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Top 10 Dividend Growth Stocks Now


Published on March 23rd, 2026 by Bob Ciura

There are a lot of stocks that pay dividends out there.

But it’s rare to find stocks that really exemplify what investors building growing passive income for the long run need…

Which is a mix of:

And that’s where the Dividend Champions come in.

The Dividend Champions have increased their dividends for over 25 consecutive years. They stand among the most time-tested dividend growth stocks in the entire market.

With this in mind, we created a downloadable list of over 130 Dividend Champions.

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.

Investors are likely familiar with the Dividend Aristocrats, a group of 69 stocks in the S&P 500 Index with 25+ consecutive years of dividend increases.

Meanwhile, investors should also familiarize themselves with the Dividend Champions, which have also raised their dividends for at least 25 years in a row.

While their length of dividend increases is the same, leading to some overlap, there are also some important differences between the Dividend Aristocrats and Dividend Champions.

As a result, the Dividend Champions list is much more expansive. There are many high-quality Dividend Champions that are not included on the Dividend Aristocrats list.

This article will list the 10 Dividend Champions with the highest expected EPS growth over the next five years.

Table of Contents

You can instantly jump to any specific section of the article by clicking on the links below:


Top Dividend Growth Stock #10: Nordson Corp. (NDSN)

Nordson has operations in over 35 countries and engineers, manufactures, and markets products used for dispensing adhesives, coatings, sealants, biomaterials, plastics, and other materials, with applications ranging from diapers and straws to cell phones and aerospace.

The company generated $2.7 billion in sales last fiscal year.

On December 10th, 2025, Nordson reported fourth quarter results for the period ending October 31, 2025. For the quarter, the company reported sales of $752 million, 1% higher compared to $744 million in Q4 2024, driven by a 2% favorable forex translation and 1% positive acquisition impact.

The Medical and Fluid Solutions segment saw sales increase by 10%, while Industrial Precision Solutions and Advanced Technology revenue fell 2% and 4%, respectively.

The company generated adjusted earnings per share of $3.03, a 9% increase compared to the same prior year period..

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


Top Dividend Growth Stock #9: L’Oreal (LRLCF)

L’Oréal is one of the world’s largest cosmetics groups, with a portfolio of 37 global brands.

The French company offers shampoos, hair-care and skincare products, shower gels, cleansers, styling and make-up items, perfumes and related goods.

Its globally recognised brands include Garnier, Maybelline New York, Giorgio Armani Beauty, Kiehl’s, Urban Decay, Biotherm and Ralph Lauren. L’Oréal holds a 7.2% stake in the share capital of Sanofi and controls 13.1% of its voting rights.

L’Oréal generated nearly $52 billion sales last year and is based in Paris, France. On February 12th, 2026, L’Oréal increased its dividend by +2.9% to €7.20 ($8.46).

On the same day, L’Oréal released its results for the full year ending December 31st, 2025. For the year, sales reached $51.7 billion, reflecting +4.0% like-for-like growth and +1.3% reported growth, with acceleration confirmed through the second half and broad-based growth across all divisions and regions.

L’Oréal delivered improved profitability, with operating margin rising to 20.2% of sales (+20 bps) and EPS reaching $8.46.

E-commerce continued to grow at double-digit rates, surpassing 30% of total sales, and net cash flow increased to €7.2
billion.

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


Top Dividend Growth Stock #8: Thomson-Reuters Corp. (TRI)

Thomson Reuters Corporation is a global financial information and data solutions provider for businesses and professionals in the fields of finance, accounting, tax, and media.

In January 2025, Thomson acquired cPaperless, LLC (SafeSend) for $600 million cash, for its tax automation capabilities.

In February 2026, Thomson Reuters announced a 10% increase to the dividend to $2.62 per share, which marked the 33rd consecutive annual dividend increase.

Thomson Reuters reported fourth quarter 2025 results on February 5th, 2026. For the quarter, total company revenue grew 5% year-over-year to $2.01 billion, of which the majority (84%) was recurring revenues. Thomson Reuters produced adjusted EPS of $1.07 per share compared to adjusted EPS of $1.01 in Q4 2024.

For 2026, Thomson Reuters forecasts total revenue growth of 7.5% to 8.0%, adjusted EBITDA margin growth of 100 basis points, and free cash flow of $2.1 billion.

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


Top Dividend Growth Stock #7: SEI Investments (SEIC)

SEI Investments was founded in 1968 and over the last 50+ years has grown into a global provider of investment processing, investment management, and investment operations solutions for financial institutions and advisors.

SEI has about $1.6 trillion combined in assets under administration and management. The company should produce about $2.6 billion in revenue this year.

SEI posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on January 28th, 2026, and results were better than expected on both the top and bottom lines. Earnings were $1.38 per share, which was three cents ahead of estimates.

Revenue was up 9% year-on-year to $608 million, which was over $10 million better than expected. Strength was seen in Private Banking, but management noted that revenue and margin expansion was seen across nearly all of its business segments.

Looking forward, the management team sees strong growth in launches in ETFs and select alternative products where they feel SEIC has an edge.

SEI repurchased $101 million of shares during the quarter, and $616 million for the year. That was good for a ~6% reduction based upon the 2024 closing share count.

The company raised its dividend by 6% to a new payout of $1.04 annually in December of 2025, its 35th consecutive year of dividend increases.

We start 2026 with an estimate of $5.70 in earnings-per-share, noting that 2025’s earnings came in much better than expected, which will make growth this year tougher.

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


Top Dividend Growth Stock #6: Walmart Inc. (WMT)

Walmart traces its roots back to 1945 when Sam Walton opened his first discount store. The company has since grown into the largest retailer in the world, serving more than 230 million customers each week.

Revenue should be around $740 billion this year and the stock trades with a market capitalization of $1 trillion.

Walmart has increased its dividend for 53 consecutive years, making it a new member of the prestigious Dividend Kings.

Walmart posted fourth quarter earnings on February 19th, 2026, and results were better than expected on both the top and bottom lines.

Earnings came to 74 cents per share on an adjusted basis, which beat estimates by a penny. Revenue was up 5.6% year to $190.7 billion, beating expectations by $2.38 billion.

Global ecommerce sales were up 24%, which was led by store-fulfilled pickup and delivery. Global advertising revenue soared 37% higher year-over-year, including the VIZIO business.

Walmart Connect was up 41% in the US. Membership fees rose 15.1% globally, which is attributed to the Sam’s Club business.

Revenue was up 5% in constant currency for the quarter. US comparable sales for Walmart rose 4.6%, including 27% higher in ecommerce.

Operating cash flow was $42 billion for the year, with free cash flow growing 18% from 2025 to $14.9 billion. Cash at the end of the year was $10.7 billion against debt of $51.5 billion. Inventory rose 4% year-over-year to $58.9 billion.

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


Top Dividend Growth Stock #5: Stryker Corp. (SYK)

Stryker is a global leader in the medical device sector. The company’s product lines include surgical equipment, neurovascular products and orthopedic implants.

On December 11th, 2025, Stryker reported that it was raising its quarterly dividend 4.8% to $0.88 per share, extending the company’s dividend growth streak to 32 consecutive years.

On January 29th, 2026, Stryker announced fourth quarter and full year results. For the quarter, revenue grew 11.8% to $7.2 billion, which beat estimates by $80 million.

Adjusted earnings-per-share of $4.47 compared favorably to $4.01 in the prior year and was $0.07 better than expected. For the year, revenue increased 11.2% to $25.1 billion while adjusted earnings-per-share of $13.63 compared to $12.19 in 2024.

Organic revenue growth remains strong, with the company posting growth of 11% for the quarter and 10.3% for the year.

For the quarter, volume was up 10.9% and higher prices added 0.1% to results. MedSurg and Neurotechnology had sales of $4.6 billion, which represented 12.6% organic growth. Orthopaedics grew 8.4% to $2.6 billion.

Volume grew 12.5% for MedSurg and Neurotechnology and was up 8.5% for Orthopaedics. Prices were higher by 0.1% for MedSurg and Neurotechnology and while Orthopaedics fell 0.1%.

Stryker provided guidance for 2026 as well. The company expects organic revenue growth in a range of 8.0% to 9.5%.

Adjusted earnings-per-share are forecasted to be in a range of $14.90 to $15.10. At the midpoint, this would represent growth of 10.1% from 2025.

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


Top Dividend Growth Stock #4: S&P Global Inc. (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, and results were mixed. 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):


Top Dividend Growth Stock #3: Badger Meter Inc. (BMI)

Badger Meter manufactures and markets meters and valves that are used to measure and control the flow of liquids, such as water, oil and various chemicals.

The company’s products are also used to control the flow of air and other gases. Badger Meter generates ~$917 million in annual revenues.

On January 28th, 2026, Badger Meter announced fourth quarter and full year earnings results. For the quarter, revenue increased 7.6% to $220.7 million, but this was $11 million below estimates.

Earnings-per-share of $1.14 compared favorably to earnings-per-share of $1.04 in the prior year and was $0.02 better than expected. For the year, revenue grew 11% to a record $916.7 million while earnings-per-share of $4.79 was up from $4.23 in 2024.

The utility water business grew 9% for the quarter, partially due to an acquisition. Excluding this, sales were higher by 2%, another solid result giving that utility water revenues grew 14% in Q4 2024. This growth was led by ongoing demand for ORION Cellular radios, BEACON SaaS, and ultrasonic meters.

Revenue for flow instrumentation products was flat year-over-year as moderate growth in water-related markets was offset by deemphasized applications.

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


Top Dividend Growth Stock #2: Caterpillar Inc. (CAT)

Caterpillar is the most prominent manufacturer of construction and mining equipment in the world, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives.

The company operates in three primary segments: Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation, along with ancillary financing and related services through its Financial Products segment.

On January 29th, 2026, Caterpillar announced its Q4 and full-year results for the period ending December 31st, 2025. Revenues reached a single-quarter record of $19.1 billion, an 18% increase compared to last year.

The Construction Industries segment posted a 15% year-over-year sales increase to $6.92 billion, driven by higher equipment volumes and dealer inventory changes. However, segment profit declined 12% to $1.03 billion, reflecting higher manufacturing costs and unfavorable price realization.

The Resource Industries segment saw sales rise 13% to $3.35 billion, primarily due to higher sales volume. Segment profit decreased 24% to $360 million, as margins were pressured by rising tariff-related manufacturing costs and production expenses.

The Energy & Transportation division led growth with sales rising 23% to $9.4 billion, fueled by record demand in power generation for AI data centers. Profit in this segment increased 25% to $1.84 billion, benefiting from strong volume and favorable pricing.

Caterpillar’s adjusted operating profit margin was 15.6%, down from 18.3% last year. Despite margin compression and significant tariff headwinds, adjusted earnings-per-share rose to $5.16, compared to $5.14 last year.

For the year, adjusted EPS was $19.06.

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


Top Dividend Growth Stock #1: Stepan Co. (SCL)

Stepan manufactures basic and intermediate chemicals, including surfactants, specialty products, germicidal and fabric softening quaternaries, phthalic anhydride, polyurethane polyols and special ingredients for the food, supplement, and pharmaceutical markets.

It is organized into three distinct business lines: surfactants, polymers, and specialty products. These businesses serve a wide variety of end markets, meaning that Stepan is not beholden to just a handful of industries.

The surfactants business is Stepan’s largest by revenue, accounting for ~68% of total sales in the most recent quarter. A surfactant is an organic compound that contains both water-soluble and water-insoluble components.

Stepan posted fourth quarter and full-year earnings on February 23rd, 2026. Adjusted earnings-per-share came to a loss of two cents.

Revenue was up 5.4% year-over-year to $554 million, missing estimates by $16.7 million. Global sales volume was down 3% year-over-year as volume globally was flat.

Consolidated adjusted EBITDA was $33.8 million for the quarter, down from $35 million a year earlier, which was due to lower operating income in Surfactants.

Surfactants revenue was $402 million, up from $379 million a year earlier, but organic volume was off 3%. Polymers net sales were $132 million, on an 11% volume increase.

Cash from operations was $60 million for the quarter, with free cash flow at $25 million, both of which were higher from the year-ago period. Net debt was $494 million at the end of the quarter, a $32 million reduction from the end of 2024.

Stepan boosted its dividend for the 59th consecutive year.

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

Additional Reading

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

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