The Best Performing Dividend Stocks over the Last 25 Years
Updated as of: October 9, 2026
Dividend income composes a major part of equity investing over the long run; 33% of all stocks listed on major US exchanges pay a dividend, making for plenty of options to take advantage of periodic earnings distributions.
With more than one-third of U.S. stock market total returns since 1930 having been produced by dividends, it’s no surprise that a common investment objective is dividend income.
To help advisors make more informed decisions about which stocks to consider for client portfolios, this article contains the best-performing dividend stocks from the last year all the way back to the past decade, with data routinely updated by YCharts.
To create this list, we used the YCharts Stock Screener to find the best-performing dividend yielding stocks on the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index over a YTD, 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year basis.
Table of Contents
Looking for lists of the best-performing dividend ETFs? Check out our Best Performing Dividend ETFs analysis here.
Best Performing Dividend Stocks YTD
These are the top-performing dividend stocks YTD, as of September 30, 2026.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Price Returns | YTD Total Returns | Dividend Yield | Dividend | Market Cap ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TGT | Target Corp. | 60.30% | 64.64% | 2.92% | $1.16 | $71,182.94 |
| TXN | Texas Instruments Incorporated | 61.44% | 64.17% | 2.03% | $1.52 | $255,722.17 |
| ADI | Analog Devices, Inc. | 46.28% | 47.59% | 1.08% | $1.10 | $192,231.98 |
| NUE | Nucor Corp. | 43.31% | 44.49% | 0.96% | $0.56 | $53,061.25 |
| RHI | Robert Half, Inc. | 35.31% | 43.55% | 6.42% | $0.59 | $3,761.80 |
| CAT | Caterpillar, Inc. | 41.53% | 42.41% | 0.76% | $1.63 | $372,699.81 |
| ADM | Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. | 38.08% | 40.96% | 2.61% | $0.52 | $38,261.16 |
| BEN | Franklin Templeton, Inc. | 34.45% | 39.10% | 4.11% | $0.33 | $16,301.13 |
| XOM | ExxonMobil Holdings Corp. | 35.24% | 37.93% | 2.53% | $1.03 | $669,228.00 |
| CVX | Chevron Corp. | 33.99% | 37.71% | 3.45% | $1.78 | $403,472.26 |
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Best Performing Dividend Stocks in the Last Year
These are the top-performing dividend stocks over the past year, as of September 30, 2026.
| Symbol | Name | 1 Year Price Return | 1 Year Total Return | Dividend Yield | Dividend | Market Cap ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TGT | Target Corp. | 74.68% | 81.64% | 2.92% | $1.16 | $71,182.94 |
| NUE | Nucor Corp. | 72.60% | 74.62% | 0.96% | $0.56 | $53,061.25 |
| CAT | Caterpillar, Inc. | 69.92% | 71.46% | 0.76% | $1.63 | $372,699.81 |
| JBHT | J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. | 66.99% | 68.34% | 0.80% | $0.45 | $21,041.63 |
| ADI | Analog Devices, Inc. | 61.46% | 63.49% | 1.08% | $1.10 | $192,231.98 |
| TXN | Texas Instruments Incorporated | 52.45% | 56.38% | 2.03% | $1.52 | $255,722.17 |
| EXPD | Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. | 50.62% | 52.17% | 0.86% | $0.81 | $24,007.08 |
| XOM | ExxonMobil Holdings Corp. | 44.35% | 48.49% | 2.53% | $1.03 | $669,228.00 |
| NDSN | Nordson Corp. | 44.46% | 46.25% | 1.04% | $0.94 | $18,261.05 |
| JNJ | Johnson & Johnson | 42.78% | 45.99% | 1.99% | $1.34 | $637,554.28 |
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Best Performing Dividend Stocks in the Last 3 Years
These are the top-performing dividend stocks on an annualized basis between October 1st, 2023 and September 30, 2026.
| Symbol | Name | 3 Year Price Return | 3 Year Total Return | Dividend Yield | Dividend | Market Cap ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAT | Caterpillar, Inc. | 196.99% | 209.80% | 0.76% | $1.63 | $372,699.81 |
| CAH | Cardinal Health, Inc. | 156.28% | 168.41% | 0.92% | $0.52 | $51,842.50 |
| CMI | Cummins, Inc. | 126.11% | 140.22% | 1.59% | $2.20 | $71,113.35 |
| ADI | Analog Devices, Inc. | 126.57% | 137.51% | 1.08% | $1.10 | $192,231.98 |
| TRV | The Travelers Cos., Inc. | 118.30% | 129.71% | 1.32% | $1.25 | $74,367.99 |
| RGLD | Royal Gold, Inc. | 121.95% | 129.49% | 0.79% | $0.48 | $19,982.83 |
| CASY | Casey's General Stores, Inc. | 124.09% | 127.24% | 0.39% | $0.65 | $22,500.49 |
| R | Ryder System, Inc. | 113.05% | 126.79% | 1.64% | $1.01 | $8,737.72 |
| UMBF | UMB Financial Corp. | 109.52% | 119.61% | 1.38% | $0.50 | $9,873.95 |
| HWKN | Hawkins, Inc. | 114.10% | 118.27% | 0.61% | $0.20 | $2,613.73 |
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Best Performing Dividend Stocks in the Last 5 Years
These are the top-performing dividend stocks on an annualized basis between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2026.
| Symbol | Name | 5 Year Price Return | 5 Year Total Return | Dividend Yield | Dividend | Market Cap ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAH | Cardinal Health, Inc. | 349.86% | 396.91% | 0.92% | $0.52 | $51,842.50 |
| CAT | Caterpillar, Inc. | 322.35% | 360.30% | 0.76% | $1.63 | $372,699.81 |
| HWKN | Hawkins, Inc. | 261.24% | 278.22% | 0.61% | $0.20 | $2,613.73 |
| GWW | W.W. Grainger, Inc. | 216.94% | 232.96% | 0.76% | $2.49 | $58,675.92 |
| CASY | Casey's General Stores, Inc. | 222.88% | 231.99% | 0.39% | $0.65 | $22,500.49 |
| XOM | ExxonMobil Holdings Corp. | 176.69% | 229.72% | 2.53% | $1.03 | $669,228.00 |
| R | Ryder System, Inc. | 175.49% | 210.52% | 1.64% | $1.01 | $8,737.72 |
| ABBV | AbbVie, Inc. | 142.50% | 191.60% | 2.61% | $1.73 | $462,247.66 |
| COR | Cencora, Inc. | 151.36% | 164.18% | 0.80% | $0.60 | $57,295.63 |
| RGLD | Royal Gold, Inc. | 147.15% | 161.22% | 0.79% | $0.48 | $19,982.83 |
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Best Performing Dividend Stocks in the Last 10 Years
These are the top-performing dividend stocks on an annualized basis between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2026.
| Symbol | Name | 10 Year Price Return | 10 Year Total Return | Dividend Yield | Dividend | Market Cap ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPL | Texas Pacific Land Corp. | 1125.28% | 1269.64% | 0.72% | $0.60 | $22,474.03 |
| CAT | Caterpillar, Inc. | 813.36% | 1036.87% | 0.76% | $1.63 | $372,699.81 |
| MSFT | Microsoft Corp. | 790.45% | 902.77% | 0.71% | $0.98 | $3,809,308.30 |
| CTAS | Cintas Corp. | 592.93% | 672.29% | 0.96% | $0.52 | $77,929.79 |
| ADI | Analog Devices, Inc. | 515.53% | 640.70% | 1.08% | $1.10 | $192,231.98 |
| COST | Costco Wholesale Corp. | 496.91% | 605.99% | 0.61% | $1.47 | $403,522.77 |
| HWKN | Hawkins, Inc. | 481.58% | 571.29% | 0.61% | $0.20 | $2,613.73 |
| GWW | W.W. Grainger, Inc. | 454.07% | 542.13% | 0.76% | $2.49 | $58,675.92 |
| ABBV | AbbVie, Inc. | 314.76% | 525.35% | 2.61% | $1.73 | $462,247.66 |
| FAST | Fastenal Co. | 374.20% | 515.08% | 1.94% | $0.26 | $56,835.40 |
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Best Performing Dividend Stocks in the Last 25 Years
These are the top-performing dividend stocks on an annualized basis between October 1, 2001 and September 30, 2026.
| Symbol | Name | 25 Year Price Return | 25 Year Total Return | Dividend Yield | Dividend | Market Cap ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPL | Texas Pacific Land Corp. | 41673.08% | 52488.42% | 0.64% | $0.60 | $25,027.47 |
| CMI | Cummins, Inc. | 6161.45% | 10781.51% | 1.57% | $2.20 | $71,972.38 |
| JBHT | J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. | 6772.70% | 8599.11% | 0.79% | $0.45 | $21,388.18 |
| WST | West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. | 5928.62% | 7957.28% | 0.24% | $0.22 | $25,922.69 |
| CAT | Caterpillar, Inc. | 3519.60% | 6545.08% | 0.77% | $1.63 | $368,043.31 |
| CASY | Casey's General Stores, Inc. | 5017.41% | 6260.42% | 0.37% | $0.65 | $23,705.64 |
| SHW | The Sherwin-Williams Co. | 4264.58% | 6130.09% | 1.00% | $0.80 | $77,382.79 |
| OZK | Bank OZK | 3280.97% | 5740.11% | 4.18% | $0.49 | $4,855.57 |
| BMI | Badger Meter, Inc. | 3806.40% | 5476.04% | 1.26% | $0.44 | $3,772.63 |
| HWKN | Hawkins, Inc. | 3160.03% | 5442.62% | 0.59% | $0.20 | $2,718.07 |
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What Was the Growth of $10,000 in the Top Dividend Stocks Over the Last 10 Years?
If you invested $10,000 ten years ago into any of the ten best-performing dividend stocks over the last 10 years, your total return would be no less than $61K.
The best-performing dividend stock in the last 10 years was Texas Pacific Land Corp (TPL). A $10,000 investment into TPL 10 years ago would be worth nearly $137K today on a total return basis. Right behind TPL was Caterpillar (CAT); investing $10,000 into CAT back in 2016 would’ve turned into $113,690 with dividend reinvestment.
These two top performers, along with Microsoft (MSFT), achieved at least twice the return on investment of the S&P 500 Total Return and over $100,000 of total value on a $10,000 investment over the last ten years.
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