Here are three recent dividend raises by dividend stocks that you need to know about. Are these possibly the best stocks to buy now?

The first dividend increase I want to tell you about came from Coca-Cola Co. - stock ticker KO. Sure, that's not lighting the world on fire. But let's get something straight here. It's more money. Back when I still had a job, getting a 2.4% pay raise was a noteworthy event. But getting this pay raise from an investment that required me to do nothing other than hold the stock is a lot easier than showing up to work for 50 hours per week.

Try getting 59 pay raises in a row from a day job. This is a dividend all-star. While the stock doesn't look cheap right now, which is why I've not yet highlighted it on the channel, it's a good business to hold on to if you got in years ago.

The second dividend increase you should know about came from Essex Property Trust Inc. - stock ticker ESS. We actually highlighted Essex in a video back in October, when the stock was around $200. The stock is now almost $270.

Essex has now increased their dividend for 27 consecutive years. That's very impressive. There aren't many REITs out there that have a longer track record than this for dividend growth. I'm cutting them some slack here. Unlike a lot of other REITs, they didn't cut the dividend during the crisis. That speaks volumes. This is the kind of stock you buy, then hold for decades.

The third dividend increase I want to go overcame from The Sherwin-Williams Company - stock ticker SHW. That marks 43 consecutive years of dividend raises for the company. And what did shareholders have to do to collect this amazing pay raise? Nothing. Just hold the stock.

The growth profile of the underlying business is propelling much of the stock's move. For example, Sherwin-Williams has increased its EPS by more than fivefold over the last decade. Simply put, it's a truly wonderful business. If you haven't taken a look at Sherwin-Williams before, now might be a good time to do so. This is a top-shelf dividend growth stock that will only better your portfolio.

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