The 2 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy Now and Hold Forever

• Coca-Cola has raised its payouts each twelvemonth for much than six decades.

• Home Depot places a precocious precedence connected dividend payments.

• 10 stocks we similar amended than Coca-Cola ›

Many investors admit receiving dividends. After all, paying retired a information of the nett is 1 of the astir nonstop ways that companies tin reward their shareholders.

However, if you're an income-focused investor, it's important to bargain shares of companies that tin spend to some sustainably wage dividends and put successful their businesses to guarantee continued growth. It's not capable for a concern to wage a precocious dividend if it can't stay competitory successful the agelong run.

These 2 companies apical my database of dividend-paying stocks that investors should see making halfway parts of their semipermanent portfolios. In fact, I can't spot selling either one.

Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) sold its archetypal beverage successful 1886, and present you tin find its products successful much than 200 countries astir the world. Its offerings widen good beyond soda to waters, juices, teas, and dairy and plant-based beverages, among others.

While its days of accelerated maturation look to beryllium down it, Coca-Cola continues to make steadily higher revenues. In the 3rd quarter, the company's apical line, adjusted to region the impacts of foreign-currency shifts and acquisitions and divestitures, accrued by 6%.

That summation was owed to a operation of higher prices and a changing income mix. Ideally, higher measurement would contribute. Nonetheless, that's not worrisome successful the agelong tally since the stagnation connected that beforehand is apt attributable to radical feeling stressed by precocious costs successful wide and concerns astir macroeconomic headwinds. The institution volition apt look stronger erstwhile economical conditions improve, since Coca-Cola continues to summation marketplace share.

Meanwhile, it produces plentifulness of nett to enactment dividends: Its payout ratio is simply a comfy 67%.

It doesn't conscionable support its payouts constant, either. It's a Dividend King, 1 of a reasonably tiny radical of companies that person accrued their payments for astatine slightest 50 consecutive years. The committee of directors raised the quarterly payout by much than 5% earlier successful 2025, extending its streak to 63 consecutive years.

At the existent banal price, Coca-Cola has a 2.9% dividend yield, higher than the S&P 500 index's mean of 1.1%.

Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is the largest retailer by income successful the location betterment industry. While it has agelong catered to some do-it-yourself customers and nonrecreational contractors, it has precocious made moves to bolster its concern with the professionals, including its acquisitions of SRS Distribution and GMS.