Dividend increases this week: 21 companies are raising their dividend payouts and going ex-dividend next week (week of March 2, 2026). These announcements signal financial strength and management confidence.
Companies that regularly raise their dividends demonstrate financial strength and management’s confidence in future prospects. Dividend increases signal reliable cash flow generation and thoughtful capital allocation. This week’s selections all have a proven track record of annual dividend growth, with each company maintaining at least 5 years of consecutive increases.
A few highlights from this week’s list:
- Average dividend streak: 19.0 years (median: 15 years)
- Average dividend increase: 6.7% (median: 4.2%)
My strategy focuses on buying, holding, and adding to positions in companies that raise their dividends annually and have the potential to outperform relevant benchmarks over time.
Why Dividend Increases Matter
Furthermore, what makes dividend increases so compelling? They’re a tangible sign that a company generates real cash flow and management is confident about the future. Raising dividends requires balancing shareholder returns with growth investments, a challenge that separates strong management teams. Moreover, research shows dividend growers often beat the market long-term, and increasing payouts helps your income keep pace with inflation. Tracking dividend increases this week helps income investors stay informed.
How I Create the Lists
The information presented here is the result of combining multiple data sources: the “U.S. Dividend Champions” spreadsheet provides the universe of companies I review, and then upcoming dividend announcements. This combination joins data on companies with a track record of consistent dividend growth and the timeliness of their dividend increases. It’s important to note that every company on this list has a minimum of 5 years of dividend growth history.
These upcoming dividend increases go ex-dividend next week. Each has announced or already has in effect a higher dividend payout for the upcoming payment.
What Is the Ex-Dividend Date?
The ex-dividend date is when you must own shares to qualify for an upcoming dividend or distribution. To be eligible, you must have bought the shares by the end of the preceding business day. For instance, if the ex-dividend date is Tuesday, you must have acquired the shares by the market close on Monday. If the ex-dividend date falls on a Monday (or a Tuesday following a holiday on Monday), you must have purchased the shares by the previous Friday.
Dividend Streak Categories
Here are the definitions of the streak categories that I’ll use throughout the piece.
- Challenger: 5+ years.
- Contender: 10–24 years.
- Champion/Aristocrat: 25+ years.
- King: 50+ years.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| King | 2 |
| Champion | 2 |
| Contender | 13 |
| Challenger | 4 |
This Week’s Dividend Increases
The data is sorted by the ex-dividend date (ascending) and then by the streak (descending):
| Name | Ticker | Streak | Forward Yield | Ex-Div Date | Increase Percent | Streak Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polaris Inc. | PII | 30 | 4.37 | 02-Mar-2026 | 1.49% | Champion |
| Allstate Corporation (The) | ALL | 15 | 2.06 | 02-Mar-2026 | 8.00% | Contender |
| Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) | GS | 15 | 1.95 | 02-Mar-2026 | 12.50% | Contender |
| GATX Corporation | GATX | 15 | 1.40 | 02-Mar-2026 | 8.20% | Contender |
| Stifel Financial Corporation | SF | 9 | 1.77 | 02-Mar-2026 | 10.87% | Challenger |
| Analog Devices, Inc. | ADI | 23 | 1.22 | 03-Mar-2026 | 11.11% | Contender |
| Enpro Inc. | NPO | 11 | 0.48 | 04-Mar-2026 | 3.23% | Contender |
| Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. | ODFL | 9 | 0.61 | 04-Mar-2026 | 3.57% | Challenger |
| Eversource Energy (D/B/A) | ES | 27 | 4.22 | 05-Mar-2026 | 4.65% | Champion |
| Genuine Parts Company | GPC | 69 | 3.63 | 06-Mar-2026 | 3.20% | King |
| Kimberly-Clark Corporation | KMB | 53 | 4.69 | 06-Mar-2026 | 1.59% | King |
| L3Harris Technologies, Inc. | LHX | 24 | 1.47 | 06-Mar-2026 | 4.17% | Contender |
| BlackRock, Inc. | BLK | 16 | 2.10 | 06-Mar-2026 | 9.98% | Contender |
| Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | AJG | 15 | 1.28 | 06-Mar-2026 | 7.69% | Contender |
| Reliance, Inc. | RS | 15 | 1.58 | 06-Mar-2026 | 4.17% | Contender |
| Mercantile Bank Corporation | MBWM | 14 | 2.91 | 06-Mar-2026 | 2.63% | Contender |
| Exponent, Inc. | EXPO | 13 | 1.76 | 06-Mar-2026 | 3.33% | Contender |
| ITT Inc. | ITT | 13 | 0.75 | 06-Mar-2026 | 9.97% | Contender |
| Comfort Systems USA, Inc. | FIX | 13 | 0.19 | 06-Mar-2026 | 16.67% | Contender |
| Kforce, Inc. | KFRC | 8 | 6.12 | 06-Mar-2026 | 2.56% | Challenger |
| Trane Technologies plc | TT | 5 | 0.91 | 06-Mar-2026 | 11.70% | Challenger |
Understanding the Data
Streak: Years of dividend growth history are sourced from the U.S. Dividend Champions spreadsheet.
Forward Yield: The payout rate is calculated by dividing the new payout rate by the current share price.
Ex-Dividend Date: This is the date by which you must own the stock to receive the dividend.
Increase Percent: The percent increase.
Streak Category: This is the company’s overall dividend history classification.
Show Me the Money
Here is a table that shows the new and old rates and the percentage increase. The table is sorted by ex-dividend day in ascending order and dividend streak in descending order.
| Ticker | Old Rate | New Rate | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| PII | 0.67 | 0.68 | 1.49% |
| ALL | 1.00 | 1.08 | 8.00% |
| GS | 4.00 | 4.50 | 12.50% |
| GATX | 0.61 | 0.66 | 8.20% |
| SF | 0.46 | 0.51 | 10.87% |
| ADI | 0.99 | 1.10 | 11.11% |
| NPO | 0.31 | 0.32 | 3.23% |
| ODFL | 0.28 | 0.29 | 3.57% |
| ES | 0.75 | 0.79 | 4.65% |
| GPC | 1.03 | 1.06 | 3.20% |
| KMB | 1.26 | 1.28 | 1.59% |
| LHX | 1.20 | 1.25 | 4.17% |
| BLK | 5.21 | 5.73 | 9.98% |
| AJG | 0.65 | 0.70 | 7.69% |
| RS | 1.20 | 1.25 | 4.17% |
| MBWM | 0.38 | 0.39 | 2.63% |
| EXPO | 0.30 | 0.31 | 3.33% |
| ITT | 0.35 | 0.39 | 9.97% |
| FIX | 0.60 | 0.70 | 16.67% |
| KFRC | 0.39 | 0.40 | 2.56% |
| TT | 0.94 | 1.05 | 11.70% |
Additional Metrics
Here are additional metrics related to these companies. Some data points include yearly pricing action and the P/E ratio. The table is sorted the same way as the table above.
| Ticker | Price | 52W Low | 52W High | PE Ratio | % Off Low | % Off High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PII | 62.23 | 30.92 | 75.25 | 294.31 | 101% Off Low | 17% Off High |
| ALL | 209.33 | 176.00 | 216.75 | 7.25 | 19% Off Low | 3% Off High |
| GS | 921.38 | 439.38 | 984.70 | 13.75 | 110% Off Low | 6% Off High |
| GATX | 188.73 | 139.44 | 199.00 | 16.40 | 35% Off Low | 5% Off High |
| SF | 115.03 | 73.27 | 134.74 | 13.26 | 57% Off Low | 15% Off High |
| ADI | 360.43 | 158.65 | 363.20 | 43.79 | 127% Off Low | 1% Off High |
| NPO | 266.75 | 133.50 | 286.35 | 0.00 | 100% Off Low | 7% Off High |
| ODFL | 191.70 | 126.01 | 208.74 | 39.45 | 52% Off Low | 8% Off High |
| ES | 74.93 | 52.28 | 75.28 | 24.63 | 43% Off Low | 0% Off High |
| GPC | 116.92 | 104.01 | 151.57 | 780.38 | 12% Off Low | 23% Off High |
| KMB | 109.21 | 96.26 | 150.45 | 19.91 | 13% Off Low | 27% Off High |
| LHX | 341.05 | 195.72 | 369.59 | 31.73 | 74% Off Low | 8% Off High |
| BLK | 1093.78 | 773.74 | 1219.94 | 23.52 | 41% Off Low | 10% Off High |
| AJG | 218.13 | 195.00 | 351.23 | 29.02 | 12% Off Low | 38% Off High |
| RS | 316.74 | 250.07 | 365.59 | 19.71 | 27% Off Low | 13% Off High |
| MBWM | 53.57 | 37.76 | 55.77 | 9.65 | 42% Off Low | 4% Off High |
| EXPO | 70.49 | 63.81 | 87.88 | 56.39 | 10% Off Low | 20% Off High |
| ITT | 208.86 | 105.64 | 209.31 | 41.59 | 98% Off Low | 0% Off High |
| FIX | 1450.60 | 276.44 | 1500.00 | 13.39 | 425% Off Low | 3% Off High |
| KFRC | 26.13 | 24.49 | 52.50 | 17.25 | 7% Off Low | 50% Off High |
| TT | 460.02 | 298.15 | 479.37 | 37.31 | 54% Off Low | 4% Off High |
Tickers by Yield and Growth Rates
I’ve organized the table in descending order, allowing investors to prioritize the current yield. Additionally, the table includes some historical dividend growth rates. I’ve also incorporated the “Chowder Rule,” which combines the current yield with the five-year dividend growth rate.
| Ticker | Yield | 1 Yr DG | 3 Yr DG | 5 Yr DG | 10 Yr DG | Chowder Rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KFRC | 6.12 | 2.6 | 9.1 | 14.3 | 13.2 | 20.5 |
| KMB | 4.69 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 8.0 |
| PII | 4.37 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 5.9 |
| ES | 4.22 | 5.2 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6.1 | 10.0 |
| GPC | 3.63 | 3.5 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 9.1 |
| MBWM | 2.91 | 5.6 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 10.0 | 9.0 |
| BLK | 2.10 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 7.5 | 9.1 | 9.6 |
| ALL | 2.06 | 7.4 | 5.3 | 13.1 | 12.8 | 15.2 |
| GS | 1.95 | 21.7 | 15.9 | 22.9 | 18.6 | 24.9 |
| SF | 1.77 | 9.5 | 15.3 | 32.3 | — | 34.1 |
| EXPO | 1.76 | 7.1 | 7.7 | 9.6 | 14.9 | 11.4 |
| RS | 1.58 | 9.1 | 11.1 | 13.9 | 11.6 | 15.5 |
| LHX | 1.47 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 7.1 | 9.5 | 8.5 |
| GATX | 1.40 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 6.3 |
| AJG | 1.28 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 7.6 | 5.8 | 8.9 |
| ADI | 1.22 | 7.6 | 9.2 | 9.8 | 9.5 | 11.0 |
| TT | 0.91 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 12.1 | 12.5 | 13.0 |
| ITT | 0.75 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 15.7 | 11.5 | 16.5 |
| ODFL | 0.61 | 7.7 | 23.1 | 30.0 | — | 30.6 |
| NPO | 0.48 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.1 |
| FIX | 0.19 | 62.5 | 51.6 | 35.6 | 22.8 | 35.8 |
Investment Considerations
Dividend Increases This Week: Top Picks
While all 21 companies in this week’s list demonstrate commitment to dividend growth, consider valuation, yield, and dividend growth history when evaluating positions. Use the metrics above, including the Chowder Rule (yield + 5-year dividend growth) and distance from 52-week highs and lows, to compare names. For more detailed information about stock return calculations for these companies, use our Stock Return Calculator with SCHD (our benchmark) pre-loaded for a 10-year analysis.
Part 1 includes SCHD and PII, ALL, GS, GATX, SF, ADI, NPO, ODFL, ES (10 max). Part 2 includes SCHD and GPC, KMB, LHX, BLK, AJG, RS, MBWM, EXPO, ITT (10 max). Part 3 includes SCHD and FIX, KFRC, TT.
Investment Results Summary
The calculator links above compare SCHD (our benchmark) with each of this week’s names over the maximum available period with dividends reinvested. Past performance varies: several of these dividend growers have delivered strong long-term returns, while others have underperformed SCHD over the same period. Use the links for your own analysis and due diligence before making any investment decisions.
Historical Returns
My investment strategy focuses on identifying stocks that consistently outperform the market and grow their dividend payouts over time. For broad exposure to U.S. equity markets, excluding the REIT sector, I recommend the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD).
SCHD features strong historical performance, offers a yield that exceeds that of the S&P 500, and consistently delivers increasing dividends. With over $70 billion in assets, it’s an incredibly popular dividend-growth ETF. The ten-year dividend growth rate is one of the four key factors that SCHD tracks in its index.
Note: The benchmark used in analysis may vary by week. Check the group results sections for the specific benchmark used. Run the Stock Return Calculator links above to compare this week’s names with SCHD over the maximum available period with dividends reinvested. Add your own analysis and due diligence before making any investment decisions.
Based on this analysis and further due diligence, I have included several companies in my portfolio and will sometimes make timely purchases of existing holdings. The charts in the calculator assume dividends are reinvested.
Group 1 Results
In the stock return table above, SCHD returned 190% total return over the period shown (dividends reinvested). Among the nine names in this group (PII, ALL, GS, GATX, SF, ADI, NPO, ODFL, ES), performance diverged meaningfully from that benchmark.
The best performer in this group, ODFL, delivered the highest total return and significantly outpaced SCHD and the rest of the group. That standout reflects the kind of long-term compounding that dividend growth plus price appreciation can deliver when a business executes well.
The worst performer in the group, PII, trailed the benchmark over this period. Even with a solid dividend growth streak and a competitive yield, total return lagged, a reminder that dividend metrics alone don’t guarantee strong performance and that sector or cyclical headwinds can weigh on results.
Group 2 Results
The stock return table above shows SCHD’s total return for the period alongside the second group (GPC, KMB, LHX, BLK, AJG, RS, MBWM, EXPO, ITT).
The best performer in this group was ITT, with a 613% total return. That kind of result often comes from a combination of strong business execution and market recognition, and it’s useful to see which dividend growers delivered it during this window.
The worst performer was KMB, which only managed a meager 21% total return. Even Dividend Kings or high-yield names can underperform in a given stretch; the table makes that divergence clear.
Notably, several names in the table sit close to SCHD’s return, showing a more competitive pack in this group, while others pull ahead or fall behind. Worth keeping in mind when comparing these names to the benchmark.
Group 3 Results
The stock return table above shows SCHD alongside the three names in this group (FIX, KFRC, TT).
FIX and TT were the best performers of the group. TT managed a crushing 972% total return, which is impressive on its own. But FIX, which has also ridden the AI wave, is up a whopping 5400%. KFRC’s return in the table rounds out the trio; the spread between the three names illustrates how different industries and stories can produce very different outcomes over the same period.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on my strategy, so feel free to share yours in the comments below! As always, do your due diligence before making any investment decisions.
