Five Smart Buys – ‘Dividend Aristocrats’

The Dividend Aristocrats list is a great place to find top dividend stocks. Dividend Aristocrats are companies that are both in the S&P 500 index and have paid and raised their base dividend for at least 25 consecutive years.

Here are five top dividend stocks to consider buying now:

1. Lowe’s (NYSE:LOW): The home improvement giant may not seem like a very exciting stock. And that’s true, unless you like dividend growth. The company has raised its dividend every year since going public in 1961 and has raised the payout a massive 556% over the past decade alone. For investors worried about the housing downturn that began in the second half of 2022, don’t fret. People are more likely to invest in the home they have when housing supply is tight and it’s harder to buy. Another important number that’s good for Lowe’s: The typical U.S. home is between 31 and 60 years old, depending on the state. The next generation of DIYers will spend a lot of money at Lowe’s.
2. Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA): One of the largest retail pharmacy operators in the world, Walgreens’ turnaround plans are bearing fruit. The company has cut expenses by billions of dollars, and its efforts to become a more integrated healthcare company are paying off. Add it together, and this profitable company is set to become even more profitable. Management recently raised its long-term target for its U.S. healthcare segment. With a dividend yield well above 4.5% and 47 straight years of annual payout growth, there’s a lot for dividend and value investors to like about Walgreens stock.
3. Realty Income (NYSE:O): If you’re looking for a simple way to invest in high-quality real estate for income and growth, this might be the perfect stock. The company owns a wide array of largely e-commerce-resistant properties, earning strong cash flows from tenants on long-term leases. Realty Income is also a Dividend Aristocrat, with 27 consecutive years of dividend increases — that’s every year since going public in 1994 — and 53 straight years of paying a dividend every month.
4. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ): Johnson & Johnson owns a portfolio of excellent brands that make products people need — specifically healthcare items. In addition to its well-known consumer brands, Johnson & Johnson has massive and steadily profitable operations in pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The combination has allowed the company to increase its dividend for 60 years in a row. This diversity across consumer health brands, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices is unmatched and has proven to be a massive profit engine. However, management thinks this “conglomerate” structure has limited the company’s ability to focus its resources and announced plans in late 2021 to split the consumer products business into a separate company. The split is on track to happen in 2023, with existing shareholders receiving shares of both companies.
5. Target (NYSE:TGT): For years, Target has proven more profitable than its peers by posting some of the highest gross margins and operating margins in retailing. At the same time, its focus on increasing its e-commerce business and expanding in-store offerings has kept sales growing at a solid clip. However, 2022 was a brutal year for Target investors, with very high expectations clashing with the challenging realities of retailing and sending shares of the stalwart down more than 36% through early December. Despite a tough year, Target remains one of the best-run retailers out there and a solidly profitable company. With dividend growth at 50 years and counting and shares trading for a steep discount to its all-time highs, dividend investors should put Target on their shopping list.

This Article Was Originally Posted on Fool.com