We recently published a list of the 10 High Growth Forever Dividend Stocks to Invest In. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) stands against other high growth forever dividend stocks.
Dividend stocks have trailed the broader market over the past two years, largely due to investors favoring AI-focused companies. Still, experienced investors recognize the long-term value of dividend-paying stocks, supported by their strong historical performance. Short-term trends don’t diminish their importance. In fact, dividends have historically played a major role in total returns, accounting for about 31% of the broader market’s monthly total return from 1926 through February 2025, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Dividend stocks have been performing well this year, even as broader markets faced turbulence. Wall Street took a hit recently amid rising fears about the economic fallout from President Donald Trump’s expanding trade war. The three major US indexes posted sharp declines, wiping out much of the prior session’s gains, as escalating tensions between the US and China overshadowed positive economic reports and progress in trade talks with Europe. The S&P index is down by over 8% since the start of 2025, whereas the tech-heavy NASDAQ has declined by over 13%. On the other hand, the Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks the performance of companies with 25 consecutive years of dividend growth, has recorded a decline of nearly 3%.
This highlights how dividend stocks tend to perform more steadily during market downturns—a trend backed by historical data. S&P Dow Jones Indices reports that, over time, the Dividend Aristocrats have delivered stronger risk-adjusted returns than the broader market, with lower volatility. These stocks have offered solid downside protection, outperforming the S&P index in about two-thirds of the market’s down months and roughly 44% of its up months. They’ve also experienced smaller drawdowns compared to the overall index, reinforcing their defensive appeal. In addition, during market downturns, the Dividend Aristocrats delivered an average excess return of 0.87% over the broader market. From December 29, 1989, to February 28, 2025, these stocks showed a market beta of 0.8, indicating lower volatility and stronger resilience compared to the overall market.
Analysts pointed out that the historical performance of dividend equities continues to shape a favorable outlook for the current year. A recent report from J.P. Morgan suggested that global equities may be entering a strong phase of dividend growth—driven not only by a cyclical rebound in payouts but also by a sustained structural momentum. While global dividends per share have grown at an average annual rate of 5.6% over the past two decades, projections now indicate an acceleration to 7.6% in the coming years.
The report emphasized that the most promising opportunities in the dividend space lie with so-called “Compounders”—companies with a consistent track record of increasing dividends over time, backed by solid earnings growth. Nearly half of the strategy focuses on these firms, which are also seen as powerful contributors to alpha generation within investment portfolios. Given this, we will take a look at some of the best high growth stocks that pay dividends.
A manager standing in a hypermarket, pointing out items available for wholesale.
Our Methodology:
For this list, we screened for dividend stocks with sound financials and robust balance sheets. From that group, we picked companies that achieved positive revenue growth in the past five years and dividend growth streaks of at least 10 years. The final 10 picks are those with a five-year revenue growth rate exceeding 5%. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of their revenue growth rates.
At Insider Monkey, we are obsessed with hedge funds. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)
5-Year Revenue Growth: 5.38%
Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is an American retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount stores, and grocery stores across the country. The company has been drawing investor interest lately, as it appears more resilient to the latest wave of tariff-related uncertainty than many expected. Around two-thirds of its inventory spending goes toward products made in the US, offering some insulation from international trade pressures. While the remaining third of its merchandise costs are tied to imports from countries like Mexico and China—and some of its American suppliers also feel the effects of tariffs—the overall impact on Walmart is far from devastating. Despite the recent noise, the company remains on solid footing. In the past 12 months, the stock has surged by nearly 55%, and its YTD returns come in at over 3%.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) posted a 4.1% rise in revenue, reaching $180.6 billion, with constant currency growth coming in at 5.3%. The company’s operating income climbed 8.3%, thanks to stronger gross margins, increased membership revenue, and improved profitability in its e-commerce segment. Over the full year, Walmart generated $36.4 billion in operating cash flow and ended the year with $9 billion in cash and equivalents. It also returned $4.5 billion to shareholders through stock buybacks and announced a 13% hike in its quarterly dividend to $0.235 per share—the biggest dividend increase it has made in over ten years.
Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT), one of the best high growth dividend stocks, has been growing its payouts for 52 consecutive years. Currently, it offers a quarterly dividend of $0.235 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.01%, as of April 13.
Overall, WMT ranks 9th on our list of the best high growth stocks that pay dividends. While we acknowledge the potential of WMT as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued dividend stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued dividend stock that is more promising than WMT but that trades at 10 times its earnings and grows its earnings at double digit rates annually, check out our report about the dirt cheap dividend stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
