In this article, we will take a look at some of the best unstoppable stocks that pay dividends.

Dividend-paying stocks are drawing increased attention from investors amid this year’s market volatility. The S&P Dividend Aristocrats Index, which includes companies with at least 25 years of consecutive dividend growth, has climbed nearly 3% year-to-date, outperforming the broader market’s 1.5% return. This rebound comes after two years of lagging, as tech-driven growth stocks had taken center stage. While this recent momentum may not last indefinitely, analysts remain optimistic about the long-term prospects for dividend-focused investments.

As demand for dividend-paying stocks continues to climb, many companies have responded by steadily boosting their payouts. According to a report by Janus Henderson, global dividend distributions hit an all-time high of $1.75 trillion in 2024, marking a 6.6% increase on an underlying basis. The overall growth rate stood at 5.2%, slightly weighed down by a decline in special one-off dividends and the impact of a stronger U.S. dollar. Among the 49 countries examined, 17—including economic powerhouses like the U.S., Canada, France, Japan, and China—reached record dividend levels. Overall, 88% of companies either increased or maintained their dividend payments throughout the year. Given this, we will take a look at some of the best unstoppable dividend stocks to invest in.

Our Methodology:

For this article, we first used a stock screener to identify stocks that have reported positive returns in the past 12 months. From this selection, we chose dividend stocks with 12-month gains of at least 8%, as of the close of May 16. The stocks were then arranged in ascending order of their 12-month gain.

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).

10. CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS)

12-Month Return as of the Close of May 16: 8.94%

CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) is a leading American healthcare company that provides a range of services, from pharmacy operations and health insurance to wellness programs. In one of the recent developments, Rite Aid has sold the pharmacy operations of more than 1,000 of its U.S. stores to major competitors, including CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS), Walgreens, Albertsons, and Kroger, as part of its ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy process.

CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) emerged as the largest buyer, acquiring prescription records from over 600 Rite Aid locations across 15 states, and agreeing to purchase 64 physical stores in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The deals are pending approval from the bankruptcy court. CVS has surged by nearly 9% in the past 12 months.

Despite the asset sales, Rite Aid stated that its stores remain open and customers can continue using its pharmacy services without disruption. CEO Matt Schroeder said that the agreements will allow pharmacy customers to transition smoothly while also helping retain some employees. He emphasized that the move ensures customers will continue receiving the pharmacy care and services they need without any disruptions.

The added stores would help CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) expand its footprint in an area where it currently has fewer locations relative to the population compared to other parts of the country. This offers a strategic expansion opportunity for the company. Alongside strengthening its foothold in the retail pharmacy market, CVS is also drawing investor interest thanks to its consistent dividend payments. The company has maintained consistent payments since 1997 and currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.665 per share. As of May 18, the stock has a dividend yield of 4.25%.

9. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)

12-Month Return as of the Close of May 16: 15.07%

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) is an American multinational beverage company. The company, in partnership with Adobe, has launched Project Fizzion—an innovative design intelligence platform that reimagines traditional brand guidelines as smart, flexible assets. This new system allows creative teams to generate content up to ten times faster while maintaining quality, originality, and brand integrity. Though still in its pilot stage, Fizzion reflects a forward-looking approach to scaling brand consistency without sacrificing creative control.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) runs one of the most intricate marketing systems globally, making it challenging to consistently deliver creative content that’s both brand-aligned and locally relevant. Fizzion aims to solve this by acting as a design-first AI tool that supports—rather than replaces—human creativity. It learns from designers as they work within Adobe Creative Cloud tools like Illustrator and Photoshop, capturing their design choices and converting them into machine-readable StyleID. This allows brand guidelines to be automatically applied across various formats, platforms, and markets. Rapha Abreu, Global Vice President of Design, made the following comment about this development:

“With Fizzion, our design elements become smart. Logos, type, imagery—brand guidelines now live intelligently inside them. Each asset understands how it should behave, adapt, and scale across any context. This is about embedding AI at the heart of our brand system so creativity can move faster, without losing its soul.”

In addition to its commitment to innovation, The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) is also a financially healthy company. The company’s sound financial position is reflected in its impressive 63-year history of increasing dividends. It pays a quarterly dividend of $0.51 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.83%, as of May 18.