Everything that could go wrong for a long and tired stock market rally came to the forefront in late February, and the same items that led to the worst month for the S&P 500 since 2022, could continue to keep the pressure on. Solid earnings but disappointing forward guidance, a steep drop in investor and consumer sentiment, sticky and very possibly, rising inflation, growing unemployment claims that were much higher than expected, geopolitical and domestic issues like tariffs, and a host of additional items are not only in the mix, but they could continue to stir the pot in the months to come.

The cherry on top was a very negative market reaction to Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) earnings, which came in above guidance but were not of the blow-out variety investors have become accustomed to. The American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) bears reading is up to 60.6%, the highest reading since September 2022, and the reading at the end of February was the highest percentage jump since August 2019.

One solid idea for growth and income investors who want to stay invested but shift to a more balanced approach is to look at the incredible Dividend Kings. The 2025 Dividend Kings are the 54 companies that have raised their dividends for 50 years, a testament to their dependability and reliability. Those are two “must-have” items for investors who rely on passive income to boost their overall revenue. The Dividend Kings are outperforming the S&P 500 so far in 2025 by a substantial margin and could be the best place to move capital to now. We screened the 2025 list, and four members with some of the highest yields are strong buys now.  

Why do we cover the Dividend Kings?

Companies that have raised the dividends shareholders receive for 50 years or longer are the kind of investments that passive income investors need to own. Dependability is necessary for those seeking to bolster their yearly income with dividend stock investments.

AbbVie

AbbVie ranked sixth on the list of largest biomedical companies by revenue.

This stock is one of the top pharmaceutical stock picks across Wall Street and pays a dependable 3.25% dividend. AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceuticals worldwide.

The company offers:

• Humira, an injection for autoimmune and intestinal Behçet’s diseases and pyoderma gangrenosum
• Skyrizi to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic disease, and Crohn’s disease
• Rinvoq to treat rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, atopic dermatitis, axial spondyloarthropathy, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease
• Imbruvica for the treatment of adult patients with blood cancers; Epkinly to treat lymphoma
• Elahere to treat cancer
• Venclexta/Venclyxto to treat blood cancers.

It also provides:

• Facial injectables, plastics and regenerative medicine, body contouring, and skin care products
• Botox therapeutic
• Vraylar for depressive disorder
• Duopa and Duodopa to treat advanced Parkinson’s disease
• Ubrelvy for the acute treatment of migraine in adults
• Qulipta for episodic and chronic migraine

In addition, the company offers Ozurdex for eye diseases, Lumigan/Ganfort and Alphagan/Combigan for reducing elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, Restasis to increase tear production, and other eye care products.

Further, it provides:

• Mavyret/Maviret to treat chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1-6 infection
• Creon, a pancreatic enzyme therapy
• Lupron to treat advanced prostate cancer, endometriosis, and central precocious puberty, and patients with anemia caused by uterine fibroids
• Linzess/Constella to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and chronic idiopathic constipation
• Synthroid for hypothyroidism

Consolidated Edison

Consolidated Edison is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States.

This old-school utility stock offers income investors the stability and track record many seek now and a solid 3.40% dividend. Consolidated Edison Inc. (NYSE: ED), through its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States.

It offers electric services to approximately:

• 3.6 million customers in New York City and Westchester County
• Gas to about 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County
• Steam to approximately 1,530 customers in parts of Manhattan

The company also supplies electricity to approximately 0.3 million customers in southeastern New York and northern New Jersey and gas to about 0.1 million customers in southeastern New York.

In addition, it operates:

• 543 circuit miles of transmission lines
• 15 transmission substations
• 63 distribution substations
• 87,951 in-service line transformers
• 3,869 pole miles of overhead distribution lines
• 2,320 miles of underground distribution lines
• 4,359 miles of mains
• 377,741 service lines for natural gas distribution

Consolidated Edison owns, develops, and operates renewable and energy infrastructure projects, provides energy-related products and services to wholesale and retail customers, and invests in electric and gas transmission projects.

Kenvue

Kenvue is the world’s largest pure-play consumer health company by revenue.

Spun off from Johnson & Johnson Inc. (NYSE: JNJ) in 2023, this potential total return home run pays a solid 3.53% dividend. Kenvue Inc. (NYSE: KVUE) is a global consumer health company.

The company operates through three segments:

• Self Care
• Skin Health and Beauty
• Essential Health

The self-care segment offers cough, cold, and allergy pain care, digestive health, smoking cessation, and other products under:

• Tylenol
• Nicorette
• Zyrtec brands

The Skin Health and Beauty segment provides face and body care, hair care, sun care, and other products under:

• Neutrogena
• Aveeno
• OGX brand names.

The Essential Health segment offers oral and baby, women’s health, and wound care products under:

• Listerine
• Johnson’s
• Band-Aid
• Stayfree brands

United Bancshares

United Bankshares is a bank holding company dual-headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia and Fairfax, Virginia.

Yielding a solid 4.18% dividend, this mid-cap financial offers solid total return potential now. United Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ: UBSI) primarily provides commercial and retail banking products and services in the United States.

It operates through two segments:

• Community Banking
• Mortgage Banking

The company accepts:

• Checking, savings, and time and money market accounts
• Individual retirement accounts and demand deposits
• Statement and special savings
• NOW accounts.

Its loan products include:

• Commercial loans and leases to small to mid-size industrial and commercial companies
• Construction and real estate loans, such as commercial and residential mortgages
• Loans secured by owner-occupied real estate
• Personal, student, and credit card receivables
• Personal, commercial, and floor plan loans
• Home equity loans.

In addition, the company provides credit cards, safe deposit boxes, wire transfers, and other banking products and services; investment and security services; services to correspondent banks, including buying and selling federal funds; automated teller machine services; and internet and telephone banking services.

Further, it offers community banking services, such as asset management, real property title insurance, financial planning, mortgage banking, brokerage services, investment management, and retirement planning.

Bank of America Says Stocks Could Drop 40%: 5 Safe Large-Cap Dividend Stocks That Will Survive

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