction) distributes and transports natural gas to hundreds of thousands of customers in Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania. This stock is right on the verge of breaking out to new 52-week highs and has posted a stunning 39.9% total return for investors this year. National Fuel Gas is a diversified energy company.
It operates through four segments:
- Exploration and Production
- Pipeline and Storage
- Gathering
- Utility
The Exploration and Production segment explores, develops, and produces natural gas and oil.
The Pipeline and Storage segment provides interstate natural gas transportation services through an integrated gas pipeline system in Pennsylvania and New York, and it owns and operates underground natural gas storage fields.
This segment also transports natural gas for the National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation and other utilities, industrial companies, and power producers in New York State.
The Gathering segment builds, owns, and operates natural gas processing and pipeline gathering facilities in the Appalachian region and provides gathering services to Seneca.
The Utility segment sells natural gas or provides natural gas utility services to various customers in:
- Buffalo
- Niagara Falls
- Jamestown
- Erie and Sharon in Pennsylvania
Abbott Laboratories
This healthcare giant presents an excellent investment opportunity for 2025. Abbott Laboratories Inc. (NYSE: ABT) is engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of a broad and diversified line of healthcare products.
The company operates through four segments:
- Established Pharmaceutical Products
- Diagnostic Products
- Nutritional Products
- Medical Devices
- Established Pharmaceutical Products
The Diagnostic Products segment is engaged in the worldwide sales of diagnostic systems and tests for blood banks, hospitals, commercial laboratories, and alternate-care testing sites.
The Nutritional Products segment is involved in the worldwide sales of a broad line of adult and pediatric nutritional products.
The Medical Devices segment includes the worldwide sales of:
- Rhythm management
- Electrophysiology
- Heart failure
- Vascular
- Structural heart
- Neuromodulation
- Diabetes care products
The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment is engaged in the international sales of a broad line of branded generic pharmaceutical products.
Stifel has a Buy rating on the shares with a $145 target price.
Consolidated Edison
Consolidated Edison Inc. (NYSE: ED) is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States. This old-school utility stock offers income investors the stability and track record many seek now and is posting a total return gain for 2025 gain of a whopping 20.53%. Consolidated Edison engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States.
It offers electric services to approximately:
- 3.6 million customers in New York City and Westchester County
- Gas to about 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County
- Steam to approximately 1,530 customers in parts of Manhattan
The company also supplies electricity to approximately 0.3 million customers in southeastern New York and northern New Jersey and gas to about 0.1 million customers in southeastern New York.
In addition, it operates:
- 543 circuit miles of transmission lines
- 15 transmission substations
- 63 distribution substations
- 87,951 in-service line transformers
- 3,869 pole miles of overhead distribution lines
- 2,320 miles of underground distribution lines
- 4,359 miles of mains
- 377,741 service lines for natural gas distribution
Consolidated Edison owns, develops, and operates renewable and energy infrastructure projects, provides energy-related products and services to wholesale and retail customers, and invests in electric and gas transmission projects.
Citigroup has a Buy rating with a $120 target price.
Altria
This is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and related products. This tobacco company offers value investors a compelling entry point, a generous dividend yield, and a sparkling 16.62% total return gain in 2025. Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO) manufactures and sells smokable and oral tobacco products in the United States through its subsidiaries.
The company provides cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand, as well as:
- Cigars and pipe tobacco, principally under the Black & Mild and Middleton brands
- Moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands
- on! Oral nicotine pouches
- e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand
It sells its tobacco products primarily to wholesalers, including distributors and large retail organizations, such as chain stores.
Altria used to own over 10% of Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A. (NYSE: BUD), the world’s largest brewer. Earlier this year, the company sold 35 million of its 197 million shares through a global secondary offering. That represents 18% of its holdings but still leaves 8% of the outstanding shares in its back pocket. Altria also announced a $2.4 billion stock repurchase plan partially funded by the sale.
Stifel has a Buy rating with a $63 target price.
Fortis
Fortis Inc. (NYSE: FTS) is a leader in the regulated gas and electric utility industry in North America and is a Dividend King, sporting a solid 16.08% total return gain in 2025. This is an off-the-radar utility stock that will benefit significantly if interest rates remain unchanged, and could skyrocket with rate cuts. Fortis is a Canada-based diversified regulated electric and gas utility holding company.
Its regulated utility businesses include:
- ITC Investment Holdings
- ITC Holdings
The electric transmission operations of its regulated operating subsidiaries include:
- International Transmission
- Michigan Electric Transmission
- ITC Midwest
- Great Plains
- UNS Energy (which includes Tucson Electric Power, UNS Electric, and UNS Gas)
- CH Energy Group (which includes Central Hudson Gas & Electric)
Its regulated utility businesses also include:
- FortisBC Energy
- FortisAlberta
- FortisBC
- Eastern Canadian and Caribbean utilities
- Newfoundland Power
- Maritime Electric
- FortisOntario
- FortisTCI
- Turks and Caicos Utilities
- Belize Electricity
ITC Holdings is the independent electricity transmission company.
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