3 Dividend Kings to Buy in November and Never Sell

Dividend Kings are among the best income stocks on the market. These are corporations that have increased their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years. Even in this elite group, though, some stocks are more attractive than others. With that said, let's consider three Dividend Kings that are worth investing in this month: AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT), and Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO). These dividend payers are great forever picks. Let me explain.

1. AbbVie

AbbVie was once a division of Abbott Laboratories, but it became a stand-alone, publicly traded corporation in 2013. When counting the time it spent under the wing of Abbott, AbbVie has increased its dividend for 55 consecutive years. But the drugmaker has done more than just ride the coattails of its former parent company. Since it went public in 2013, AbbVie has outperformed the broader market.

The pharmaceutical leader is well-positioned to continue doing so. AbbVie's core growth drivers, Skyrizi and Rinvoq, two immunology drugs, have exceeded expectations. Neither will run into a patent cliff in the U.S. until 2033 at the earliest. AbbVie is also working on launching brand-new medicines. It is now awaiting approval for etentamig, a potential cancer drug, while boasting promising Phase 3 assets like zumilokibart, an investigational eczema treatment that could disrupt this large and lucrative market through more convenient dosing than most of its competitors.

Some of AbbVie's earlier-stage programs, including AbbVie's investigational weight loss drug, ABBV-295, appear promising as well. And the company's current approved lineup has other growth drivers. AbbVie has proven that it is innovative enough to overcome patent cliffs and has continued to raise its dividend despite facing various challenges in recent years. That's what makes it a dividend stock worth holding onto for good.

2. Abbott Laboratories

Recent years haven't been kind to Abbott Laboratories. The company's financial results have often been mediocre (at best), while it has faced various legal and regulatory challenges. However, Abbott is slowly looking to turn things around. The company closed the $21 billion cash acquisition of Exact Sciences, a cancer-focused medical diagnostics company, earlier this year, which will help improve its diagnostic business, one of its slower-growing units.

Abbott has also announced plans to spin off its nutrition business as a stand-alone company. This segment helped diversify the company's operations, but it has also been a source of many of its problems over the past few years. So, this decision should help the company move forward. Meanwhile, Abbott's core medical device segment remains strong. Diabetes care, structural heart, and heart failure products are helping drive growth.

Abbott has attractive prospects across these markets, especially in diabetes care. It has estimated that only 10 million to 12 million of the up to 80 million patients worldwide who could benefit from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology have opted for it.

Abbott, a leader in the CGM space through its FreeStyle Libre franchise, could be one of the biggest winners over the long run. And the company should capitalize on its innovative capabilities -- it boasts dozens of products across various areas -- and its deep footprint in the healthcare sector to keep its operations healthy. Abbott's streak of consecutive years of payout increases is unlikely to end anytime soon, making it an attractive dividend growth stock for the long term.

3. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola stock recently reached a new all-time high, which is quite impressive given the still-shaky macroeconomic landscape. The company's financial results have been strong despite these issues, which tells us a lot about the strength of its underlying business. Coca-Cola belongs to the defensive consumer staples industry, where demand for products remains relatively stable even when the economy isn't doing so well.

The beverage leader also boasts several strengths, including its brand name that inspires confidence and attracts customers practically effortlessly, its vast lineup of beverages across almost every category, and its ability to launch brand-new products -- or new twists on old products -- to cater to changing tastes and preferences. This strategy has allowed Coca-Cola to be successful for decades, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

The company may not be a particularly attractive growth stock -- top- and bottom-line increases will generally be modest. But Coca-Cola can offer stability, consistency, and a robust income program. The company has increased its dividend for 64 consecutive years, which makes it impressive even by the standards of Dividend Kings. This is a great dividend stock to buy and hold forever.

Prosper Junior Bakiny has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends AbbVie and Abbott Laboratories. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.