2 Dividend Kings to Buy Now and 1 to Avoid Despite the Yield

Key Points Coca-Cola’s diversification, scale, and asset-light model make it a reliable income play. Altria’s smoke-free expansion could transform the company by the end of the decade. But PepsiCo’s fragmented, asset-heavy business faces tougher near-term challenges. 10 stocks we like better than Coca-Cola › Dividend Kings, or blue chip companies that have raised their dividends annually for at least 50 consecutive years, are usually stable long-term investments. Even as the U.S. experienced six official recessions over the past five decades, these companies consistently grew their earnings and generated enough cash to cover their dividends.