2023 Blue Chip Dividend Stocks List | See All 356

Updated on March 8th, 2023 by Bob Ciura
Spreadsheet data updated daily

In poker, the blue chips have the highest value. We don’t like the idea of using poker analogies for investing. Investing should be far removed from gambling. With that said, the term “blue-chip stocks” has stuck for a select group of stocks….

So, what are blue-chip stocks?

Blue-chip stocks are established, safe, dividend payers. They are often market leaders and tend to have a long history of paying rising dividends. Blue-chip stocks tend to remain profitable even during recessions.

You may be wondering “how do I find blue-chip stocks?”

You can find blue-chip dividend stocks using the lists and spreadsheet below.

At Sure Dividend, we qualify blue-chip stocks as companies that are members of 1 or more of the following 3 lists:

Dividend Achievers (10+ years of rising dividends)
Dividend Aristocrats (25+ years of rising dividends)
Dividend Kings (50+ years of rising dividends)

You can download the complete list of all 350+ blue-chip stocks (plus important financial metrics such as dividend yield, P/E ratios, and payout ratios) by clicking below:

Click here to instantly download your free spreadsheet of all Blue Chip Stocks now, along with important investing metrics.

In addition to the Excel spreadsheet above, this article covers our top 7 best blue-chip stock buys today as ranked using expected total returns from the Sure Analysis Research Database.

Our top 7 best blue-chip stock list excludes MLPs and REITs. The table of contents below allows for easy navigation.

The 7 Best Blue-Chip Buys Today
Blue-Chip Stock #7: Bank of Marin Bancorp (BMRC)
Blue-Chip Stock #6: Westamerica Bancorporation (WABC)
Blue-Chip Stock #5: Sonoco Products Co. (SON)
Blue-Chip Stock #4: Zions Bancorporation (ZION)
Blue-Chip Stock #3: Washington Federal Inc. (WAFD)
Blue-Chip Stock #2: Albemarle Corporation (ALB)
Blue-Chip Stock #1: Lincoln National Corp. (LNC)
The Blue-Chip Stocks In Focus Series

The spreadsheet above gives the full list of blue chips. They are a good place to get ideas for your next high-quality dividend growth stock investments…

Our top 7 favorite blue-chip stocks are analyzed in detail below.

The 7 Best Blue-Chip Buys Today

The 7 best blue-chip stocks as ranked by 5-year expected annual returns from the Sure Analysis Research Database (excluding REITs and MLPs) are analyzed in detail below.

In this section, stocks were further screened for a satisfactory Dividend Risk score of ‘C’ or better.

Blue-Chip Stock #7: Bank of Marin Bancorp (BMRC)

Dividend History: 17 years of consecutive increases
Dividend Yield: 3.4%
Expected Total Return: 16.3%

Bank of Marin Bancorp operates as the holding company for Bank of Marin that provides a range of financial services primarily to small and medium-sized businesses, professionals, not-for-profit organizations, and individuals through 31 retail offices and eight commercial banking offices in California, the United States.

It offers commercial and retail deposit and lending programs, personal and business checking and savings accounts, and wealth management and trust services. The majority of its revenue comes from interest income, with total assets of $4.1 billion, and total interest-earning assets of $4.0 billion.

On January 23rd, 2023, Bank of Marin Bancorp released its fourth quarter 2022 results for the period ending December 31st, 2022. For the quarter the company reported record earnings of $12.9 million which represents a 5.7% increase compared to the $12.2 million for the third quarter of 2022.

Reported earnings per diluted share for the same periods were $0.81 and $0.76, an increase of 6.6% compared to the fourth quarter of 2022. Diluted earnings per share were $2.92 for the full year, compared to $2.30 per share for 2021. Certain periods of earnings were impacted by the costs associated with our acquisition of American River Bank (“ARB”).

For the reporting period, the loans totaled $2.093 billion which was a decrease of $65 million, while deposits decreased by $329.4 million to $3.573 billion. The fourth quarter tax-equivalent net interest margin improved 10 basis points over the preceding quarter from 3.16% to 3.26%. Credit quality remains strong, with non-accrual loans representing 0.12% of total loans as of December 31, 2022, compared to 0.49% on September 30, 2022.

Net interest income totaled $33.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to $33.0 million for the prior quarter. Non-interest income, related to Wealth Management and Trust Services, totaled $2.6 million for the fourth quarter, largely unchanged from the preceding quarter.

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

Blue-Chip Stock #6: Westamerica Bancorporation (WABC)

Dividend History: 29 years of consecutive increases
Dividend Yield: 3.1%
Expected Total Return: 16.5%

Westamerica Bancorporation is the holding company for Westamerica Bank. Westamerica is a regional community bank with 79 branches in Northern and Central California. The company can trace its origins back to 1884. Westamerica offers clients access to savings, checking and money market accounts.

The company’s loan portfolio consists of both commercial and residential real estate loans, as well as construction loans. Westamerica is the seventh largest bank headquartered in California. It has annual revenues of nearly $270 million.

On January 19th, 2023 Westamerica reported fourth quarter and full year earnings results. Revenue grew 47.6% to $79.6 million while GAAP earnings-per-share of $1.46 compared to $0.81 in the prior year. For 2022, revenue improved 23% to $267 million while earnings-per-share of $4.54 compared favorably to $3.22 in the previous year.

As of the end of the quarter, nonperforming loans totaled $774 million, down 25% year-over-year and lower by 20% from the third quarter of the year. Provisions for credit losses totaled $20.3 million, a decrease of 13.7% from the prior year and down 4.2% sequentially. Total loans fell 12.2% to $964 million, mostly due to a steep decline in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.

Net interest income was $69.2 million, which compares to $60.8 million for the third quarter of 2022 and $43.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2021. Average total deposits were unchanged at $6.3 billion. Analysts expect that the company will earn $5.98 in 2023.

The company has a long history of paying dividends and has increased its payout for 29 consecutive years. Shares currently yield 3.1%. We expect 2% annual EPS growth, while the stock also appears to be significantly undervalued. Total returns are estimated at 16.5% per year.

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

Blue-Chip Stock #5: Sonoco Products (SON)

Dividend History: 40 years of consecutive increases
Dividend Yield: 3.4%
Expected Total Return: 17.4%

Sonoco Products provides packaging, industrial products and supply chain services to its customers. The markets that use the company’s products include those in the appliances, electronics, beverage, construction and food industries. The company generates about $7.2 billion in annual sales.

Sonoco Products is now composed of 2 core segments, Consumer Packaging and Industrial Packaging, with all other businesses listed as “all other”.

Source: Investor Presentation

On February 8th, 2023, Sonoco Products reported fourth quarter and full year earnings results for the period ending December 31st, 2022. For the quarter, revenue was up 16% to $1.67 billion, but missed estimate by $110 million. Adjusted earnings-per-share of $1.27 compared very favorably to $0.90 in the prior year and was $0.02 above expectations.

For 2022, revenue improved 30% to $7.3 billion while adjusted earnings-per-share of $6.48 compared very favorably to $3.93 in the prior year.

For the quarter, Consumer Packaging revenues were up 49% to $879 million, due once again primarily to the purchase of Ball Metalpack that closed in the fourth quarter of 2021. Results were lower sequentially due to seasonal softness in plastic food packaging. Industrial Paper Packing sales declined 9% to $597 million due to lower demand.

Sonoco Products provided an outlook for 2023 as well, with the company expecting adjusted earnings-per-share of $5.70 to $5.90 for the year. At the midpoint, this would be 10% decline from 2022.

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

Blue-Chip Stock #4: Zions Bancorporation (ZION)

Dividend History: 11 years of consecutive increases
Dividend Yield: 3.5%
Expected Total Return: 18.3%

Zions Bancorporation is a bank holding company that operates full-service banking offices in 11 western states in the U.S. The company also offers a range of investment, mortgage, insurance, and electronic commerce services. Zions primarily focuses on providing banking services to small and midsize businesses, with the majority of its loans focused on commercial and commercial real estate lending.

Source: Investor Presentation

On January 23rd, 2023, Zions Bancorporation released its fourth quarter 2022 results. For the quarter the company reported net income of $277 million which represents a 33.8% increase compared with a quarterly net income of $207 million in the same quarter of 2021. Reported earnings per diluted share for the same periods were $1.84 and $1.34, an increase of 37.3% year-over-year. Quarterly net revenues of $883 million were up 17.3% compared to the prior year’s fiscal fourth quarter.

Net interest income (NII) totaled $720 million, rising 8.6% in the prior-year quarter. In the fourth quarter, improvement in NII driven by rising rates and increasing loan demand was the major positive. Net interest margin (NIM) expanded 95 basis points (bps) to 3.53%. Non-interest income was $153 million, decreasing 19.5% year over year. The decline was mainly due to a fall in retail and business banking fees, and loan-related fees.

Earnings for 2022 were $5.79 per share, which is a 14.7% decline from the $6.79 per share in 2021. Management expects moderate growth in the next twelve months, excluding PPP loans. Full year 2023 NII is expected to increase at a rate in the high single digits relative to end of 2022. Capital ratios are expected to increase by year-end 2023, although some capital may be returned to shareholders through share repurchases.

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

Blue-Chip Stock #3: Washington Federal Inc. (WAFD)

Dividend History: 12 years of consecutive increases
Dividend Yield: 2.8
Expected Total Return: 18.7%

Washington Federal, Inc. is the parent company of Washington Federal, a national bank that runs more than 200 offices across eight states, primarily in the West of the United States. Key states include Washington, Oregon, and Arizona, which account for nearly 80% of loans. Profits are derived mostly from interest sources, as non-interest income makes up only about 9% of net revenue.

Most of the loan book is oriented toward single-family mortgages, which account for 35% of the portfolio as of December 31st, 2022. Construction loans account for 12%, commercial real estate loans for nearly 19%, commercial and industrial loans for 15%, and multifamily loans for about an additional 16%.

On January 12th, 2023, Washington Federal released first-quarter fiscal year 2023 results for the period ending December 31st, 2022. For the quarter the company reported quarterly earnings of $79.5 million which represents 58% growth compared with quarterly earnings of $50.3 million in the same quarter ended December 31, 2021. Earnings-per-share equaled $1.16 compared to $0.71 in the year ago period, a 63% increase.

Net interest income was $183 million for the first quarter, up 36.3% from the same period last year. Washington Federal’s net interest margin was 3.69% in the first fiscal quarter of 2023 compared to 3.64% for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, and 2.87% for the prior year quarter. Results were primarily supported by robust loan growth, increasing $880 million, or 5.5%, for the quarter and the net interest income (NII) increase.

However, a substantial increase in provision for credit losses, rising expenses and decrease in other income were headwinds. In the reported quarter, the provision for credit losses was $2.5 million, substantially higher than $0.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Total other income of $14 million fell 24.9%.

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

Blue-Chip Stock #2: Albemarle Corporation (ALB)

Dividend History: 27 years of consecutive increases
Dividend Yield: 0.7%
Expected Total Return: 19.8%

Albemarle is the largest producer of lithium and second largest producer of bromine in the world. The two products account for nearly two-thirds of annual sales. Albemarle produces lithium from its salt brine deposits in the U.S. and Chile. The company has two joint ventures in Australia that also produce lithium. Albemarle’s Chile assets offer a very low-cost source of lithium.

Related: 2023 Lithium Stocks List

The company operates in nearly 100 countries and is composed of four segments: Lithium & Advanced Materials (49% of sales), Bromine Specialties (21% of sales), Catalysts (21% of sales) and Other (9% of sales). Albemarle produces annual sales of more than $7.5 billion.

Source: Investor Presentation

Albemarle produces annual sales of $7.3 billion. It is one of the top lithium stocks.

On February 15th, 2023, Albemarle announced fourth quarter results for the period ending December 31st 2022. For the quarter, revenue grew 193% to $2.62 billion and was $10 million more than expected. Adjusted earnings-per-share of $9.60 compared very favorably to $1.01 in the prior year and was $0.44 above estimates.

For the year, revenue grew 120% to $7.3 billion while adjusted earnings-per-share totaled $22.84 compared to $4.05 in the prior year. For the quarter, revenue for Lithium grew 410.4% to $2.1 billion, due to a 328% improvement in pricing and an 82% increase in volume due to renegotiated contracts, an increase in market pricing, and expansion at the company’s facilities in Chile.

Albemarle completed its acquisition of a lithium conversion plant in China at the end of October of 2022 that should add to results going forward.

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

Blue-Chip Stock #1: Lincoln National Corp. (LNC)

Dividend History: 11 years of consecutive increases
Dividend Yield: 6.0%
Expected Total Return: 24.1%

Lincoln National Corporation offers life insurance, annuities, retirement plan services and group protection. The corporation was founded in 1905 as The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company. Permission from Abraham Lincoln’s son to use the former president’s name was granted. In 1912, the company entered the reinsurance business. In 1969, Lincoln National Corp begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange and the Midwest Stock Exchange.

Lincoln National reported fourth quarter and full year 2022 results on February 8th, 2023, for the period ending December 31st, 2022. The company had net income of one penny per share in the fourth quarter, which compared unfavorably to $1.20 in the fourth quarter of 2021. Adjusted net income equaled $0.97 per share compared to $1.56 in the same prior year period. Additionally, annuities average account values shrunk by 16% to $144 billion and group protection insurance premiums grew 9% to $1.2 billion.

For the full year, Lincoln suffered an adjusted loss of $(5.22) per share compared to adjusted net income of $8.20 in
2021. These results included $12.21 of net unfavorable items due in large part to the company’s annual review of DAC and reserve assumptions.

The company repurchased 8.7 million shares of stock for $550 million in the trailing twelve months, reducing the share count by 7%. Book value per share (including adjusted income from operations (AOCI)) decreased 84% compared to the prior year to $18.41. Book value per share (excluding AOCI) decreased 18% to $63.73.

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

The Blue-Chip Stocks In Focus Series

You can see all Blue-Chip Stocks In Focus articles below. Each is sorted by GICS sectors and listed in alphabetical order by name. The newest Sure Analysis Research Database report for each security is included as well.

Consumer Staples

Communication Services

John Wiley & Sons Inc. (WLY) | [See newest Sure Analysis report]

Consumer Discretionary

Financials

Industrials

Health Care

Information Technology

Materials

MDU Resources Group (MDU) | [See newest Sure Analysis report]

Utilities

Final Thoughts

Stocks with long histories of increasing dividends are often the best stocks to buy for long-term dividend growth and high total returns.

But just because a company has maintained a long track record of dividend increases, does not necessarily mean it will continue to do so in the future.

Investors need to individually assess a company’s fundamentals, particularly in times of economic distress.

These 7 blue-chip stocks have attractive dividend yields, and long histories of raising their dividends each year. They also have compelling valuations that make them attractive picks for investors interested in total returns.

Click here to instantly download your free spreadsheet of all Blue Chip Stocks now, along with important investing metrics.

The Blue Chips list is not the only way to quickly screen for stocks that regularly pay rising dividends.

The High Yield Dividend Aristocrats List is comprised of the Dividend Aristocrats with the highest current yields.
The High Yield Dividend Kings List is comprised of the 20 Dividend Kings with the highest current yields.
The High Dividend Stocks List: stocks that appeal to investors interested in the highest yields of 5% or more.
The Monthly Dividend Stocks List: stocks that pay dividends every month, for 12 dividend payments per year.
The 20 Highest Yielding Monthly Dividend Stocks: Monthly dividend stocks with the highest current yields.
The Dividend Champions List: stocks that have increased their dividends for 25+ consecutive years.
Note: Not all Dividend Champions are Dividend Aristocrats because Dividend Aristocrats have additional requirements like being in The S&P 500.
The Dividend Contenders List: 10-24 consecutive years of dividend increases.
The Dividend Challengers List: 5-9 consecutive years of dividend increases.
The Complete List of Russell 2000 Stocks: arguably the world’s best-known benchmark for small-cap U.S. stocks.
The Best DRIP Stocks: The top 15 Dividend Aristocrats with no-fee dividend reinvestment plans.
The 2022 High ROIC Stocks List: The top 10 stocks with high returns on invested capital.
The 2022 High Beta Stocks List: The 100 stocks in the S&P 500 Index with the highest beta.
The 2022 Low Beta Stocks List: The 100 stocks in the S&P 500 Index with the lowest beta.

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Sure Dividend

High-Quality Dividend Stocks, Long-Term Plan

2023 Blue-Chip Dividend Stocks List | See All 356 | Yields Up To 8.1%