2026 Dividend Aristocrats Quick-Reference Card

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If you've ever wanted a single sheet that tells you everything you need to know about the best dividend-growth stocks, this is it.

The Dividend Aristocrats are S&P 500 companies that have raised their dividends for at least 25 consecutive years. There are currently 69 of them. We've pulled out the 15 most investor-relevant names — covering 8 sectors, a range of yields, and a mix of growth and income profiles.

All data is sourced from StockAnalysis.com and Finviz.com, pulled March 21, 2026.

What Makes a Dividend Aristocrat?

To qualify, a company must:

Be listed in the S&P 500
Have raised its dividend for 25+ consecutive years (no freezes, no cuts)
Meet minimum size and liquidity requirements

These aren't just dividend stocks — they're battle-tested businesses that kept raising dividends through the 2000 dot-com crash, the 2008 financial crisis, COVID-19, and inflationary 2022. That durability matters.

The Top 15 Dividend Aristocrats — March 2026

P/E ratios are trailing 12-month (TTM) from Finviz. Payout ratios are calculated as annual DPS ÷ TTM EPS. Last increase % is most recent annual dividend raise. Data as of March 21, 2026.

| # | Ticker | Company | Sector | Div Yield | Consec. Yrs | Payout Ratio | P/E (TTM) | Last Div Raise | In Screener? | |---|--------|---------|--------|-----------|-------------|--------------|-----------|----------------|--------------| | 1 | KO | Coca-Cola | Consumer Staples | 2.84% | 64 | 67% | 24.6 | +5.2% | ✅ Yes | | 2 | PG | Procter & Gamble | Consumer Staples | 2.93% | 70 | 67% | 24.1 | +5.0% | ✅ Yes | | 3 | JNJ | Johnson & Johnson | Healthcare | 2.21% | 64 | 45% | 21.3 | +4.2% | ✅ Yes | | 4 | CL | Colgate-Palmolive | Consumer Staples | 2.44% | 63 | 80% | 32.5 | +4.5% | ❌ No | | 5 | MO | Altria Group | Consumer Staples | 6.58% | 57 | 85% | 15.7 | +4.3% | ✅ Yes | | 6 | SWK | Stanley Black & Decker | Industrials | 4.93% | 59 | ~97% | ~35 | +1.0% | ❌ No | | 7 | ITW | Illinois Tool Works | Industrials | 2.50% | 56 | 54% | 24.6 | +7.0% | ✅ Yes | | 8 | TGT | Target | Consumer Discret. | 4.03% | 55 | 56% | ~14 | +1.8% | ✅ Yes | | 9 | KMB | Kimberly-Clark | Consumer Staples | 5.21% | 54 | 85% | 16.2 | +3.4% | ✅ Yes | | 10 | PEP | PepsiCo | Consumer Staples | 3.79% | 54 | 73% | ~18 | +4.0% | ✅ Yes | | 11 | LOW | Lowe's Companies | Consumer Discret. | 2.14% | 54 | 41% | 19.0 | +4.9% | ✅ Yes | | 12 | ABBV | AbbVie | Healthcare | 3.37% | 54 | 65%* | 86.8† | +5.8% | ❌ No | | 13 | XOM | ExxonMobil | Energy | 2.58% | 45 | 42% | ~17 | +4.0% | ✅ Yes | | 14 | AFL | Aflac | Financials | 2.30% | 42 | 35% | 15.4 | +16.4% | ✅ Yes | | 15 | MCD | McDonald's | Consumer Discret. | 2.41% | 51 | 63% | 25.8 | +6.0% | ✅ Yes |

* ABBV payout ratio on adjusted EPS basis. GAAP payout ratio is distorted by acquisition accounting from the Allergan deal. † ABBV trailing P/E is 86.8 due to GAAP accounting; forward P/E is only 12.7, making it far more attractive on a forward basis. ~ = estimated/calculated from reported earnings; verify before trading.

Stock Spotlight: Why Investors Like Each One

🥤 KO — Coca-Cola ($74.75)

Warren Buffett's favorite. Owns over 500 beverage brands globally. Pricing power lets it pass inflation to consumers. 64 straight years of raises is near-mythical. Yield at 2.84% is modest but rock-solid.

🧴 PG — Procter & Gamble ($144.28)

70 consecutive years — the longest streak on this list. Owns Tide, Pampers, Gillette, Dawn. If humans keep cleaning themselves, PG keeps printing cash. The definition of boring-but-brilliant.

💊 JNJ — Johnson & Johnson ($235.37)

Post-Kenvue spinoff, JNJ is now a pure-play pharma/medtech company. Pipeline is robust. Dividend at 2.21% with 45% payout ratio means massive room for future raises. Fortress balance sheet.

🦷 CL — Colgate-Palmolive ($85.12)

63 years of increases. Dominant in oral care globally. High P/E (32.5) and stretched payout (80%) keep it out of our screener — you're paying a premium for predictability. Solid but not cheap.

🚬 MO — Altria ($64.47)

The highest yielder on this list at 6.58%. Controversial (tobacco), but business is brutally cash-generative. Oral nicotine products (on!) are growing fast. Best for income-maximizers who understand the risk profile.

🔧 SWK — Stanley Black & Decker ($67.28)

59 years of increases but under significant financial stress. Yield at 4.93% is generous but payout ratio near 97% leaves almost no margin. Restructuring in progress. Watch but don't rush in.

⚙️ ITW — Illinois Tool Works ($257.68)

The quiet compounding machine. Diversified industrial manufacturer with a unique 80/20 operating model — eliminates complexity, maximizes returns. 56 years of raises and 7% last increase. Love this one.

🎯 TGT — Target ($113.26)

A punished retailer that's still raising dividends. At P/E ~14 and yield 4.03%, this is one of the cheapest Aristocrats. The market hates it; value investors are quietly loading up. 55 consecutive years.

🧻 KMB — Kimberly-Clark ($98.20)

Kleenex, Huggies, Scott. Necessity products through every economic cycle. Yield at 5.21% is substantial. High payout (85%) is the concern — but KMB has navigated this for decades.

🥤 PEP — PepsiCo ($150.04)

Diversified beyond beverages into snacks (Frito-Lay). Just raised its dividend +4.0% in February 2026, pushing annual payout to $5.92/share. 54 years of increases and still growing organically.

🏠 LOW — Lowe's ($224.63)

Housing stays strong long-term. Lowe's benefits from aging homes requiring maintenance. 41% payout ratio = massive dividend safety cushion. 54 years of raises. Our screener loves this one.

💉 ABBV — AbbVie ($205.07)

High trailing P/E due to GAAP accounting around the Allergan acquisition. On a forward basis (Fwd P/E: 12.7), it's actually quite cheap. Humira patent cliff being replaced by Skyrizi and Rinvoq. Strong pipeline.

⛽ XOM — ExxonMobil ($159.67)

45 years of raises despite oil volatility. Massive balance sheet. Pioneer acquisition makes XOM a Permian Basin powerhouse. Yield at 2.58% with only 42% payout ratio. Solid long-term anchor.

🦆 AFL — Aflac ($106.22)

The duck insurance company. Dominant in supplemental health insurance in the U.S. and Japan. Just raised its dividend +16.4% — one of the biggest raises on this list. Only 35% payout ratio = huge headroom.

🍟 MCD — McDonald's ($308.85)

The franchise model is one of the greatest wealth-generation machines ever built. McDonald's owns the land, franchisees bear the operational risk. 51 years of raises. Priced at 25.8x earnings.

Reading the Table: A Quick Decoder

| Metric | What to Look For | |--------|-----------------| | Dividend Yield | 2%–5% is the sweet spot for Aristocrats. Over 5% deserves scrutiny. | | Consecutive Years | Higher = more proven commitment. 50+ years is elite. | | Payout Ratio | Under 60% = healthy. 60–80% = watch. Over 80% = cautious. | | P/E (TTM) | Under 20 = potential value. 20–28 = fair. Over 30 = expensive. | | Last Div Raise % | Higher is better. Under 2% signals stress. |

How We Pick "In Screener" Stocks

At valueofstock.com, our stock screener applies Benjamin Graham-inspired filters:

P/E ratio ≤ 25 (paying a fair price matters)
Payout ratio ≤ 85% (dividend must be sustainable)
Consecutive increases ≥ 25 years
Dividend yield ≥ 1.5%

Three stocks on this list are NOT in our screener:

CL — P/E at 32.5 is too expensive by our metric
SWK — Near-100% payout is unsustainable; restructuring risk
ABBV — Trailing P/E distorted by GAAP accounting (Fwd P/E 12.7 would qualify)

⚠️ Important disclaimer: This is not investment advice. All data is point-in-time (March 21, 2026). Verify before making any investment decisions. Past dividend streaks do not guarantee future payments.

Free Tools to Go Deeper

🔍 Our Free Stock Screener → — filter by yield, P/E, consecutive years
📊 What's a Good Dividend Yield? → — guide to interpreting yields
💰 How to Live Off Dividends → — how much you need to retire on dividends
👑 Dividend Kings List 2026 → — 50+ years of increases (the elite tier)

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Data sourced from StockAnalysis.com and Finviz.com, March 21, 2026. Payout ratios are calculated estimates; P/E ratios marked with ~ are calculated from reported earnings. Always verify with a financial data provider before investing. This content is for educational and informational purposes only.

2026 Dividend Aristocrats Quick-Reference Card: Top 15 Stocks at a Glance