Top 20 Highest Yielding Dividend Kings Now

Updated on April 23rd, 2025 by Bob Ciura

The Dividend Kings are the best-of-the-best in dividend longevity.

What is a Dividend King? A stock with 50 or more consecutive years of dividend increases.

The downloadable Dividend Kings Spreadsheet List below contains the following for each stock in the index among other important investing metrics:

Payout ratio
Dividend yield
Price-to-earnings ratio

You can see the full downloadable spreadsheet of all 54 Dividend Kings (along with important financial metrics such as dividend yields, payout ratios, and price-to-earnings ratios) by clicking on the link below:

Top 20 Highest Yielding Dividend Kings Now

We typically rank stocks based on their five-year expected annual returns, as stated in the Sure Analysis Research Database.

But for investors primarily interested in income, it is also useful to rank the Dividend Kings according to their dividend yields.

This article will rank the 20 highest-yielding Dividend Kings today.

High Yield Dividend King #20: SJW Group (SJW)

SJW Group is a water utility company that produces, purchases, stores, purifies and distributes water to consumers and businesses in the Silicon Valley area of California, the area north of San Antonio, Texas, Connecticut, and Maine.

SJW Group 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 revenues.

On February 27th, 2025, SJW Group announced fourth quarter and full year results for the period ending December 31st, 2024. For the quarter, revenue improved 15.5% to $197.8 million, which topped expectations by $10.3 million.

Earnings-per-share of $0.74 compared favorably to earnings-per-share of $0.59 in the prior year and was $0.19 ahead of estimates. For the year, revenue grew 12% to $748.4 million while earnings-per-share of $2.87 compared to $2.68 in2023.

For the quarter, higher water rates overall added $22.8 million to results and higher customer usage added $9.9 million while regulatory mechanisms lowered revenue totals by $7.1 million. Operating production expenses totaled $154.2 million, which was a 14% increase from the prior year.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SJW (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #19: Stepan Co. (SCL)

Stepan manufactures basic and intermediate chemicals, including surfactants, specialty products, germicidal and fabric softening quaternaries, phthalic anhydride, polyurethane polyols and special ingredients for the food, supplement, and pharmaceutical markets.

It is organized into three distinct business lines: surfactants, polymers, and specialty products. These businesses serve a wide variety of end markets, meaning that Stepan is not beholden to just a handful of industries.

Source: Investor presentation

The surfactants business is Stepan’s largest by revenue, accounting for ~68% of total sales in the most recent quarter. A surfactant is an organic compound that contains both water-soluble and water-insoluble components.

Stepan posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on February 19th, 2025, and results were mixed once again. Revenue was down 1.2% year-on-year to $526 million, but did beat estimates by almost $5 million. Adjusted earnings-per-share came to 12 cents, which missed estimates by 21 cents.

Global sales volume was off 1% year-over-year as double-digit growth in surfactants was offset and then some by demand weakness in polymers. Surfactants were up 3% year-over-year in Q4 to $379 million. Polymer net sales fell 12% to $130 million.

The company managed to generate about $13 million in pre-tax cost savings during the quarter, and about $48 million for the full year.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SCL (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #18: Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

Johnson & Johnson is a diversified health care company and a leader in the area of innovative medicines and medical devices Johnson & Johnson was founded in 1886 and employs nearly 132,000 people around the world.

On January 22nd, 2025, Johnson & Johnson announced fourth quarter and full year results for the period ending December 31st, 2024.

Source: Investor Presentation

For the quarter, revenue grew 5.1% to $22.5 billion, which beat estimates by $50 million. Adjusted earnings-per-share of $2.04 compared to $2.29 in the prior year, but this was $0.02 above expectations.

For the year, revenue grew 4.3% to $88.8 billion while adjusted earnings-per-share of $9.98 was up slightly from the prior year. Results included adjustments related to the costs of acquisitions.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on JNJ (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #17: Fortis (FTS)

Fortis is Canada’s largest investor-owned utility business with operations in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean.

Fortis currently has 99% regulated assets: 82% regulated electric and 17% regulated gas. Approximately 64% are in the U.S., 33% in Canada, and 3% in the Caribbean.

Source: Investor Presentation

Fortis reported Q4 and full-year 2024 results on 02/14/25. For the quarter, it reported adjusted net earnings of CAD$416 million, up 19% versus Q4 2023, while adjusted earnings-per-share (EPS) came in at C$0.83, up 15%.

As planned, Fortis’s capital investments were C$5.2 billion in 2024.

During the period, Fortis witnessed adjusted earnings growth of 8.3% to C$1.6 billion, while the adjusted EPS came in at C$3.28, up 6.1%. However, when translated to US$, the adjusted EPS declined by ~2% to US$2.28.

After releasing its five-year capital plan of C$26 billion for 2025 to 2029, which suggests a mid-year rate base growth at a compound annual growth rate of 6.5% from C$38.8 billion in 2024 to C$53.0 billion in 2029, the company also maintained its dividend growth guidance of 4-6% through 2029.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on FTS (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #16: Kenvue Inc. (KVUE)

Kenvue has three segments, including Self Care, Skin Health and Beauty, and Essential Health. Self Care’s product portfolio includes cough, cold, allergy, smoking cessation, and pain care products among others.

Skin Health and Beauty holds products such as face, body, hair, and sun care. Essential Health contains products for women’s health, wound care, oral care, and baby care.

Well-known brands in Kenvue’s product line up include Tylenol, Listerine, Band-Aid, Neutrogena, Nicorette, and Zyrtec.

On February 6th, 2025, Kenvue announced fourth quarter and full-year earnings results For the quarter, revenue declined 0.1% to $3.66 billion, which was $109 million less than expected.

Source: Investor Presentation

Adjusted earnings-per-share of $0.26 compared unfavorably to $0.31 last year and was in-line with estimates.

For the year, revenue improved 0.1% to $15.5 billion while adjusted earnings-per-share of $1.14 compared to $1.29 in 2023.

Organic sales improved 1.7% for the quarter and 1.5% for the year. For the quarter, pricing and mix added 1% while volume grew 0.7%.

Skin Health and Beauty and Self Care were positive for the period, but were offset by weaker results for Essential Health. Gross profit margin expanded 80 basis points to 56.5%.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on KVUE (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #15: Genuine Parts Company (GPC)

Genuine Parts has the world’s largest global auto parts network, with more than 10,800 locations worldwide. As a major distributor of automotive and industrial parts, Genuine Parts generates annual revenue of nearly $24 billion.

Source: Investor Presentation

It operates two segments, which are automotive (includes the NAPA brand) and the industrial parts group which sells industrial replacement parts to MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) and OEM (original equipment manufacturer) customers.

Customers are derived from a wide range of segments, including food and beverage, metals and mining, oil and gas, and health care.

Genuine Parts posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on February 18th, 2025, and results were better than expected on both the top and bottom lines. Adjusted earnings-per-share came to $1.61, which was six cents ahead of estimates.

Revenue was up 3.3% year-over-year to $5.8 billion, beating estimates by $90 million. The company noted acquisitions added 3.2% to sales, forex translation added 0.6%, and comparable sales fell 0.5%.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on GPC (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #14: Kimberly-Clark (KMB)

Kimberly-Clark is a global consumer products company that operates in 175 countries and sells disposable consumer goods, including paper towels, diapers, and tissues.

It operates segments that each house many popular brands: the Personal Care Segment (Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex, Depend, Poise), the Consumer Tissue segment (Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, and Viva), and a professional segment.

Kimberly-Clark posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on January 28th, 2025. Adjusted earnings-per-share came to $1.50, missing estimates by a penny.

Revenue was off 0.8% year-on-year to $4.93 billion, but still beat estimates by $70 million.

Organic sales growth was 2.3% for the quarter with the balance of the move in revenue from forex translation and divestitures. Organic sales were driven by volume growth of 1.5%, which was the best performance of the year.

Source: Investor Presentation

Pricing increased 0.6%, and product mix added 0.1%. The company noted all segments grew volume during the quarter.

Adjusted gross margin was up 50 basis point year-on-year to 35.4% of sales, as productivity gains were partially offset by investments and manufacturing cost headwinds. Full-year cash from operations was $3.2 billion, down from $3.5 billion in 2023.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on Kimberly-Clark (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #13: AbbVie Inc. (ABBV)

AbbVie is a pharmaceutical company spun off by Abbott Laboratories (ABT) in 2013. Its most important product is Humira, now facing biosimilar competition in Europe and the U.S., which has had a noticeable impact on the company.

Even so, AbbVie remains a giant in the healthcare sector, with a large and diversified product portfolio.

Source: Investor Presentation

AbbVie reported its fourth quarter earnings results on January 31st. Quarterly revenue of $15.1 billion rose 6% year-over-year.

Revenue was positively impacted by growth from some of its newer drugs, including Skyrizi and Rinvoq, while Humira sales declined by 49% due to growing competition from biosimilars and market share losses.

AbbVie earned $2.16 per share during the fourth quarter, down 23% year-over-year. Earnings-per-share missed the consensus analyst estimate by $0.10. AbbVie expects to earn $12.12 – $12.32 on a per-share basis this year.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on AbbVie (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #12: Hormel Foods (HRL)

Hormel Foods was founded back in 1891 in Minnesota. Since that time, the company has grown into a juggernaut in the food products industry with nearly $10 billion in annual revenue.

Hormel has kept with its core competency as a processor of meat products for well over a hundred years, but has also grown into other business lines through acquisitions.

Hormel has a large portfolio of category-leading brands. Just a few of its top brands include include Skippy, SPAM, Applegate, Justin’s, and more than 30 others.

The company has increased its dividend for 59 consecutive years.

Source: Investor Presentation

Hormel posted first quarter earnings on February 27th, 2025, and results were somewhat weak. The company saw adjusted earnings-per-share of 35 cents, which was three cents light of estimates.

Revenue was down fractionally year-over-year to $2.99 billion, but did beat estimates by $40 million. Organic net sales rose 1%.

The company noted supply chain disruptions within the Planters division, as well as low demand for turkey. Hormel saw higher demand for SPAM and its Black Label bacon brand.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on HRL (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #11: PepsiCo Inc. (PEP)

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage company. Its products include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Frito-Lay chips, Gatorade, Tropicana orange juice and Quaker foods.

Its business is split roughly 60-40 in terms of food and beverage revenue. It is also balanced geographically between the U.S. and the rest of the world.

Source: Investor Presentation

On February 4th, 2025, PepsiCo announced that it would increase its annualized dividend by 5.0% to $5.69 starting with the payment that was made in June 2025, extending the company’s dividend growth streak to 53 consecutive years.

That same day, PepsiCo announced fourth quarter and full year results for the period ending December 31st, 2025. For the quarter, revenue decreased 0.3% to $27.8 billion, which was $110 million below estimates.

Adjusted earnings-per-share of $1.96 compared favorably to $1.78 the prior year and was $0.02 better than excepted.

For the year, revenue grew 0.4% to $91.9 billion while adjusted earnings-per-share of $8.16 compared to $7.62 in 2023. Currency exchange reduced revenue by 2% and earnings-per-share by 4%.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on PEP (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #10: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)

Archer-Daniels-Midland is the largest publicly traded farmland product company in the United States. Its businesses include processing cereal grains, oilseeds, and agricultural storage and transportation.

Archer-Daniels-Midland reported its fourth-quarter and full year results for Fiscal Year (FY)2024 on February 4th, 2025.

Source: Investor Presentation

The company reported reported 2024 full-year earnings of $1.8 billion, with adjusted net earnings of $2.3 billion. EPS dropped 43% YoY to $3.65, while adjusted EPS declined 32% to $4.74. Operating cash flow fell significantly from $4.5 billion in 2023 to $2.8 billion, reflecting weaker market conditions.

In response, ADM announced a $500–$750 million cost-saving plan and a 2% dividend increase.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on ADM (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #9: United Bankshares (UBSI)

United Bankshares was formed in 1982 and since that time, has acquired more than 30 separate banking institutions.

This focus on acquisitions, in addition to organic growth, has allowed United to expand in the Mid-Atlantic with about $30 billion in total assets, and annual revenue of about $1 billion.

United posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on January 24th, 2025, and results were better than expected on the bottom line, but missed revenue estimates.

Earnings came to 69 cents per share, which was 33 cents ahead of estimates. Revenue was off slightly to $262 million, missing estimates by $12 million.

Provisions for credit losses came to $6.7 million, a slight improvement year-over-year. Net interest income came to $232 million, up 1% from Q3. The boost came primarily from a lower average rate paid on deposits.

This was partially offset by a lower yield on average net loans and leases held for sale. Average earning assets rose $556 million, or 2%, from Q3. Most of this was due to an increase in short term investments of $420 million.

The yield on average net loans and leases was down 18 basis points from Q3. Net interest margin for the fourth quarter was down three basis points from Q3 at 3.49%.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on UBSI (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #8: Black Hills Corporation (BKH)

Black Hills Corporation is an electric utility that provides electricity and natural gas to customers in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

The company has 1.35 million utility customers in eight states. Its natural gas assets include 49,200 miles of natural gas lines. Separately, it has ~9,200 miles of electric lines and 1.4 gigawatts of electric generation capacity.

Source: Investor Presentation

Black Hills Corporation reported its fourth quarter earnings results in February. The company generated revenues of $597 million during the quarter, which was up 1% year-over-year.

Earnings-per-share of $1.37 during the fourth quarter was above the consensus analyst estimate. Earnings-per-share were up by close to 20% versus the previous year’s quarter. Q4 and Q1 are seasonally stronger quarters due to higher natural gas demand for heating, which was again showcased by the above-average profitability during the fourth quarter.

Black Hills Corporation forecasts earnings-per-share of $4.00 to $4.20 for the current fiscal year.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on BKH (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #7: Northwest Natural Holding Co. (NWN)

Northwest was founded over 160 years ago as a natural gas utility in Portland, Oregon.

It has grown from a very small, local utility that provided gas service to a handful of customers to a very successful regional utility with interests that now include water and wastewater, which were purchased in recent acquisitions.

The company’s locations served are shown in the image below.

Source: Investor Presentation

Northwest provides gas service to 2.5 million customers in ~140 communities in Oregon and Washington, serving more than 795,000 connections. It also owns and operates ~35 billion cubic feet of underground gas storage capacity.

On February 28, 2025, Northwest Natural Holding Company (NWN) reported its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2024. The company achieved an adjusted net income of $90.6 million for the full year, or $2.33 per share, slightly down from $93.9 million, or $2.59 per share, in 2023.

This decrease was primarily due to regulatory lag affecting the first ten months of 2024 until new Oregon gas utility rates became effective on November 1. The utility margin increased by $26.3 million, mainly due to these new rates.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on NWN (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #6: Canadian Utilities (CDUAF)

Canadian Utilities is a utility company with approximately 5,000 employees. ATCO owns 53% of Canadian Utilities. Based in Alberta, Canadian Utilities is a diversified global energy infrastructure corporation delivering solutions in Electricity, Pipelines & Liquid, and Retail Energy.

The company has a long history of generating steady growth and consistent profits through the economic cycle.

Source: Investor Presentation

On February 27th, 2025, Canadian Utilities posted its Q4 and full-year results for the period ending December 31st, 2024.

For the quarter, adjusted earnings amounted to $142 million USD ($0.52 per share), up $8 million USD ($0.02 per-share) year-over-year.

The increase in adjusted earnings was primarily driven by growth in the rate base and a higher return on equity (ROE) in ATCO Energy Systems’ regulated utilities.

This was partially offset by restructuring costs recorded in the quarter. GAAP EPS for 2024 was $1.03 in USD.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on CDUAF (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #5: Target Corporation (TGT)

Target was founded in 1902 and now operates about 1,850 big box stores, which offer general merchandise and food, as well as serving as distribution points for the company’s e-commerce business.

Target posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on March 4th, 2025, and results were better than expected on both the top and bottom lines, albeit on reduced estimates. Adjusted earnings-per-share came to $2.41, which was 16 cents ahead of estimates.

Revenue was off 3.1% year-over-year to $30.92 billion, but did beat estimates by $90 million. Comparable sales in the fourth quarter rose 1.5% year-over-year due to strong traffic and digital channel performance. Management noted apparel and hardline categories saw particular strength.

Digital comparable sales continue to drive the top line, adding 8.7% in Q4. Same-day delivery grew by more than 25% from the year-ago period.

The company repurchased $506 million worth of shares in Q4, and had $8.7 billion left on its authorization as of year end. The company guided for $8.80 to $9.80 in adjusted earnings-per-share for this year.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on TGT (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #4: Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT)

Federal Realty was founded in 1962. As a Real Estate Investment Trust, Federal Realty’s business model is to own and rent out real estate properties.

It uses a significant portion of its rental income, as well as external financing, to acquire new properties.

Source: Investor Presentation

On February 13, 2025, Federal Realty Investment Trust reported its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2024. The company achieved funds from operations (FFO) per share of $1.73 for the quarter and $6.77 for the full year, setting all-time records even after accounting for a one-time $0.04 charge related to an executive departure.

Total revenue surpassed $300 million for the quarter and $1.2 billion for the year, reflecting growth rates of 7% and 6% over their respective prior periods. Leased occupancy reached 96.2%, and occupied occupancy was 94.1% at year-end, the highest levels in nearly a decade.

These results were driven by strong tenant demand, with both leased and occupied metrics increasing by 200 and 190 basis points, respectively, over year-end 2023 levels.

The company also reported solid lease rollover of 11% on a cash basis and sector-leading contractual rent increases of approximately 2.5% for both anchor and small shop tenants.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on Federal Realty (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #3: Stanley Black & Decker (SWK)

Stanley Black & Decker is a world leader in power tools, hand tools, and related items. The company holds the top global position in tools and storage sales.

Stanley Black & Decker is second in the world in the areas of commercial electronic security and engineered fastening. The company is composed of three segments: tools & outdoor, and industrial.

Source: Investor Presentation

On February 5th, 2025, Stanley Black & Decker announced fourth quarter and full-year results. For the quarter, revenue of $3.75 billion was unchanged from the prior year, but came in $120 million above expectations.

Adjusted earnings-per-share of $1.49 compared favorably to $0.92 in the prior year and was $0.22 ahead of estimates. For the year, revenue declined 3% to $15.4 billion while adjusted earnings-per-share of $4.36 compared to $1.45 in 2023.

Organic growth was flat for the year, but up 3% for the quarter. Organic sales for Tools & Outdoor, the largest segment within the company, was higher by 3% for the quarter.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SWK (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #2: Universal Corporation (UVV)

Universal Corporation is a market leader in supplying leaf tobacco and other plant-based inputs to consumer product manufacturers.

The Tobacco Operations segment buys and sells tobacco used to make cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, and smokeless products.

Universal buys tobacco from its suppliers, processes it, and sells it to large tobacco companies in the US and internationally.

Source: Investor Presentation

The Ingredient Operations deal mainly with vegetables and fruits but is significantly smaller than the tobacco operations.

Universal Corporation reported its third quarter earnings results in February. The company generated revenues of $937 million during the quarter, which was more than the revenues that Universal Corporation generated during the previous period.

Revenues were positively impacted by product mix changes, while larger and better-yielding crops also had a positive impact on the company’s top-line. Universal Corporation’s revenues also rose on a year-over-year basis, showing a 14% increase.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on Universal (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

High Yield Dividend King #1: Altria Group (MO)

Altria is a tobacco stock that sells cigarettes, chewing tobacco, cigars, e-cigarettes, and more under a variety of brands, including Marlboro, Skoal, and Copenhagen, among others.

With a current dividend yield of nearly 8%, Altria is an ideal retirement investment stock.

This is a period of transition for Altria. The decline in the U.S. smoking rate continues. In response, Altria has invested heavily in new products that appeal to changing consumer preferences, as the smoke-free category continues to grow.

Source: Investor Presentation

The company also has a 35% investment stake in e-cigarette maker JUUL, and a 45% stake in the Canadian cannabis producer Cronos Group (CRON).

Altria Group reported solid financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024. For the fourth quarter, revenue of $5.1 billion beat analyst estimates by $50 million, and increased 1.6% year-over-year. Adjusted EPS of $1.29 beat by a penny.

For the full year, Altria generated adjusted diluted EPS growth of 3.4% and returned over $10.2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.

For 2025, Altria expects adjusted diluted EPS in a range of $5.22 to $5.37. This represents an adjusted diluted EPS growth rate of 2% to 5% for 2025.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on Altria (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Final Thoughts

High yield dividend stocks have obvious appeal to income investors. The S&P 500 Index yields just ~1.2% right now on average, making high yield stocks even more attractive by comparison.

Of course, investors should always do their research before buying individual stocks.

That said, the 20 stocks in this list have yields at least double the S&P 500 Index average. And, each of these stocks has increased their dividends for 50 consecutive years.

They are all part of the exclusive Dividend Kings list. As a result, income investors may find these 20 dividend stocks attractive.