10 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy for Dependable Dividend Growth

1. Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ)

5-Year Average Dividend Growth: 22.5%

Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ) is one of the best dividend stocks for dividend growth. The company has built a strong reputation for dividend reliability, having raised its payout for 25 consecutive years, which is a notable feat for a company tied to commodity price cycles. In 2024 alone, the board approved three dividend increases, and it has already raised the payout again in 2025, despite weaker oil prices. Over the past five years, dividends have grown at an average annual rate of 22.5%.

In addition to steady dividends, Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ) has delivered impressive capital gains of about 296% over the past five years. This performance is backed by its strong production mix, long-life low-decline assets, efficient operations, and disciplined capital management, all of which support robust distributable cash flow.

Its high-value, zero-decline synthetic crude production adds operational stability and keeps reserve replacement costs low. The company also maintains a healthy cash position, generating $4.3 billion in operating cash flow in Q1 2025, of which $1.8 billion was returned to shareholders via dividends and buybacks. The company currently offers a quarterly dividend of C$0.5875 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.09%, as of June 17.

Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ) is a major energy company engaged in exploring, developing, producing, and marketing crude oil and natural gas.

While we acknowledge the potential of CNQ to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CNQ and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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