Best Dividend Stocks 2026: Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Exxon Top the List

TLDR

• Johnson & Johnson leads the group with a 2.17% yield, 47% payout ratio, and 64 straight years of dividend growth
• Procter & Gamble holds the longest streak at 70 years of consecutive dividend increases, with a 2.96% yield
• Coca-Cola has the cleanest analyst profile — Buy consensus with zero hold or sell ratings
• Exxon Mobil is the only stock with a Hold consensus and a sell rating, reflecting its commodity-linked earnings risk
• Walmart has the lowest yield at 0.81% but the most conservative payout ratio at just 36%, giving it the most room to keep growing its dividend

Five of the most widely held dividend stocks in the market are Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Exxon Mobil, Coca-Cola, and Walmart. They each tell a different income story — some offer high yields, others offer safety, and one is squarely tied to oil prices. Here is how they stack up based on current MarketBeat data.

Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson carries a 2.17% dividend yield and a payout ratio of 47.06%. That payout ratio sits below 50%, which means the company is paying out less than half its earnings as dividends. It has raised its dividend for 64 consecutive years.

Johnson & Johnson, JNJ

MarketBeat gives it a Moderate Buy consensus based on 1 strong buy, 17 buy, and 9 hold ratings. There are no sell ratings. Analysts see it as a dependable blue-chip, though the current price target suggests limited near-term upside.

For income investors, the combination of a sub-50% payout ratio and a 64-year growth streak is hard to find elsewhere in the market.

Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble offers a 2.96% yield with a payout ratio of 62.52%. It has raised its dividend for 70 consecutive years — the longest streak in this group.

The Procter & Gamble Company, PG

MarketBeat gives it a Moderate Buy consensus with 13 buy ratings and 8 hold ratings. There are no strong buys and no sell ratings.

The 70-year streak makes it one of the clearest examples of a stock built for patient income investors. Analysts respect its consistency but view it more as a steady compounder than a high-growth name.

Exxon Mobil

Exxon Mobil yields 2.41% with a payout ratio of 61.58% and 42 years of consecutive dividend increases. It is the only energy name in the group, which makes it more exposed to commodity price swings than the others.

MarketBeat gives Exxon a Hold consensus based on 9 buy ratings, 9 hold ratings, and 1 sell rating. That is the weakest analyst support of the five stocks.

The dividend has held up for over four decades, but the cyclical nature of oil and gas earnings adds a layer of uncertainty that the other four names do not carry.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola yields 2.80% with a payout ratio of 69.74% and 64 years of dividend growth. Its payout ratio is the highest in the group alongside Procter & Gamble, but still falls within a healthy range.

Wall Street is clearly positive on the stock. MarketBeat assigns Coca-Cola a Buy consensus with 1 strong buy and 15 buy ratings. There are no hold or sell ratings — the cleanest analyst picture in this group.

That unanimous analyst support reflects Coca-Cola’s reputation as a simple, durable dividend stock that rarely surprises investors in either direction.

Walmart

Walmart has the lowest yield in the group at just 0.81%, but its payout ratio is also the lowest at 36.13%. The company has raised its dividend for 53 consecutive years.

MarketBeat gives Walmart a Moderate Buy consensus based on 1 strong buy, 30 buy ratings, and 4 hold ratings — one of the strongest analyst vote totals here. There are no sell ratings.

The low payout ratio means Walmart has far more flexibility to keep growing its dividend than many mature stocks. It is less about income today and more about dividend safety and growth over time.

Final Thoughts

Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble stand out as the most balanced picks, offering a mix of yield, payout discipline, and long track records. Coca-Cola gets the strongest analyst endorsement. Exxon carries the most risk due to its energy exposure and is the only stock with a Hold consensus and a sell rating. Walmart rounds out the group as the safest payout structure, even if the current income is modest.

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