5 Safe High-Yield Dividend Kings That Every Retiree Should Own
Here are five safe high-yield Dividend Kings that every retiree can buy now and hold for years to come.
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Reaching retirement age brings both opportunities and genuine financial challenges. Full retirement age for Social Security is 66 for anyone born between 1943 and 1954. For those born between 1955 and 1960, that threshold rises gradually to 67, and anyone born in 1960 or later reaches full benefits at 67. Baby Boomers and near-retirees alike recognize that Social Security alone cannot sustain a comfortable retirement, making passive income an essential part of monthly cash flow. The Dividend Kings rank among the most reliable sources for generating that income year after year.
Companies that have raised dividends for 50 consecutive years or more deliver exactly the kind of dependability passive income investors need. The Dividend Kings currently comprise roughly 56 to 58 companies (depending on the tracking source) that have achieved this milestone, demonstrating exceptional financial resilience across multiple economic cycles. Unlike the Dividend Aristocrats, Dividend Kings carry no S&P 500 membership requirement, so the list captures utilities, regional banks, and consumer staples names that broader indices often overlook.
We screened the Dividend Kings for companies combining the highest yields with strong financial stability. The five names below represent the kind of core holdings retirees and Baby Boomers can buy now and hold for years. Each carries a Buy rating from a top Wall Street firm.
Why do we cover the high-yielding Dividend Kings?
Since 1926, dividends have contributed approximately 32% of total return for the S&P 500, with capital appreciation accounting for the remaining 68%. Sustainable dividend income paired with capital appreciation potential therefore forms the bedrock of total return expectations for long-term investors. Research by Hartford Funds in collaboration with Ned Davis Research found that dividend stocks delivered a 9.18% annualized return over the 50 years from 1973 to 2023, more than double the 3.95% annualized return posted by non-payers over that same period. That outperformance compounds dramatically over a multi-decade retirement horizon, underscoring why consistent dividend growers deserve a central role in any income-focused portfolio.
Altria
Altria Group (NYSE:MO | MO Price Prediction) ranks among the world’s largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and related products. It manufactures and sells smokable and oral tobacco products in the United States through its subsidiaries, offering value investors a compelling entry point alongside a generous dividend yield.
The company provides cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand, along with:
- Cigars and pipe tobacco principally under the Black & Mild and Middleton brands
- Moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands
- on! Oral nicotine pouches
- e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand
The company sells tobacco products primarily to wholesalers, including distributors and large retail organizations such as chain stores.
Altria has been systematically trimming its stake in Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE:BUD), the world’s largest brewer. The original divestiture in 2024 saw Altria sell 35 million of its roughly 197 million shares through a global secondary offering, with proceeds supporting a $2.4 billion share repurchase program. In April 2026, Altria divested another 35 million shares at $61.50 per share, reducing its stake to approximately 8.1%, and the company has signaled it expects to continue gradually reducing that position. On the dividend front, Altria’s board approved a further 4.7% quarterly increase to $1.11 per share in August 2026, lifting the annualized payout to $4.44 and marking the company’s 61st dividend increase in 57 years. The new rate reflects Altria’s stated goal of delivering mid-single-digit dividend per share growth annually through 2028.
Stifel reaffirmed its Buy rating with a $77 price target following the dividend increase announcement.
Northwest Natural Holding
This off-the-radar small-cap utility serves approximately 2.0 million people across more than 140 communities, pays a dependable dividend, and suits conservative investors seeking steady income. Northwest Natural Holding Co. (NYSE:NWN), through its subsidiary Northwest Natural Gas Company, provides regulated natural gas distribution services to residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation customers in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
The company also operates:
- 5.7 billion cubic feet of the Mist gas storage facility contracted to other utilities and third-party marketers
- Natural gas asset management services
- An appliance retail center
In addition, it engages in gas storage, water, non-regulated renewable natural gas, and other investments and activities.
The company provides natural gas service through approximately:
- 810,000 meters in Oregon and southwest Washington
- Water services to about 80,000 people through roughly 33,000 water and wastewater connections in the Pacific Northwest and Texas
Northwest Natural raised its dividend for the 70th consecutive year in 2025, one of only three NYSE-listed companies to hold such a lengthy record. The current indicated annual dividend rate stands at $1.97 per share, with management targeting a long-term payout ratio of 55% to 65% as earnings continue to grow. That kind of multi-decade consistency reflects the pricing stability that regulated utilities enjoy, making Northwest Natural a natural anchor for retirees who prioritize income predictability over growth.
United Bancshares
United Bankshares Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI) is a bank holding company with dual headquarters in Charleston, West Virginia, and Fairfax, Virginia. This mid-cap regional bank offers solid total return potential in a financial sector that has performed well over the past year. United Bankshares primarily provides commercial and retail banking products and services in the United States through two segments: Community Banking and Mortgage Banking.
Its deposit products include checking, savings, time, and money market accounts; individual retirement accounts; demand deposits; statement and special savings accounts; and NOW accounts. The loan portfolio spans commercial and industrial credits to small and mid-size businesses, construction and real estate financing, personal and student loans, home equity lines, and credit card receivables.
Beyond its core banking franchise, United Bankshares provides investment and security services, correspondent banking, asset management, real property title insurance, financial planning, mortgage banking, brokerage, and retirement planning. The company achieved its 52nd consecutive year of dividend increases in 2025, joining the elite ranks of Dividend Kings. That streak spans multiple credit cycles, attesting to the conservative underwriting culture that has made United Bankshares a go-to name for income-oriented bank investors.
Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NASDAQ:KMB) is an American multinational personal care corporation that manufactures and markets mostly paper-based consumer products worldwide. This consumer staples leader offers investors a safe harbor from market volatility along with a substantial dividend yield backed by 54 consecutive years of increases. The board raised the quarterly rate to $1.28 per share in early 2026, putting the annualized forward payout at $5.12.
It operates through three segments:
- Personal Care
- Consumer Tissue
- K-C Professional
The Personal Care segment offers disposable diapers, swim pants, training and youth pants, baby wipes, feminine and incontinence care products under well-known brand names including Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, DryNites, Sweety, Kotex, U by Kotex, Intimus, Depends, Plenitud, Softex, and Poise.
The Consumer Tissue segment provides facial and bathroom tissues, paper towels, napkins, and related products under Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, Viva, Andrex, Scottex, and Neve. The K-C Professional segment rounds out the portfolio with wipers, tissues, towels, apparel, soaps, and sanitizers under the Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech, and KleenGuard brands.
The key near-term development for Kimberly-Clark is its pending $48.7 billion acquisition of Kenvue, the consumer health company that was spun out of Johnson and Johnson. Shareholders of both companies approved the deal in January 2026, and the transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, pending remaining regulatory approvals. Management maintained its commitment to the dividend through the announcement, raising the payout even with the acquisition pending, a signal of confidence in the combined company’s cash generation. Kimberly-Clark’s 54-year streak of consecutive increases cements its place among the most reliable income stocks in the consumer staples sector.
Federal Realty Investment Trust
Founded in 1962, Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT) focuses on investing in densely populated, affluent communities where retail demand consistently exceeds supply. The trust is a recognized leader in the ownership, operation, and redevelopment of high-quality retail-based properties in major coastal markets spanning from Washington, D.C. and Boston to San Francisco and Los Angeles. Hard assets in prime locations tend to hold their value during inflationary periods, and Federal Realty’s portfolio is concentrated in exactly those markets.
Its expertise includes creating urban, mixed-use neighborhoods such as:
- Santana Row in San Jose, California
- Pike & Rose in North Bethesda, Maryland
- Assembly Row in Somerville, Massachusetts
Federal Realty’s portfolio as of early 2026 comprises approximately 3,800 tenants across 104 properties totaling roughly 29 million square feet of commercial space and around 2,500 residential units. In Q1 2026, the trust reported core funds from operations of $1.88 per share, a nearly 11% increase year over year, driven by record leasing volume and 96.1% portfolio occupancy. Management subsequently raised full-year 2026 FFO guidance to a range of $7.46 to $7.55 per diluted share. Federal Realty has increased its quarterly dividend for 58 consecutive years, the longest streak in the REIT industry, a record that reflects the trust’s ability to grow income through recessions, rising rates, and retail disruption alike.
Investors Can Generate Huge Passive Income With 7 Dividend Kings
Editor’s note: Altria’s quarterly dividend has been updated to $1.11 per share (annualized $4.44), reflecting the 4.7% increase approved by the board in August 2026 and marking Altria’s 61st dividend increase in 57 years. Kimberly-Clark’s exchange has been corrected to NASDAQ, the quarterly dividend rate updated to $1.28 per share ($5.12 annualized), and context added about the pending $48.7 billion Kenvue acquisition, which shareholders approved in January 2026 with a close expected in the second half of 2026.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Lee Jackson has covered Wall Street analysts' equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad, diverse career, including a stint as creative services director at an NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry.
Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans more than 30 years, including nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career spanned pivotal sell-side Wall Street events, from the dot-com rise and bubble to the Long-Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This reflects his resilience and adaptability amid market volatility.
Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, gained through a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing across various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies of Wall Street in a way only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.
Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.
