Published on May 26th, 2026 by Bob Ciura
Generational wealth is created when one’s investments provide not only for themselves, but for their children, grandchildren, and beyond.
Here’s what would happen if a family were able to compound $10,000 at 7.0% annually over increasingly long periods of time:
$19,672 after 10 years
$54,274 after 25 years
$294,570 after 50 years
$8.68 million after 100 years
$7.53 billion after 200 years
Compounding at 7.0% annually is not unheard of. It’s around what the U.S. stock market has averaged over the long run, after inflation.
And the above mind-boggling wealth creation numbers are without saving any additional money after the first $10,000.
Unfortunately the skills that it takes to build and maintain a growing investment portfolio are typically not transferred with an inheritance.
Time estimates that:
70% of rich families lose their wealth by the 2nd generation
90% of rich families lose their wealth by the 3rd generation
Source: Archived Time article
Building lasting generational wealth requires an investing plan that is both effective and relatively easy to implement.
And that’s what makes buy and hold forever investing in high quality dividend growth stocks so appealing for creating generational wealth.
Therefore, we created a list of Dividend Kings, a group of stocks with 50+ years of dividend increases.
You can see the full downloadable spreadsheet of all 58 Dividend Kings (along with important financial metrics such as dividend yields, payout ratios, and price-to-earnings ratios) by clicking on the link below:
This style of investing:
Creates truly passive income
Can generate rising passive income over the long run
Is accessible and easy to implement and manage
Which stocks you invest in to create your rising passive income portfolio is critically important.
This article will discuss 10 Dividend Kings with our highest Dividend Risk Score of ‘A’, that currently hold buy ratings in the Sure Analysis Research Database.
They stand a good chance of providing generational wealth over the years to come, by continuing to raise their dividends.
Table of Contents
These 10 Dividend Kings are ranked by their current dividend yields, from lowest to highest.
The table of contents below allows for easy navigation:
Intergenerational Wealth Dividend Stock #10: Sonoco Products (SON)
Expected Annual Returns: 13.6%
Sonoco Products provides packaging, industrial products and supply chain services. The markets that use the company’s products include those in the appliances, electronics, beverage, construction and food industries.
The company generates $7.5 billion in annual sales. Sonoco Products is now composed of 2 major segments, Consumer Packaging, and Industrial Packaging, with all other businesses listed as “All Other”.
On February 16th, 2026, Sonoco Products reported fourth quarter and full year results. For the quarter, revenue grew 30.1% to $1.77 billion, which beat estimates by $10 million.
Adjusted earnings-per-share of $1.05 compared to $1.00 in the prior year and was $0.05 better than expected.
For the year, revenue increased 41.7% to $7.5 billion while adjusted earnings-per-share of $5.71 compared to $4.89 in 2024.
For the quarter, Consumer Packaging revenues were up 62.1% to $1.14 billion, mostly due to contributions from Eviosys. Results were once again aided by price increases that were implemented to offset inflation and tariff pressure.
Sales for Industrial Paper Packing were down slightly to $568 million due to weaker volume following two plant divestitures in China last year. All Other declined 34.9% to $57 million due to the divestiture of ThermoSafe in November.
Sonoco Products provided an outlook for 2026 as well, with the company expecting adjusted earnings-per-share in a range of $5.80 to $6.20 for the year.
Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SON (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):
Intergenerational Wealth Dividend Stock #9: Genuine Parts Co. (GPC)
Expected Annual Returns: 15.0%
Genuine Parts Company was founded in 1928 and since that time, it has grown into a sprawling conglomerate that sells automotive and industrial parts, electrical materials, and general business products.
Its global span reaches throughout North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe and is comprised of more than 3,000 locations. It has about 63,000 employees with about $24 billion in annual revenue.
Genuine Parts has raised its dividend for an incredible 69 consecutive years.
Genuine Parts posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on February 17th, 2026, and results were weak on both the top and bottom lines.
Adjusted earnings-per-share came to $1.55, which was well off of estimates that were 27 cents higher. Revenue was up 4.1% year-over-year to $6 billion, but missed estimates by $60 million.
Sales performance was attributed to a 1.7% increase in comparable sales, a 1.5% benefit from acquisitions, and a forex translation gain of 0.9%.
Gross profit was up 70 basis points on an adjusted basis to 37.6% of sales. Earnings was down from $1.61 per share a year earlier.
The company guided for total sales growth of 3% to 5.5%, and adjusted earnings-per-share of $7.50 to $8.00.
Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on GPC (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):
Intergenerational Wealth Dividend Stock #8: PepsiCo Inc. (PEP)
Expected Annual Returns: 15.5%
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage company that generates almost $94 billion in annual sales. The company’s products include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Frito-Lay chips, Gatorade, Tropicana orange juice and Quaker foods.
The company has more than 20 $1 billion brands in its portfolio.
On February 3rd, 2026, PepsiCo announced that it would increase its annualized dividend by 4.0% to $5.92 starting with the payment for June 2026, extending the company’s dividend growth streak to 54 consecutive years.
That same day, PepsiCo released fourth quarter and full year results for the period ending December 31st, 2025. For the quarter, revenue grew 5.6% to $29.3 billion, which beat estimates by $370 million.
Adjusted earnings-per-share of $2.26 compared favorably to $1.96 the prior year, which was $0.02 more than expected.
For the year, revenue grew 2.3% to $93.9 billion while adjusted earnings-per-share of $8.14 was down from $8.16 in 2024. Organic sales grew 2.1% for the quarter and 1.7% for the year.
For the quarter, food volume fell 2% while beverages grew 1%. PepsiCo Beverages North America’s organic revenue improved 2% for the period even as volume decreased by 4%.
Revenue for PepsiCo Foods North America as lower by 1%, largely due to divestitures. Food volume declined 1%.
The International Beverages segment grew 2% due to 3% volume growth. Revenues in Europe/Middle East/Africa were up 5%. Food volume declined 5%, but this was offset by a 1% gain in beverages.
Currency was a 7% headwind for this region. Latin America Foods increased 5% and Asia Pacific Foods grew 4%.
PepsiCo provided guidance for 2026 as well, with the company expecting organic sales in a range of 2% to 4%. The company expects earnings-per-share growth in a range of 4% to 6%.
Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on PEP (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):
Intergenerational Wealth Dividend Stock #7: PPG Industries (PPG)
Expected Annual Returns: 16.2%
PPG Industries is the world’s largest paints and coatings company. Its only competitors of similar size are Sherwin-Williams and Dutch paint company Akzo Nobel.
On January 27th, 2026, PPG Industries announced fourth quarter and full year results. For the quarter, revenue grew 4.8% to $3.91 billion, which topped estimates by $140 million.
Adjusted earnings-per-share of $1.51 compared unfavorably to $1.61 in the prior year and was $0.07 less than expected.
For the year, revenue grew 0.6% to $15.9 billion while adjusted earnings-per-share of $7.58 was down from $7.87 in 2024. Organic growth was 3% for the quarter and 2% for the year.
For the quarter, revenue for Global Architectural Coatings, which was formerly part of Performance Coatings, grew 8% to $951 million.
Growth was driven by higher prices and a benefit from foreign currency translation. Volume was unchanged and divestitures reduced results by 3%.
PPG Industries repurchased ~$100 million worth of shares during Q4 and retired ~$790 million worth of stock during 2025.
Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on PPG (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):
Intergenerational Wealth Dividend Stock #6: Abbott Laboratories (ABT)
Expected Annual Returns: 16.2%
Abbott Laboratories, founded in 1888, is one of the largest medical appliances & equipment manufacturers in the world, comprised of four segments: Nutrition, Diagnostics, Established Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices.
Abbott Laboratories provides products in over 160 countries and employs 114,000 people. The company generated $44 billion in sales in 2025.
On December 12th, 2025, Abbott Laboratories raised its quarterly dividend 6.8% to $0.63, extending the company’s dividend growth streak to 54 years.
On January 22nd, 2026, Abbott Laboratories released fourth quarter and full year results for the period ending December 31st, 2025. For the quarter, revenue grew 4.5% to $11.46 billion, but this missed estimates by $340 million.
Adjusted earnings-per-share of $1.50 compared to $1.34 in the prior year and was $0.01 better than expected. For the year, revenue grew 5.7% to $44.3 billion while adjusted earnings-per-share of $5.15 compared to $4.67 in 2024.
For Q4, U.S. sales grew 0.9% while international was higher by 6.7%. Currency exchange was a 1.4% headwind for the period.
Abbott Laboratories provided guidance for 2026 as well, with the company expecting adjusted earnings-per-share in a range of $5.55 to $5.80 for the year. At the midpoint, this would represent growth of 10.3% from 2025.
Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on ABT (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):
Intergenerational Wealth Dividend Stock #5: The Marzetti Company (MZTI)
Expected Annual Returns: 17.0%
The Marzetti Company has been making food products since 1969. Marzetti makes various meal accessories like croutons and bread products in frozen and non-frozen categories.
Marzetti also has one of the best dividend increase streaks in the entire market, with more than six decades of consecutive increases.
Marzetti posted second quarter earnings on February 3rd, 2026, and results were worse than expected on both the top and bottom lines. The company saw earnings-per-share come to $2.15, which missed estimates by eight cents.
Revenue was up 1.7% year-over-year to $518 million, missing expectations by $2.37 million. The company also noted $8.2 million of revenue was attributed to a temporary supply agreement that is expected to conclude on March 31st.
Gross profit was $137.3 million, while gross margin was up 80 basis points on an adjusted basis. SG&A costs were up by $3.3 million, primarily driven by higher marketing spending and the expanded launch of Texas Roadhouse rolls.
Capex for the quarter was $17.7 million, while the company paid a $28 million dividend and repurchased $20 million in stock. Marzetti still has no debt and $201 million in cash on hand.
Management is buying Bachan’s, the maker of Japanese-American barbeque sauces – for $400 million. They noted the acquisition is expected to be accretive immediately.
Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on MZTI (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):
Intergenerational Wealth Dividend Stock #4: Automatic Data Processing (ADP))
Expected Annual Returns: 17.2%
Automatic Data Processing is one of the largest business services outsourcing companies in the world. The company provides payroll services, human resources technology, and other business operations to more than 700,000 corporate customers.
ADP posted second quarter earnings on January 28th, 2026, and results were better than expected on both the top and bottom lines.
Adjusted earnings-per-share came to $2.62, which was a nickel ahead of estimates, and was up from $2.49 in Q1, and from $2.35 in the year-ago period. Revenue was up 7.2% year-over-year to $5.36 billion, beating estimates by $20 million.
Expenses came to $4.08 billion, which was higher from $3.98 billion in Q1 and $3.88 billion a year earlier. Adjusted EBIT margin was 26.0% of revenue, up from 25.5% in Q1 and from 25.2% a year ago.
The company guided for revenue growth of 6% for this year, adjusted EBIT margin of ~60 basis points, and adjusted diluted earnings-per-share growth of 9% to 10%.
Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on ADP (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):
Intergenerational Wealth Dividend Stock #3: Becton Dickinson & Co. (BDX))
Expected Annual Returns: 17.3%
Becton, Dickinson & Co. is a global leader in the medical supply industry. The company was founded in 1897 and has 75,000 employees across 190 countries.
The company generates about $20 billion in annual revenue, with approximately 43% of revenues coming from outside of the U.S.
On November 6th, 2025, BD increased its quarterly dividend 1.0% to $1.05, extending the company’s dividend growth streak to 54 consecutive years.
BD also announced results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, which ended December 31st, 2026. For the quarter, revenue improved 1.5% to $5.25 billion, which topped estimates by $100 million.
Adjusted earnings-per-share of $2.91 compared unfavorably to $3.43 in the prior year, but this was $0.10 more than expected.
For the quarter, Medical Essentials was down 0.6% on a currency neutral basis to $1.6 billion as gains in U.S. Vascular Access Management and the BD Vacutainer portfolio were more than offset by order timing in China.
Connected Care grew 4.7% to $1.13 billion due to growth in Pharmacy Automation and strength in Advanced Patient Monitoring.
BioPharma was up 1% to $429 million due to double-digit growth in Biologics. Interventional climbed 5.1% to $1.33 billion, mostly due to higher demand for the PureWick franchise and Advanced Tissue Regeneration.
Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on BDX (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):
Intergenerational Wealth Dividend Stock #2: H2O America (HTO)
Expected Annual Returns: 17.4%
H2O America, formerly known as SJW Group, is a water utility company that distributes water to consumers and businesses in California, Texas, Connecticut, and Maine.
It also has a small real estate division that owns and develops properties for residential and warehouse customers in California and Tennessee. The company generates about $670 million in annual revenue.
On January 26th, 2026, H2O America raised its quarterly dividend 4.8% to $0.44, extending the company’s dividend growth streak to 58 consecutive years.
On February 25th, 2026, H2O America released fourth quarter and full year results for the period ending December 31st, 2025. For the quarter, revenue declined 1.9% to $194.1 million, which missed estimates by $23.3 million.
Earnings-per-share of $0.45 compared unfavorably to earnings-per-share of $0.74 in the prior year and was $0.07 below expectations.
For the year, revenue grew 7% to $800.6 million while earnings-per-share of $2.92 compared to $2.87 in 2024.
Growth for the year was driven by a $67.4 million increase in rates and $1.5 million from new customers offset by an $8 million headwind from regulatory mechanisms and lower by $7.2 million from lower usage.
H2O America provided an outlook for 2026 as well, with the company expecting earnings-per-share in a range of $3.08 to $3.18. At the midpoint, this would be a 7.2% increase from the prior year.
Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on HTO (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):
Intergenerational Wealth Dividend Stock #1: Stepan Co. (SCL)
Expected Annual Returns: 23.4%
Stepan manufactures basic and intermediate chemicals, including surfactants, specialty products, and much more for the food, supplement, and pharmaceutical markets.
It is organized into three distinct business lines: surfactants, polymers, and specialty products. The surfactants business is Stepan’s largest by revenue, accounting for ~68% of total sales in the most recent quarter.
Stepan posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on February 23rd, 2026. Adjusted earnings-per-share came to a loss of two cents.
Revenue was up 5.4% year-over-year to $554 million, missing estimates by $16.7 million. Global sales volume was down 3% year-over-year as volume globally was flat.
Consolidated adjusted EBITDA was $33.8 million for the quarter, down from $35 million a year earlier, which was due to lower operating income in Surfactants.
Stepan boosted its dividend for the 59th consecutive year.
Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SCL (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):
Additional Resources
Sure Dividend maintains several other databases of high-quality dividend growth stocks:
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