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The Best DRIP Stocks Now | 15 No-Fee Dividend Champions


Updated on April 22nd, 2026 by Bob Ciura

DRIP stands for Dividend Reinvestment Plan. When an investor is enrolled in DRIP stocks, it means that incoming dividend payments are used to purchase more shares of the issuing company – automatically.

Many businesses offer DRIPs that require the investors to pay fees. Obviously, paying fees is a negative for investors. As a general rule, investors are better off avoiding DRIP stocks that charge fees.

Fortunately, many companies offer no-fee DRIP stocks. These allow investors to use their hard-earned dividends to build even larger positions in their favorite high-quality, dividend-paying companies – for free.

The Dividend Champions are a group of quality dividend stocks that have raised their dividends for at least 25 consecutive years.

You can download your free copy of the Dividend Champions list, along with relevant financial metrics like price-to-earnings ratios, dividend yields, and payout ratios, by clicking on the link below:

 

Click here to instantly download your free spreadsheet of all Dividend Champions now, along with important investing metrics.

Think about the powerful combination of DRIPs and Dividend Champions…

You are reinvesting dividends into a company that pays higher dividends every year. This means that every year you get more shares – and each share is paying you more dividend income than the previous year.

This makes a powerful (and cost-effective) compounding machine.

This article takes a look at the top 15 Dividend Champions that are no-fee DRIP stocks, ranked in order of expected total returns from lowest to highest.

The updated list for 2026 includes our top 15 Dividend Champions, ranked by expected returns according to the Sure Analysis Research Database, that offer no-fee DRIPs to shareholders.

You can skip to analysis of any individual Dividend Champion below:

Additionally, please see the video below for more coverage.

#15: National Fuel Gas (NFG)

National Fuel Gas Co. is a diversified energy company that operates in four business segments: Upstream & Gathering, Pipeline & Storage, Utility, and Energy Marketing.

The largest segment of the company is Exploration & Production. With 55 years of consecutive dividend increases, National Fuel Gas qualifies to be a Dividend King.

In late January, National Fuel Gas reported (1/28/26) financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2026. The company
grew its production 12% over the prior year’s quarter, primarily thanks to strong performance in new pads.

In addition, the average realized price of natural gas grew 24%, from $2.53 to $2.89.

As a result, earnings-per-share surged 24%, from $1.66 to $2.06, and exceeded the analysts’ consensus by $0.13. The company has beaten the analysts’ estimates in 23 of the last 27 quarters.

National Fuel Gas reiterated its strong guidance for fiscal 2026, expecting earnings-per-share of $7.60-$8.10.

Accordingly, we expect earnings-per-share of $7.90. If this proves correct, it will mark 14% growth of earnings-per-share over the previous year.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on NFG (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#14: Realty Income (O)

Realty Income is a retail real estate-focused REIT that has become famous for its successful dividend growth history and monthly dividend payments.

Today, it owns over 15,500 properties throughout the U.S., the U.K., and Continental Europe. It owns retail properties that are not part of a wider retail development (such as a mall) but instead are standalone properties.

Its properties range from 7-Eleven convenience stores (its largest tenant) all the way up to a 21.9% stake in the Bellagio hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

On February 24th, O shared its fourth quarter earnings report for the period ended December 31st, 2025. The company’s total revenue surged 11.0% higher over the year-ago period to $1.49 billion during the quarter.

The driving factor of this top-line growth was the $6.2 billion in investment volume in 2025. All the while, the company did this with just a 5% selectivity rate (it sourced a record $121 billion in volume in 2025).

A secondary growth tailwind for the net lease REIT in the quarter was that its business model includes contractual rent increases. That led same-store rental revenue to grow by 1.1% year-over-year for the quarter.

The net lease REIT’s AFFO per share increased by 2.9% over the year-ago period to $1.08 during the quarter.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on O (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#13: Illinois Tool Works (ITW)

Illinois Tool Works is a diversified multi-industrial manufacturer with seven unique operating segments: Automotive, Food Equipment, Test & Measurement, Welding, Polymers & Fluids, Construction Products and Specialty Products.

Last year the company generated $15.9 billion in revenue. The $72 billion market cap company is geographically diversified, with more than half of its revenue generated outside of the United States.

Illinois Tool Works is a member of the Dividend Aristocrats Index and is a Dividend King.

On February 3rd, 2026, Illinois Tool Works reported fourth quarter 2025 results. For the quarter, revenue came in at $4.1 billion, rising 4% year-over-year.

Sales increased 5.5% in the Automotive OEM segment, the largest out of the company’s seven segments.

Furthermore, its Construction Products segment saw revenue decline 1.5%. Meanwhile, Welding, Food Equipment, Specialty Products, Test & Measurement and Electronics, and Polymers & Fluids had revenue growth of 3.3%, 3.8%, 4.0%, 5.5% and 6.5%, respectively.

Net income equaled $790 million or $2.72 per share compared to $750 million or $2.54 per share in Q4 2024. In the fourth quarter, ITW repurchased $375 million of its shares.

Illinois Tool Works initiated its 2026 guidance, expecting full-year GAAP EPS to be $11.00 to $11.40.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on ITW (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#12: California Water Service (CWT)

California Water Service is the third largest publicly-owned water utility in the United States.

The company has six subsidiaries that provide water to about two million people, mainly in California, with some additional operations in Washington, New Mexico, and Hawaii.

California Water Service was founded in 1926 and has increased its dividend for more than 50 consecutive years, which makes the company a Dividend King.

California Water Service reported its fourth quarter earnings results on February 25th. The company reported that its operating revenues totaled $220 million during the quarter, down 1% year-over-year.

The revenue decline was caused by a lower water consumption among the company’s customers, partially offset by higher rates.

California Water Service generated earnings-per-share of $0.19 during the fourth quarter, which was weaker than what was expected by the analyst community.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on CWT (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#11: American States Water (AWR)

American States Water Company is a U.S. utility holding company that provides regulated water and electric services and contracted services to customers primarily in California and military bases around the United States.

Through its principal subsidiary, Golden State Water Company, it delivers water service to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across numerous California communities.

The company’s electric subsidiary, Bear Valley Electric Service, supplies electricity to customers in the Big Bear area of Southern California, and its contracted services segment performs operations, maintenance, and construction management for water and wastewater systems under long-term government contracts.

As a regulated utility, AWR’s revenues are driven by rate decisions approved by public utility commissions, and it is known for possessing the longest dividend growth streak among publicly traded companies.

On Feb. 18th, 2026, AWR shared its earnings report for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31st, 2025. The company’s total operating revenue rose by 14.8% year-over-year to $164.3 million during the quarter.

That was fueled by strength in its Water and Contracted Service (ASUS) segments in the quarter. The segment’s operating revenue surged 18.8% over the year-ago period to $110.1 million for the quarter.

AWR’s adjusted diluted EPS vaulted 32.1% higher year-over-year to $0.74 in the quarter as well.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on AWR (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#10: New Jersey Resources (NJR)

New Jersey Resources provides natural gas and clean energy services, transportation, distribution, asset management and home services through its five main subsidiaries. The company owns both regulated and non-regulated operations.

NJR’s principal subsidiary, New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG), owns and operates natural gas transportation and distribution infrastructure serving over half a million customers.

NJR Clean Energy Ventures (CEV) invests in and operates solar projects, to provide customers with low-carbon solutions.

NRJ Energy Services manages a portfolio of natural gas transportation and storage assets, as well as provides physical natural gas services to customers in North America.

New Jersey Resources was founded in 1952 and has paid a quarterly dividend since. The company has increased its annual dividend for 30 consecutive years.

New Jersey Resources reported first quarter 2025 results on February 2nd, 2026, for the period ending December 31, 2025. Consolidated net financial earnings (NFE) amounted to $118 million, compared to $129 million in Q1 2025 and NFE per share of $1.17 compared to $1.29 per share one year ago.

Management increased its guidance for fiscal 2026, now seeing NFEPS in the range of $3.28 to $3.43. New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) is now expected to contribute 62 to 67 percent of NFEPS in FY 2026, while Clean Energy Ventures (CEV) will contribute 9%-14%.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on NJR (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#9: Nordson Corporation (NDSN)

Nordson has operations in over 35 countries and manufactures products used for dispensing adhesives, coatings, sealants, biomaterials, plastics, and other materials.

Applications range from diapers and straws, to cell phones and aerospace. The company generated $2.8 billion in sales last fiscal year.

On August 28th, 2025, Nordson increased its dividend by 5% to $0.82 per share quarterly, marking 62 years of increases.

On February 18th, 2026, Nordson reported first quarter results. For the quarter, the company reported sales of $669 million, 9% higher compared to $615 million in Q1 2025.

Growth was driven by 7% organic sales growth and 4% favorable forex translation, partly offset by the medical contract manufacturing divestiture.

The Industrial Precision Solutions and Advanced Technology segments saw sales increase by 9% and 23%, respectively, while Medical and Fluid Solutions revenue was relatively flat.

The company generated adjusted earnings per share of $2.37, a 15% increase compared to the same prior year period.

Nordson’s backlog increased 4% year-over-year. It upgraded its FY 2026 outlook, now expecting sales of $2.86 billion to $2.98 billion and adjusted EPS of $11.00 to $11.60.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on NDSN (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#8: A.O. Smith (AOS)

A.O. Smith is a leading manufacturer of residential and commercial water heaters, boilers and water treatment
products. It generates two-thirds of its sales in North America, and most of the rest in China.

A.O. Smith has raised its dividend for over 30 years in a row, making the company a Dividend Aristocrat. The company was founded in 1874 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, WI.

A.O. Smith generated earnings-per-share of $0.90 during the fourth quarter, which was up 6% on a year over year basis.

Flat revenues were turned into very solid earnings growth thanks to higher margins and buybacks. A.O. Smith also issued its guidance for 2026.

The company is forecasting earnings-per-share in a range of $3.85 to $4.15, which reflects that management expects earnings-per-share to be up slightly this year.

At the midpoint of the guidance range, A.O. Smith’s earnings-per-share would be up 4% versus the earnings-per-share A.O. Smith generated last year.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on AOS (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#7: RPM International (RPM)

RPM International manufactures, markets and distributes chemical products to industrial, retail and specialty customers. The majority of sales are made to industrial customers.

On October 2nd, 2025, RPM announced that it was increasing its quarterly dividend 5.9% to $0.54, extending the company’s dividend growth streak to 52 consecutive years.

On April 8th, 2026, RPM reported earnings results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026. For the quarter, revenue grew 8.9% to a quarterly record $1.61 billion and was $60 million more than expected.

Adjusted earnings-per-share of $0.57 was also record, compared favorably to $0.35 in the prior year, and topped estimates by $0.22.

For the quarter, the company had an organic revenue growth of 3.0%, acquisitions net of divestitures added 3.5% to results, and currency exchange was a 2.4% benefit.

Organic revenue for the Construction Products Group increased 6.9% as continued strength in roofing solutions and growth in wall systems and concrete admixtures in North America drove results.

We now forecast that RPM will earn $5.49 per share in fiscal year 2026. This would mark a 3.6% increase from fiscal year 2025.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on RPM (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#6: Arrow Financial Corporation (AROW)

Arrow Financial Corporation is a multi-bank holding company based in Glen Falls, New York. The company operates through two main subsidiary banks, the Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company, and the Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company.

Arrow Financial Corporation is also the parent company of North Country Investment Advisers and Update Agency, an insurance agency. The company is a small cap, and it produces about $163 million in annual revenue.

Arrow posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on January 29th, 2026. Earnings for the quarter came to 85 cents per share, while Q4 revenue was $43.41 million.

The bank posted quarterly net interest income of $35.1 million, which was a record. Net interest margin was also a record for the quarter, coming in at 3.25% on an adjusted basis, up slightly from the prior quarter.

The bank noted elevated average municipal deposits negatively impacted net interest margin by four basis points.

For the full year, NIM came to 3.19% on an adjusted basis, which was up sharply from 2024’s 2.74%.

Net charge-offs for the year were 0.19%, while they were just 0.08% in the fourth quarter, signifying exemplary credit quality. Tangible book value ended the quarter at $24.71 per share, which was up 3.6% from the prior quarter.

Arrow boosted its dividend by 3.4% to a new payout of $1.20 annually, which would be its 30th consecutive year of dividend increases.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on AROW (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#5: Tompkins Financial (TMP)

Tompkins Financial is a regional financial services holding company headquartered in Ithaca, NY that can trace its roots back more than 180 years. It has total assets of about $8 billion, which produce about $300 million in annual revenue.

The company offers a wide range of services, including checking and deposit accounts, time deposits, loans, credit cards, insurance services, and wealth management to its customers in New York and Pennsylvania.

Tompkins posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on January 30th, 2026, and results capped what was a record year with a record for the fourth quarter as well.

The bank ended 2025 with earnings-per-share of $6.31, just cresting the former record from 2021.

Net interest margin in Q4 was 3.42%, which was up 22 basis points from the third quarter, and soared 49 basis points higher from the year-ago period. Total average cost of funds of 1.71% was better by 12 basis points from Q3, and by 17 basis points from the year-ago period.

Total loans were up $158 million, or 2.5%, from the September quarter. From the end of 2024, total loans rose 7.1%, or $426 million. Total deposits ended the year at $6.9 billion, off 1.6% from Q3, but 7.2% higher than the end of 2024.

That put the loan-to-deposit ratio at 92.9% at the end of 2025, up from 89.2% in Q3 and flat year-over-year. That’s extremely high by any standard, which increases risk but also limits growth.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on TMP (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#4: Sanofi (SNY)

Sanofi is a global pharmaceutical leader that develops a variety of therapeutic treatments and vaccines.

Pharmaceuticals account for the majority of sales, with vaccines making up the remainder. Sanofi produces annual revenues of about $51 billion.

Sanofi is incorporated in France, but U.S. investors have access to the company through an American Depositary Receipt, or ADR. Two ADR shares equal one share of the underlying company.

On January 29th, 2026, Sanofi announced fourth quarter and full year results. Unless otherwise noted, all figures are listed in U.S. dollars and at constant exchange rates.

For the quarter, revenue grew 23% to $13.5 billion, which topped estimates by $235 million. The company’s earnings-per-share per ADR of $0.91 compared favorably to $0.68 in the prior year and was $0.06 more than expected.

For the year, revenue grew 4.8% to $50.7 billion while earnings-per-share per ADR of $4.53 compared to 4.11 in 2024.

Dupixent, which treats patients with moderate-to-severe asthma, had revenue growth of 32.2% during the period due to additional launches and gains across indications and geographies.

Sanofi has 80 products in development, with as many as 40 new potential new medicines and vaccines.

Sanofi provided an outlook for 2026 as well. The company expects revenue to grow at a high single-digit percentage with EPS increasing at a slightly higher rate.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SNY (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#3: Abbott Laboratories (ABT)

Abbott Laboratories, founded in 1888, is one of the largest medical appliances & equipment manufacturers in the world, comprised of four segments: Nutrition, Diagnostics, Established Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices.

Abbott Laboratories provides products in over 160 countries and employs 114,000 people. The company generated $44 billion in sales in 2025.

On December 12th, 2025, Abbott Laboratories raised its quarterly dividend 6.8% to $0.63, extending the company’s dividend growth streak to 54 years.

On January 22nd, 2026, Abbott Laboratories released fourth quarter and full year results for the period ending December 31st, 2025. For the quarter, revenue grew 4.5% to $11.46 billion, but this missed estimates by $340 million.

Adjusted earnings-per-share of $1.50 compared to $1.34 in the prior year and was $0.01 better than expected. For the year, revenue grew 5.7% to $44.3 billion while adjusted earnings-per-share of $5.15 compared to $4.67 in 2024.

For Q4, U.S. sales grew 0.9% while international was higher by 6.7%. Currency exchange was a 1.4% headwind for the period.

Abbott Laboratories provided guidance for 2026 as well, with the company expecting adjusted earnings-per-share in a range of $5.55 to $5.80 for the year. At the midpoint, this would represent growth of 10.3% from 2025.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on ABT (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#2: Hormel Foods (HRL)

Hormel Foods was founded in 1891 in Minnesota. Since that time, the company has grown into a juggernaut in the food products industry with about $12.3 billion in annual revenue.

The company sells its products in 80 countries worldwide, and its brands include Skippy, SPAM, Applegate, Justin’s, and more than 30 others.

Hormel posted first quarter earnings on February 26th, 2026, and results were mixed. The company posted slightly higher revenue at +1.3% year-over-year, totaling $3.03 billion. That missed expectations by $30 million.

Adjusted earnings-per-share came to 34 cents, which was two cents better than estimates.

Management noted gross profit was weak enough to offset top line growth as higher input costs and logistics expenses were worse than expected.

Adjusted SG&A was comparable to the year-ago period as a percentage of revenue, as higher employee and legal expenses were offset by reductions in marketing and advertising.

Adjusted operating income was $247 million, while adjusted operating margin was 8.2% of revenue for the quarter. Cash flow from operations was $349 million, rising about $26 million year-over-year.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on HRL (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

#1: S&P Global (SPGI)

S&P Global is a worldwide provider of financial services and business information with revenue of over $15 billion.

Through its various segments, it provides credit ratings, benchmarks and indices, analytics, and other data to commodity market participants, capital markets, and automotive markets.

S&P Global has paid dividends continuously since 1937 and has increased its payout for 52 consecutive years, and it is one of the newest members of the prestigious Dividend Kings.

S&P posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on February 10th, 2026. The company beat revenue estimates slightly, with the top line rising 9.2% year-over-year to $3.92 billion, $10 million better than expected.

Earnings, however, came to $4.30 per share on an adjusted basis, missing estimates by four cents. Management noted top line growth was strong in all divisions, as revenue from subscription products rose 8% year-over-year. Earnings were off from $4.73 per share in Q3, but higher year-over-year from $3.77 in last year’s Q4.

Expenses were $2.51 billion, much higher from Q3 and the year-ago period, which were $2.22 billion and $2.33 billion, respectively. Still, that was good enough for operating margin to expand to 47.3% of revenue from 43.6% a year earlier.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SPGI (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Final Thoughts and Additional Resources

Enrolling in DRIP stocks can be a great way to compound your portfolio income over time. Additional resources are listed below for investors interested in further research for DRIP stocks.

For dividend growth investors interested in DRIP stocks, the 15 companies mentioned in this article are a great place to start. Each business is very shareholder friendly, as evidenced by their long dividend histories and their willingness to offer investors no-fee DRIP stocks.

At Sure Dividend, we often advocate for investing in companies with a high probability of increasing their dividends each and every year.

If that strategy appeals to you, it may be useful to browse through the following databases of dividend growth stocks:

Thanks for reading this article. Please send any feedback, corrections, or questions to support@suredividend.com.



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