This April dividend raise watchlist 2026 spotlights eight U.S. names likely to announce dividend increases, sourced from the U.S. Dividend Champions spreadsheet. Income-focused investors often watch these payout growers as spring declaration season ramps up. You can also scan for expected April dividend raises and spring dividend hike candidates in the same universe.
How I Create the Lists
I source the data from the U.S. Dividend Champions spreadsheet, which tracks companies with at least 5 years of consecutive annual dividend increases. I classify each company on this list as either a Dividend King (50+ years), Champion (25-49 years), Contender (10-24 years), or Challenger (5-9 years). Every company has at least 5 years of dividend growth history.
I expect these companies to announce dividend increases in April 2026 based on their historical declaration patterns. I include companies on this list where they either announced the increase last April or their last payout came last April. Each company has previously increased its dividend payout in April, making them prime candidates for another increase this month. However, while I cannot guarantee that every company will announce an increase, historical patterns suggest these are the companies most likely to do so in April.
What Is the Ex-Dividend Date?
An 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. Additionally, 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.
- King: 50+ years.
- Champion/Aristocrat: 25+ years.
- Contender: 10-24 years.
- Challenger: 5+ years.
| Category | Count |
| King | 0 |
| Champion | 1 |
| Contender | 4 |
| Challenger | 3 |
April dividend raise watchlist 2026: complete stock table
The data below shows companies from the U.S. Dividend Champions spreadsheet that we are expecting to announce dividend increases in April 2026. Each company has a track record of increasing its dividend payout annually, and many have done so in April historically.
The table is sortable by clicking column headers. Use the horizontal scroll bars (top and bottom) to view all columns. For more detailed information about stock return calculations for these companies, you can use our Stock Return Calculator at Custom Stock Alerts.
| Ticker | Company Name | Streak Category | Dividend Yield | Dividend Growth 1Y | Dividend Growth 3Y | Dividend Growth 5Y | Dividend Growth 10Y | Last Raise Declaration Date | Last Raise Ex-Dividend Date |
| SCVL | Shoe Carnival, Inc. | Contender | 3.36% | 11.4% | 19.8% | 27.3% | 16.7% | 12-Mar-2025 | 07-Apr-2025 |
| KAI | Kadant Inc | Contender | 0.43% | 7.2% | 9.2% | 7.1% | 7.3% | 05-Mar-2025 | 09-Apr-2025 |
| GD | General Dynamics Corporation | Champion | 1.70% | 6.1% | 6.0% | 6.5% | 8.2% | 05-Mar-2025 | 11-Apr-2025 |
| TOL | Toll Brothers, Inc. | Challenger | 0.73% | 8.9% | 8.4% | 17.4% | — | 11-Mar-2025 | 11-Apr-2025 |
| GFL | GFL Environmental Inc. Subordinate voting shares, no par value | Challenger | 0.20% | 9.5% | 8.6% | 14.9% | — | 03-Apr-2025 | 14-Apr-2025 |
| WSO | Watsco, Inc. | Contender | 3.27% | 10.9% | 11.0% | 11.1% | 15.4% | 01-Apr-2025 | 15-Apr-2025 |
| OXM | Oxford Industries, Inc. | Challenger | 8.37% | 3.0% | 9.8% | 19.6% | 11.1% | 24-Mar-2025 | 17-Apr-2025 |
| STZ | Constellation Brands, Inc. | Contender | 2.69% | 3.8% | 8.8% | 6.3% | 15.9% | 09-Apr-2025 | 29-Apr-2025 |
Understanding the Data
The table above includes comprehensive information about each company expected to announce dividend increases in April 2026. Here's what each column means:
Basic Company Information
Ticker: Stock ticker symbol used for trading.
Company Name: Full company name.
Streak Category: The company's overall dividend history classification (King, Champion, Contender, or Challenger).
Performance Metrics
Dividend Yield: Current annual dividend yield percentage.
Dividend Growth (1Y, 3Y, 5Y, 10Y): Historical compound annual growth rate of the dividend over the stated period (percent). "—" means data not available.
Dividend History and Timing
Last Raise Declaration Date: The date the company last announced a dividend increase. This is when the company increased its dividend payout.
Last Raise Ex-Dividend Date: The ex-dividend date for the last dividend increase.
Additional Resources
For more information on dividend investing strategies, check out these resources:
- U.S. Dividend Champions Spreadsheet – Comprehensive database of dividend growth stocks
- Stock Return Calculator – Analyze historical returns and dividend growth
