It’s hard for any investor to know what’s next in 2025 after a roller?coaster year that has included trade wars, fears of an AI bubble and slowing global growth thanks to rising prices. But one thing is certain: Large companies with generous dividends are in a prime position to weather anything that comes next.
The best dividend stocks aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest paydays, however. They are instead the companies with a long history of payouts and current operations that more than cover those distributions — with headroom for future increases in the years ahead.
[Sign up for stock news with our Invested newsletter.]
The following list of the best dividend stocks to buy now includes stocks that are larger than $10 billion in market value with sustainable 2.5% dividend yields. These dividend stocks also have delivered year-to-date returns that have outpaced the roughly 10% gain of the S&P 500 so far:
| Stock | Market capitalization | Dividend yield | Sector |
| AbbVie Inc. (ticker: ABBV) | $366 billion | 3.2% | Health care |
| Altria Group Inc. (MO) | $111 billion | 6.4% | Consumer staples |
| Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. (ADM) | $30 billion | 3.3% | Consumer staples |
| Citigroup Inc. (C) | $179 billion | 2.5% | Financials |
| Coca-Cola Co. (KO) | $295 billion | 3.0% | Consumer staples |
| Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) | $36 billion | 3.4% | Utilities |
| Crown Castle Inc. (CCI) | $43 billion | 4.2% | Real estate |
| CVS Health Corp. (CVS) | $91 billion | 3.7% | Health care |
| Genuine Parts Co. (GPC) | $19 billion | 3.0% | Consumer cyclical |
| Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) | $141 billion | 2.8% | Health care |
| International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) | $228 billion | 2.7% | Technology |
| Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) | $429 billion | 2.9% | Health care |
| Regions Financial Corp. (RF) | $24 billion | 3.9% | Financials |
| The Southern Co. (SO) | $102 billion | 3.2% | Utilities |
| Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) | $185 billion | 6.1% | Communication services |
AbbVie Inc. (ABBV)
Dividend yield: 3.2% Market value: $366 billion Sector: Health care
Spun out of Abbott Laboratories (ABT) in 2013 to create a dedicated company focused on next-gen biopharmaceuticals, AbbVie is a Big Pharma leader with a tremendous product portfolio. That includes anti-inflammatory blockbuster Humira as well as newer offerings including cancer treatment Imbruvica and hepatitis drug Viekira. Health care is a great sector to look for blue-chip stocks with stability, and an aging global population creates even more demand for ABBV products thanks to demographic shifts. Throw in a generous dividend that has more than tripled from that 2013 split and you have a blue-chip stock with a lot to offer in AbbVie.
Altria Group Inc. (MO)
Dividend yield: 6.4% Market value: $111 billion Sector: Consumer staples
Tobacco icon Altria is a go-to dividend stock for several reasons, including its tremendous yield, along with 56 years of consecutive dividend increases. Beyond these long-term strengths, this top dividend stock has short-term momentum with a year-to-date total return of 31.5% through Aug. 27. It owns some of the most powerful brands on the planet including Marlboro cigarettes and Skoal smokeless tobacco, and has a long history of successfully navigating any market disruption that comes its way. With consistent revenue and a dividend payout that’s less than 80% of total earnings, the income stream from MO seems very secure.
Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. (ADM)
Dividend yield: 3.3% Market value: $30 billion Sector: Consumer staples
Agricultural giant Archer-Daniels Midland has a some direct-to-consumer brands of baked goods, but its biggest source of cash comes from wholesaling ingredients for food, feed, energy and industrial customers worldwide. These include both edible and inedible oils, flours and grains, plant-based proteins and other ingredients. While inflation is a concern for end-users in 2025, the direct producers of raw materials like ADM are actually benefiting from rising prices for commodities like corn and wheat. This agricultural leader has an amazing 93 consecutive years of dividend payments, and 52 consecutive years of dividend growth to make it one of the best dividend stocks out there.
Citigroup Inc. (C)
Dividend yield: 2.5% Market value: $179 billion Sector: Financials
Domestic megabank Citigroup burned many investors during the Great Recession of 2008 to 2009, and most of them are still wary of the stock given that its share price as well as its per-share dividend remains well below pre-crisis levels. However, if you can look beyond those older challenges to short- and medium-term successes, Citi is a financial dividend stock worth a look. For example, revenue increased 8% and net income was up an impressive 25% in the second quarter. That’s part of the reason the stock has been on the rise, outperforming the broader market as well as rivals like JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) with impressive gains of more than 55% in the last 12 months.
Coca-Cola Co. (KO)
Dividend yield: 3.0% Market value: $295 billion Sector: Consumer staples
Consumer staples stocks are common low-risk investments, as they can generate strong sales even in a weak economic environment. Coca-Cola is among the strongest players in the sector, both because of its amazing brand power as well as an impressive history of dividend growth after recording its 63rd consecutive annual dividend in February. The Atlanta-based beverage company has a global scale with more than 130 years of operating history, a portfolio that includes Vitaminwater, Fuze teas, Powerade energy drinks and Minute Maid juices, in addition to its namesake soft drink. Throw in the fact that iconic investment firm Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B, BRK.A) owns almost 10% of shares and there are also structural reasons to expect this dividend stock continues to focus on shareholder value for many years to come.
Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED)
Dividend yield: 3.4% Market value: $36 billion Sector: Utilities
Utility companies are go-to stocks for low-risk investors thanks to their incredibly consistent performance in hard times. After all, every consumer and business needs electricity. ConEd serves the region around New York City, giving it a strong customer base with consistent growth in demand. It boasts about 3.5 million electricity customers and 1.1 million more natural gas connections. ED stock has delivered more than 50 consecutive years of dividend increases thanks to reliable performance, making it one of the best dividend growth stocks out there.
Crown Castle Inc. (CCI)
Dividend yield: 4.2% Market value: $43 billion Sector: Real estate
Crown Castle is not your typical real estate firm, operating more than 40,000 cell towers and another 90,000 miles of fiber-optic cables. Its nationwide telecom portfolio is rented to customers including major wireless carriers, which provides consistent revenue thanks to its in-demand digital infrastructure. Structured as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, this company must deliver 90% of taxable income back to shareholders — creating the mandate for a generous and reliable dividend, and making CCI one of the best dividend stocks to buy now. Shares have posted a total return of 13.4% this year through Aug. 27 thanks to their low-risk appeal. The hopes of lower interest rates in the coming months should take some of the pressure off the firm’s debt and allow continued borrowing to purchase more real estate telecom assets, tightening its grip on this profitable niche.
CVS Health Corp. (CVS)
Dividend yield: 3.7% Market value: $91 billion Sector: Health care
While shares briefly stumbled at the end of 2024 thanks to concerns about strategic restructuring plans, this leading drugstore chain has bounced back significantly as cost-cutting measures have won over Wall Street. Shares are now up more than 60% from their 52-week lows, and up about 25% in the last 12 months compared with the 16% or so that the broader S&P 500 has returned over the same time. On top of filling prescriptions for some 90 million patients a year, CVS continues to grow into new areas of health care, including its Minute Clinic urgent care services and its Signify Health division that delivers in-home evaluations. Health care is a reliable industry, as patients need care regardless of any macroeconomic trends, which makes CVS a dividend stock to consider for long-term income.
[Read: 7 Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever]
Genuine Parts Co. (GPC)
Dividend yield: 3.0% Market value: $19 billion Sector: Consumer cyclical
Genuine Parts Company is an auto parts supplier that operates the NAPA nameplate, servicing both do-it-yourself gearheads as well as body shops. And with the average age of cars on the road at around 14 years at the end of 2024, there is persistent demand for replacement parts and automotive maintenance gear. GPC is also a defensive play against hard times, as it actually sees orders rise during economic downturns as it’s a much cheaper option for folks to repair old cars than buy new ones. As a result of its strong position and unique niche in the repair space, GPC has one of the longest track records of consecutive dividend increases on Wall Street, with 69 straight years of increased dividends paid to shareholders.
Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD)
Dividend yield: 2.8% Market value: $141 billion Sector: Health care
With total returns of roughly 25% since the start of 2025, Gilead is making waves right now thanks to its impressive near-term outperformance. But longer term, it’s also up about 80% in the last three years, handily outpacing the S&P 500 over that period, too. That’s thanks to its strong product pipeline and high-margin treatments for otherwise unserved patient populations. These conditions include the treatment of HIV/AIDS and unique forms of cancer. Health care is a recession-proof sector in general, and with dividends only accounting for about 60% of total profits there’s ample room for dividend growth, even if the broader economic picture darkens in the years ahead.
International Business Machines Corp. (IBM)
Dividend yield: 2.7% Market value: $228 billion Sector: Technology
Though not the first tech stock many investors think of, IBM stands apart as a rare dividend stock in the sector when other mega-cap stocks offer payouts of less than 1% — or nothing at all. IBM’s roots trace back to 1911 as one of the first automation and computing companies in the world. More recently, its artificial intelligence software, including Watson, has been in focus, providing new avenues for growth. Its much more stable outlook when compared with volatile AI startups or fad stocks, coupled with a very sustainable dividend that is just 60% of expected earnings, make IBM one of the best dividend stocks to buy now.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
Dividend yield: 2.9% Market value: $423 billion Sector: Health care
Founded about 140 years ago, J&J is a health care icon that ranks as one of the 25 largest U.S. corporations. After divesting its consumer health business recently, it remains focused on products like cancer drugs, artificial joints for orthopedic procedures and other higher-margin business lines. It’s also one of just two companies with the tip-top AAA rating for their credit (tech giant Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is the other). This blue-chip dividend stock boasts more than 60 years of annual dividend growth, proving its staying power and a long-term commitment to sharing profits with shareholders. And with near-term returns of more than 20% so far in 2025, JNJ continues to prove it is one of the best dividend stocks to buy now.
Regions Financial Corp. (RF)
Dividend yield: 3.9% Market value: $24 billion Sector: Financials
As you could guess from the all-too-obvious name, Regions Financial is a regional bank that serves the southern U.S.; it is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama and boasts roughly $160 billion in total assets. This isn’t quite the tally of trillion-dollar megabanks, but that’s because the company is focused on commercial banking for small businesses, consumer checking accounts and other close-to-home financial operations. That makes RF a good choice to benefit from the potential for lower interest rates, as any rate cut will boost demand for businesses loans, car loans and new mortgages. Regions has been a standout performer among financial stocks this year, boasting a total return of 19.2% this year through Aug. 27 thanks to strong operations and a strong outlook. RF has also seen quarterly dividends grow more than fivefold in the last decade to 26.5 cents per share currently from just 5 cents per share in early 2015.
The Southern Co. (SO)
Dividend yield: 3.2% Market value: $102 billion Sector: Utilities
With a wide moat thanks to strong regulatory oversight and the very expensive nature of running a utility, SO is among the best dividend stocks to buy now. Southern Company currently ranks as the second-largest utility in the U.S. by market value, with electricity and natural gas operations that range from Illinois to Tennessee to Georgia. Incorporated back in 1945, it now serves 9 million total customers in regions with growing populations and consistent demand. From an income perspective, SO has a great track record after increasing its dividend in April, marking the 24th consecutive year of such a boost to payouts.
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ)
Dividend yield: 6.1% Market value: $185 billion Sector: Communication services
With almost 150 million total wireless customers, Verizon operates the largest mobile platform in the nation. That gives it a tremendously reliable revenue stream from monthly cell phone plans, which in turn makes it a reliable dividend-paying stock. Wireless competition is pretty hard to come by and most customers are very loyal — meaning a wide moat to protect VZ earnings. With a dividend that is just a touch over 60% of profits, this top dividend stock’s upsized payout is likely safe for the foreseeable future. It’s this low-risk appeal that has caught Wall Street’s attention lately, with shares sitting on a 16.3% year-to-date total return through Aug. 27 in an otherwise challenging market.
More from U.S. News
9 Highest Dividend-Paying Stocks in the S&P 500
10 Best Growth Stocks to Buy for 2025
9 of the Best Bond ETFs to Buy for 2025
15 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy Now originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 08/28/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
