10 Best Dividend Kings Stocks to Invest in Now

1. Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 88

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is an American retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount stores, and grocery stores across the country. In the past 12 months, the stock has surged by nearly 70%, significantly outperforming the broader market.

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) experienced a 3% rise in customer traffic in the third quarter compared to the same period last year, a promising sign for any major retailer. It reported $168 billion in revenue, a 5.5% increase year-over-year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by $1.4 billion. Known for its strong dividend history, Walmart continues to hold a solid cash position, generating $22.9 billion in operating cash flow year-to-date, $3.9 billion more than the previous year. Its free cash flow also increased by $1.9 billion, reaching $6.2 billion. The company has raised its dividend for 51 consecutive years, which makes it one of the best dividend kings on our list.

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) offers a quarterly dividend of $0.2075 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.90%, as of January 13. The company leverages its competitive advantages to deliver substantial financial returns to investors. Its growing cash flow and profitability are driven not only by increased market share but also by the success of its e-commerce segment, bolstered by significant infrastructure investments. In addition, strategic actions such as price cuts and enhanced inventory management have contributed to these positive outcomes.

With a collective stake value of over $9.7 billion, 88 hedge funds held positions in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) in the third quarter of 2024, as per Insider Monkey’s database. Rajiv Jain’s GQG Partners was one of the company’s leading stakeholders in Q3.

Overall, Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) ranks first on our list of the best dividend kings. While we acknowledge the potential for WMT to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than WMT but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. 

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