The Dividend Aristocrats are the most elite dividend stocks in America - S&P 500 companies that have increased their dividends for at least 25 consecutive years. In this comprehensive guide, we'll cover every single Aristocrat, organized by sector, with current yields and key metrics.
What Makes a Dividend Aristocrat?
To earn the prestigious "Dividend Aristocrat" title, a company must:
- ✅ Be a member of the S&P 500 index
- ✅ Have 25+ consecutive years of dividend increases
- ✅ Meet minimum float-adjusted market cap requirements
- ✅ Meet minimum average daily trading volume requirements
As of January 2026, there are 68 Dividend Aristocrats - representing just 13.6% of S&P 500 companies.
Why Dividend Aristocrats Outperform
Historical Performance
The S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index has historically:
- Outperformed the S&P 500 by ~1-2% annually over 20+ years
- Shown lower volatility during market downturns
- Provided growing income that beats inflation
- Recovered faster from bear markets
The 25-Year Test
Think about what a company must survive to maintain 25+ years of dividend growth:
- The 2000 Dot-Com Crash
- September 11, 2001
- The 2008 Financial Crisis
- The 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic
- Multiple recessions
- Industry disruptions
- Management changes
Companies that increase dividends through all of this have truly exceptional business models.
Complete 2026 Dividend Aristocrats List by Sector
Consumer Staples (15 Aristocrats)
The largest sector representation - these companies sell products people buy regardless of the economy.
| Company | Ticker | Yield | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Procter & Gamble | PG | 2.4% | 68 | Dividend King |
| Coca-Cola | KO | 3.1% | 62 | Dividend King |
| Colgate-Palmolive | CL | 2.4% | 61 | Dividend King |
| Sysco | SYY | 2.6% | 54 | Food distribution |
| PepsiCo | PEP | 2.7% | 52 | Dividend King |
| Walmart | WMT | 1.4% | 51 | Retail giant |
| Hormel Foods | HRL | 3.2% | 58 | Dividend King |
| Kimberly-Clark | KMB | 3.6% | 52 | Dividend King |
| McCormick | MKC | 2.1% | 38 | Spices & seasonings |
| Church & Dwight | CHD | 1.1% | 28 | Consumer products |
| Brown-Forman | BF.B | 1.8% | 40 | Spirits (Jack Daniel's) |
| Clorox | CLX | 3.4% | 47 | Cleaning products |
| Archer-Daniels-Midland | ADM | 3.1% | 51 | Dividend King |
| J.M. Smucker | SJM | 2.8% | 27 | Food products |
| Lamb Weston | LW | 1.5% | 26 | Potato products |
Top Pick: Procter & Gamble (PG) - 68 years of increases, globally diversified brands.
Healthcare (9 Aristocrats)
Defensive sector with aging population tailwinds.
| Company | Ticker | Yield | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson & Johnson | JNJ | 3.0% | 62 | Dividend King |
| AbbVie | ABBV | 3.8% | 52 | Spun from Abbott |
| Abbott Laboratories | ABT | 1.9% | 52 | Dividend King |
| Becton Dickinson | BDX | 1.5% | 52 | Dividend King |
| Medtronic | MDT | 3.3% | 47 | Medical devices |
| Cardinal Health | CAH | 1.8% | 36 | Drug distribution |
| West Pharmaceutical | WST | 0.3% | 31 | Drug packaging |
| Walgreens Boots Alliance | WBA | 8.5% | 47 | Pharmacy (elevated risk) |
| Essex Property Trust | ESS | 3.8% | 30 | Healthcare REIT |
Top Pick: Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) - 62 years, pharmaceutical + consumer health giant.
Industrials (13 Aristocrats)
Companies that benefit from economic growth and infrastructure spending.
| Company | Ticker | Yield | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerson Electric | EMR | 2.0% | 67 | Dividend King |
| 3M Company | MMM | 5.8% | 65 | Dividend King (watch lawsuits) |
| Dover | DOV | 1.2% | 68 | Dividend King |
| Illinois Tool Works | ITW | 2.2% | 51 | Dividend King |
| Stanley Black & Decker | SWK | 4.0% | 56 | Dividend King |
| Nordson | NDSN | 1.0% | 60 | Dividend King |
| Pentair | PNR | 1.2% | 48 | Water solutions |
| Caterpillar | CAT | 1.6% | 30 | Heavy equipment |
| A.O. Smith | AOS | 1.5% | 31 | Water heaters |
| Cintas | CTAS | 0.8% | 41 | Uniform services |
| General Dynamics | GD | 2.0% | 32 | Defense contractor |
| W.W. Grainger | GWW | 0.9% | 52 | Dividend King |
| C.H. Robinson | CHRW | 2.5% | 27 | Logistics |
Top Pick: Illinois Tool Works (ITW) - Diversified industrial with consistent execution.
Financials (8 Aristocrats)
Banks, insurance companies, and financial services.
| Company | Ticker | Yield | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aflac | AFL | 2.1% | 42 | Supplemental insurance |
| Cincinnati Financial | CINF | 2.5% | 64 | Dividend King |
| S&P Global | SPGI | 0.8% | 51 | Dividend King |
| Franklin Resources | BEN | 5.5% | 44 | Asset management |
| T. Rowe Price | TROW | 4.2% | 38 | Asset management |
| Brown & Brown | BRO | 0.6% | 30 | Insurance broker |
| Chubb | CB | 1.4% | 31 | P&C Insurance |
| Federal Realty | FRT | 4.3% | 56 | Dividend King REIT |
Top Pick: Aflac (AFL) - Strong brand, consistent underwriting, Japan exposure.
Materials (4 Aristocrats)
Commodity and chemical companies.
| Company | Ticker | Yield | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linde | LIN | 1.2% | 31 | Industrial gases |
| Air Products | APD | 2.3% | 42 | Industrial gases |
| Nucor | NUE | 1.4% | 51 | Dividend King (steel) |
| Sherwin-Williams | SHW | 0.9% | 46 | Paint & coatings |
Top Pick: Linde (LIN) - Global leader in industrial gases, essential for many industries.
Utilities (4 Aristocrats)
Regulated utilities with stable, predictable income.
| Company | Ticker | Yield | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated Edison | ED | 3.4% | 50 | Dividend King |
| Atmos Energy | ATO | 2.5% | 41 | Natural gas |
| NextEra Energy | NEE | 2.7% | 30 | Clean energy leader |
| American Water Works | AWK | 2.1% | 27 | Water utility |
Top Pick: NextEra Energy (NEE) - Clean energy transition leader with growth potential.
Consumer Discretionary (6 Aristocrats)
Companies selling non-essential goods and services.
| Company | Ticker | Yield | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target | TGT | 2.9% | 56 | Dividend King |
| Lowe's | LOW | 1.9% | 51 | Dividend King |
| McDonald's | MCD | 2.2% | 48 | Fast food giant |
| Genuine Parts | GPC | 2.8% | 68 | Dividend King |
| Leggett & Platt | LEG | 8.5% | 53 | Elevated risk |
| V.F. Corporation | VFC | 6.2% | 51 | Apparel (recovery play) |
Top Pick: McDonald's (MCD) - Global franchise model, consistent dividend growth.
Energy (4 Aristocrats)
Oil & gas companies with dividend commitments.
| Company | Ticker | Yield | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exxon Mobil | XOM | 3.3% | 41 | Integrated oil major |
| Chevron | CVX | 4.0% | 37 | Integrated oil major |
| Realty Income | O | 5.2% | 29 | Monthly dividend REIT |
| National Fuel Gas | NFG | 3.2% | 54 | Dividend King |
Top Pick: Chevron (CVX) - Strong balance sheet, committed to dividend growth.
Information Technology (3 Aristocrats)
Tech companies with dividend track records.
| Company | Ticker | Yield | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic Data Processing | ADP | 2.0% | 49 | Payroll services |
| IBM | IBM | 4.5% | 29 | Enterprise tech |
| Roper Technologies | ROP | 0.5% | 31 | Diversified tech |
Top Pick: ADP (ADP) - Essential payroll services, recession-resistant.
Real Estate (2 Aristocrats)
REITs with long dividend growth records.
| Company | Ticker | Yield | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Realty Income | O | 5.2% | 29 | Monthly dividends |
| Federal Realty | FRT | 4.3% | 56 | Dividend King |
Top Pick: Realty Income (O) - The "Monthly Dividend Company" with 640+ consecutive monthly dividends.
How to Build a Dividend Aristocrats Portfolio
Strategy 1: Equal Weight
Invest equally in all 68 Aristocrats:
- Maximum diversification
- Automatic rebalancing required
- ~2.8% average yield
Strategy 2: Sector Balanced
Pick 2-3 Aristocrats from each sector:
- Broader market exposure
- Easier to manage
- ~3.0% average yield
Strategy 3: Yield Focus
Focus on higher-yielding Aristocrats (3%+ yield):
- Higher current income
- ~4.0% average yield
- May have elevated risks
Strategy 4: Dividend Kings Only
Invest only in 50+ year dividend growers:
- 25+ companies qualify
- Ultimate quality filter
- ~2.5% average yield
Use our DRIP Calculator to project your portfolio growth.
Aristocrats to Watch in 2026
Potential Additions
Companies approaching 25-year streaks:
- Microsoft (MSFT) - 23 years, likely addition by 2028
- Apple (AAPL) - 13 years, strong growth trajectory
- Visa (V) - 16 years, fintech leader
At-Risk Aristocrats
Companies with elevated dividend risk:
- Walgreens (WBA) - Retail pharmacy challenges
- 3M (MMM) - Lawsuit liabilities
- Leggett & Platt (LEG) - Industry headwinds
- V.F. Corporation (VFC) - Turnaround situation
Tracking Your Aristocrats Portfolio
Building a Dividend Aristocrats portfolio is step one. Tracking it is where Dividend Pro shines:
- Real-time dividend tracking - Know exactly when you'll get paid
- Yield on cost monitoring - Watch your effective yield grow over time
- Dividend safety scores - Get alerts if an Aristocrat shows warning signs
- Portfolio analyzer - Ensure sector diversification
See all your Dividend Aristocrats in one dashboard. Start your free trial.
Dividend Aristocrats vs. Dividend Kings
| Criteria | Dividend Aristocrats | Dividend Kings |
|---|---|---|
| Min. Years | 25 years | 50 years |
| S&P 500 Required | Yes | No |
| Number of Stocks | ~68 | ~50 |
| Average Yield | 2.8% | 2.5% |
Many Dividend Kings are also Aristocrats, but not all. Kings include smaller companies not in the S&P 500.
Conclusion
The Dividend Aristocrats represent the pinnacle of dividend investing - companies with proven 25+ year track records of rewarding shareholders. Building a portfolio of these elite stocks provides:
- Reliable growing income
- Lower volatility
- Quality business exposure
- Peace of mind
Start with a few core holdings like Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and Coca-Cola, then expand as you learn each company's story.
Related Resources:
- Dividend Aristocrats Tool - Interactive list with filters
- Dividend Yield Calculator - Calculate any stock's yield
- How to Build a $1,000/Month Dividend Portfolio