For many investors, investing in an industry leader is a requirement when choosing a stock, as these companies are often the most stable. In addition to being stable, many of these companies also have a long history of dividend raises. Below is a dividend overview of some of the biggest companies from each industry.
Please note that in each table, the * highlights which month the company typically increases dividends.
Basic Materials
| Company | Dividend Payout Months |
|---|---|
| Exxon (XOM ) | March June* September December |
| Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-A ) | March June* September December |
| Chevron (CVX ) | March June* September December |
Exxon
Exxon (XOM ) is one of the largest oil giants in the world and has been consecutively raising its dividend every year since 1983. Over the past five years, the company has been boosting its dividend an average of 8% per year and typically offers a yield between 2.5% and 3.0%.
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-A ) is an oil giant based in the Netherlands that offers its stock to U.S. investors through an ADR. The company has been lifting its dividend every year since 2012 by an average of 3% per year. Be sure to read Foreign Dividends: Tax Rates, Largest Payers, ADRs and ETFs.
Chevron
Chevron Corporation (CVX ) has been boosting its dividend every year since 1986. The oil and gas company has been increasing its dividend an average of 9% every year over the last five years and has offered a dividend yield ranging from 2.5% to roughly 4% during that time frame.
Consumer Goods
| Company | Dividend Payout Months |
|---|---|
| Procter & Gamble (PG ) | February May* August November |
| Toyota Motors (TM ) | June December |
| Coca-Cola (KO ) | April* July October December |
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble (PG ) is one of the largest and most popular consumer goods company and has been raising its dividend every year since 1957 – longer than any other company in the Dow 30. The company typically raises its dividend by about 9% each year and tends to offer a dividend yield around 3%.
Toyota Motors
Toyota Motors (TM ) is an automobile company based in Japan. The company offers its stock to U.S. investors in the form of an ADR. TM offers a semi-annual dividend, but pays different amounts each year. Be sure to read our Guide to Analyzing Transportation Stocks.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola (KO ) has been paying a dividend since 1920 and has been consecutively raising its dividend since 1963. The beverage company raises its dividend by about 8% each year and typically holds a dividend yield around 3%. See also 7 Charts That compare Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.
Financial Services
| Company | Dividend Payout Months |
|---|---|
| Wells Fargo (WFC ) | March June* September December |
| JP Morgan (JPM ) | January April July October |
| HSBC (HSBC ) | October April/May July December/January |
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo (WFC ) is a financial services company that has been increasing its dividend every year since 2012. Although the company has a limited history with its dividend increases, it has exceeded its peers with recovering its dividend from the financial crisis. Be sure to read the History of Bank Stock Dividends: Still Little Recovery from Financial Crisis.
JP Morgan
JP Morgan (JPM ) is one of the most well-known financial services firms and has been raising its dividend since 2011. After slashing its dividend to just 5 cents per share in 2009, JPM has been able to fully recover its dividend.
HSBC Holdings
HSBC Holdings (HSBC ) is an England-based financial services company that offers its stock in the form of an ADR. The stock typically offers dividend yield over 3%, but it has no history of consecutive annual increases.
Healthcare
| Company | Dividend Payout Months |
|---|---|
| Johnson & Johnson (JNJ ) | March June* September December |
| Novartis (NVS ) | April |
| Pfizer (PFE ) | March* June September December |
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ ) is one of the largest and most popular healthcare product companies and has raised its dividend every year since 1963. Every year, the company raises its dividend by about 7% and offers a dividend yield around 3%. See also Companies That Own the World’s Most Popular Brands.
Novartis
Novartis AG (ADR) (NVS ) is a healthcare giant based in Switzerland. The company offers its stock to U.S. investors in the form of an ADR and pays an annual dividend.
Pfizer
Pfizer (PFE ) is one of the largest drug companies on the market and has been lifting its dividend since 2010. The company usually raises its dividend by about 10%, or 2 cents per quarter. PFE typically has a dividend yield well over 3%.
Industrials
| Company | Dividend Payout Months |
|---|---|
| Boeing (BA) | March* June September December |
| Honeywell (HON ) | March June September December |
| Lockheed Martin (LMT ) | March June* September December* |
Boeing
Boeing (BA) is an aerospace defense company that has been boosting its dividend since 2012. The company typically gives investors a modest dividend increase each year with a dividend yield between 2% and 3%.
Honeywell
Honeywell (HON ) is another popular aerospace defense company that has been raising its dividend every year since 2011. The company offers a dividend yield around 2% and raises its quarterly dividend by about 10% every year.
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin (LMT ) is an aerospace defense and technology company. The company has increased its quarterly dividend every year since 2003 and typically offers a yield between 3% and 5%. The company’s dividend increases are usually close to 20% annually. Be sure to also check out The Truth About the Dividend Payout Ratio.
Services
| Company | Dividend Payout Months |
|---|---|
| Wal-Mart (WMT ) | January April* June September |
| Disney (DIS ) | January |
| Comcast (CMCSA ) | January April* July October |
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart (WMT ) is the largest retailer in the United States. The company has been boosting its dividend consecutively since 1975 and tends to raise its dividend by 10% to 20%. See Also 7 Charts to Put Wal-Mart in Perspective.
Disney
Disney (DIS ) is an entertainment company known for its theme parks and movies. The company pays an annual dividend each year in December or January. DIS tends to offer a dividend yield around 1% and has increased dividends consecutively since 2011.
Comcast
Comcast (CMCSA ) is a communications company that has been raising its dividend since 2011. Although the company tends to raise its dividend significantly each year, its yield tends to fall below 2%.
Technology
| Company | Dividend Payout Months |
|---|---|
| Apple (AAPL ) | February May* August November |
| Microsoft (MSFT ) | March June September December* |
| Verizon (VZ ) | February May August November* |
Apple
Apple (AAPL ) is the largest U.S. company by market capitalization. Following the passing of former CEO Steve Jobs, the company paid its first dividend since 1995 in 2012. Despite the company’s enormous amount of cash, the company has yet to pay an attractive yield to dividend investors. See also The Complete History of Apple.
Microsoft
Microsoft (MSFT ) is a software company that has been lifting dividends since 2004. The company typically offers a dividend yield between 2% and 3%. In the last five years, MSFT has raised its dividend an average of 16% per year.
Verizon
Verizon (VZ ) is a telecommunications company that remains a favorite among dividend investors. The company has been raising its dividend since 2007 and will typically offer a dividend yield between 4% and 5%. See Also: 7 Charts That Compare AT&T and Verizon.
Utilities
| Company | Dividend Payout Months |
|---|---|
| Dominion Resources (D ) | March* June September December |
| Southern Company (SO ) | March June* September December |
| Duke Energy (DUK ) | March June September* December |
Dominion Resources
Dominion Resources (D ) is an electric company that has been raising its dividend every year since 2009. Over the last five years, the company has raised its dividend an average of 7% a year. It offers a yield typically above 3.0%
Southern Company
Southern Company (SO ) is another popular electric company that has been consecutively boosting dividends since 2002. The company typically offers a dividend yield over 4% and raises its dividend by about 4% every year.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (DUK ) is an electric company that has been raising its dividend every year since 2007. DUK tends to offer a dividend yield between 4% and 5% and increases its dividend by about 2% every year.
The Bottom Line
While the stocks above are placed primarily on market capitalization, it is also important to consider which industry is best for your investment objective. Investors that are focused on major blue chip stocks may want to consider a major corporation like a Dow 30 component. For investors seeking the best industries for dividend investing, be sure to check out 4 Dividend-Friendly Industries.
