3 Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever

For many investors, dividend stocks are the anchors of a fully diversified portfolio. They're typically well-established, solid stocks that are reliable for passive income and for weathering market storms. Great dividend stocks raise their dividends annually and should provide value to your portfolio forever.

If you're looking for potential dividend stocks to consider today, I recommend Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), Realty Income (NYSE: O), and Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT). Here's why.

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1. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a Dividend King, and it has raised its dividend annually for the past 63 years. That's about as reliable as a stock gets. The dividend typically has a high yield of around 3%, but because the stock has been performing so well lately, it's only 2.6%.

That demonstrates how valuable Coca-Cola is as a stock beyond the passive income. Loyal fans buy the company's beverages at all times, giving it resilience under harsh conditions and the ability to keep growing. It owns 32 separate billion-dollar brands, and acquiring new companies that it can develop into its next great brand is one of the ways it continues to grow sales and provide value for shareholders.

The market has been embracing the localized production model that has protected it from the brunt of tariff changes over the past year, which is yet another reason to be confident about the company and its future.

2. Realty Income

Realty Income is one of the largest real estate investment trusts (REITs) in the world, with 15,500 properties globally. It's a retail REIT, leasing properties to many well-known and trusted chain stores that sell essentials and can pay their rent on time. It has a 98.9% occupancy rate, its highest in a while, demonstrating its resilience while the real estate market is under pressure.

It has recently started diversifying into new industries beyond retail, including gaming and industrials, which expand its long-term opportunity. It has ample capital to continue buying new properties, and it's constantly sourcing new, quality properties to keep up its lucrative operating model.

Realty Income has paid a monthly dividend for more than 55 years, and the dividend yields 5% at the current price.

3. Walmart

Walmart is the largest physical retailer in the world (although it recently lost the top spot as the largest company in the world by sales to Amazon). But the market loves its resilience, stability, and consistency, and its stock performance has crushed Amazon, and the S&P 500, over the past five years, up 183% versus 39% for Amazon and 73% for the broader market.

Walmart has more than 5,000 U.S. locations and nearly 11,000 locations worldwide, but it grows in more ways than opening new stores. E-commerce has been a major growth driver recently, up 24% year over year in the 2026 fiscal fourth quarter (ended Jan. 31), and its membership program, Walmart+, is growing quickly.

Walmart is also a Dividend King, having raised its dividend annually for the past 53 years. Its yield is low right now at only 0.8% because the stock has performed so well, but it's a dividend you can rely on.

Jennifer Saibil has positions in Walmart. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Realty Income, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.