The 2026 Dividend Champions: Updates, Performance, and Analysis

The Dividend Champions 2026 companies on United States stock exchanges have raised their dividend for 25+ consecutive years. This list is a select list of only 150 companies. This number is from nearly 6,000 companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ in 2026, indicating a success rate of approximately 2.5%.

This list is not one of the best or top Dividend Champions. Instead, it is an informational source to assist in making investment decisions. Lastly, the Dividend Champions list was first created in 2008 by David Fish (deceased in 2018). He originally started the list in the Dividend Investing Resource Center.

Market Update for the 2026 Dividend Champions

The Dividend Champions 2026 are currently trading at an elevated valuation of a trailing average price-to-earnings ratio of about 21.78X. This multiple is down from its peak of more than 31X in May 2021. The forward P/E ratio is more reasonable at 17.17 times earnings.

The current average dividend yield is about 2.68%. The average trailing 10-year dividend growth rate is about 6.19%, and the average past 5-year dividend growth rate is around 5.57%. On average, the payout ratio is approximately 55.84%. The mean market cap is currently $60,479 million. 

Currently, the Dividend Champion with the highest yield is Universal (UVV), the one trading with the lowest trailing earnings multiple is the RenaissanceRe Holdings (RNR), and the one with the lowest forward earnings multiple is Bank OZK (OZK).

The updated, selected financial data and the dividend earnings calendar for each stock in the Dividend Champions list are in the tables below. The most recent dividend increases are also available to search.

According to Stock Rover*, in the trailing 1-year, the Dividend Champions 2026 have returned +15.9% (blue line) compared to +18.1% for the S&P 500 Index (red line), as seen in the chart below. Over the trailing 5-years, this group of stocks has returned +56.2%, and the S&P 500 has returned +90.6%.

List of Dividend Champions in 2026

Stock Rover* was used to create this table. Sign up to gain access to data, charts, and screeners.

Ticker	Company Name	No. Years	Dividend Yield (%)	10-yr Dividend Growth Rate (%)	Payout Ratio (%)	TTM P/E Ratio	Market Cap (millions)
ABBV	AbbVie	54	2.50	11.70	190.40	77.5	$484,826
ABM	ABM Indus	58	2.30	5.80	40.70	18.4	$2,971
ABT	Abbott Laboratories	54	2.50	9.30	78.70	33.1	$177,554
ADM	Archer-Daniels-Midland	53	2.50	5.70	56.40	22.8	$40,099
ADP	Automatic Data Processing	51	2.50	12.40	60.50	25.2	$109,325
AFL	Aflac	44	2.10	11.50	25.40	12.5	$58,376
ALB	Albemarle	29	1.70	3.00	337.50	n/a	$11,523
ANDC	Andover Bancorp	43	3.80	0.80	35.00	9.3	$40
ANDE	Andersons	30	1.20	2.60	15.30	13	$2,291
AOS	A.O. Smith	32	2.50	11.60	39.40	16.1	$7,867
APD	Air Products	44	2.50	7.70	n/a	n/a	$64,347
AROW	Arrow Financial	30	3.30	4.30	38.10	11.8	$677
ARTNA	Artesian Resources	33	3.80	3.60	54.80	14.7	$347
ATO	Atmos Energy	42	2.50	9.10	45.70	19.5	$27,624
ATR	AptarGroup	32	1.60	4.80	33.80	21.5	$7,579
AWR	American States Water	71	2.60	9.30	55.10	22.6	$3,270
BANF	BancFirst	32	2.00	10.60	26.10	14.4	$3,586
BDX	Becton Dickinson	54	2.20	4.80	126.20	43.6	$51,037
BEN	Franklin Resources	46	4.20	6.20	89.10	21.2	$15,841
BF.B	Brown-Forman	42	3.40	5.40	59.30	17.6	$12,522
BKH	Black Hills	56	3.60	5.30	69.50	19.5	$5,889
BKUT	Bank Of Utica (ny)	31	2.90	4.30	14.80	5.3	$171
BMI	Badger Meter	33	1.30	14.40	37.30	30.7	$3,804
BRC	Brady	40	1.20	2.00	22.60	19.8	$3,987
BRO	Brown & Brown	32	1.00	10.40	17.90	20.2	$21,431
CAH	Cardinal Health	40	0.90	1.40	28.20	33.2	$55,509
CASS	Cass Information Systems	25	2.40	6.70	44.90	19.3	$687
CASY	Casey's General Stores	27	0.40	10.50	11.30	30.9	$23,718
CAT	Caterpillar	33	0.80	7.80	25.90	33.3	$355,227
CB	Chubb	33	1.20	4.00	13.80	12.3	$133,548
CBSH	Commerce Bancshares	56	2.00	7.10	26.60	13.3	$7,781
CBU	Community Financial Sys	33	3.20	4.40	43.50	13.6	$3,092
CCFN	Muncy Columbia Financial	30	2.00	2.60	22.70	11.4	$324
CFR	Cullen/Frost Bankers	34	2.70	6.70	38.10	14.3	$9,419
CHD	Church & Dwight Co	30	1.20	5.60	38.60	32.1	$23,751
CHRW	C.H. Robinson Worldwide	27	1.80	3.90	47.40	26.3	$16,086
CINF	Cincinnati Financial	66	2.30	7.00	16.90	7.8	$25,422
CL	Colgate-Palmolive	65	2.40	3.10	82.60	35.4	$71,705
CLX	Clorox	48	5.90	4.60	102.90	17.6	$10,213
CPKF	Chesapeake Financial	33	1.90	5.60	12.90	7.3	$180
CSL	Carlisle Companies	49	1.50	13.60	25.10	18.7	$13,059
CTAS	Cintas	43	1.00	20.10	36.50	40.7	$81,948
CTBI	Community Trust Bancorp	45	3.50	7.30	35.40	12.4	$1,345
CVX	Chevron	39	3.30	5.20	66.80	21	$427,099
CWT	California Water Servs Gr	59	2.90	6.90	57.00	20.7	$2,853
DCI	Donaldson	31	1.40	6.20	31.10	22.6	$10,094
DOV	Dover	70	1.10	1.80	24.90	23.3	$25,923
EBC	Eastern Bankshares	27	2.70	n/a	30.70	11.7	$4,789
ECL	Ecolab	34	1.00	7.60	37.90	38.3	$80,078
ED	Consolidated Edison	52	3.30	2.90	57.00	17.8	$39,874
EFSI	Eagle Financial Services	36	2.70	4.50	35.80	13.1	$247
EMR	Emerson Electric	69	1.40	1.60	47.80	35.8	$91,200
ENB	Enbridge	31	5.90	6.20	147.10	25.3	$105,780
EPD	Enterprise Prods Partners	28	6.20	3.40	76.00	12.5	$77,827
ERIE	Erie Indemnity	36	2.50	7.20	46.40	20.9	$12,059
ES	Eversource Energy	28	4.80	5.90	79.60	17	$24,766
ESS	Essex Property Trust	32	3.80	4.90	160.50	42.3	$17,473
ETR	Entergy	32	2.40	4.20	63.50	26.9	$50,161
EXPD	Expeditors International	32	0.80	7.30	22.90	28.4	$25,365
FAST	Fastenal	27	1.90	13.20	78.00	44	$59,015
FDS	FactSet Research Systems	27	1.60	8.80	30.90	20	$10,343
FELE	Franklin Electric	34	1.10	10.80	31.10	28.5	$4,378
FFMR	First Farmers Financial	35	2.90	12.90	25.90	9.3	$513
FMAO	Farmers & Merchants	31	2.80	7.60	31.60	12	$480
FMCB	Farmers & Merchants	61	1.60	-1.60	14.60	10.3	$993
FRT	Federal Realty Investment	58	4.40	1.70	91.10	21.4	$9,188
FUL	H.B. Fuller	57	1.90	5.80	26.40	14.1	$2,715
GD	General Dynamics	35	1.90	7.70	37.20	20.3	$89,938
GGG	Graco	29	1.50	10.40	35.30	25.1	$12,927
GPC	Genuine Parts	70	3.30	4.90	n/a	n/a	$18,019
GRC	Gorman-Rupp	53	1.00	6.10	32.00	31.2	$1,950
GWW	W.W. Grainger	54	0.80	7.40	23.60	33.8	$62,413
HRL	Hormel Foods	60	6.10	7.30	188.30	31	$10,572
HTO	H2O America	58	3.00	8.10	60.10	20.7	$2,450
IBM	IBM	31	2.90	1.90	58.80	20.5	$217,425
ITT	ITT	30	0.80	12.00	28.70	39.5	$18,028
ITW	Illinois Tool Works	62	2.60	10.20	58.20	24.2	$75,847
JKHY	Jack Henry & Associates	36	1.60	8.10	34.00	21.9	$10,734
JNJ	Johnson & Johnson	64	2.20	5.30	60.00	28.8	$599,124
KMB	Kimberly-Clark	54	5.20	3.40	86.40	19.4	$32,689
KO	Coca-Cola	64	2.40	4.20	62.50	27.1	$387,702
KVUE	Kenvue	63	4.70	n/a	96.50	20.7	$34,112
LECO	Lincoln Electric Holdings	30	1.20	9.50	30.90	26.2	$14,311
LIN	Linde	33	1.30	7.90	39.90	31.8	$226,852
LOW	Lowe's Companies	63	2.70	13.60	41.00	16	$105,893
MATW	Matthews International	33	5.40	5.40	n/a	n/a	$586
MCD	McDonald's	49	3.30	7.60	59.50	19.2	$166,868
MDT	Medtronic	48	3.10	5.30	69.90	22.9	$118,972
MGEE	MGE Energy	50	2.90	5.20	46.70	17.5	$2,690
MGRC	McGrath RentCorp	35	1.70	6.90	31.40	18.5	$2,800
MKC	McCormick & Co	40	4.30	8.40	34.10	8.1	$12,011
MO	Altria Group	56	6.20	6.20	89.30	15.1	$119,486
MSA	MSA Safety	56	1.20	5.00	26.40	22.6	$7,013
MSEX	Middlesex Water	53	2.70	6.10	54.80	20.8	$1,012
MZTI	The Marzetti	63	4.00	7.20	56.60	14.5	$2,753
NC	NACCO Industries	41	3.00	-0.20	44.20	15.3	$265
NDSN	Nordson	62	1.10	13.30	33.00	33.5	$18,408
NEE	NextEra Energy	32	3.20	11.10	53.10	17.6	$163,165
NFG	National Fuel Gas	56	2.70	3.20	29.80	11.3	$7,707
NIDB	Northeast Indiana Bancorp	30	3.20	6.10	25.20	8.1	$56
NJR	New Jersey Resources	30	3.90	7.00	52.30	14.4	$5,261
NNN	NNN REIT	36	6.10	3.10	118.20	20.1	$7,773
NUE	Nucor	53	0.90	4.10	17.80	20.2	$57,581
NWFL	Norwood Financial	34	3.80	4.50	43.30	11.7	$368
NWN	Northwest Natural Hldg	70	4.10	0.50	65.40	16.2	$2,051
O	Realty Income	32	5.90	3.00	236.40	39.9	$52,032
ORI	Old Republic Intl	45	3.30	5.30	25.90	8.4	$9,210
OZK	Bank OZK	32	4.40	11.50	30.00	7.4	$4,917
PEP	PepsiCo	54	4.70	7.00	72.70	16	$173,476
PG	Procter & Gamble	70	2.90	5.00	63.10	23.1	$355,461
PH	Parker Hannifin	70	0.80	12.20	25.60	33.5	$120,240
PII	Polaris	31	5.30	2.10	n/a	n/a	$2,935
PNR	Pentair	50	2.00	-2.30	25.90	13.7	$8,454
PPG	PPG Indus	54	2.80	6.30	40.50	15	$23,241
PSBQ	PSB Holdings	33	1.40	1.80	24.80	14.5	$201
RLI	RLI	51	1.30	6.10	13.80	12	$5,240
RNR	RenaissanceRe Holdings	31	0.50	2.80	2.80	5.9	$14,161
ROP	Roper Technologies	33	1.00	11.70	14.40	15.4	$36,444
RPM	RPM International	52	2.30	7.00	39.90	18.2	$12,554
RTX	RTX	32	1.50	1.00	48.20	32.2	$246,666
SCL	Stepan	59	2.60	7.60	n/a	n/a	$1,409
SEIC	SEI Investments	35	1.00	7.20	17.90	18.6	$12,665
SHW	Sherwin-Williams	48	1.00	11.10	29.00	29.9	$78,677
SJM	JM Smucker	29	3.70	4.10	204.70	56.7	$12,960
SOME	Somerset Trust Holding	26	2.10	3.20	16.00	7.8	$214
SON	Sonoco Products	50	4.40	3.90	33.70	7.5	$4,819
SPGI	S&P Global	53	1.00	10.40	23.50	25	$120,865
SRCE	1st Source	40	2.00	9.60	23.10	12.1	$2,024
SWK	Stanley Black & Decker	58	3.70	3.80	81.00	22.2	$13,698
SYK	Stryker	32	1.30	8.80	35.80	29.3	$108,378
SYY	Sysco	56	2.80	5.90	59.10	21.6	$38,875
TGT	Target	58	3.10	6.80	47.10	15.8	$69,048
TMP	Tompkins Financial	40	2.90	4.80	21.20	7.9	$1,383
TNC	Tennant	55	1.90	4.50	118.90	64.2	$1,138
TR	Tootsie Roll Industries	58	1.00	3.00	28.10	29.8	$2,829
TROW	T. Rowe Price Group	40	5.10	9.20	51.50	10.2	$21,628
TRP	TC Energy	26	4.00	4.50	103.80	24.2	$64,120
TYCB	Calvin B. Taylor	36	2.60	4.70	26.20	10.5	$158
UBSI	United Bankshares	52	3.30	1.40	41.00	12.5	$6,220
UHT	Universal Health Realty	40	7.90	1.40	214.40	27.2	$525
UL	Unilever	43	3.40	2.90	46.30	12.6	$134,574
UMBF	UMB Financial	34	1.50	7.40	14.00	10.8	$9,885
UVV	Universal	56	8.00	4.60	431.60	54.6	$1,033
WABC	Westamerica Bancorp	32	3.30	2.10	41.00	12.9	$1,354
WLY	John Wiley & Sons	33	2.70	1.40	37.00	14.2	$2,664
WMT	Walmart	53	0.90	4.00	34.80	40.7	$890,801
WST	West Pharmaceutical Servs	33	0.20	6.20	11.10	47.6	$26,167
WTRG	Essential Utilities	34	3.70	6.50	69.90	20.1	$11,149
XOM	ExxonMobil Holdings	43	2.40	3.20	52.60	22.4	$715,801
YORW	York Water	29	2.90	3.90	56.10	19.4	$506

Dividend Calendar for the Dividend Champions 2026

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Ticker	Company	Ex‑Div. Date	Div. Record Date	Div. Payment Date	Dividend Frequency	Next Div. Payment Per Share	Fwd. Div. Per Share
ABBV	AbbVie	10/15/26	10/15/26	11/16/26	4	$1.73	$6.92
ABM	ABM Indus	10/1/26	10/1/26	11/2/26	4	$0.29	$1.16
ABT	Abbott Laboratories	10/15/26	10/15/26	11/16/26	4	$0.63	$2.52
ADM	Archer-Daniels-Midland	8/19/26	8/19/26	9/9/26	4	$0.52	$2.08
ADP	Automatic Data Processing	9/11/26	9/11/26	10/1/26	4	$1.70	$6.80
AFL	Aflac	8/19/26	8/19/26	9/1/26	4	$0.61	$2.44
ALB	Albemarle	9/11/26	9/11/26	10/1/26	4	$0.41	$1.64
ANDC	Andover Bancorp	6/10/26	6/10/26	7/1/26	2	$0.38	$0.76
ANDE	Andersons	10/1/26	10/1/26	10/22/26	4	$0.20	$0.80
AOS	A.O. Smith	10/30/26	10/30/26	11/16/26	4	$0.38	$1.44
APD	Air Products	10/1/26	10/1/26	11/9/26	4	$1.81	$7.24
AROW	Arrow Financial	8/11/26	8/11/26	8/25/26	4	$0.30	$1.19
ARTNA	Artesian Resources	8/17/26	8/17/26	8/28/26	4	$0.32	$1.27
ATO	Atmos Energy	8/24/26	8/24/26	9/8/26	4	$1.00	$4.00
ATR	AptarGroup	7/30/26	7/30/26	8/20/26	4	$0.48	$1.92
AWR	American States Water	8/17/26	8/17/26	9/2/26	4	$0.55	$2.18
BANF	BancFirst	9/30/26	9/30/26	10/15/26	4	$0.52	$2.08
BDX	Becton Dickinson	9/9/26	9/9/26	9/30/26	4	$1.05	$4.20
BEN	Franklin Templeton	9/30/26	9/30/26	10/9/26	4	$0.33	$1.32
BF.B	Brown-Forman	9/3/26	9/3/26	10/1/26	4	$0.23	$0.92
BKH	Black Hills	8/17/26	8/17/26	9/1/26	4	$0.70	$2.81
BKUT	Bank Of Utica (ny)	6/30/26	6/30/26	7/14/26	2	$9.75	$19.50
BMI	Badger Meter	8/28/26	8/28/26	9/11/26	4	$0.44	$1.76
BRC	Brady	10/9/26	10/9/26	10/30/26	4	$0.25	$1.00
BRO	Brown & Brown	8/12/26	8/12/26	8/19/26	4	$0.17	$0.66
CAH	Cardinal Health	10/1/26	10/1/26	10/15/26	4	$0.52	$2.06
CASS	Cass Information Systems	9/4/26	9/4/26	9/14/26	4	$0.32	$1.28
CASY	Casey's General Stores	10/30/26	11/1/26	11/13/26	4	$0.65	$2.60
CAT	Caterpillar	7/20/26	7/20/26	8/19/26	4	$1.63	$6.52
CB	Chubb	9/11/26	9/11/26	10/2/26	4	$1.02	$4.08
CBSH	Commerce Bancshares	9/4/26	9/4/26	9/22/26	4	$0.28	$1.10
CBU	Community Financial Sys	9/15/26	9/15/26	10/13/26	4	$0.49	$1.90
CCFN	Muncy Columbia Financial	8/25/26	8/25/26	9/10/26	4	$0.16	$0.62
CFR	Cullen/Frost Bankers	8/31/26	8/31/26	9/15/26	4	$1.03	$4.12
CHD	Church & Dwight Co	8/14/26	8/14/26	9/1/26	4	$0.31	$1.23
CHRW	C.H. Robinson Worldwide	9/4/26	9/4/26	10/2/26	4	$0.63	$2.52
CINF	Cincinnati Financial	9/23/26	9/23/26	10/15/26	4	$0.94	$3.76
CL	Colgate-Palmolive	10/20/26	10/20/26	11/13/26	4	$0.53	$2.12
CLX	Clorox	10/28/26	10/28/26	11/13/26	4	$1.25	$5.00
CPKF	Chesapeake Financial	9/1/26	9/1/26	9/15/26	4	$0.18	$0.72
CSL	Carlisle Companies	8/19/26	8/19/26	9/1/26	4	$1.25	$5.00
CTAS	Cintas	8/14/26	8/14/26	9/15/26	4	$0.52	$2.08
CTBI	Community Trust Bancorp	9/15/26	9/15/26	10/1/26	4	$0.65	$2.60
CVX	Chevron	8/19/26	8/19/26	9/10/26	4	$1.78	$7.12
CWT	California Water Servs Gr	8/10/26	8/10/26	8/21/26	4	$0.34	$1.34
DCI	Donaldson Co	8/17/26	8/17/26	8/31/26	4	$0.32	$1.24
DOV	Dover	8/31/26	8/31/26	9/15/26	4	$0.52	$2.10
EBC	Eastern Bankshares	9/8/26	9/8/26	9/22/26	4	$0.15	$0.56
ECL	Ecolab	9/15/26	9/15/26	10/15/26	4	$0.73	$2.92
ED	Consolidated Edison	8/19/26	8/19/26	9/15/26	4	$0.89	$3.51
EFSI	Eagle Financial Services	8/3/26	8/3/26	8/14/26	4	$0.31	$1.24
EMR	Emerson Electric	8/14/26	8/14/26	9/10/26	4	$0.56	$2.22
ENB	Enbridge	8/14/26	8/14/26	9/1/26	4	$0.68	$2.80
EPD	Enterprise Prods Partners	10/30/26	10/30/26	11/13/26	4	$0.56	$2.24
ERIE	Erie Indemnity	10/5/26	10/5/26	10/20/26	4	$1.46	$5.85
ES	Eversource Energy	9/21/26	9/21/26	9/30/26	4	$0.79	$3.15
ESS	Essex Property Trust	9/30/26	9/30/26	10/15/26	4	$2.59	$10.36
ETR	Entergy	8/13/26	8/13/26	9/1/26	4	$0.64	$2.56
EXPD	Expeditors International	6/1/26	6/1/26	6/15/26	2	$0.81	$1.62
FAST	Fastenal	10/28/26	10/28/26	11/25/26	4	$0.26	$0.96
FDS	FactSet Research Systems	8/31/26	8/31/26	9/17/26	4	$1.16	$4.64
FELE	Franklin Electric	8/6/26	8/6/26	8/20/26	4	$0.28	$1.12
FFMR	First Farmers Financial	9/30/26	9/30/26	10/15/26	4	$0.27	$1.08
FMAO	Farmers & Merchants	10/9/26	10/9/26	10/20/26	4	$0.24	$0.96
FMCB	Farmers & Merchants	9/11/26	9/11/26	10/1/26	4	$5.60	$22.40
FRT	Federal Realty Investment	10/1/26	10/1/26	10/15/26	4	$1.16	$4.64
FUL	H.B. Fuller	10/15/26	10/15/26	10/29/26	4	$0.25	$0.98
GD	General Dynamics	10/9/26	10/9/26	11/13/26	4	$1.59	$6.36
GGG	Graco	10/19/26	10/19/26	11/4/26	4	$0.29	$1.18
GPC	Genuine Parts	9/4/26	9/4/26	10/2/26	4	$1.06	$4.25
GRC	Gorman-Rupp	8/14/26	8/14/26	9/10/26	4	$0.19	$0.76
GWW	W.W. Grainger	8/10/26	8/10/26	9/1/26	4	$2.49	$9.96
HRL	Hormel Foods	10/13/26	10/13/26	11/16/26	4	$0.29	$1.17
HTO	H2O America	8/10/26	8/10/26	9/1/26	4	$0.44	$1.76
IBM	IBM	8/10/26	8/10/26	9/10/26	4	$1.69	$6.76
ITT	ITT	9/8/26	9/8/26	10/5/26	4	$0.39	$1.54
ITW	Illinois Tool Works	9/30/26	9/30/26	10/9/26	4	$1.72	$6.88
JKHY	Jack Henry & Associates	9/4/26	9/7/26	9/23/26	4	$0.61	$2.44
JNJ	Johnson & Johnson	11/24/26	11/24/26	12/8/26	4	$1.34	$5.36
KMB	Kimberly-Clark	9/4/26	9/4/26	10/2/26	4	$1.28	$5.12
KO	Coca-Cola	9/15/26	9/15/26	10/1/26	4	$0.53	$2.12
KVUE	Kenvue	9/21/26	9/21/26	10/2/26	4	$0.21	$0.84
LECO	Lincoln Electric Holdings	9/30/26	9/30/26	10/15/26	4	$0.79	$3.16
LIN	Linde	9/3/26	9/3/26	9/17/26	4	$1.60	$6.40
LOW	Lowe's Companies	10/21/26	10/21/26	11/4/26	4	$1.25	$5.00
MATW	Matthews International	8/10/26	8/10/26	8/24/26	4	$0.25	$1.02
MCD	McDonald's	12/1/26	12/1/26	12/15/26	4	$1.93	$7.72
MDT	Medtronic	9/25/26	9/25/26	10/16/26	4	$0.72	$2.88
MGEE	MGE Energy	9/1/26	9/1/26	9/15/26	4	$0.51	$2.03
MGRC	McGrath RentCorp	10/16/26	10/16/26	10/30/26	4	$0.50	$1.98
MKC	McCormick & Co	10/13/26	10/13/26	10/26/26	4	$0.48	$1.92
MO	Altria Group	9/15/26	9/15/26	10/9/26	4	$1.11	$4.44
MSA	MSA Safety	8/14/26	8/14/26	9/10/26	4	$0.54	$2.16
MSEX	Middlesex Water	8/17/26	8/17/26	9/1/26	4	$0.36	$1.44
MZTI	The Marzetti	9/8/26	9/8/26	9/30/26	4	$1.00	$4.00
NC	NACCO Industries	8/31/26	8/31/26	9/15/26	4	$0.26	$1.05
NDSN	Nordson	9/10/26	9/10/26	10/2/26	4	$0.94	$3.76
NEE	NextEra Energy	8/28/26	8/28/26	9/15/26	4	$0.62	$2.49
NFG	National Fuel Gas	9/30/26	9/30/26	10/15/26	4	$0.56	$2.22
NIDB	Northeast Indiana Bancorp	8/13/26	8/13/26	8/27/26	4	$0.19	$0.76
NJR	New Jersey Resources	9/24/26	9/24/26	10/1/26	4	$0.50	$2.00
NNN	NNN REIT	7/31/26	7/31/26	8/14/26	4	$0.62	$2.48
NUE	Nucor	9/30/26	9/30/26	11/10/26	4	$0.56	$2.24
NWFL	Norwood Financial	10/15/26	10/15/26	11/2/26	4	$0.32	$1.28
NWN	Northwest Natural Hldg	10/30/26	10/30/26	11/13/26	4	$0.50	$2.00
O	Realty Income	9/30/26	9/30/26	10/15/26	12	$0.27	$3.26
ORI	Old Republic Intl	9/4/26	9/4/26	9/15/26	4	$0.31	$1.26
OZK	Bank OZK	10/13/26	10/13/26	10/20/26	4	$0.49	$1.96
PEP	PepsiCo	9/4/26	9/4/26	9/30/26	4	$1.48	$5.92
PG	Procter & Gamble	10/23/26	10/23/26	11/16/26	4	$1.09	$4.35
PH	Parker Hannifin	8/31/26	8/31/26	9/11/26	4	$2.00	$8.00
PII	Polaris	9/1/26	9/1/26	9/15/26	4	$0.68	$2.72
PNR	Pentair	10/23/26	10/23/26	11/6/26	4	$0.27	$1.08
PPG	PPG Indus	8/10/26	8/10/26	9/11/26	4	$0.74	$2.96
PSBQ	PSB Holdings	10/8/26	10/8/26	10/30/26	4	$0.18	$0.72
RLI	RLI	8/31/26	8/31/26	9/15/26	4	$0.18	$0.72
RNR	RenaissanceRe Holdings	9/15/26	9/15/26	9/30/26	4	$0.41	$1.64
ROP	Roper Technologies	10/2/26	10/2/26	10/21/26	4	$0.91	$3.64
RPM	RPM International	10/20/26	10/20/26	10/30/26	4	$0.57	$2.28
RTX	RTX	8/14/26	8/14/26	9/3/26	4	$0.73	$2.82
SCL	Stepan	9/1/26	9/1/26	9/15/26	4	$0.40	$1.58
SEIC	SEI Investments	6/8/26	6/8/26	6/16/26	2	$0.52	$1.04
SHW	Sherwin-Williams	8/21/26	8/21/26	9/11/26	4	$0.80	$3.20
SJM	JM Smucker	8/14/26	8/14/26	9/1/26	4	$1.12	$4.48
SOME	Somerset Trust Holding	9/10/26	9/10/26	9/18/26	4	$0.44	$1.76
SON	Sonoco Products	8/10/26	8/10/26	9/10/26	4	$0.54	$2.16
SPGI	S&P Global	11/25/26	11/25/26	12/10/26	4	$0.97	$3.88
SRCE	1st Source	8/4/26	8/4/26	8/14/26	4	$0.45	$1.68
SWK	Stanley Black & Decker	9/8/26	9/8/26	9/22/26	4	$0.84	$3.36
SYK	Stryker	9/30/26	9/30/26	10/30/26	4	$0.88	$3.52
SYY	Sysco	10/2/26	10/2/26	10/23/26	4	$0.55	$2.20
TGT	Target	11/10/26	11/11/26	12/1/26	4	$1.16	$4.64
TMP	Tompkins Financial	8/7/26	8/7/26	8/14/26	4	$0.70	$2.80
TNC	Tennant	8/31/26	8/31/26	9/15/26	4	$0.31	$1.24
TR	Tootsie Roll Industries	10/7/26	10/7/26	10/16/26	4	$0.09	$0.36
TROW	T. Rowe Price Group	9/15/26	9/15/26	9/29/26	4	$1.30	$5.20
TRP	TC Energy	9/29/26	9/29/26	10/30/26	4	$0.62	$2.46
TYCB	Calvin B. Taylor	7/27/26	7/27/26	8/6/26	4	$0.41	$1.54
UBSI	United Bankshares	9/11/26	9/11/26	10/1/26	4	$0.38	$1.52
UHT	Universal Health Realty	9/21/26	9/21/26	9/30/26	4	$0.75	$3.00
UL	Unilever	8/7/26	8/7/26	9/18/26	4	$0.53	$2.12
UMBF	UMB Financial	9/10/26	9/10/26	10/1/26	4	$0.50	$2.00
UVV	Universal	10/9/26	10/12/26	11/2/26	4	$0.83	$3.32
WABC	Westamerica Bancorp	8/3/26	8/3/26	8/14/26	4	$0.48	$1.92
WLY	John Wiley & Sons	10/6/26	10/6/26	10/22/26	4	$0.36	$1.43
WMT	Walmart	12/11/26	12/11/26	1/4/27	4	$0.25	$0.99
WST	West Pharmaceutical Servs	7/29/26	7/29/26	8/5/26	4	$0.22	$0.88
WTRG	Essential Utilities	8/11/26	8/11/26	9/1/26	4	$0.36	$1.44
XOM	ExxonMobil Holdings	8/17/26	8/17/26	9/10/26	4	$1.03	$4.12
YORW	York Water	9/30/26	9/30/26	10/15/26	4	$0.23	$0.91

Promotions to Dividend Kings in 2025

In 2025, Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Pentair (PNR), RLI (RLI), and United Bankshares (UBSI) were added to the list of Dividend Kings.

Additions to the Dividend Champions in 2025

In 2025, Cass Information Systems (CASS), Somerset Trust Holdings (SOME), and TC Energy (TRP) were added to the list of Dividend Champions.

Cass Information Systems is a payment and information processing company for manufacturing, distribution, and retail businesses.

Somerset Trust Holdings is a small bank holding company in Pennsylvania.

TC Energy is a Canadian energy company that owns and operates pipelines, LNG terminals, gas storage facilities, and power generation facilities.

Deletions to the Dividend Champions in 2025

In 2025, no Dividend Champions fell off the list because of dividend cuts or freezes.

Other Dividend Stock Lists

The other U.S. stock lists are:

• Dividend Kings List
• Dividend Aristocrats List
• Dividend Contenders List
• Dividend Challengers List
• Dogs of the Dow in 2026

For Canadian stocks, we have an article on

• Canadian Dividend Aristocrats

For UK stocks, we have an article on

• UK High Yield Dividend Aristocrats

Other dividend stock lists

• Stocks Paying 100+ Years of Dividends
• Canadian Stocks Paying Dividends for 100+ Years

FAQs About the 2026 Dividend Champions

What do I like About the Dividend Champions 2026?

The Dividend Champions 2026 list is a screen for further investigating stocks for a dividend growth portfolio. It is a list of companies with stable businesses that have competitive advantages and have returned cash to shareholders consistently through dividends and, in some cases, buybacks over an extended period.

Over-The-Counter Stocks Increase the Number

The number of Dividend Champions increases if we include over-the-counter (OTC) stocks. As a result, the total universe of U.S. stocks goes up to about 12,000. We have added many of these stocks to our list in 2026, increasing the number of Dividend Champions by about 20 from earlier years.

In addition, the list changes slowly. However, even during extreme economic duress, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, only a handful of companies dropped off the list each year. This fact points to the resiliency of the businesses on the Dividend Champions 2026 list and management’s commitment to the dividend.

What are the Differences Between the Dividend Champions and Dividend Aristocrats

The Dividend Champion 2026 list is broader and more comprehensive than the Dividend Aristocrat list. A stock must only meet the requirement for raising the dividend for 25+ years to be added to the Dividend Champions List. However, the criteria for inclusion as a Dividend Aristocrat are stricter. In addition to the 25+ years of dividend increases, a stock must be a part of the S&P 500 Index, have a minimum market capitalization of $3 billion, and meet trading volume and sector weighting requirements.

Hence, a stock can be a Dividend Champion but not a Dividend Aristocrat.

What are the Differences Between Dividend Champions and Dividend Kings

The Dividend Kings are more exclusive than the Dividend Champions. To become a Dividend King, a stock must raise its dividend for 50+ consecutive years, a much harder achievement. However, a company can be a Dividend King, a Dividend Champion, and a Dividend Aristocrat. For instance, The Coca-Cola Company (KO) is found on all three lists. 

Two MLPs and Six REITs Are on the Dividend Champions 2026 List

The 2026 Dividend Champions list contains many banks, utilities, consumer defensive, and industrial companies. 

The list includes three Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs): Enbridge (ENB), Enterprise Products Partners (EPD), and TC Energy (TRP).

The Dividend Champions list has five Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): Essex Property Trust (ESS), Federal Realty Investment (FRT), National Retail Properties (NNN), Realty Income (O), and Universal Health Realty (UHT).

In addition, W.P. Carey will fall off the list in 2026 because it reduced the quarterly payout.

Related Articles About REITs on Dividend Power

• Essex Property Trust (ESS): Undervalued REIT
• Best REITs for Safe Income
• Federal Realty (FRT): A Dividend King REIT
• 3 Dividend Aristocrat REITs

What is the Sector and Industry Breakdown?

Companies from the Financial sector have the most significant representation on the Dividend Champions 2026 list, with 42 companies, followed by the Industrial sector, with 30 companies. The Consumer Defensive sector has 22, and the Utilities sector has 16 Companies. The lowest representation is from the Communications Services sector, with one company.

Financials tend to have stable and generally rising earnings over time. There are 29 regional banks, six insurance companies, three asset managers, and two financial data & stock exchange companies on the list of Dividend Champions. Regional banks are often conservative; they have room to expand, allowing for earnings per share and dividend growth. Insurance and asset manager companies have sticky customers and grow with time.

Industrial companies tend to have somewhat more volatile earnings and cash flows, but many have conservative payout ratios, allowing them to grow dividends during recessions and economic downturns. The list includes 13 specialty industrial machinery companies, two aerospace & defense companies, one conglomerate, as well as others.

Consumer Defensive companies tend to have predictable earnings and cash flows that grow slowly with time. Many did well during the COVID-19 pandemic. Larger companies in this sector tend to acquire smaller ones, leading to industry consolidation. Seven household & personal products companies and four packaged food companies are on the list, including several well-known ones.

Market Size of the Dividend Champions 2026

Large-cap companies do not dominate the list, which includes quite a few mid-cap ($2 billion – $10 billion) and small-cap ($300 million – $2 billion) companies.

Walmart (WMT) is the largest dividend champion by market capitalization, and Andover Bancorp (ANDC) is the smallest.

Who’s On Deck?

At the start of the year, several companies on the Dividend Contender List have raised the dividend for 24 years. This number includes L3 Harris Technologies (LHX), Nike (NKE), Royal Gold (RGLD), and Southern (SO). These stocks will become Dividend Champions, assuming they raise their dividend in 2026.