When the S&P 500 is roaring higher, it's easy to overlook the benefits of investing in hihg-quality, dividend-paying companies. After all, a 2%, 3%, or even 4% dividend yield doesn't look impressive relative to a 23.3% gain -- which we saw from the S&P 500 in 2024.However, passive income from dividend stocks can go a long way when the broader market has a mediocre year, especially a down year. Dividend Kings are an elite group of companies that have paid and raised their dividends for at least 50 consecutiv ...