Income investors are likely familiar with the Dividend Aristocrats, which are some of the highest-quality stocks to buy and hold for the long term. We recommend long-term investors focus on high-quality dividend stocks.
To that end, we view the Dividend Aristocrats as among the best dividend stocks to buy-and-hold for the long run. The Dividend Aristocrats have a long history of outperforming the market when it comes to risk-adjusted returns.
This article will discuss 3 of the cheapest Dividend Aristocrats.
Amcor plc (AMCR)
Amcor plc is one of the world’s most prominent designers and manufacturers of packaging for food, pharmaceutical, medical, and other consumer products. The company emphasizes making responsible packaging that is lightweight, recyclable, and reusable.
Amcor reported its fourth quarter results for Fiscal Year 2025 on August 14th, 2025. The company fiscal year ends in June. The company reported strong top-line growth driven by the transformational acquisition of Berry Global, which closed April 30.
Net sales rose 43% in constant currency to $5.1 billion, while adjusted EBITDA climbed 43% to $789 million. However, GAAP net income was a loss of $39 million, reflecting acquisition-related expenses. Adjusted EBIT increased 34% to $611 million, and adjusted EPS came in at 20 cents, down 5% due to a higher share count.
Segment results were mixed: Flexible Packaging posted 18% sales growth, while Rigid Packaging more than doubled sales and nearly tripled EBIT, although the North America beverage business continued to face volume and cost pressures.
For the full fiscal year, Amcor delivered net sales of $15.0 billion, up 11% in constant currency, with adjusted EBIT up 12% to $1.72 billion. Adjusted EPS increased 3% to 71.2 cents, supported by steady free cash flow of $926 million.
The balance sheet reflects the scale of the Berry deal, with net debt climbing to $13.3 billion and goodwill and intangibles expanding to $18.7 billion.
The company raised its annual dividend to 51 cents per share and underscored its focus on disciplined integration, with management targeting $650 million in cost synergies by fiscal 2028, including about $260 million in fiscal 2026.
AMCR currently yields 6.1%.
Brown-Forman Corp. (BF.B)
Brown-Forman is an alcoholic beverage company that is based in Louisville. The company was founded in 1870. It produces and sells whiskey, vodka, tequila, champagne, and wine.
Its portfolio includes a range of mostly premium brands, such as Jack Daniel’s, Finlandia Vodka, Old Forester, and many others.
On August 28, Brown-Forman reported revenues of $924 million for its first quarter (fiscal 2026) earnings results. The company’s revenues were down by 3% compared to the previous year’s quarter.
Revenues came in above the analyst consensus, unlike during the previous quarter, this time beating the consensus estimate by a solid $14 million. The sequential growth rate was positive during the period, while the year-over-year performance improved as well, relative to the previous quarter.
Brown-Forman’s earnings-per-share weakened compared to the previous year’s quarter, mainly due to lower revenues. The company saw its operating profit pull back during the period, with margins declining due to operating leverage headwinds caused by lower revenues.
Earnings-per-share were down by double-digits, hitting $0.36, missing the consensus estimate by $0.01 as analysts were predicting a smaller earnings decline.
Brown-Forman has increased its dividend for 41 consecutive years.
Becton Dickinson & Co. (BDX)
Becton, Dickinson & Co. is a global leader in the medical supply industry. The company was founded in 1897 and has 75,000 employees across 190 countries. The company generates about $20 billion in annual revenue, with approximately 43% of revenues coming from outside of the U.S.
Becton, Dickinson & Co., or BD, is a global leader in the medical supply industry. The company generates almost $22 billion in annual revenue, with approximately 43% of revenues coming from outside of the U.S.
On August 7th, 2025, BD announced results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025, which ended June 30th, 2025. For the quarter, revenue improved 10.4% to $5.5 billion, which was $10 million more than expected.
On a currency neutral basis, revenue increased 8.5%. Adjusted earnings-per-share of $3.68 compared favorably to $3.50 in the prior year and was $0.28 more than anticipated.
For the quarter, U.S. grew 10% while international was up 11% on a reported basis. Excluding currency exchange, international was higher by 9.8%. Organic growth was higher by 3% for the period.
BD partially reaffirmed its outlook for fiscal year 2025 as well. Revenue is still projected to be in a range of $21.8 billion to $21.9 billion, compared to $21.7 billion to $21.9 billion previously. Adjusted earnings-per-share is expected to be in a range of $14.30 to $14.45.
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Bob Ciura has worked at Sure Dividend since October 2016. He oversees all content for Sure Dividend and its partner sites. Bob received a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from DePaul.
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