In an uncertain market, dividend stocks stand out. Companies that provide consistent dividends prove they can provide reliable profits from their operations, which is perhaps just as important to many shareholders as the tangible payday provided via regular distributions.
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The best dividend stocks to buy now share this feature, but otherwise vary in appearance. Some are big-time banks with massive operations, while others are specialized health care or telecom firms. But whatever the specifics of their operations, these dividend standouts offer stability that is attractive for almost any investment portfolio.
The following 15 companies are among the best dividend stocks to buy now, as they boast dividends north of 2% and year-to-date returns of 19% or better. These firms are also well established, with more than $10 billion in total market value as of publication:
| Stock | Market Capitalization* | Forward Dividend Yield* | Year-to-date Performance* |
| Ambev SA (ticker: ABEV) | $38 billion | 6.6% | 24.9% |
| American Tower Corp. (AMT) | $102 billion | 3.0% | 19.2% |
| British American Tobacco PLC (BTI) | $117 billion | 5.8% | 44.6% |
| Carlyle Group Inc. (CG) | $22 billion | 2.2% | 22.9% |
| Citigroup Inc. (C) | $174 billion | 2.5% | 34.3% |
| CVS Health Corp. (CVS) | $76 billion | 4.5% | 35.0% |
| Deutsche Bank AG (DB) | $65 billion | 2.4% | 92.7% |
| Dollar General Corp. (DG) | $24 billion | 2.2% | 41.3% |
| Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) | $142 billion | 2.8% | 22.9% |
| Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI) | $22 billion | 2.2% | 88.7% |
| Hasbro Inc. (HAS) | $11 billion | 3.7% | 37.6% |
| Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) | $53 billion | 2.1% | 24.5% |
| Mosaic Co. (MOS) | $12 billion | 2.4% | 46.9% |
| Smith & Nephew PLC (SNN) | $14 billion | 2.4% | 28.1% |
| Telefônica Brasil SA (VIV) | $18 billion | 3.8% | 45.9% |
*As of July 28 close.
Ambev SA (ABEV)
Market value: $38 billion YTD return: 24.9% Dividend: 6.6%
Brazil’s Ambev is a unique play on the growth of the consumer class across Latin America. A specialty beverage company, ABEV produces and distributes beer under the Budweiser, Modelo, Michelob, Labatt and Stella Artois brands, among many others. It also produces soft drinks ranging from Gatorade and Lipton iced teas to Pepsi-Cola products and Red Bull energy drinks. Founded back in 1885, this company is effectively the “boots on the ground” for many established U.S. brands that are looking to cash in on middle-class spending in Latin America. It’s uniquely insulated to the pressures facing global brands like Coca-Cola Co. (KO), and it is also more in tune with local growth trends. Strong operations have translated to strong dividends, too, with a current yield that is among the highest on this list.
American Tower Corp. (AMT)
Market value: $102 billion YTD return: 19.2% Dividend: 3.0%
American Tower is a specialist in multi-tenant communications real estate, which includes telecom towers, fiber optic networks, data centers and other important infrastructure components that power our digital lives. With a portfolio of 148,000 communications sites and a highly interconnected footprint of U.S. data center facilities, AMT operates an incredibly reliable business thanks to both its reach as well as the ever-increasing demand for data. The company’s generous $1.70 quarterly dividend is up from just 42 cents per quarter to start 2015, proving its long-term commitment to dividend growth. And since AMT is structured as a REIT and must deliver 90% of taxable income back to shareholders, it has a clear mandate to continue its practice of generous dividends in the years ahead.
British American Tobacco PLC (BTI)
Market value: $117 billion YTD return: 44.6% Dividend: 5.8%
Income investors in the U.S. know and love tobacco king Altria Group Inc. (MO) and its strong history of dividends. British American Tobacco is a similar play to Altria, but with a slightly bigger operation and better year-to-date performance. BTI commands a strong portfolio of brands, including Grizzly and Kodiak smokeless tobacco, along with Dunhill, Camel and Kool cigarettes. Most importantly, it also has a mammoth dividend that is almost four times that of the S&P 500.
Carlyle Group Inc. (CG)
Market value: $22 billion YTD return: 22.9% Dividend: 2.2%
One of the most respected names in private equity and alternative asset management, shares of Carlyle Group offer investors a way to get exposure to some boutique investment themes without having to meet the large minimums required by direct account holders. The company boasts more than $450 billion in assets under management, 29 offices across four continents and more than 2,300 investment professionals worldwide. Its “asset light” approach, which means avoiding entrenched ownership positions in favor of more agile holdings with less direct stakes or control, along with decades of experience, has helped Carlyle put up impressive returns in 2025 even as the rest of the market has been choppy. In fact, its strong leadership and hopes for profitable exits in 2025 through IPOs have driven the stock to its highest level since hitting public markets in 2012.
Citigroup Inc. (C)
Market value: $174 billion YTD return: 34.3% Dividend: 2.5%
Though one of the “big four” U.S. banks, Citigroup is decidedly on the outside looking in. While its market value is comfortably north of 12 digits and the company commands a staggering $2.4 trillion in assets, the reality is that it’s considerably smaller than the other major U.S. retail banks — and a few international leaders or domestic investment banks to boot. Still, Citi is hardly a bit player in global financial markets and remains one of the leading stocks in the sector. Operational improvements have helped the company boost quarterly dividends to 60 cents per share, up from a mere penny per share in 2015 as the company struggled with the overhang of the 2008 financial crisis. As a sign of improvements, we now see Citi shares trading at their highest level since 2008, as the bank has found a smaller but more sustainable place in the worldwide banking ecosystem that will serve it well going forward.
CVS Health Corp. (CVS)
Market value: $76 billion YTD return: 35.0% Dividend: 4.5%
While shares have been choppy over the last few years, CVS Health has been rising lately thanks to the low-risk appeal of its health care offerings, along with structural improvements that include cost-cutting and changes to its retail store format. While perhaps best known for its leading position in the pharmacy space, filling prescriptions for some 90 million patients a year, the company is rapidly expanding into more than just drugs. It currently has more than 1,000 Minute Clinics providing urgent care services, and its Signify Health arm boasts more than 11,000 licensed clinicians delivering 2.7 million annual in-home evaluations. Health care is a reliable industry, making CVS a go-to business for many American households. That, in turn, makes it a go-to dividend stock for reliable income.
Deutsche Bank AG (DB)
Market value: $65 billion YTD return: 92.7% Dividend: 2.4%
Deutsche Bank has been delivering some big-time profits for investors in 2025, thanks to a one-two punch of the general outperformance of eurozone financial stocks plus long-term restructuring attempts that have finally seemed to bear fruit. The most tangible proof of DB’s resurgence is a recent earnings report that showed it more than doubled its first-half profit compared with the prior year. As Europe looks to “strategic autonomy” for its capital markets union in the wake of Brexit, Deutsche Bank has had a unique opportunity to gather momentum and position itself for the future. And considering that long-term strategy includes “further raising capital distributions to shareholders beyond 2025,” according to its CEO, that bodes well for the future paydays of DB stock on top of its near-term outperformance.
Dollar General Corp. (DG)
Market value: $24 billion YTD return: 41.3% Dividend: 2.2%
Dollar General is one of the largest U.S. discount retailers, operating more than 20,000 stores. Most of the company’s stores are located in small towns, strip malls and locales that are not served by larger big-box retailers. With a budget-conscious approach to retail that aims to help shoppers make their cash stretch a bit farther, DG is a great counter-cyclical investment because it actually sees increased demand when times get tough and households look for better deals. DG stock is up 41% since Jan. 1 as a result of this appeal, with a generous dividend on top of that. And with payouts less than half of projected fiscal year 2025 profits, that dividend is very secure — and ripe for future increases.
Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD)
Market value: $142 billion YTD return: 22.9% Dividend: 2.8%
Health care stocks typically are surefire investments for the long haul as everyone gets sick eventually, and the need for care extends across any economic environment. Gilead is among the top performers in this sector across 2025 due to its strong product pipeline and high-margin treatments for otherwise underserved patient populations. These include the treatment of HIV/AIDS and unique forms of cancer. In fact, it’s this area in particular that holds the most promise, with Gilead’s Yeztugo drug for preventing HIV seen as a potential billion-dollar product after its FDA approval in June. With current annual dividends of $3.16 per share, payouts are roughly double what they were a decade ago to prove GILD’s long-term commitment to shareholders.
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Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI)
Market value: $22 billion YTD return: 88.7% Dividend: 2.2%
Geopolitical uncertainty this year has resulted in a rise in gold prices, as the precious metal is seen as a store of value in troubled times. And while the previous metal itself doesn’t provide consistent income, major miners do offer dividends for exposure to the upside in gold as well as reliable payouts via dividends. GFI is headquartered in South Africa, though its mining operations span Australia, Ghana, Peru, Chile and Canada as well as its home country. And while dividends are only paid twice annually, the last declared payout of 38.6 cents in March, plus 16.76 cents in the second half of 2024, gives this stock a trailing yield north of 2% — and hopes of an even bigger payout declaration in the coming weeks, given the favorable environment for gold in 2025.
Hasbro Inc. (HAS)
Market value: $11 billion YTD return: 37.6% Dividend: 3.7%
Toy giant Hasbro is probably best known for old-school games like Monopoly and childhood staples like Nerf guns and Play-Doh. However, it has been on a tear lately thanks to its Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons brands. In fact, while traditional toys faced a decline in revenue in recent quarters, HAS managed to trounce analyst targets thanks to its movement into these newer products and related higher-margin digital offerings. With a strong foundation from the power of nostalgia and the potential for future growth into next-gen toys, this global entertainment powerhouse seeks a lower debt-to-earnings ratio as part of a longer-term mission to future-proof the business. Based on recent performance, shareholders seem to support this dividend stock’s strategy.
Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC)
Market value: $53 billion YTD return: 24.5% Dividend: 2.1%
Marathon Petroleum is a “downstream” energy company, meaning it’s primarily focused on refining oil into gasoline and then marketing it to end-users around the U.S. It also operates a modest pipeline business as part of the energy infrastructure it needs to operate. While there’s obviously the risk of exposure based on market pricing of crude oil, refiners are a bit more insulated from volatility because they are not extracting fossil fuels and can pass through some of the price changes to customers based on their changes in input costs. That measure of stability has been particularly noteworthy in 2025, as MPC has managed to rack up a handy profit as most explorers and integrated oil firms have stumbled. And from an income perspective, Marathon currently pays $3.64 annually in dividends — more than triple the $1.14 paid in 2015. That’s a good sign that, regardless of crude oil volatility, MPC can deliver.
Mosaic Co. (MOS)
Market value: $12 billion YTD return: 46.9% Dividend: 2.4%
Mosaic produces fertilizers, including phosphate and potash, operating in nearly every corner of the world. In an age when the global population continues to grow and farmable land is finite, the nutrients provided by Mosaic are incredibly important to meeting food demand. With this strong and constant need for its products, there’s tremendous reliability in MOS operations as a result. That, in turn, fuels a 22-cent quarterly dividend — up from the 7.5 cents paid in 2021. Global oversupply for potash caused significant market disruptions in the last few years, but Mosaic stock has bounced back now that it has right-sized operations and is providing more consistent profitability to shareholders.
Smith & Nephew PLC (SNN)
Market value: $14 billion YTD return: 28.1% Dividend: 2.4%
Smith & Nephew is a medical devices company based in the U.K. but with operations worldwide. Its specialties include orthopedic devices like artificial knee joints, along with advanced wound care, and other unique health care products. With strong baseline demand from this niche, SNN can deliver reliable results and reliable dividends. Those payouts come twice annually around the end of March and the beginning of October, but recent strong performance — along with above-average distributions — makes this smaller health care play one of the best dividend stocks to buy now.
Telefônica Brasil SA (VIV)
Market value: $18 billion YTD return: 45.9% Dividend: 3.8%
Telecom stocks are often a go-to investment for dividend potential despite their otherwise sleepy operations. But Brazil’s Telefônica stands out for its growth potential, coupled with the stability of an established telecom. Thanks to both a broad-based economic recovery in Brazil in recent years, plus the general digitization of Latin America, VIV is seeing strong revenue growth that includes double-digit expansion of postpaid cellphone plans as well as in fiber optic data connections. While not quite operating at the scale of domestic telecom giants, Telefônica is putting up tremendous share appreciation alongside its generous and reliable dividend. And while dividends fluctuate, they are delivered each month and add up to more than twice the S&P 500 average.
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15 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy Now originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 07/29/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
