10 Safest Dividend Stocks to Buy Now

8. H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB)

Beta: 0.29

Dividend Yield: 2.53%

No. of Hedge Funds: 27

Missouri-based company H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB) is a leading provider of tax preparation services, financial advisory products, and small business solutions. The company operates across digital platforms and retail locations, annually serving millions of individuals and SMEs. H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB) puts up tough competition in the market with a nationwide presence that supports its hybrid service delivery. The company ensures its preferences among customers in the evolving tax and personal finance sectors through affordability and accuracy.

The 23.37% 52-week surge suggests far more than just tax season momentum. Despite the growth, H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE:HRB) has missed the analyst expectations for its Q4 adjusted EPS by 8.6%, reaching -$1.73. For 2025, the company has announced an EBITDA guidance of $975 million to $1.02 billion. The company also expects the effective tax rate to be around 13%, leading to a one-time benefit to EPS of approximately 50 cents. Additionally, the company has been consistently increasing its dividend since 2016, having returned $4.4 billion to shareholders in the form of share repurchases in addition to dividends, hence holding a positive outlook from investors.

With a beta of 0.29 and a 2.53% dividend yield, the stock maintains stability without losing its growth, thus earning its position among the safest stocks to buy. Twenty-seven hedge funds held stakes in the company’s stock, as per Insider Monkey’s Q4 2024 database, suggesting moderate institutional interest.