Investors seeking defensive companies that pay substantial dividends are drawn to the Dividend Aristocrats, and with good reason. The 69 companies that made the cut for the 2025 S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats list have increased their dividends (not just maintained the same level) for 25 consecutive years.
We screened the 2025 Dividend Aristocrats to identify the companies outperforming the S&P 500. The four top companies that may end up being total return home runs for 2025 are all crushing the venerable index, and still offer investors good entry points. In addition, all are rated Buy at the top firms we cover on Wall Street.
This post originally appeared at 24/7 Wall St.