Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a “Double Down” signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same “Total Conviction” signal is flashing for a company 1\/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue \u00bb<\/a> <\/p>\n However, even during these dark times, these three companies raised dividends. In fact, they’ve increased payments annually for decades. Even better, they remain in a position to continue doing so. <\/p>\n Coca-Cola<\/a> (NYSE: KO) has boosted dividends for 64 straight years. That makes the company a Dividend King, an exclusive group of companies that have raised payouts for at least 50 straight years. <\/p>\n In February, the board of directors approved about a 4% increase, raising the quarterly payout from $0.51 per share to $0.53 per share. <\/p>\n Despite consumers facing high overall prices, Coca-Cola continues to post gains in sales and earnings. Coca-Cola’s third-quarter adjusted sales grew 7% year over year, largely due to higher volume. That drove a 9% increase in earnings per share. <\/p>\n The earnings translate into free cash flow (FCF), or operating cash flow less capital expenditures. Coca-Cola generated FCF of $11.4 billion. That easily covered the $6.8 billion in dividends that the company paid. Coca-Cola’s stock has a dividend yield of 2.2%. That’s double the S&P 500’s 1.1% yield. <\/p>\n 2. Realty Income <\/p>\n Realty Income (NYSE: O) is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The structure favors dividends since REITs must pay out at least 90% of their taxable income. <\/p>\n Beyond the structure, Realty Income has built an impressive dividend history. It regularly raises dividends quarterly. That includes a recent increase in the monthly payment from $0.2715 per share to $0.274. That marked 117 straight quarterly increases, and 137 since Realty Income’s 1994 initial public offering. <\/p>\n Primarily owning retail properties, the company has maintained high occupancy rates and steady rental increases. Most recently, the occupancy rate stood at nearly 99% as of Sept. 30, and it received a 3.5% rental increase on expiring leases during the quarter. <\/p>\n Story Continues <\/p>\n A key performance indicator for REITs is adjusted funds from operations (AFFO). That’s because it measures cash available for distribution. Realty Income’s third-quarter AFFO per diluted share grew 3.7% compared to a year ago to $1.12. <\/p>\n The company’s AFFO easily covers Realty Income’s dividend. In the third quarter, dividends were 73% of adjusted AFFO. At the new monthly rate, the stock yields 5.5%. <\/p>\n 3. Procter & Gamble <\/p>\n Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) has also earned its place as a Dividend King. The company has paid dividends for the last 136 years and raised them annually for the last 70. Earlier this year, the company increased the quarterly payment by 3% to $1.0885. <\/p>\n The company’s underlying products produce steady results. That’s because Procter & Gamble sells consumer staples like deodorant, detergent, razors, baby wipes, and diapers. Demand for these products doesn’t tend to dip much during economic downturns. <\/p>\n P&G’s fiscal first-quarter adjusted sales grew 4%, with the bulk, 2.4 percentage points, coming from higher volume. This covered the period ended on Sept. 30. Cost pressures, including commodity costs, weighed on earnings, which increased by 1%. Still, with popular products, the company should recover these higher costs over time. <\/p>\n Meanwhile, Procter & Gamble has ample earnings to cover dividends. It has a payout ratio, or dividends divided by earnings, of 65%. The shares have an above-average dividend yield of 2.6%, compared with the S&P 500. <\/p>\n Should you buy stock in Coca-Cola right now? <\/p>\n Before you buy stock in Coca-Cola, consider this: <\/p>\n The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks<\/a> for investors to buy now\u2026 and Coca-Cola wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. <\/p>\n Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $338,083!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,021,163!* <\/p>\n Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 830% \u2014 a market-crushing outperformance compared to 209% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. <\/p>\n See the 10 stocks \u00bb<\/a> <\/p>\n *Stock Advisor returns as of November 13, 2026. <\/p>\n Lawrence Rothman, CFA<\/a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Realty Income. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/a> Image source: Getty Images. 1. Coca-Cola <\/p>\n