Dividend Aristocrats 2026: 10 Best Stocks Raising Dividends for 25+ Years

There's a test that separates real businesses from businesses that look good in a bull market.

The test isn't revenue growth. It's not margins. It's not even earnings. It's whether a company raised its dividend to shareholders during a pandemic, a financial crisis, a stagflationary spiral, and a tech bust — all of them.

That's what Dividend Aristocrats have done. 25+ consecutive years of annual dividend increases means surviving everything the 21st century has thrown at public companies: 9/11, the dot-com crash, 2008, COVID-19, the 2022 rate shock, and everything in between.

As of May 2026, there are 69 Dividend Aristocrats. Here are the 10 best ones to consider buying right now — prioritized by value, yield sustainability, and long-term compounding potential.

Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. We may receive compensation if you open an account through our links. This doesn't affect our analysis, rankings, or recommendations.

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What Makes a Dividend Aristocrat

The S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index has strict criteria:

1. Member of the S&P 500 (minimum market cap and liquidity requirements)
2. 25+ consecutive years of annual dividend increases — no freezes, no cuts
3. Minimum float-adjusted market cap of $3 billion at the time of annual reconstitution
4. Minimum average daily trading volume of $5 million over the trailing 3 months

In early 2026, 3M (MMM) was removed after ending its 64-year streak with a dividend cut during its restructuring. Walgreens (WBA) was removed after cutting its dividend amid pharmacy business challenges.

Every removal is a reminder: the streak is earned, not given.

💡 Check any Aristocrat's Graham intrinsic value against its current price at valueofstock.com/calculator before buying. The streak is impressive — but price still matters.

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The 10 Best Dividend Aristocrats to Buy in May 2026

We've filtered the 69 Aristocrats for the combination of current value opportunity, dividend growth trajectory, and business durability in the current macro environment.

1. AbbVie (ABBV)

Streak: 53 years (counting Abbott Labs predecessor) | Yield: ~3.8% | Sector: Pharmaceuticals

AbbVie's Humira patent cliff — the one analysts worried about for years — has been largely absorbed. Skyrizi and Rinvoq have grown from essentially zero revenue to over $15 billion combined and are still in early growth phases. Meanwhile, management has maintained dividend growth through what should have been the existential moment.

Why now: Post-earnings clarity in Q1 2026 showed Skyrizi/Rinvoq growth continuing to offset Humira biosimilar headwinds. The stock still prices in more pessimism than fundamentals suggest. For a pharmaceutical franchise with a decade of patent-protected growth ahead, this looks like a window.

Yield context: ABBV's 3.8% yield + ~9% dividend growth rate = potential 12–13% total dividend return on current investment over time. That math compounds significantly.

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2. Realty Income (O)

Streak: 30+ years (converted to REIT structure in 1994, dividend history before that) | Yield: ~5.5% | Sector: Net Lease REIT

The only REIT in the Dividend Aristocrats index. Realty Income has raised its dividend over 120 times since listing, including monthly increases every year since converting to monthly payments.

Why now: Rate cut expectations in 2026 are a direct tailwind. REITs got crushed when rates rose to 5%+ because competing bond yields made the dividend premium disappear. As rates fall, capital flows back toward yield assets like O. You're potentially buying one of the best-run income businesses in the market at a discount to its historical valuation.

For income investors: No other Aristocrat pays monthly. If cash flow consistency matters, O belongs in your portfolio.

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3. Hormel Foods (HRL)

Streak: 58 years | Yield: ~3.7% | Sector: Consumer Staples (Food)

Hormel's 58-year streak is remarkable: SPAM, Skippy, Jennie-O, Applegate. These are brands that have survived every food trend because they sell affordable protein and pantry staples. When recession fears mount and consumers trade down from restaurants to home cooking, Hormel benefits.

Why now: Hormel has been on a value investor watchlist after underperforming the market through 2024–2025. The company faces turkey segment challenges (Jennie-O), but the diversified branded portfolio is durable. At current prices, the 58-year streak is on discount.

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4. Sysco Corporation (SYY)

Streak: 56 years | Yield: ~2.8% | Sector: Food Distribution

Sysco is the largest food distributor in the world — it supplies restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools. If a restaurant opens anywhere in North America, Sysco probably wants to feed it. The business has enormous scale advantages, strong pricing power, and benefits from restaurant industry recovery post-COVID.

Why now: Restaurant spending is recovering as inflation eases. Sysco's 2025 pricing power held well and margins improved. The company consistently buys back stock alongside raising dividends — shareholder-friendly capital allocation.

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5. Procter & Gamble (PG)

Streak: 69 years | Yield: ~2.4% | Sector: Consumer Staples

P&G has raised its dividend for 69 consecutive years. Tide, Pampers, Gillette, Charmin, Old Spice. When consumers are stretched, they might switch to store brands for some things — but they're remarkably sticky on personal care and baby products. P&G's brands have emotional loyalty that no private label can match.

The honest take: P&G rarely looks "cheap" by Graham standards. It commands a premium because it deserves one. If you're building a core dividend portfolio designed to outlast everything, P&G is bedrock.

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6. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

Streak: 63 years | Yield: ~3.1% | Sector: Healthcare (Pharmaceutical + MedTech)

Post-consumer spinoff (Kenvue), J&J now runs two business units: Innovative Medicine (pharma) and MedTech (surgical devices). The portfolio is more focused, more profitable, and growing faster than the old diversified J&J.

Why now: JNJ's talc litigation settlement removes a major overhang that has depressed the stock for years. With that liability moving toward resolution and both business segments performing well, J&J's 63-year streak looks secure for decades more.

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7. Automatic Data Processing (ADP)

Streak: 51 years | Yield: ~2.3% | Sector: Business Services (Payroll)

ADP processes payroll for over 1 million businesses. When the labor market is tight and unemployment is low, ADP earns more interest float on payroll deposits held before disbursement. That's an embedded rate-sensitive revenue stream — in a period of elevated rates (or slow rate cuts), ADP earns meaningful "free" float income.

Why now: ADP has been a consistent compounder. Not exciting. Not volatile. Just 51 years of raising dividends while the world changed around it. For investors building long-duration dividend income, boring is beautiful.

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8. S&P Global (SPGI)

Streak: 50 years | Yield: ~1.0% | Sector: Financial Services (Data/Ratings)

S&P Global looks like a low-yield disappointment until you look at dividend growth: it has grown its dividend at roughly 15–20% annually over the past decade. The yield is low because the stock price has appreciated so dramatically. At today's price, you're buying a business with near-monopoly positions in credit ratings, financial data, and market intelligence.

Why now: When the Fed cuts rates, debt issuance surges — companies refinance, municipalities issue bonds, corporations sell paper. S&P Global's ratings business earns fees on every debt issuance. Rate cuts in 2026 could be a meaningful revenue tailwind.

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9. Aflac (AFL)

Streak: 41 years | Yield: ~2.2% | Sector: Insurance (Supplemental Health)

The duck is one of the most recognized brand mascots in America. Aflac's business — supplemental health insurance that pays cash directly to policyholders during illness — is as simple and durable as insurance gets. Strong Japan exposure (over 70% of earnings) creates some yen currency risk, but also diversification.

Why it belongs here: Aflac trades at a P/E that looks like a forgotten stock rather than a 41-year dividend growth machine. Management is aggressive on buybacks alongside dividends. Total shareholder return has been excellent over any long period.

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10. Cintas Corporation (CTAS)

Streak: 42 years | Yield: ~1.0% | Sector: Business Services (Uniforms + Facility Services)

Cintas rents uniforms, provides first aid and safety products, and sells fire protection services to businesses. It sounds mundane — and it is. That's exactly why it's been raising dividends for 42 years. The business is sticky (customers rarely switch vendors), recurring revenue (rental contracts), and grows with employment.

Why now: Post-pandemic re-opening, businesses added workers who need uniforms and safety equipment. AI and automation narratives haven't replaced physical workers in restaurants, warehouses, and manufacturing — all Cintas customers. The mundane business keeps compounding.

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How Dividend Aristocrats Have Performed vs the S&P 500

The ProShares Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL) equally weights all 69 Aristocrats and rebalances quarterly. Here's how it's compared historically:

| Period | NOBL Total Return | S&P 500 Total Return | |--------|------------------|---------------------| | 2022 (Bear market) | ~-6% | ~-18% | | 2023 | ~7% | ~26% | | 2024 | ~9% | ~25% | | 5-Year Annualized | ~10–11% | ~13–15% | | 10-Year Annualized | ~11–12% | ~13–14% |

The honest scorecard: Aristocrats underperform in strong bull markets — especially tech-driven ones. But they dramatically outperform in downturns. Over full cycles, they've matched the S&P 500 on a risk-adjusted basis with significantly lower volatility.

For investors approaching retirement, that risk reduction matters as much as the return.

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Two Dividend Aristocrat Strategies

Strategy 1: Buy the Index (NOBL) Easiest path. One purchase, instant diversification across all 69 Aristocrats. Expense ratio is 0.35% — higher than plain index funds, but reasonable for what you get. Rebalances automatically when companies are added or removed.

Strategy 2: Concentrate in Undervalued Names More work, more potential reward. Use the Graham Value analysis to identify which Aristocrats are trading below their intrinsic value. Overweight those. Avoid the ones priced for perfection.

To run a Graham Value screen on any Aristocrat: valueofstock.com/calculator. Enter the ticker, EPS, and estimated growth rate — the calculator shows you the margin of safety at current prices.

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Aristocrat Red Flags: What Causes a Streak to Break

Understanding what ends a dividend streak helps you protect against it in your portfolio:

1. Debt-financed dividends. Paying out more cash than the business earns — borrowing to maintain the streak. Eventually unsustainable. Check free cash flow payout ratio, not just earnings payout ratio.

2. Industry structural disruption. WBA (Walgreens) faced pharmacy reimbursement cuts and Amazon pharmacy competition. The business model itself weakened. No amount of management discipline saves a deteriorating industry.

3. Regulatory shock. Healthcare companies face unexpected pricing regulation. Energy companies face environmental mandates. Watch your sector exposure.

4. Payout ratios above 75%. Not automatically a problem (REITs have legally different payout requirements), but it means there's little cushion if earnings dip 20%.

5. Acquisition-related leverage spikes. When a company goes deeply into debt for an acquisition, dividends can become the first victim when integration challenges arise.

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Build Your Aristocrat Portfolio the Right Way

Dividend Aristocrats are not a get-rich-quick trade. They're a get-wealthy-slowly machine.

The compounding works like this: A $25,000 investment in an Aristocrat yielding 3.5% with 8% annual dividend growth produces roughly $875 in year one. By year 20, with reinvested dividends and the stock's own appreciation, that position could generate over $5,000 annually. That's what dividend growth does over time.

Track your income projection with the valueofstock.com calculator. Enter any Aristocrat's ticker, your investment amount, and a 10–20 year horizon to see exactly what the compounding looks like.

Ready to start building your Aristocrat portfolio? M1 Finance lets you create an "Aristocrat Pie" with any combination of the 69 stocks, set automatic dividend reinvestment, and add funds on a schedule — all without trading fees. It's the cleanest way to systematically build a dividend growth portfolio.

📈 Get the complete Dividend Aristocrats tracker, dividend calendar, and Graham Value screener in one place: StockWise Dividend Toolkit at gumroad.com/stockwise6 — built for income investors who take the compounding seriously.

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Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. We may receive compensation if you open an account with M1 Finance or another brokerage through our links. This doesn't affect our analysis, rankings, or recommendations.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing here constitutes financial advice. Dividend streaks and yields are based on publicly available information as of May 2026 and are subject to change. Graham Number estimates are approximations based on consensus analyst data. Always perform your own due diligence before investing. Past performance is not indicative of future results.