Happy Halloween! I thought it would be fun to find a few companies that fit the season and pay you to own them. This is a very quick read, not a deep dive. It’s just enough to put a few ideas on your radar.

3 numbers to know first:

10-Year Dividend Growth: How fast the dividend grew each year, on average, over the last 10 years.
Growth Streak: How many years in a row the company has raised its dividend.
Free Cash Flow (FCF) Payout: Free cash flow is the money left over after a company pays its bills and invests in itself. It’s the real cash that pays your dividend. The payout is the share of that cash going to dividends. Lower is safer, because it leaves a cushion if business slows down.

1. Service Corp. International (SCI) 🪦 The Graveyard

SCI is the biggest funeral home and cemetery company in North America. It’s not a fun topic, but demand for its services never goes away!

10Y Growth: 11.4% | Streak: 15 years | FCF Payout: 35%

That low payout leaves lots of room for future raises.

2. Hershey (HSY) 🍫 The Candy Bowl

Hershey’s, Reese’s, and Kit Kat fill most trick-or-treat bags. And, Hershey has paid a dividend for 96 years, but lost their 14-year dividend growth streak when the failed to raise it in 2025.

10Y Growth: 9.4% | Streak: 0 years | FCF Payout: 51%

Why zero? High cocoa prices made Hershey freeze its dividend for over a year, which reset the streak. Raises started again in 2026.

3. Mondelez (MDLZ) 🍪 The Global Candy Bowl

Mondelez makes Oreo, Cadbury, and Sour Patch Kids. It’s the global version of Hershey.

10Y Growth: 11.7% | Streak: 12 years | FCF Payout: 83%

That’s the highest payout on this list. The dividend looks fine today, but don’t expect big raises until cocoa costs come down.

4. Costco (COST) ⚰️ The Bulk Casket

Yes, Costco sells caskets. The Veteran Honor Casket costs $1,349.99 online, with Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force designs.

Think about it. It’s a Halloween decoration in October and even storage the rest of the year, and thanks to inflation, this “forever home” will never be cheaper! And it’s one less thing to shop for when you kick the bucket.

10Y Growth: 12.5% | Streak: 22 years | FCF Payout: 26%

Costco is a great business with a tiny yield and a big price tag. It’s one to watch for a dip.

5. Tootsie Roll (TR) 🍬 The Trick-or-Treat Classic

You’ve had one, you’ve traded one away, and you’ve found one in your bag in March. Tootsie Roll has been raising its dividend for decades.

10Y Growth: 3.2% | Streak: 60 years | FCF Payout: 33%

It’s the weirdest Dividend King ever, and I made a whole video on why. 👉 [Link to TR video]

6. Comcast (CMCSA) 🧛 The Monster Movie Studio

Comcast owns Universal: Halloween Horror Nights, Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man.

10Y Growth: 10.2% | Streak: 17 years (paused in 2026) | FCF Payout: 28%

Its 5.8% yield is the biggest on this list, mostly because the stock price fell. The payout is low, but the company is losing cable customers and splitting into two companies.

👻 That’s the list. Do you own any of these? Which one would you buy?

Talk to you soon,

-Russ

Video I'm Watching

Once again, Simply Safe Dividends is back with a very timely and appropriate video for income investors, looking at 3 SAFE dividend stocks on pace to out-pay a 5% treasury.

Podcast I'm Listening To

We Almost Didn’t Buy One of...

Oct 23 · The Dividend Mailbox®

30:15

Greg Denewiler shared a real life example of how they almost didn't buy a popular dividend paying stock. But the most important lesson is that they did NOTHING for 16 years, which is one of the key ingredients to compounding. Excellent episode!

Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. Do your own research before making any investment decisions.

😁THANK YOU to all who responded to the last newsletter!!

Check out the portfolio on Blossom, the podcast, or see what’s cooking on YouTube.

And now, here is this week's portfolio activity...

Dividends Received This Week ~$0

None.

Dividends Received 2026 (Schwab Only)~

$4,339.48

Stocks Sold (AVERAGE)

1 Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) | $379.00

Stocks Bought (AVERAGE)

5 Agree Realty (ADC) | $65.75
3 Schwab Intl. Dividend ETF (SCHY) | $32.95

💰 GOING EX-DIVIDEND THIS WEEK 💰

10/26 Caterpillar (CAT), 0.95% | 93VS
10/26 Paychex (PAYX), 4.03% | 70S
10/28 Clorox (CLX), 5.79% | 60BS
10/30 Agree Realty (ADC), 4.88% | 70S
10/30 Costco (COST), 0.59% | 99VS
10/30 Enterprise Products Partners (EPD), 6.04% | 65S
10/30 Realty Income (O), 5.73% | 80S
10/30 NNN Reit (NNN), 5.94% | 80S
10/30 A.O. Smith (AOS), 2.47% | 90VS
10/30 Zoetis (ZTS), 2.62% | 74S

🔥Special Offers!🔥

Simply Safe Dividends is a resource I use every single day. It's run by a handful of very knowledgable HUMANS and updated constantly. And with this offer, you can try it FREE for 14 days with absolutely NO credit card required! 👉Check it out!

Access Seeking Alpha's proven stock ratings, data-driven insights, and institutional-grade tools for just $269 for your first year.:

Seeking Alpha Premium: $269/year (Save $30 + 7-day free trial)

If you want data-driven insights and professional stock ratings to help grow your portfolio, grab the deal while it lasts. 👉 [Claim your discount here!]

*These are affiliate offers, and I will receive a small commission at no additional cost when you buy a premium annual subscription after clicking the images or links above.