10 Best Defensive Dividend Stocks For 2025

2. Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 105

Dividend Yield as of November 6: 0.93%

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is one of the best dividend stocks to buy. On October 31, Walmart announced that it is rolling out five AI-led shopping options to improve the experience for buyers this holiday season.

The new shopping features will be accessible on both the Walmart mobile app and website. An in-store savings option will enable customers to check local store sales with a click, along with deeper search functions that indicate where the selected items are placed within stores, as well as a wish list feature that arranges the products by aisle for a convenient shopping experience.

Walmart’s digital assistant, Sparky, is now equipped to handle AI-based party planning, and it can generate lists of products required for each occasion. AI-powered audio descriptions of products and product reviews, as well as augmented reality, will be leveraged to allow for interactive retail experiences.

Walmart is one of the most prominent consumer staples players due to its ongoing efforts to integrate technology into its operations. In a separate update, Walmart and Avery Dennison announced on October 22 that they are developing RFID systems for fresh food items in departments including meat, bakery, and deli.

They introduced sensor-based solutions that allow RFID tags to function in refrigerated, moisture-prone environments such as meat sections, resolving a prior technical challenge. This innovation helps Walmart employees track stock levels and oversee digital expiry dates to streamline product turnover and discounting. The collaboration promotes Walmart’s aim to lower food loss and waste across its supply chain by 50% by 2030.