Summary of the Dividend Kings and their dividend raise in 2025

 Hey everyone! If you’re looking for the ultimate "set it and forget it" addition to your portfolio, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we are looking at the Dividend Kings—the elite group of companies that have managed to increase their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years.

Think about that for a second: 50 years covers the high inflation of the 70s, the dot-com bubble, the 2008 financial crisis, and a global pandemic. These companies didn't just survive; they gave their shareholders a raise every single year.

I’ve summarized 2025 Dividend Kings list, and there are some fascinating trends regarding yield, safety, and growth that you need to see.

If your primary goal is maximum cash flow right now, two names stand out from the crowd:

• Altria Group Inc (MO): Currently leading the pack with a massive 7.05% dividend yield.

• Universal Corp (UVV): A close second with a 6.14% yield and a solid 55-year growth streak.

While these yields are tempting, always look at the Dividend Payout Ratio. Altria’s sits at 79.39%, which is high but common for their industry.

Yield isn't everything. If you have a longer time horizon, you want Dividend Growth. This is where the 5-Year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) comes in. Some of these "old" companies are growing their payouts like tech stocks:

• Nordson Corp (NDSN): Boasting a staggering 16.02% 5-year CAGR.

• Parker-Hannifin Corp (PH): Not far behind with 15.36% growth.

• Lowe's Companies Inc (LOW): Proving that retail still has teeth with 14.84% growth.

Investing in a company like Nordson means that even if the starting yield is lower (1.31%), your "yield on cost" could explode over the next decade.

A dividend is only as good as the cash backing it up. We use the FCF Payout Ratio to see if a company is paying dividends out of real cash or just accounting earnings.

• The "Safety" Stars: Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) has a very comfortable 20.82% FCF payout ratio, meaning their dividend is incredibly safe. Cincinnati Financial (CINF) is even lower at 19.45%.

• The "Caution" Zone: Hormel Foods (HRL) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) currently have payout ratios over 100%. This often indicates the company is paying out more than it's bringing in, which is something we need to monitor closely for sustainability.

Finally, let's pay some respect to the companies with the longest-running streaks on the board. These are the "Kings of Kings":

• American States Water Co (AWR): 71 years of increases.

• Northwest Natural Holding Co (NWN): 70 years.

• Dover Corp (DOV): 70 years.

Weekly Income Report: Selling cash secured put and covered call

 

Hello everyone! As we approach the end of the year, I’m sticking to my core strategy: generating consistent weekly income through Covered Calls and Cash Secured Puts. By leveraging the volatility in the market, I was able to collect a total of $484.00 in premiums this past week alone.

With a total portfolio value of approximately $82,700, this week’s activity resulted in a 0.59% weekly return, which scales to an impressive 30.43% annualized yield.

The Week’s Top Performer: NIKE ($NKE)

The standout trade this week was $NKE. I sold a single Cash Secured Put with a $61.00 strike price and walked away with $60.00 in premium. Not only was this my highest single-contract earner, but it also netted a strong 0.98% weekly return on that specific position.

My strategy remains diversified across tech, retail, and crypto-adjacent ETFs. Here is a snapshot of how the week played out:

• Heavy TQQQ Activity: I utilized several TQQQ Puts to take advantage of price fluctuations, with returns ranging from 0.50% to 1.17% per position.

• High Yielders: Some of my most aggressive returns came from EOSE (1.42% weekly) and HIMS (1.00% weekly).

• The Mix: I balanced my risk by selling 11 Puts (bullish/neutral bias) and 8 Calls (neutral/bearish bias), ensuring I was collecting premium regardless of which way the individual tickers moved.

                                                    

Metric	Weekly Result
Total Premium Collected	$484.00
Total Capital Utilized	$82,700.00
Weekly Portfolio Return	0.59%
Projected Yearly Return	30.43%

Out of the Money (OTM)

        18 out of 19 of my positions ended - Out of the Money.

    For my Calls (like $SOFI, $ETHA, $ETHU): The stock price ended or is currently below my strike. This is great because I keep 100% of the premium and get to keep my shares to sell calls against them again next week.

    For my Puts (like $TQQQ, $UBER, $NFLX): The stock price is safely above my strike. These are already or on track to expire worthless, letting me pocket the premium without having to use my cash to buy the shares.         

In the Money (ITM):

     I have one position that is In the Money and I got assigned it on Friday:

$NKE (NIKE) Put – Strike $61.00: With the current price at $58.71, this put was ITM by $2.29.

My Game Plan for $NKE: I’m perfectly happy being assigned here! By taking the $60 premium I collected, my "effective" cost basis for the stock drops to **$60.40**. I’ll immediately pivot to the "Wheel Strategy" and start selling Covered Calls against them to continue generating income. 

   Having 95% of my positions OTM is a fantastic result for a weekly cycle. It shows that my strike price selection is providing a solid "margin of safety" while still allowing me to capture significant yield.           

    

My 2025 Options Income Growth:

I started this journey of selling Cash Secured Puts (CSP) and Covered Calls (CC) back in June 2025, and seeing the progress visualized in this chart is a powerful reminder of what consistency can do.

When I first began in June, my income was just a small "proof of concept" starting at less than $100.00. Since then, I’ve navigated different market cycles to scale this into a significant monthly revenue stream.

The chart highlights a clear growth trajectory as I refined my strategy and likely increased my capital allocation:

After a quiet start, July saw a jump to roughly $700.00, followed by another solid increase in August to approximately $1,600.00.

Things really heated up in the fall. September income climbed to about $2,300.00, and October marked my best month ever, breaking the $3,000.00 barrier because of 5 friday's in a month. Also in September and October I sold options on risky stocks like $ETHU, $MSTR, $BMNR, etc.

Income moderated toward the end of the year, with November bringing in roughly $2,000.00 and December (so far) sitting at approximately $1,200.00. After getting assigned multiple $BMNR and $ETHU, I learned my lessons. Now I am not chasing the yields. I am selling options on good quality stocks which are not so overpriced.