Dividend stocks are a favorite among investors for good reason. They provide a steady income stream and offer a promising avenue for total return. Total return, a comprehensive measure of investment performance, encompasses interest, capital gains, dividends, and distributions realized over time. At 247 Wall St., we consistently highlight the long-term potential of total return to our readers, as it is one of the most effective ways to boost the prospects of overall investing success. Once again, total return is the collective increase in a stock’s value plus dividends.
The Dividend Kings are the 55 companies that have raised their dividends for 50 years, a testament to their dependability and reliability. Those are two “must-have” items for investors who rely on passive income to boost their overall revenue. Unlike the Dividend Aristocrats, the Dividend Kings do not have to be members of the S&P 500.
Dividend Kings Sector Breakdown for 2026
The 2026 list is primarily composed of companies from stable, “defensive” industries:
- Industrials: 16 companies
- Consumer Goods: 16 companies
- Utilities: 10 companies
- Financials: 6 companies
- Healthcare: 4 companies
We screened the 2026 list, and five top companies looked poised to deliver strong total return and passive income in 2026. Four of the five are rated Buy at the top Wall Street firms we cover here at 24/7 Wall St.
Why do we cover the Dividend Kings?
Companies that have raised dividends for shareholders for 50 years or more are the kinds of investments passive income investors need to own. Dependability is crucial for individuals seeking to increase their annual income through dividend stock investments.
Altria
Altria is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and related products. This tobacco company offers value investors a compelling entry point and a generous 7.06% dividend yield. Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO | MO Price Prediction) manufactures and sells smokable and oral tobacco products in the United States through its subsidiaries.
The company primarily sells cigarettes under the Marlboro brand, as well as:
- Cigars and pipe tobacco, principally under the Black & Mild and Middleton brands
- Moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands
- on! Oral nicotine pouches
- e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand
It sells its tobacco products primarily to wholesalers, including distributors and large retail organizations, such as chain stores.
Altria used to own over 10% of Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A. (NYSE: BUD), the world’s largest brewer. In 2024, the company sold 35 million of its 197 million shares through a global secondary offering. That represents 18% of its holdings but still leaves 8% of the outstanding shares in its back pocket. Altria also announced a $2.4 billion stock repurchase plan partially funded by the sale.
Goldman Sachs has a Buy rating with a $72 target price.
Universal
Universal Corp. (NYSE: UVV) is one of the world’s leading tobacco merchants. While this company’s products, like Altria’s, may not be for everyone, they have strong demand, have been in business for almost 150 years, and offer shareholders a hefty 6.12% dividend. Universal processes and supplies leaf tobacco and plant-based ingredients worldwide.
The company operates through two segments:
- Tobacco Operations
- Ingredients Operations
It procures, finances, processes, packs, stores, and ships leaf tobacco for sale to manufacturers of consumer tobacco products.
The company:
- Contracts, purchases, processes, and sells flue-cured, burley, and oriental tobaccos that are primarily used in the manufacture of cigarettes
- Dark air-cured tobaccos manufacture naturally wrapped cigars, cigarillos, and smokeless and pipe tobacco products
Universal also provides value-added services, including:
- Blending, chemical, and physical tobacco testing
- Service cutting for various manufacturers
- Manufacturing reconstituted leaf tobacco
- Just-in-time inventory management services
- Electronic nicotine delivery systems
- Customer smoke testing services
Zachs has a Hold rating on the shares with no target price.
Kenvue
This American consumer health company was spun off from Johnson & Johnson Inc. (NYSE: JNJ) in 2023. Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB) is a potential total return home run that pays a solid and dependable 4.75% dividend. It is a global consumer health company. Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB) agreed to buy Kenvue in November 2025 for about $48.7 billion. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026, making it a significant consumer health merger, despite Kenvue facing scrutiny over Tylenol. The acquisition creates a larger consumer health leader, combining Kimberly-Clark’s personal care products with Kenvue’s over-the-counter brands.
Kenvue operates through three segments:
- Self Care
- Skin Health and Beauty
- Essential Health
The self-care segment offers cough, cold, and allergy pain care, digestive health, smoking cessation, and other products under these brands:
- Tylenol
- Nicorette
- Zyrtec
The Skin Health and Beauty segment provides face and body care, hair care, sun care, and other products under these brand names:
- Neutrogena
- Aveeno
- OGX
The Essential Health segment offers oral and baby, women’s health, and wound care products, including:
- Listerine
- Johnson’s
- Band-Aid
- Stayfree
Jefferies has a Buy rating with a $23 target price.
Target
Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) remains a solid and safe retail total return play, after a rough 2025 in which the stock was down 31% from its previous peak, with comparable store sales down 1% year over year. The retailer faced consumer boycotts, reduced consumer confidence, and tariff uncertainty. The steady 4.66% dividend and improving consumer sentiment could help boost the shares in 2026.
This general merchandise retailer in the United States offers apparel for women, men, boys, girls, toddlers, infants, and newborns, as well as jewelry, accessories, and shoes. The company also offers a range of beauty and personal care products, baby gear, cleaning supplies, paper products, and pet care products.
Target also provides:
- Dry grocery, dairy, frozen food, beverages, candy, snacks, deli, bakery, meat, and food service
- Electronics, which includes video game hardware and software
- Toys, entertainment, sporting goods, and luggage
- Furniture, lighting, storage, kitchenware, small appliances, home décor, bed, and bath
- Home Improvement
- School/office supplies
- Greeting cards, party supplies, and other seasonal merchandise
In addition, the company sells merchandise through periodic design and creative partnerships, shop-in-shop experiences, and in-store amenities. It also sells its products through its stores and digital channels, including Target.com.
The company suffered a “Bud Light” moment a few years back after a disastrous merchandising campaign for LGBTQ products, which struck a nerve among many shoppers. While not as severe as the beer giants’ conundrum, it was a significant negative that has seemingly subsided.
Jefferies has a Buy rating and a $115 target price.
Stanley Black & Decker
The world’s largest tool company has 50 manufacturing facilities in the United States and more than 100 worldwide. With the potential for the economy to take a hit, you can bet that the do-it-yourself legions will fix rather than buy new, and this legendary stock yields a strong 4.38%, making it a solid idea now. Stanley Black & Decker Inc. (NYSE: SWK) provides hand tools, power tools, outdoor products, and related accessories in the United States, Canada, Other Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Its Tools & Outdoor segment offers professional-grade corded and cordless electric power tools and equipment, including:
- Drills
- Impact wrenches and drivers
- Grinders, saws, routers, and sanders
- Pneumatic tools and fasteners, such as nail guns, nails, staplers and staples, and concrete and masonry anchors; corded and cordless electric power tools
- Hand-held vacuums, paint tools, and cleaning appliances
- Leveling and layout tools, planes, hammers, demolition tools, clamps, vises, knives, saws, chisels, and industrial and automotive tools
- Drill, screwdriver, router bits, abrasives, saw blades, and threading products
- Tool boxes, sawhorses, medical cabinets, and engineered storage solutions
- Electric and gas-powered lawn and garden products
This segment sells its products under these brand names:
- Dewalt
- Craftsman
- Cub Cadet
- Black+Decker
- Hustler
The company’s Industrial segment provides:
- Threaded fasteners, blind rivets and tools, blind inserts and tools
- Drawn arc weld studs and systems
- Engineered plastic and mechanical fasteners
- Self-piercing riveting systems
- Precision nut running systems
- Micro fasteners
- High-strength structural fasteners
- Axel swage, latches, heat shields, pins, couplings, fittings, and other engineered products
- Attachments used on excavators and handheld tools
This segment sells its products through a direct sales force and third-party distributors to the automotive, manufacturing, electronics, construction, aerospace, and other industries.
UBS has a Buy rating with a $105 target price.
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