It’s been a fantastic 2026 for most dividend stocks so far this year, but most dividend-payers took a break last week. The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF was flat while the Consumer Staples SPDR fell 1.8%.
With the stock market opening in about 90 minutes for the week, let’s take a look back at which dividend stocks saw the biggest movements last week.
Broad Market Snapshot
| Index / ETF | Weekly Change |
|---|---|
| SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY | SPY Price Prediction) | +1.13% |
| Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLU) | -0.37% |
| Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA:XLP) | -1.81% |
| Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:SCHD) | 0.00% |
Dividend Stock Performance: Week of Feb 17-20, 2026
| Ticker | Company | Weekly Change |
|---|---|---|
| C | Citigroup (NYSE:C) | +4.64% |
| PEP | PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) | -0.60% |
| KMI | Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI) | +1.27% |
| MO | Altria (NYSE:MO) | +0.48% |
| UPS | United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) | -0.72% |
| PG | Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) | +0.44% |
| VZ | Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) | +0.49% |
| KO | Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) | +1.47% |
| TGT | Target (NYSE:TGT) | +0.80% |
| HD | Home Depot (NYSE:HD) | -2.25% |
| O | Realty Income (NYSE:O) | +0.73% |
| JNJ | Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) | -0.39% |
| CMCSA | Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) | -0.73% |
| T | AT&T (NYSE:T) | -2.47% |
| PFE | Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) | -3.37% |
| ABBV | AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) | -2.89% |
| CCI | Crown Castle (NYSE:CCI) | -2.62% |
Key Movers
Crown Castle (CCI): DISH Default Shakes a Tower Giant
Crown Castle was the week’s most talked-about dividend stock following the company’s February 4th earnings report. CEO Christian Hillabrant confirmed the company had terminated its agreement with DISH Wireless following a default on payment obligations. Crown Castle is now seeking to recover over $3.5 billion in unpaid amounts. That is not a rounding error. That is a structural hole in the revenue model of a company that owns over 40,000 cell towers across the United States.
The sell-side responded quickly. Barclays analyst Brendan Lynch cut his price target to $91 from $101, maintaining an Equal Weight rating, while other analysts including those at Wells Fargo and Jefferies also reduced their targets. The consensus average sits near $100, but the stock has been trading well below that level. CCI pays a quarterly dividend of $1.0625 per share, already reduced from the prior rate of $1.565 per quarter that was cut in early 2025. The DISH default raises fresh questions about tenant concentration risk and whether the dividend is sustainable heading into what management has described as a potential trough year with an expected net loss of $780 million in 2026.
AbbVie (ABBV): Pipeline Strength Meets Policy Headwinds
AbbVie dropped nearly 3% on the week despite a string of positive pipeline developments, including FDA approval of its VENCLEXTA plus acalabrutinib combination for previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Broader healthcare sector weakness and uncertainty around drug pricing policy weighed on the stock.
AbbVie has increased its dividend for 13 consecutive years, and the most recent quarterly dividend of $1.73 per share reflects a 5.5% increase from the prior rate. Barclays recently initiated coverage with an Overweight rating and a $275 price target, citing underappreciated operating leverage. The long-term dividend story here remains intact, but near-term policy noise is creating volatility.
AT&T (T): Analyst Cuts Add Pressure
AT&T slid roughly 2.5% on the week after two major banks trimmed their price targets. Barclays maintained a Hold rating with a $26 price target, reflecting persistent caution about the competitive telecom environment. T-Mobile’s newly announced exclusive access to Starlink’s direct-to-mobile service adds another competitive wrinkle. AT&T pays a quarterly dividend of $0.2775 per share, and the stock still yields close to 4% at current prices. For income investors, AT&T remains a high-yield holding, but the analyst consensus price target of $29.41 suggests limited near-term upside from current levels.
Bright Spots
- Kinder Morgan (+1.27% on the week): The midstream pipeline operator is up over 20% year to date, supported by strong data center and AI-driven natural gas demand. KMI raised its quarterly dividend to $0.2925 in early 2026.
- Altria (+0.48% on the week): Up 17% year to date, Altria reaffirmed its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $5.56 to $5.72 at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference. With a dividend yield near 6.1%, it remains one of the highest-yielding names in the dividend universe.
- Coca-Cola (+1.47% on the week): A quiet outperformer among consumer staples this week, with analysts at Barclays and UBS maintaining Buy-equivalent ratings.
The Bigger Picture and Week Ahead
The VIX sits at 20.23, sitting at the boundary between normal and elevated uncertainty. That is not a panic reading, but it is not complacency either. The 10-year Treasury yield is at 4.08%, down from a recent high of 4.29% in early February, which provides some marginal relief for rate-sensitive dividend stocks. The Fed funds rate remains at 3.75%, unchanged since December, with no immediate catalyst for a move in either direction. When investors are chasing growth, defensive income plays tend to sit on the bench. That dynamic was on full display this week.
It’s been an outstanding year so far for most dividend payers as investors flee to stocks that are seen as resistant to AI disruption. We’ll see if that trend continues this week.
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Top Losing Stocks