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Russian (RU) Vardah Gill
Tue, Apr 15, 2025, 6:59 AM 5 min read
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We recently published a list of the 10 High Growth Forever Dividend Stocks to Invest In. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) stands against other high growth forever dividend stocks.
Dividend stocks have trailed the broader market over the past two years, largely due to investors favoring AI-focused companies. Still, experienced investors recognize the long-term value of dividend-paying stocks, supported by their strong historical performance. Short-term trends don’t diminish their importance. In fact, dividends have historically played a major role in total returns, accounting for about 31% of the broader market’s monthly total return from 1926 through February 2025, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Dividend stocks have been performing well this year, even as broader markets faced turbulence. Wall Street took a hit recently amid rising fears about the economic fallout from President Donald Trump’s expanding trade war. The three major US indexes posted sharp declines, wiping out much of the prior session’s gains, as escalating tensions between the US and China overshadowed positive economic reports and progress in trade talks with Europe. The S&P index is down by over 8% since the start of 2025, whereas the tech-heavy NASDAQ has declined by over 13%. On the other hand, the Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks the performance of companies with 25 consecutive years of dividend growth, has recorded a decline of nearly 3%.
This highlights how dividend stocks tend to perform more steadily during market downturns—a trend backed by historical data. S&P Dow Jones Indices reports that, over time, the Dividend Aristocrats have delivered stronger risk-adjusted returns than the broader market, with lower volatility. These stocks have offered solid downside protection, outperforming the S&P index in about two-thirds of the market’s down months and roughly 44% of its up months. They’ve also experienced smaller drawdowns compared to the overall index, reinforcing their defensive appeal. In addition, during market downturns, the Dividend Aristocrats delivered an average excess return of 0.87% over the broader market. From December 29, 1989, to February 28, 2025, these stocks showed a market beta of 0.8, indicating lower volatility and stronger resilience compared to the overall market.
Analysts pointed out that the historical performance of dividend equities continues to shape a favorable outlook for the current year. A recent report from J.P. Morgan suggested that global equities may be entering a strong phase of dividend growth—driven not only by a cyclical rebound in payouts but also by a sustained structural momentum. While global dividends per share have grown at an average annual rate of 5.6% over the past two decades, projections now indicate an acceleration to 7.6% in the coming years.
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