Get the most passive income possible with these top dividend stocks Dividend stocks are shares of companies that distribute a portion of their profits to shareholders on a regular basis in the form of dividends.

Dividend investors have often debated the balance between high yields and dividend growth. Analysts tend to favor companies with robust dividend growth, advising investors to avoid the yield traps.

Dividend aristocrat stocks have largely done well in the past few years. The closely-followed ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL) has jumped by over 133% from its lowest level in 2020. NOBL has risen by 2% this year,

The stock market's climb over the last few years has driven dividend yields to multiyear lows. The S&P 500 average yield is just 1.24% -- the lowest yield since 2000.

Investors focused on dividends should be cautious about simply selecting stocks with the highest yields, as this approach can be risky.

The technology sector is projected to experience significant growth in 2025, with worldwide IT spending expected to reach approximately $5.61 trillion, marking a 10% increase from 2024. Key drivers of this growth include substantial investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud services,