If you are looking for the best dividend stocks to own in 2025, look no further than the Dogs of the Dow. The Dogs of the Dow is a long-standing strategy in which investors seek to benefit from dividend stocks. It involves selecting the highest-yielding Dow Jones Industrial Average components at year-end and proceeding to hold those stocks for the next 12 months. At the end of each year, it’s rinse and repeat.
Steady dividends are not something to take for granted. Former Dow stock General Motors (NYSE: GM) just announced that it would be suspending its stock buyback program, which alongside dividends is one of the two key ways that companies return value to shareholders.
We thought now would be the perfect time to check in on a few of the Dogs of the Dow dividend payers and see how they are faring year-to-date. Additionally, we will do a temperature check on the strength of their balance sheets as well as past dividend paying histories to anticipate what could come next for shareholders.
Verizon Dividend
Verizon (NYSE: VZ) pays a high dividend yield of 6.4% compared with the average S&P 500 stock dividend of below 2%. Verizon’s quarterly cash dividend amount is $0.6775. The last time Verizon hiked its dividend was in Q3 2024.
Over the past five years, Verizon has paid uninterrupted dividends, increasing the payout at regular intervals. For example, in 2020, shareholders received an annual dividend amount of $2.485 per share; in 2021, the amount rose to $2.535; in 2022, it became $2.585; in 2023, it rose to $2.635; and in 2024, Verizon paid an annual dividend of $2.685 per share. Investors should feel relatively confident that Verizon will continue to prioritize returning value to shareholders with a quarterly cash dividend amount that has a history of rising each year.
Chevron Dividend
As one of the Dogs of the Dow, energy giant Chevron (NYSE: CVX) pays a dividend yield of 4.9%, which is also attractive compared with the average S&P 500 company. Chevron’s quarterly cash dividend amount is $1.71, the most recent of which was declared in Q1 2025. This Dog of the Dow’s 2025 quarterly dividend is up from $1.63 per share in 2024. The company has been raising its dividend consistently for at least the past five years, which is a good sign that the company has prioritized returning shareholder value, over which time the quarterly payout has grown from $1.29 per share to the current distribution. In 2023, the company announced a massive $75 billion share repurchase program with no fixed expiration date. The share price is off its highs of the past 12 months amid a weak oil price of late, presenting a potential buying opportunity for investors.
Coca-Cola Dividend
Beverage giant Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) is yet another dividend favorite, with a dividend yield of 2.8%, still better than average. The company currently pays a quarterly cash dividend amount of $0.51 per share, up from $0.485 per share in 2024. Coca-Cola has been hiking its dividend annually for at least the past five years, over which time the quarterly distribution has grown from $0.41 per share to the current payout. Coca-Cola just came off the heels of its better-than-expected Q1 results, saying that it expects to navigate any tariff effect on materials like aluminum. Coca-Cola’s share price is within a stone’s throw of its 52-week high, and most Wall Street analysts have a “buy” rating on this Dog of the Dow.
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