Even in the current inflationary environment, where stocks across a wide variety of sectors are trading down, companies with a favorable history of growing investor returns in a range of markets are still ripe for the taking.

If you're looking to add more dividend stocks to your portfolio this month, it's important to focus on companies that not only regularly increase their payout to investors but have a long track record of maintaining their dividends even in difficult environments. 

Here are two such top dividend stocks to consider adding to your portfolio ASAP.

1. AbbVie

AbbVie (ABBV 0.10%) originated as a spin-off of Abbott Laboratories nearly a decade ago, and in doing so, inherited its predecessor's dividend history. AbbVie holds a coveted spot on the list of Dividend Kings. The stock, which currently yields 3.6% for investors, has seen its dividend rise by approximately 270% in the decade since it became an independent company. In turn, the stock has delivered a total return of 606% for investors in that same period.  

AbbVie is known by many investors for its blockbuster product, Humira. Patent exclusivity for the world's top-selling drug, which brought in about $21 billion in revenue in 2021 alone, is set to expire in the U.S. in 2023. It already expired in Europe in 2018.

Some investors have been concerned about AbbVie's long-term growth story once generic competition ramps up, and as sales from Humira inevitably wane. However, Humira is far from the only product upon which AbbVie can rely to drive forward long-term growth. 

AbbVie boasts an incredibly diversified portfolio of products that span areas ranging from women's health to immunology to oncology. Among a variety of products, its 2020 acquisition of Allergan also added Botox Therapeutic and Botox Cosmetic to its portfolio, which are proving to be key sources of growth for AbbVie.

In the first nine months of 2022, AbbVie's net revenue grew 4% year over year to $43 billion, while its net earnings for the same period jumped 25% year over year to $9.4 billion.  And over the past decade, AbbVie's annual revenue and net income has grown by 206% and 119%, respectively.

If it's a diversified healthcare business you're looking for, with a strong dividend history and a track record of delivering enviable balance sheet and shareholder returns, AbbVie fits the bill on all counts. 

2. Kimberly-Clark 

In a challenging macro environment where consumers are regulating their spending, you're not alone if you find yourself shying away from stocks that might be directly impacted by these trends. However, a household name and consumer staples giant like Kimberly-Clark (KMB 0.08%) has the staying power to ride out the current environment and beyond.

In terms of its dividend, Kimberly-Clark currently yields a robust 3.4% for investors. It has not only paid but raised its dividend for 50 consecutive years and counting. And over the past decade, the company has grown its dividend by more than 40%. Shareholders who held on to the stock through the entire trailing-10-year period would have benefited from its total return of about 130%.  

From feminine care to baby products, most of the items that Kimberly-Clark sells are considered daily essentials that people will need no matter what's happening with the market or the economy at large. In fact, the company estimates that roughly one-quarter of the entire global population relies on its products as a part of daily life. Kimberly-Clark counts well-known names like Kleenex, Cottonelle, Huggies, and Pull-Ups among its family of brands.   

Supply chain disruptions and inflation have weighed on Kimberly-Clark's margins and bottom line in recent financial reports, but it has nonetheless continued to generate consistent revenue growth and profitability. In the most recent quarter, the company reported total revenue of $5.1 billion, up 1% year over year, while it generated net income to the tune of $470 million for the three-month period.

Kimberly-Clark's resilient business can drive growth even in a changing macro environment, which makes the consumer staples stock a worthwhile addition to the long-term income investor's portfolio.