5 Top Dividend Stocks To Buy For August 2025

Forbes

4 days ago

Higher tariffs are coming, and they may bring big changes to the financial markets and economy. In turbulent times, proven dividend stocks can be a stabilizing force for your portfolio. They're often less volatile than growth stocks, and they pay regular income—a welcome source of return when stock prices are struggling.
If you're ready to shore up your income portfolio, take a look at these six dividend payers. One or two may offer the protection you need from tariffs, inflation and stock-price volatility in 2025.
How These Dividend Stock Picks Were Chosen
The screening criteria for these dividend stocks were designed to return dividend payers with low tariff exposure, the potential for rising cash income for inflation protection and a good balance between upside potential and downside risk:
Five stocks met these parameters. They are presented below from largest to smallest market capitalization.
5 Best Dividend Stocks To Buy In August 2025
The table below highlights five dividend stocks with a regular practice of increasing shareholder payouts.
A review of each stock follows. Metrics are sourced from company reports and stockanalysis.com. For more investing ideas, see best stocks for 2025.
1. The PNC Financial Services Group (PNC)
The PNC Financial Services Group by the numbers:
PNC is a regional bank with branches in 28 states. The bank is organized into three reporting segments: retail banking, corporate and institutional banking and asset management group. The asset management group provides investing and wealth management services for individuals and institutions.
PNC pays a quarterly dividend of $1.70, for a yield of 3.5%. The bank has raised its dividend annually for 14 years. The most recent increase was a $0.10 raise for the dividend to be paid on August 4, 2025.
PNC is investing heavily in growing and improving its branch footprint. The expansion focuses on increasing the bank's concentration and brand presence in existing markets. The bank has sufficient concentration in six markets, but the goal is 19.
In PNC's last earnings report, Chairman and CEO Bill Demchak said the strategy was helping the bank acquire new customers faster and deepen relationships with existing customers. Financial highlights for the quarter included revenue growth of 4%, a 2-basis-point rise in net interest margin (NIM) and diluted EPS growth of 11.9%. NIM is the difference between interest earned on loans and interest paid on deposits, a critical profitability measure for banks.
2. Elevance Health (ELV)
Elevance Health by the numbers:
Elevance Health, formerly known as Anthem, operates health plans and provides pharmacy services in the U.S. Brand names in Elevance's portfolio include Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Wellpoint and Carelon.
Elevance Health pays a quarterly dividend of $1.71, for a yield of 2.4%. The health care company has raised its dividend for 14 consecutive years. Recent increases have been generous, from $1.63 to $1.71 in 2025 and from $1.48 to $1.63 in 2024.
Elevance Health is working through a two-part optimization that involves simplifying the health care experience and reducing costs. Progress on costs will be critical as 2025 unfolds. The company recently reversed slowing revenue growth with acquisitions, higher enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans and commercial plan premium increases—but margins have suffered.
Despite the margin pressure, Elevance still expects to deliver 12% average annual growth in adjusted diluted EPS over the long term.
In the second quarter, Elevance increased operating revenue 14.3% while diluted EPS declined 21.6%. The company had $8.5 billion of cash and equivalents on its balance sheet at June 30, after generating $3 billion in operating cash flow in the first six months of 2025.
3. VICI Properties (VICI)
VICI Properties by the numbers:
VICI Properties is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns gaming, hospitality and entertainment properties in the U.S. and Canada. The portfolio includes Caesars Palace Las Vegas, MGM Grand and the Venetian Resort Las Vegas. In total VICI owns at least 60,000 hotel rooms, 500 restaurants and four championship golf courses.
VICI pays a quarterly dividend of $0.4325, for a yield of 5.2%. The REIT has raised its dividend annually for seven years, moving the annual payout from $0.985 in 2018 to $1.69 in 2024.
Advantages for VICI include strong balance sheet discipline and solid relationships with premier, deep-pocketed hospitality tenants. The company's emphasis on unique and high-value properties has delivered annual revenue growth since 2020—notable given that resorts and entertainment destinations were largely shut down for part of 2020.
VICI grows its business by acquiring or developing new properties. The company recently announced new partnerships with asset managers Eldridge Industries and Cain International and casino operator Red Rock Resorts. These relationships will support development projects in Beverly Hills and central California.
In the first quarter, VICI increased revenue by 3.4%. Funds from operations (FFO), a REIT-specific operating cash flow metric, declined 7.9%. The decline related to a change in the company's credit loss allowance. Despite the FFO decline, VICI raised its full-year adjusted FFO guidance to a range of $2.47 billion to $2.5 billion. The prior FFO guidance range was $2.45 billion to $2.485 billion.
4. M&T Bank Corporation (MTB)
M&T Bank Corporation by the numbers:
M&T Bank is a holding company that owns M&T Bank, other M&T-branded financial companies and Wilmington Trust, NA. The company provides traditional banking and deposit services, plus wealth management expertise. M&T has more than 960 branches, which are concentrated in the northeastern U.S.
MTB pays a quarterly dividend of $1.35, for a yield of 2.8%. The bank has raised its dividend annually since 2016, when it paid $0.70 quarterly.
MTB specializes in small business and middle market banking with a commitment to personalized customer service. This contributes to a strong deposit base, one of MTB's operational strengths. The bank's service has been recognized with "Best Bank" awards by Crisil Coalition Greenwich, a benchmarking and analytics provider.
M&T had $19.3 billion in interest-bearing deposits and $35.6 billion in investments on the balance sheet as of June 30. In the June quarter, revenue increased 4% versus the prior year and diluted EPS rose 28%. The bank's provision for credit losses declined 5%, indicating an improving loan portfolio.
One trend to watch is M&T's net interest margin (NIM). In the second quarter, M&T's NIM declined 4 basis points. The metric is still higher than it was in the prior year, however.
5. California Water Service Group (CWT)
California Water Service Group by the numbers:
California Water Service Group provides water utility services and wastewater treatment for more than two million customers in California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Texas and Washington. CWT is the third largest publicly traded water utility in the U.S.
CWT pays a quarterly dividend of $0.30, for a yield of 2.7%. The utility company has raised its dividend annually for 59 years. The five-year compound annual growth rate of the dividend is 7.7%.
CWT is financially strong and operates a regulated and predictable business —the qualities you want from a reliable dividend stock. The utility grows through infrastructure investment that outpaces depreciation and strategic acquisitions. In 2025 through 2027, CWT leadership expects to increase capital expenditures to more than four times depreciation. In the past 10 years, the target multiple has been three times.
The utility has delivered consistent growth in non-GAAP revenue, net income and diluted EPS since 2022. A rate relief action that increased 2024 revenue by $90.3 million skews the growth in GAAP results.
In the first quarter 2025, CWT reported adjusted revenue growth of 13% and adjusted diluted EPS growth of 214%.
Bottom Line
The best dividend stocks to buy now aren't necessarily those with the highest yield. With uncertainty on the horizon for the U.S. economy, leaning into proven dividend payers is a smart strategy.