Some of the United States’ most well-known companies are delivering dividend increases to investors. Notably, these names are supplementing their already meaningful yields, which range from 2% to 4%. Despite differing performance, these firms are holding true in their commitments to return more capital to shareholders.
Johnson & Johnson Lifts Dividend as Shares Soar
First up is pharmaceutical stalwart Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ). The stock has delivered very impressive performance since the beginning of 2026, with its total return exceeding 10%. This compares to the less than 4% return of the S&P 500 Index over that time. The stock is also beating the biggest name in pharma, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY). LLY is down over 10% in 2026.
Notably, Johnson & Johnson saw its sales grow by 6% year-over-year (YOY) in 2025. While this may sound meager, it’s a strong performance given the firm’s history, as annual YOY growth has not exceeded 7% since 2007. The firm expects even better performance over the coming years, eyeing double-digit sales growth by the end of the decade.
Johnson & Johnson says its portfolio and pipeline are the strongest in its history. Importantly, the firm has 28 platforms or products generating $1 billion or more in annual revenue, demonstrating the strong diversification of its business.
The firm boosted its dividend in its latest earnings report, bringing its streak of annual dividend increases to 64 years. Its annual dividend will move up by 3.1% to $5.36, giving the stock a solid indicated yield near 2.2%. The company will pay its next $1.34 quarterly dividend on June 9 to shareholders of record as of the May 26 close.
Albertson Issues 13% Dividend Increase, Boosting Yield Near 4%
On the other hand, consumer staples stock and grocer Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) has not performed well. The stock’s year-to-date loss is about 2%. Sales rose by 3.5% YOY in the company’s fiscal year 2026 (FY2026), a significant improvement over 1.5% growth in 2025. (Note that Albertsons’ fiscal year reporting period is several quarters ahead of the calendar period.) However, margins faced significant pressure. The company’s full-year operating margin dropped by over 30 basis points, falling to a razor-thin 2.4%.
This is partially due to the growth of Albertson’s e-commerce business. The firm’s digital sales rose 16% YOY, accelerating its overall growth. However, e-commerce comes with added costs, particularly through fulfillment. Thus, the outsized growth of this segment is weighing down margins. However, the company’s e-commerce push is still in its early stages, representing only around 10% of total sales. As this business scales, margins should improve as fixed costs spread over a larger base.
Despite weak share price performance, Albertson’s announced a hefty 13.3% dividend increase on its latest call. The firm’s quarterly payment now sits at 17 cents per share, giving the stock a strong dividend yield near 4.1%. Albertson’s will make its next quarterly payment on May 8 to shareholders of record as of the April 24 close.
Oil Spike Hits Procter & Gamble, Prices and Dividends Are on the Rise
Last up is one of the largest names in the consumer staples sector, Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG). With a market capitalization near $340 billion, P&G is the world’s third most valuable consumer staples stock, sandwiched between Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST) and CocaCola (NYSE: KO). P&G’s performance has been meager this year, as it is roughly flat in 2026.
This is largely because shares have taken a significant hit lately, falling more than 10% since the beginning of March, likely due to the conflict in the Middle East, which has driven oil prices higher. This affects P&G because the company sells many oil-derived products, like shampoo, soaps, lotions, and moisturizers. As oil prices rise, these products face margin compression.
Likely in response to this, the company just announced price increases of up to 20% across all its products and services. While this can help protect margins, sales volumes may come under fire as consumers face even more inflationary pressure.
P&G is a longtime dividend booster, now having lifted its dividend for 70 years in a row. Its latest 3% increase moves the stock’s quarterly payment to just under $1.09. P&G’s indicated yield now sits at nearly 3%. The company will make its next quarterly payment on April 16 to shareholders of record as of the April 24 close.
Analysts Eye Meaningful Bounce-Back for Albertsons
Among this group, Wall Street analysts are expressing the most bullishness in Albertsons going forward. The MarketBeat consensus price target on ACI sits at $21.31, implying over 25% upside in shares. Targets updated in April average just barely below this at $21.25.
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