15 Best S&P 500 Dividend Stocks to Buy Now

5. The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 88

The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) is a Georgia-based multinational home improvement company that offers related products and services to its consumers. The company delivered robust fourth-quarter earnings for 2024, reporting revenue of $39.7 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of over 14%. For fiscal 2025, it anticipates total sales growth of approximately 2.8%, with comparable sales projected to rise by about 1% over the same 52-week period. Additionally, the company aims to open roughly 13 new stores and expects a gross margin of around 33.4%.

In the past 12 months, The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) has surged by nearly 4%. With a presence in more than 2,300 locations across North America, the company’s performance is closely tied to trends in the real estate market. Although it has maintained steady growth and strong profitability, it has encountered challenges due to elevated mortgage rates. Higher borrowing costs have contributed to a decline in home sales and a lower inventory of available properties, which in turn has affected consumer spending on home improvement projects.

The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) ended the quarter with over $1.65 billion in cash and cash equivalents. During fiscal 2024, it generated nearly $20 billion in operating cash flow, reinforcing its solid financial standing. This stability has allowed the company to sustain uninterrupted dividend payments for 152 consecutive quarters. In addition, it raised its quarterly dividend by 2.2% to $2.30 per share, marking the 15th straight year of dividend growth. With a dividend yield of 2.35%, as of February 27, HD is one of the best dividend stocks in the broader market.