Dividend screen · Data through September 11, 2026
25 high-yield, large-cap dividend companies to watch in 2026
The highest yield is not automatically the best income investment. This ranking filters for operating companies worth more than $10 billion, excludes REITs, partnerships, preferred shares and special dividends, and then asks what the market is signaling through each stock’s 2026 performance.
Highest yield
6.81% · GIS
But its share price is down 22.90% YTD.
Strongest price move
+40.85% · BEN
Helped by record assets under management.
Weakest price move
−42.24% · NKE
Turnaround, China and tariff risks remain.
Ranked by regular trailing dividend yield
Green indicates a positive 2026 price return; red indicates a decline. Returns exclude dividends. Market capitalizations are rounded and fluctuate with share prices.
| # | Company | Ticker | Yield | 2026 YTD | Market cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Mills | GIS | 6.81% | −22.90% | $19.13B |
| 2 | United Parcel Service | UPS | 6.54% | +1.10% | $85.32B |
| 3 | Kraft Heinz | KHC | 6.50% | +1.44% | $29.17B |
| 4 | Altria Group | MO | 6.44% | +19.63% | $115.18B |
| 5 | Pfizer | PFE | 6.21% | +11.33% | $157.98B |
| 6 | Edison International | EIX | 6.18% | −6.70% | $21.67B |
| 7 | Amcor | AMCR | 6.14% | +1.49% | $19.57B |
| 8 | British American Tobacco | BTI | 6.05% | −2.40% | $120.02B |
| 9 | Hormel Foods | HRL | 5.69% | −13.21% | $11.34B |
| 10 | Clorox | CLX | 5.66% | −12.96% | $10.69B |
| 11 | Verizon Communications | VZ | 5.59% | +24.26% | $210.27B |
| 12 | Smurfit Westrock | SW | 5.46% | +11.77% | $22.67B |
| 13 | International Paper | IP | 5.38% | −12.77% | $18.19B |
| 14 | Comcast | CMCSA | 5.24% | −10.04% | $89.44B |
| 15 | Kimberly-Clark | KMB | 5.22% | −2.72% | $32.64B |
| 16 | Dow | DOW | 4.82% | +24.17% | $21.05B |
| 17 | Prudential Financial | PRU | 4.70% | +5.09% | ≈$42B |
| 18 | Nike | NKE | 4.46% | −42.24% | ≈$55B |
| 19 | PepsiCo | PEP | 4.34% | −5.02% | $185.79B |
| 20 | Ford Motor | F | 4.30% | +6.48% | $55.89B |
| 21 | AT&T | T | 4.26% | +4.91% | $182.31B |
| 22 | Dominion Energy | D | 4.15% | +9.85% | $57.12B |
| 23 | Truist Financial | TFC | 4.13% | +1.33%* | $61.70B |
| 24 | Paychex | PAYX | 4.11% | +3.23% | $41.47B |
| 25 | Franklin Templeton | BEN | 3.92% | +40.85% | $17.10B |
*Truist YTD is calculated from the January 2 close of $49.74 to the September 11 close of $50.40: ($50.40 ÷ $49.74) − 1 = 1.33%. Small differences from other services may reflect adjusted prices or a different cutoff.
Why the leaders jumped—and why the laggards fell
Verizon: cash flow plus a new fiber narrative
Verizon’s +24.26% run reflects more than defensiveness. It raised 2026 profit and free-cash-flow expectations after stronger subscriber additions, while a $1 billion-plus Google dark-fiber contract—and a later multi-billion-dollar Corning supply agreement—gave investors a credible AI-infrastructure angle. The durable question is whether fiber monetization outruns the capital required to build it.
Franklin Templeton: flows changed the story
Franklin Templeton’s +40.85% gain coincided with stronger long-term inflows and record assets under management of roughly $1.79 trillion at June 30, later reaching about $1.83 trillion in August. Because fees scale with assets, continued market levels and net flows matter more to the dividend outlook than one quarter’s accounting profit.
Dow and Altria: rebounds with very different risks
Dow’s +24.17% reflects a sharp Q2 profit rebound and cost discipline, but chemicals remain exposed to oversupply, energy costs and global industrial demand. Altria’s +19.63% benefited from pricing power, continued capital returns and an August dividend increase to $1.11 quarterly; falling cigarette volumes and execution in oral nicotine remain the structural offsets.
Nike: the yield rose because the price collapsed
Nike’s −42.24% is the clearest warning against screening on yield alone. Greater China weakness, a damaged direct-to-consumer strategy, tariff pressure and margin compression have extended the turnaround. Wholesale improved, but direct revenue and digital sales remained weak. The dividend has a long growth record; the business still needs product momentum and healthier full-price demand.
Packaged food: high yields, low-growth anxiety
General Mills, Hormel and Kraft Heinz face consumers trading down, private-label competition and an awkward mix of input inflation and limited volume growth. General Mills guided fiscal 2027 organic sales from a 1.5% decline to 0.5% growth, explaining why its −22.90% price move matters. Hormel’s latest quarter showed pressure from commodity turkey and private-label snack nuts even as it narrowed and raised adjusted EPS guidance.
Clorox, paper and Comcast: execution matters
Clorox’s ERP disruption created an estimated $0.90 full-year earnings headwind. International Paper and Smurfit Westrock remain tied to box demand, integration savings and mill capacity discipline. Comcast’s Epic Universe supported parks revenue and Peacock added subscribers, but broadband losses and capital intensity still dominate the valuation debate.
The macro backdrop: income has competition again
The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield was near 4.97% on September 14 as oil above $100 and firmer inflation pushed markets toward additional Federal Reserve tightening. That hurdle matters: a 4%–5% equity yield must compensate investors for earnings volatility and capital loss, while bonds offer contractual payments.
Higher rates create divergent effects. Banks such as Truist can benefit from improving asset yields, but only if deposit costs and credit losses stay controlled. Utilities and telecoms face higher refinancing costs, although record U.S. electricity demand projected for 2026 and 2027—driven partly by data centers—supports the long-term investment case for grid operators. Consumer staples gain defensive appeal when growth slows, but inflation can squeeze margins and household budgets simultaneously.
For the foreseeable future, the most useful indicators are free cash flow after capital spending, payout coverage, net leverage and management’s willingness to defend the dividend. A yield rising because cash flow grows is fundamentally different from a yield rising because the share price falls.
How to use this list
- Start with coverage, not yield. Compare regular dividends with free cash flow through a full business cycle.
- Separate cyclical rebounds from durable growth. Dow’s earnings can snap back quickly, but chemicals remain cyclical; Verizon’s fiber opportunity may be more recurring, but it is capital intensive.
- Stress-test debt. Near-5% Treasury yields increase refinancing costs, especially for utilities, telecoms and companies funding restructurings.
- Demand a reason for every outlier. Nike’s higher yield accompanies a deep price decline; Franklin’s lower yield accompanies a powerful rerating. Neither signal is sufficient by itself.