If your plan is to earn passive income from stocks, you’d might as well pick out the ones that offer dividend growth. When a company has raised its dividend distributions for a very long time, that’s a reassuring sign for investors.
There are legions of stocks out there to choose from, but most of them don’t qualify as a dividend king. To earn that title, a company has to have a track record of at least 50 consecutive dividend raises (in dollar terms, not necessarily percentage terms).
Even after we narrow our search down to dividend kings with 50+ years of dividend growth, we should still insist on top-quality stocks. Right now, I’ll bring you my four favorite picks to consider adding to your income-producing portfolio.
American States Water (AWR)
To start you off on the right foot, we’ll take a look at American States Water (NYSE:AWR). This is a water and electric services provider with an amazing dividend history.
Believe it or not, American States Water has raised its dividend distributions for 72 consecutive years. Thus, this company easily qualifies as a dividend king.
Is American States Water in a financially secure position, though? American States Water grew its adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) from $3.04 in 2024 to $3.37 in 2025.
Hence, we can say that American States Water is profitable and in a good enough financial position to continue paying dividends. The company currently pays a 2.7% annual dividend yield, so AWS stock is a passive income pick you won’t want to miss out on.
Procter & Gamble (PG)
Our next royal dividend grower is household products provider Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG | PG Price Prediction). Procter & Gamble is a large and well-known company that will impress you with its dividend track record.
To be specific, Procter & Gamble has grown its dividend payouts for 70 years in a row. Clearly, this company believes in returning capital to its loyal shareholders.
In case you need more reassurance about the company, here’s a crucial statistic about Procter & Gamble. The diluted net earnings attributable to Procter & Gamble increased from $8.589 billion in the six months ended December 31, 2024, to $9.07 billion in the six months ended December 31, 2025.
In other words, Procter & Gamble is both a dividend grower and an earning grower. With that in mind, feel free to purchase some PG shares so you can take advantage of Procter & Gamble’s 2.53% dividend yield.
National Fuel Gas (NFG)
The U.S. won’t stop needing natural gas for electricity anytime soon. That’s why National Fuel Gas (NYSE:NFG) has a secure business model as an explorer, distributor, and transporter of natural gas.
This isn’t a new startup business, by any means. In fact, National Fuel Gas is a natural gas industry mainstay that has hiked its dividends for 56 years.
Certainly, we want some evidence that National Fuel Gas is profitable and can pay out its dividend distributions in 2026 and beyond. It’s a positive sign, then, that National Fuel Gas grew its adjusted earnings from $151.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 to $187.7 million in Q1 FY2026.
The takeaway is that National Fuel Gas will almost certainly continue to offer dividends to the company’s long-term investors. With its 2.35% annual dividend yield, NFG stock is a worthy choice for selective wealth builders seeking exposure to dividend kings.
Automatic Data Processing (ADP)
Last but not least, I’d like to turn your attention to a recently crowned dividend king known as Automatic Data Processing (NASDAQ:ADP). It’s a software company that specializes in human resources (HR) and payroll processing.
Not long ago, Automatic Data Processing marked a milestone that allows the company to call itself a dividend king. In particular, Automatic Data Processing now has a 51-year history of consistently hiking its dividend payouts.
Checking in on the company’s financials, Automatic Data Processing reported an 11% year-over-year adjusted earnings increase to $2.62 per share for fiscal 2026’s second quarter. Also during that time frame, Automatic Data Processing improved its total revenue by 6% to $5.359 billion.
Hence, even if Automatic Data Processing is a recent entry into the ranks of the dividend kings, it’s still a solid business that’s likely to grow its dividends in the coming years. Knowing this, it’s fine to succumb to the temptation to buy some ADP shares, especially since Automatic Data Processing pays an attractive annual dividend yield of 3.17%.
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