Best Buy (BBY)

Financial Score: 95 / 99

Quick Tip

To keep your portfolio strong, stay on top of the financials for each company you hold. Solid companies mean better returns, so be sure to check in on their quarterly and annual numbers.

Interesting stocks usually score 80+ on the Financial Scale, with top players hitting 90+. If that score dips below 80, it might be a good time to consider cutting ties before things take a turn.

Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY) is a Minneapolis-based consumer electronics retailer serving customers across the U.S. and Canada through 1,117 stores and a growing digital platform. Founded in 1966 as Sound of Music in St. Paul, Minnesota, it rebranded to Best Buy in 1983 and launched the high-volume, low-price superstore model that reshaped the industry. Today it sells computing, mobile phones, consumer electronics, appliances, entertainment, and services, with new profit streams like Best Buy Ads and a third-party Marketplace adding high-margin revenue alongside traditional retail.

Dividend engine: 22 years of hikes at a turned-around retailer

Best Buy pays $3.84 per share annually, a 5.08% forward yield, with a 71.11% payout ratio and a 5-year dividend-growth rate of +73.00%. That payout ratio is solid for a retailer that has rebuilt cost discipline and now runs multiple high-margin streams. The 22-year streak of hikes reflects management’s commitment to growing the dividend alongside earnings, supported by a customer base that keeps coming back for hardware, services, and Geek Squad support, plus a revenue mix that’s less dependent on pure product margins than it was a decade ago.

Latest reported numbers: Q1 FY27 ended May 2, 2026

For the 13-week first quarter ended May 2, 2026, Best Buy reported revenue of $8.936 billion, up 1.9% year-over-year, with comparable sales +2.0%. Operating income was $370 million (4.1% of revenue) vs. $219 million (2.5%) last year. GAAP net earnings were $276 million ($1.31/share diluted), vs. $202 million ($0.95/share), and adjusted diluted EPS was $1.28 vs. $1.15, per the May 28, 2026 SEC-exhibited press release. The company also returned $202 million to shareholders through dividends in the quarter and reaffirmed FY27 adjusted EPS guidance of $6.30–$6.60.

Growth story: Ads, Marketplace, and a CEO transition

Best Buy’s growth is now driven by high-margin media and third-party commerce, not just product sales. Best Buy Ads collections are projected to approach $1 billion in FY27 (up ~10%), while U.S. Marketplace gross merchandise volume is expected to reach at least $1.2 billion; domestic Marketplace GMV hit roughly $250 million in Q1, pushing domestic sales growth above 4% when included. The company also announced a CEO transition: Corie Barry will step down later in 2026, with Jason Bonfig taking over effective November 1, 2026, focusing on advancing Best Buy as a retail, media/advertising, and technology company while expanding reach and elevating the customer experience.

A 1966 audio store that survived a tornado

Best Buy’s origin story is literally storm-driven. In 1981, a tornado damaged the Roseville, Minnesota Sound of Music store, and Richard Schulze ran a “Tornado Sale” in the parking lot, selling damaged stock at deep discounts. The four-day event generated more revenue than a typical month, revealing the power of a high-volume, low-price model and directly leading to the 1983 rebrand to Best Buy and the launch of the superstore format. That forced experiment became the foundation for the modern retail empire.

Final take

Best Buy offers 5.08% yield, $3.84 annual dividend, 22 years of hikes, +73.00% 5-year dividend growth, and a 71.11% payout ratio. The business is supported by positive comps, operating income rate expansion, and scaling high-margin streams like Ads and Marketplace, but consumer electronics remains cyclical and competition with Amazon is relentless. Financial Score: 95. This is a strong, highly reliable company—scores above 90 are considered elite, signaling genuine durability in earnings, cash flow, and dividend coverage. The turnaround is real, the high-margin engine is scaling, and the dividend track record is solid. Investors should still verify sustained comp growth, Ads/Marketplace execution, and the impact of the CEO transition before building a position.

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• How Effective is the MaxDividends Strategy for Building Growing Passive Income

• One More Secret Ingredient for the MaxDividends Strategy

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• Didn’t get the answer you need? Reach out: max@maxdividends.app or team@maxdividends.app — we’ll help you out.

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*Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s personal opinions and is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice in any form. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor. The author may hold positions in some of the stocks mentioned, in line with the views expressed. This is a disclosure, not a recommendation to buy or sell any securities.

As a reader of MaxDividends, you agree to our disclaimer. You can read the full disclaimer here.

Today at 94 years old, Buffett is worth $146.4 billion according to Forbes, making him the 10th richest person globally. This fortune comes after giving away $60 billion to charity since 2006, with his latest $6 billion donation last July bringing total giving to nearly $48 billion over 20 years. If he hadn’t been so generous, his net worth would reach $205–210 billion. Yet he still trails Elon Musk, who now stands at $788.8 billion and will become the world’s first trillionaire after SpaceX’s upcoming IPO at $135 per share valuing the company at $1.77 trillion.

Buffett’s success comes from two fundamentals: he invested regularly with decent returns and lived a long life. Berkshire Hathaway delivered 19.8% compounded annual growth from 1965, nearly double the S&P 500’s 10.4%. Over 60 years, Berkshire shares skyrocketed 5,502,284%, equating to 19.9% annually. At 10% annual return, close to the S&P 500’s historical average, every dollar invested today becomes $117 in 50 years.

The best results come in later years regardless of when you measure. Buffett started investing as a teenager but didn’t become a billionaire until age 56 in 1986 when his net worth reached $1.4 billion, quadrupling from $250 million in 1982. By age 72 his fortune hit $35.7 billion before exploding to current levels. A staggering 99% of Buffett’s wealth was built after his 56th birthday, not in his twenties, thirties, or even forties. Nearly 99% accumulated after he turned 50.

This proves getting rich slowly still gets you rich spectacularly if the timeline is long enough. Buffett has been tap dancing to work for decades with a philosophy of buying businesses with durable competitive advantages run by honest managers at sensible prices. His majority fortune of approximately $167 billion comes from his 37% stake in Berkshire, which represents roughly 99-and-a-half percent of his net worth.

Berkshire now holds $189 billion in cash, a record high, as Buffett finds few stocks worth buying at current valuations. The company reported $12.9 billion in investment gains last year including $9.6 billion in the fourth quarter alone. Revenue reached $367 billion up from $314 billion previously while net income hit $37.4 billion compared to $30.8 billion.

For investors patience remains key. Look for opportunities with long growth runways where wealth builds at high rates over many years. The market rewards those who stay invested. The S&P 500 was positive during 26 of 33 years between 1993 and last year. Top tech stocks accounted for 53% of the index’s 17.9% return last year driven by AI spending while corporate profits hit record highs.

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• 📖 I ❤️ Dividends: Why I Believe Dividend Investing Is the Best Strategy | E-Book

• How Effective is the MaxDividends Strategy for Building Growing Passive Income

• One More Secret Ingredient for the MaxDividends Strategy

Help & Support

• Got a question about dividends? Ask Max, your AI Dividend Assistant!

• Didn’t get the answer you need? Reach out: max@maxdividends.app or team@maxdividends.app — we’ll help you out.

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*Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s personal opinions and is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice in any form. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor. The author may hold positions in some of the stocks mentioned, in line with the views expressed. This is a disclosure, not a recommendation to buy or sell any securities.

As a reader of MaxDividends, you agree to our disclaimer. You can read the full disclaimer here.

Evergy (EVRG)

Financial Score: 86 / 99

Quick Tip

To keep your portfolio strong, stay on top of the financials for each company you hold. Solid companies mean better returns, so be sure to check in on their quarterly and annual numbers.

Interesting stocks usually score 80+ on the Financial Scale, with top players hitting 90+. If that score dips below 80, it might be a good time to consider cutting ties before things take a turn.

Evergy, Inc. (EVRG) serves 1.7 million electric customers in Kansas and Missouri through regulated subsidiaries focused on generation, transmission, and distribution. It emerged from the 2018 merger of Westar Energy and Great Plains Energy and now runs a classic investor-owned utility model: invest in infrastructure, recover costs via approved rates, and grow earnings through rate base expansion plus large-load contracts.

Dividend engine: 22 years of hikes at a regulated utility

Evergy pays $2.78 per share annually, a 3.37% forward yield, with a 73.74% payout ratio and a 5-year dividend-growth rate of +32.00%. The payout ratio is on the higher side but still consistent with regulated utilities that fund grid modernization and leverage control under fixed-rate frameworks. The 22-year streak of hikes reflects management’s willingness to grow the dividend alongside earnings, supported by a customer base that’s highly inelastic and a revenue model tied to rate approvals rather than commodity swings.

Latest reported numbers: 2025 full year and Q4 2025

For full-year 2025, GAAP earnings were $855.6 million ($3.66/share) vs. $873.5 million ($3.79/share) in 2024; adjusted earnings were $893.8 million ($3.83/share) vs. $877.9 million ($3.81/share). Q4 2025 GAAP earnings were $84.3 million ($0.36/share), adjusted earnings $99.8 million ($0.42/share), per the February 19, 2026 SEC-exhibited press release. The company also received approval for new large-load power tariffs in Kansas and Missouri, a key step for monetizing heavy demand without passing costs to existing ratepayers.

Growth story: data centers, not just rate base

Evergy’s largest tailwind is now load, not just meters. It signed electric service agreements for 1.9 GW with Google, Meta, and Beale Infrastructure, with at least one more expected in 2026, and is in advanced discussions for an additional 2–3.5 GW. Retail sales are expected to rise up to 8% annually driven by data-center growth, and the company increased its 2026–2030 capital plan to $21.6 billion (up 24%) to support generation and grid upgrades. Missouri approved a large-load rate plan requiring 12-year minimum contracts, collateral equal to two years of bills, and exit fees, ensuring costs are fully recovered from large users.

Why the credit view is mixed

S&P Global Ratings forecasts Evergy’s consolidated FFO-to-debt at 13%–15% through 2026, which is acceptable but not elite for a utility. A Kansas rate case settlement pushed the long-term EPS growth target down to 4%–6% through 2026 (from 6%–8%), reflecting a 9.4% return on equity and a tougher regulatory environment. That mix—strong large-load pipeline but tighter rate-case outcomes—creates a story that’s interesting but not automatically safe.

Final take

Evergy offers 3.37% yield, $2.78 annual dividend, 22 years of hikes, +32.00% 5-year dividend growth, and a 73.74% payout ratio. The business is supported by a $21.6B capital plan, a 15 GW large-load pipeline (5 GW advanced), and data-center-driven load growth, but regulatory friction and capital intensity remain real risks. Financial Score: 86. This company is interesting, but the score suggests you should dig deeper and recheck the financials—especially FFO-to-debt, rate-case outcomes, and execution on the large-load pipeline—before treating it as a core holding.

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• 📖 I ❤️ Dividends: Why I Believe Dividend Investing Is the Best Strategy | E-Book

• How Effective is the MaxDividends Strategy for Building Growing Passive Income

• One More Secret Ingredient for the MaxDividends Strategy

Help & Support

• Got a question about dividends? Ask Max, your AI Dividend Assistant!

• Didn’t get the answer you need? Reach out: max@maxdividends.app or team@maxdividends.app — we’ll help you out.

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*Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s personal opinions and is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice in any form. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor. The author may hold positions in some of the stocks mentioned, in line with the views expressed. This is a disclosure, not a recommendation to buy or sell any securities.

As a reader of MaxDividends, you agree to our disclaimer. You can read the full disclaimer here.

The Incretin Portfolio Is a Multi-Product Engine, Not a One-Hit Play

When Citi says the portfolio is not built around singular blockbusters, what they are really describing is a multi-product strategy that can keep compounding even as the market gets more competitive. The incretin class touches GLP-1 and related pathways, and it is the foundation of the modern obesity and diabetes fight. That is why the data from the ADA conference mattered. It gave another data point showing the program is still moving forward, not just hitting a plateau or running into resistance.

Obesity is a massive long-term market with demand still growing and the competitive landscape still forming. For Lilly, the point is that the incretin portfolio can support multiple products, not just one, and that makes the business more durable. When you have a portfolio that can expand across different indications and patient populations, you are not as exposed to a single product’s lifecycle. That is the kind of setup that lets a biopharma company keep growing even when the market gets noisy.

What the ADA Data Tells You About the Road Ahead

The presentations at the ADA conference gave the market more visibility into how the incretin platform is performing in real-world settings. Investors care about this because it shows whether the drugs are actually delivering on their promise across different patient groups, not just in a controlled clinical environment. When data comes through cleanly, it usually means the company can keep expanding access, keep regulators comfortable, and keep the pipeline moving toward new indications.

For Lilly, the key is that the incretin platform is not a single product with a narrow scope. It is a platform that can be adapted to multiple conditions, which gives management more flexibility to keep the business growing even when individual segments slow. That is the kind of design that lets a company keep compounding revenue without needing a fresh blockbuster every year.

Why Citi’s Conviction Matters for the Long Arc

Citi analysts saying their conviction is firmly intact tells you the thesis is still working. The portfolio is not dependent on one product to carry the whole story. It is built so that different products can support each other, expand into new areas, and keep the revenue stream steady even when the market gets more competitive. That is the kind of durability investors look for in a long-term biopharma name.

When a company is in the middle of a major growth phase, like the obesity and diabetes fight, the market is watching to see if the platform can keep improving outcomes while also expanding access. Lilly’s incretin portfolio is structured to do both. That is why the ADA data and Citi’s comment are sending the same signal: the business is still in a build-out phase, and the platform is designed to keep compounding over time.

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• 📖 What is the MaxDividends Idea & Concept | E-Book

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• 🔑 Explore the Premium Hub (exclusive — upgrade to unlock)

Guides & Step-by-Step

• Getting Started: Your Step-by-Step Dividend Plan

• How Do We Select MaxDividends Stocks

Deep Insights

• 📖 I ❤️ Dividends: Why I Believe Dividend Investing Is the Best Strategy | E-Book

• How Effective is the MaxDividends Strategy for Building Growing Passive Income

• One More Secret Ingredient for the MaxDividends Strategy

Help & Support

• Got a question about dividends? Ask Max, your AI Dividend Assistant!

• Didn’t get the answer you need? Reach out: max@maxdividends.app or team@maxdividends.app — we’ll help you out.

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*Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s personal opinions and is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice in any form. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor. The author may hold positions in some of the stocks mentioned, in line with the views expressed. This is a disclosure, not a recommendation to buy or sell any securities.

As a reader of MaxDividends, you agree to our disclaimer. You can read the full disclaimer here.

My personal life & business column — a mix of life moments, investing insights, and reflections on long-term wealth building.

Let me take you back to the moment I finished an Ironman.

If you’re not familiar — that’s a 4 km open water swim, 180 km on the bike, and then a full 42 km marathon run. All in one day.

Why did I do it?

Honestly, it doesn’t fully make sense from a purely logical standpoint. But it was a goal I had carried with me for years.

It’s one of those things — once you’ve done it, you realize that what once felt impossible… isn’t. Here’s what most people don’t see.

The journey took three years. Six days a week. Around 2–3 hours per day on average. Sometimes more. Sometimes a lot more.

And life didn’t pause during that time. Things happen. People get sick. Children are born. People pass away.

During those years, my first child was born. We moved into the apartment we had dreamed about. And just a couple of months before the race, my father passed away.

There were plenty of reasons to quit. But I didn’t.

And then — after nearly 13 hours — I crossed the finish line and heard: “You are an Ironman.” That moment… it held everything. My wife and I stood there, emotional, exhausted, proud.

💪 It was the peak.

But here’s the part people rarely talk about. The hardest moment isn’t before. It’s not even during. It’s after.

Because after the high — life keeps going. And finding new motivation? That’s the real challenge. This pattern shows up everywhere.

First comes the excitement. Then the drop. And after that — either you stop, or you keep going slowly, building something real. It all depends on what’s driving you. Investing works the same way.

A quick win — especially in a strong market — feels great. Almost addictive. But that feeling doesn’t last.

And then comes the phase that actually matters. The part where you keep showing up. Where euphoria turns into habit.

Because once it becomes a habit — it gets easier. Much easier. You stop chasing emotions — and start building something that lasts.

💡 If you want to stay in the game long enough to see real results, you need a clear answer to one simple question:

Why are you doing this — and is your answer strong enough to keep you going when the excitement fades?

Enjoy your Sunday coffee ☕

With respect for your well-being, Max

***

MaxDividends Community

We’ve built a small, private community where conversations like this happen every day. No noise, no hot takes — just people focused on building wealth for the long term. There’s no public link — we add people manually to keep the quality high.

At the core of our success is the MaxDividends Research Platform — the primary tool we rely on for every stage of dividend investing.

From discovering high-quality dividend stocks and analyzing payout sustainability to monitoring portfolio performance and identifying new opportunities, the platform provides the research, data, and insights our community uses every day to make informed decisions with confidence.

Try the MaxDividends Research Platform →

MaxDividends Mission: Helping people build growing passive income, retire early, and live off dividends.

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Intro

Global dividend leaders with 50+ consecutive years of dividend increases — tested through every market cycle.

👑 Undervalued Dividend Kings — Monthly Edition

Dividend Kings sit at the very top of the dividend world.

These are companies that have raised their dividends for 50 years or more — across recessions, inflation shocks, wars, bubbles, crashes, and entire economic cycles. Entire careers came and went, and these businesses kept paying more — year after year.

Not just surviving. Compounding.

Owning Dividend Kings means owning businesses that were built to endure. Businesses with pricing power, discipline, and management teams that understand one thing extremely well: dividends are a promise, not a marketing slogan.

And yet — even kings can become mispriced. That’s where things get interesting.

📊 What We Found This Month

Inside MaxDividends, we track thousands of dividend-paying companies worldwide — scoring them across 150+ financial metrics to isolate true strength, safety, and long-term income reliability.

Within that universe, Dividend Kings represent the highest standard: businesses that have raised dividends for 50+ consecutive years.

Right now, a small and rare subset of these Kings is trading below intrinsic value — creating a window to lock in stronger yields and decades of compounding in companies built to endure every market cycle.

This month, we analyzed the full Dividend Kings universe and identified 33 Dividend Kings with Financial Scores above 90 — with 14 standing out as genuinely undervalued today.

🍿 And That’s Not All

Today’s full edition also includes:

• The 3 Best-Performing Kings From Last Month’s List

• 3 Top Dividend Kings to Consider Right Now

• The Full List of Undervalued Dividend Kings

• The Complete, Up-To-Date Dividend Kings List (50+ years): US & International

🎯 Spotlight: The 3 Best-Performing Kings From Last Month’s List

+14.56% GWW — W.W. Grainger Inc

Industrial Distribution | Yield: 0.77%

👉 A high-quality Dividend King that continues to execute at an elite level. Grainger’s combination of resilient demand, exceptional profitability, and disciplined capital allocation helped drive another month of market-beating performance. Quietly compounding through every cycle is what this business does best.

+12.85% HRL — Hormel Foods Corp

Consumer Staples | Yield: 4.95%

👉 A defensive Dividend King that reminded investors why patience pays. Hormel’s portfolio of trusted food brands generates resilient cash flow across economic cycles, while its attractive yield and improving sentiment helped fuel a strong rebound. High-quality staples businesses rarely stay discounted forever.

+10.14% ADP — Automatic Data Processing Inc

Human Capital Management | Yield: 2.93%

👉 A world-class Dividend King built around recurring revenue and exceptional consistency. ADP provides mission-critical payroll and workforce solutions to businesses of all sizes, creating a durable stream of cash flow across economic cycles. Combined with a long history of dividend growth and disciplined execution, it’s easy to see why investors rewarded this King over the past month.

🚀 Which Dividend Kings Look Most Undervalued Right Now?

Of course, those were last month’s winners. But which dividend titans look most compelling today?

Discover the ones delivering strong results while still trading at attractive valuations. Get the triple benefit of reliable income, dividend growth, and upside potential from recession-resistant businesses built to last.

Try the MaxDividends Research Platform →

Try the MaxDividends Research Platform →

MaxDividends Mission: Helping people build growing passive income, retire early, and live off dividends.

Try the MaxDividends Research Platform →

Intro

This week, we’ve gathered some of the most compelling dividend stories every investor should know.

I’m all in on dividend stocks, balancing capital growth with growing dividend income. My goal? Living off dividends.

To truly focus on what we love, we need to stop stressing about daily expenses. For me, the answer was building a growing stream of passive income through dividend stocks.

And this is where MaxDividends truly proves its value.

The MaxDividends Income System, powered by our dividend intelligence app — a proven, safe financial engine that turns invested capital into growing dividend income so you can live off dividends and retire early on your own terms.

Max’s Word Here

06/05 Update — email me anytime: max@maxdividends.app

Alright partners, there’s quite a bit to talk about this week.

I’m continuing my dividend journey, and this week brought two developments that I’m especially happy about. The first is dividend reinvestment, which helps accelerate the growth of my income stream today.

At this stage, I’m benefiting from three different income drivers working together:

• A) New investments from savings

• B) Reinvesting the dividends my portfolio generates

• C) Dividend increases from the companies I own

Together, these three forces push my income higher week after week. Every month, the compounding effect becomes a little stronger and the income snowball gains a little more momentum.

According to my current projections, I’ve now completed roughly 35% of the journey toward my long-term income goal. What’s encouraging is that this projection assumes I could eventually stop adding new capital and still continue moving forward through dividend reinvestment and dividend growth alone. Of course, I have no intention of stopping. By continuing to invest fresh capital alongside reinvested dividends, I’m bringing that target income closer with every passing month.

Looking ahead to next week, I plan to continue building my position in Domino’s Pizza if market conditions remain favorable. I’ll also be watching opportunities in ADP and Mueller Industries. Toward the end of the week, I’ll spend some time reviewing the Dividend Eagles list for additional portfolio ideas and will share any interesting findings with you.

The system stays the same. Capital stays disciplined. We keep building. Steady steps. Clear roles. Long horizon. That’s the rhythm.

The MaxDividends Income System — combined with selecting high-quality dividend companies using our 5-step secret formula, and supported by the MaxDividends app — allows me to build my own path toward financial freedom.

Every week I place another brick into the foundation of that future freedom. And today those bricks are already hard to miss. The results are becoming visible. They are becoming tangible.

The most remarkable thing about this seemingly simple formula for success is that it’s repeatable. I invest in businesses I genuinely like. I choose companies I trust. And my passive dividend income keeps growing.

Live off dividends on your terms! 💪💰

This Week’s Best Reads 💡

Dividend Deep Dives & Investing Gold

This week kept investors busy with fresh record highs in the major indexes, a hot AI tape led by Nvidia’s new superchip, a fresh batch of earnings prints, and oil still moving around on Middle East tension. Add in tariff chatter and a market that can flip from euphoric to cautious in a heartbeat, and you’ve got plenty of noise.

But we’re not sweating it — settling in with the kind of stories that actually matter for long-term investors: dividend stocks versus dividend ETFs, a natural gas utility with 42 years of hikes and a pipes-and-regulation moat, why the crowd is often wrong, and a trash-and-recycling compounder that’s been quietly building wealth for 22 years.

Relax, pour your coffee, and enjoy the weekend unwind. ☕️

• ETF Edition: Why Dividend Funds Aren’t Purely a Free Lunch

• 2.58% Dividend Yield, 15 Years of Dividend Hikes – A Materials Science Leader Quietly Turning Labels Into Cash Flow

• General Dynamics Prints a Strong Quarter — Revenue Up 10.3% and the Tape Likes It

• 1.17% Dividend Yield, 16 Years of Dividend Hikes – A Medical Device Powerhouse With Surgical Scale And Consistent Innovation

MaxDividends Community

MaxDividends Mission: Helping people build growing passive income, retire early, and live off dividends.

We follow our time-tested strategy for tapping into overlooked dividend plays that can make your portfolio more resistant to recessions and other market panics and pack on consistent gains for years to come.

With MaxDividends Community you’ll always be part of a winning team and stop viewing the future as an uncertainty. Worry will fade, replaced by confidence and peace of mind. You’ll focus on doing what you love while your passive income continues to grow.

Choosing a strong environment is the key to achieving outstanding results. If you surround yourself with people who dream bigger than you, you increase your chances of reaching greater heights. Surround yourself only with those who will support you on your path to success.

At the core of our success is the MaxDividends Research Platform — the primary tool we rely on for every stage of dividend investing. From discovering high-quality dividend stocks and analyzing payout sustainability to monitoring portfolio performance and identifying new opportunities, the platform provides the research, data, and insights our community uses every day to make informed decisions with confidence.

Try the MaxDividends Research Platform →

MaxDividends Mission: Helping people build growing passive income, retire early, and live off dividends.

Every Friday, I share exactly what I’m buying — real positions, real decisions, no fluff.

My goal is simple: build a portfolio that generates $12,000 per month in dividend income within the next 10 years — creating a growing stream of income for myself and my family for years to come.

Over time, I’ve simplified my process and now rely on one tool above all others: the MaxDividends Research Platform. It helps me find quality dividend stocks, track dividend growth, and stay focused on long-term income investing.

Hi partners — Max here!

This week, I spent most of my time working on our family portfolio, making a few small adjustments that boosted our dividend income. I covered those changes in detail in two articles, both available on the MaxDividends Research Platform.

• Founder’s Notes: Making the Same Money Work Harder

• Founder’s Notes: Two New Additions to My Family Portfolio

Other than that, everything is going according to plan. I’m continuing to buy shares of companies I know and trust, while my passive income keeps moving in the right direction.

As of this week, my projected annual dividend income is up by $248 compared to last week.

One more piece of good news: next week marks the beginning of June.

Besides the arrival of summer, the first week of every month is traditionally when I reinvest all the dividends received during the previous month. As a result, next week’s purchases will be larger than usual.

And what does that mean? That’s right — even more dividend income heading straight into my bank account! 🚀

Below you’ll find a detailed breakdown of what I bought today, how the portfolio looks right now, and my plans for next week and beyond.

My portfolio is a fully transparent, real-time journey — no polishing the numbers and no adjusting results after the fact.

It’s a path anyone can follow with the right system and the MaxDividends app.

Alright — let’s get to today’s buys. So grab a coffee — let’s dig in ☕💪

My Dividend Portfolio. Goal: $12K in 120 Months — Month 24, Week 2: This Week’s Buys

My Latest Dividend Milestone

• ✅ $100/month – hit at Month 3

• ✅ $250/month – hit at Month 5

• ✅ $500/month – hit at Month 10

• ✅ $750/month – hit at Month 16

• ✅ $1,000/month – hit at Month 23

• 🎯 $1,250/month → 86% complete

These Bills Are Already Being Paid by Dividends

• ✅ Phone + Internet — $120

• ✅ Utilities — $350

• ✅ Coffee, lunches, small joys — $400

This is what financial freedom looks like — one expense at a time. MaxDividends Research Platform. Goals Progress.

My Current Goal

• 🎯 Groceries Top-Up — $217 / $700

Financial freedom in progress. MaxDividends Research Platform. Goals Progress.

My Next Goals

• 🎯 Gym + Streaming + Family Apps — $200

• 🎯 Weekend activities with the kids — $300

• 🎯 Insurance — $300

• 🎯 1–2 US flights or a short weekend getaway — $700

• 🎯 Rent: $2,700/month

These expenses are next in line for my dividends. MaxDividends Research Platform. Goals Progress.

💵 The Dividend Flywheel

My dividend income is now running at about $1,064 per month. It’s not a headline number. It won’t trend on social media. But it does matter.

Because this is what real progress looks like when income is built the right way. Quiet. Measurable. The income base keeps rising.

Every reinvested dollar tightens the structure. Every dividend hike raises the floor. And over time, that turns into momentum you can actually feel.

Portfolio Snapshot

• Total Invested (cash I personally added): ~$352,303

• Current Market Value: ~$369,794

• Annual Dividends: ~$13,038 (+$269 vs. last week)

• Yield on Cost: ~3.70%

The snowball keeps rolling — heavier every week.

🔔 Recent Dividend Raises: 20 so far — Year to Date (2026)

• Greif Inc +10%

• BestBuy +1.05%

• Johnson & Johnson +3.10%

• PepsiCo +4%

• Mueller Industries +40%

Overall, it was a pretty quiet week. We added two more dividend increases to the collection - Lowe’s and Universal Corp. Most of the action was in the family portfolio, and I covered all the details in the articles above.

Next week, I’ll be reinvesting dividends and sticking to the same game plan.

Every Friday, I share what I’m buying. Use it as a source of ideas for your own portfolio.

I explain the rules and decision-making process behind every purchase, so you can take what’s most useful and adapt it to your own investing journey.

I also share my progress openly — to motivate you to keep going, get started, or simply stay consistent when markets get noisy.

Over time, I’ve simplified my process and now rely on one tool above all others: the MaxDividends Research Platform. It helps me find quality dividend stocks, track dividend growth, and stay focused on long-term income investing.

MaxDividends Mission: Helping people build growing passive income, retire early, and live off dividends.

Every month, we update the MaxDividends Buy / Hold / Sell List — our handpicked collection of elite dividend companies and the same list we rely on in our own portfolios.

The goal is simple: provide clear guidance on which dividend stocks are attractive to buy, which remain worth holding, and which may be time to sell.

Remove guesswork from dividend investing.

• Buy when opportunities are attractive.

• Hold when quality remains intact.

• Sell when the investment case breaks.

The June 2026 Buy / Hold / Sell List is now available inside the MaxDividends Research Platform

Complete with all Buy, Hold, and Sell ratings, status changes, and supporting analysis.

This Month’s Changes

We continue strengthening the core of the Buy list with elite dividend compounders — businesses that combine exceptional financial discipline, strong dividend growth, and long-term structural advantages.

✅ Recently Added New Companies

35 international dividend opportunities were added this month.

Including:

• Novo Nordisk (NVO)

• Yokogawa Bridge Holdings (5911)

And 33 more companies that earned a place on the list after passing our review process.

🟢 Buy — Status Update

35 international companies have been added.

🟡 Hold — Status Update

The Hold list has been updated. Most changes are valuation-driven.

Several companies moved to Hold due to Overvalued status. Business quality remains intact — we simply respect price discipline inside the MaxDividends Income System.

🔴 Sell — Status Update

Microchip Technology (MCHP) → Sell

We’re downgrading Microchip Technology to a sell. The dividend payout trend looks pretty odd. The company’s been borrowing to fund dividends for a few years now, and that’s not something that can keep going forever. Levels are getting pretty stretched. Maybe things improve, but we’d rather stay on the sidelines for now.

Why This List Matters

Most investors know what to buy. Far fewer know:

• when to stop buying

• when to keep holding

• when to exit

The Buy / Hold / Sell List solves that problem.

👉 The complete Buy / Hold / Sell List — including all Buy, Hold, and Sell ratings, status changes, and company-by-company explanations — is available inside the MaxDividends Research Platform.

MaxDividends Mission: Helping people build growing passive income, retire early, and live off dividends.

Stryker (SYK)

Financial Score: 98 / 99

Quick Tip

To keep your portfolio strong, stay on top of the financials for each company you hold. Solid companies mean better returns, so be sure to check in on their quarterly and annual numbers.

Interesting stocks usually score 80+ on the Financial Scale, with top players hitting 90+. If that score dips below 80, it might be a good time to consider cutting ties before things take a turn.

Stryker (SYK) is a Kalamazoo, Michigan-based medical technology company with operations across the U.S. and international markets, focused on orthopedics, medical and surgical equipment, neurotechnology, and spine products. Its portfolio reaches hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and specialty clinics, where it supplies tools that clinicians use every day rather than once in a blue moon. Over time, it has grown into one of the most recognizable medtech franchises in the world, built on a mix of acquisitions, product launches, and steady investment in innovation.

Dividend engine: a low-yield name with room to grow

Stryker pays $3.52 per share annually, which gives it a 1.17% yield and a 40.74% payout ratio, so the dividend is clearly being treated as a growth-friendly commitment rather than a cash drain. The company has raised the payout for 16 consecutive years, and its 5-year dividend growth rate of +44.00% shows that management has been comfortable letting the dividend grow alongside the business. That fits the medtech profile nicely: you want a payout that stays out of the way of R&D and acquisitions, and Stryker’s coverage leaves plenty of room for both. It is not the kind of dividend that screams for attention, but it is the kind that quietly compounds while the product pipeline keeps doing its job.

Q1 2026: sales grew, but a cyber hit muddied the quarter

For the first quarter of 2026, reported April 30, Stryker posted net sales of $6.0 billion, up 2.6% year over year, with organic sales growth of 2.4% and adjusted EPS of $2.60. The company also reported operating margin of 15.5% and adjusted operating margin of 21.1%, which tells you the core business was still producing healthy economics even though a late-quarter cyber incident disrupted some revenue timing and pressured results. In other words, the quarter was not perfect, but the underlying demand backdrop was still solid enough that management held full-year guidance for organic sales growth of 8.5% and adjusted EPS of $14.90 to $15.10.

Growth levers: new products, portfolio breadth, and procedure volume

Stryker’s growth story is still mostly about doing more in the places hospitals already spend money. The company continues to lean on new products, especially in orthopedics and surgical tools, while also expanding its presence in high-volume care settings where procedure counts matter more than headline drama. That broad footprint gives it a lot of ways to win: implant volume, instrument refresh cycles, and adjacent equipment sales all feed the same machine. Even after the cyber-related disruption, management pointed to strong underlying demand and kept the long-term growth framework intact, which suggests the franchise still has enough momentum to absorb a bump in the road without losing the bigger picture.

How a medtech company became a compounding habit

The interesting thing about Stryker is that it sits in a category where customers do not buy for fun; they buy because the products are tied to patient outcomes, workflow efficiency, and surgeon preference. That creates a nice kind of stickiness, because once a hospital standardizes on systems, instruments, and implant families, switching becomes more complicated than just swapping a supplier. Add in the fact that Stryker has spent decades building brand trust in specialties where reliability matters, and you get a business that behaves a lot like an operating habit for healthcare providers. That is a very good place to be when you want repeat business and pricing power without having to shout about it.

Final Take – A medtech compounder that still has plenty of runway

Stryker offers a 1.17% yield, $3.52 annual dividend, 40.74% payout ratio, 16 years of dividend hikes, and +44.00% five-year dividend growth, all supported by a business that keeps finding ways to sell into the everyday machinery of healthcare. Q1 2026 delivered $6.0 billion in sales, $2.60 adjusted EPS, 15.5% operating margin, and 21.1% adjusted operating margin, while management left full-year guidance intact despite the cyber noise. Financial Score: 98. That is firmly in elite territory: the dividend is well covered, the growth profile is still attractive, and the company’s depth across hospitals and surgical workflows gives it a moat that feels more practical than flashy, which is usually where the best long-term stories hide.

Learn the MaxDividends Way

Start Here

• 📖 What is the MaxDividends Idea & Concept | E-Book

• 🎯 What is the MaxDividends Strategy

• 🔑 Explore the Premium Hub (exclusive — upgrade to unlock)

Guides & Step-by-Step

• Getting Started: Your Step-by-Step Dividend Plan

• How Do We Select MaxDividends Stocks

Deep Insights

• 📖 I ❤️ Dividends: Why I Believe Dividend Investing Is the Best Strategy | E-Book

• How Effective is the MaxDividends Strategy for Building Growing Passive Income

• One More Secret Ingredient for the MaxDividends Strategy

Help & Support

• Got a question about dividends? Ask Max, your AI Dividend Assistant!

• Didn’t get the answer you need? Reach out: max@maxdividends.app or team@maxdividends.app — we’ll help you out.

Share

*Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s personal opinions and is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice in any form. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor. The author may hold positions in some of the stocks mentioned, in line with the views expressed. This is a disclosure, not a recommendation to buy or sell any securities.

As a reader of MaxDividends, you agree to our disclaimer. You can read the full disclaimer here.

Intro

In this section, we share ready-made sets of promising dividend growth stocks with strong future dividend potential — built for $300, $500, and $1,000 weekly investment plans.

Easy-Peasy Secret Formula

At MaxDividends, Easy-Peasy isn’t built on opinions or lucky picks. It’s built on a proven income system — the same principles that have created wealth and cash flow for investors for generations.

This is the MaxDividends Income System in action: a safe financial engine designed to turn capital into growing dividend income, week after week, year after year.

Every Easy-Peasy set you see is not “a list of stocks.” It’s the result of a clear, tested process that stands on three pillars:

• Dividend Intelligence — finding businesses with real cash flow, sustainable payouts, and the ability to keep raising income over time.

• Risk & Quality Control — filtering out weak balance sheets, fragile dividends, and companies that can’t survive the next cycle.

• Execution & Momentum — a system that keeps you moving forward even when you’re busy, tired, or not thinking about the market.

That’s how the Easy-Peasy formula is born. Inside the MaxDividends Income System, we use:

• The MaxDividends Research Platform — to track real portfolios, dividends, and income growth in real time.

• The MaxDividends Platform Ideas — to surface high-quality dividend opportunities and optimize yield.

• The Dividend Eagles List — pre-built universes of companies that have already proven they can grow and pay shareholders.

This isn’t theory. This is a working machine. And you’re already inside it.

You don’t have to wonder whether this works — you can see the dividends landing, month after month. Below you’ll see exactly how that system turns into real money — simple, boring, and incredibly powerful.

More importantly, you’ll see how you can put the same system to work in your own portfolio today, whether you’re just beginning your investing journey or already building wealth.

This Week’s Additions

This week, the Easy-Peasy portfolios added positions in:

• Broadridge Financial Solutions (BR)

• Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)

• +3 more high-quality dividend growers

⭐️ $300 Weekly Portfolio Snapshot. Week 93

• Total invested: ~$26,7241

• Dividends today: ~$769/year vs $759/year last week

• Weekly Income Growth: +$10/year

Looking Ahead

If dividend growth and contributions continue at similar rates: Projected 10-Year Income: ~$204/month. That’s over 10% yield on original capital invested.

Dividend Growth Highlights

Recent increases from portfolio holdings:

• Williams-Sonoma +15.15%

• Shoe Carnival +13.33%

• Cisco Systems +2.44%

• Bank OZK +2.17%

Each increase boosts future income without investing another dollar.

⭐️ $500 Weekly Portfolio Snapshot. Week 93

• Total invested: ~$45,387

• Dividends today: ~$1,305/year vs $1,296/year last week

• Weekly Income Growth: +$9/year

Looking Ahead

Projected 10-Year Income: ~$358/month. A portfolio that increasingly pays you while you continue building it.

Dividend Growth Highlights

• The Home Depot +1.3%

• The Hershey Company +5.99%

• L3Harris Technologies +4.17%

• Kforce +2.56%

⭐️ $1,000 Weekly Portfolio Snapshot. Week 93

• Total invested: ~$91,015

• Dividends today: ~$2,561/year vs $2,534/year last week

• Weekly Income Growth: +$27/year

Looking Ahead

Projected 10-Year Income: ~$706/month. Enough to create a meaningful stream of passive cash flow while still focusing on dividend growth.

Dividend Growth Highlights

• Mueller Industries +40.0%

• Chevron Corporation +4.09%

• Cohen & Steers +8.06%

• Brunswick Corporation +2.33%

The Dividend Snowball in Action

Every week, we invest a fixed amount into high-quality dividend growth companies and track what happens next. It’s income growth.

Across all Easy-Peasy portfolios, dividend income continues rising through:

• New weekly investments

• Dividend reinvestment

• Dividend increases from portfolio companies

That's how a few dollars per month eventually turn into hundreds and later, thousands.

Build Your Own Easy-Peasy Portfolio with the MaxDividends Research Platform

What if you could run that same Easy-Peasy engine…

• tailored to your budget,

• aligned with your goals,

• on your schedule?

That’s exactly why we built the Ideas Assistant inside the MaxDividends Research Platform.

You've already seen how Easy-Peasy works. Every week, the system identifies what to buy. Shares get added. Dividends grow. Income starts moving on its own.

Now that engine is in your hands.

With the Ideas Assistant inside the MaxDividends Research Platform, you can build your own personalized Easy-Peasy portfolio based on:

• how much you want to invest — $200, $800, $2,000, or any amount

• your goal — capital growth, dividend growth, or income today

• your pace — weekly, monthly, or whenever you’re ready

The Ideas Assistant then tells you exactly what to buy right now, using the same rules, the same filters, and the same income-first logic behind the Easy-Peasy portfolios.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Done 🚀

No guessing. No “what should I buy today?” Just the system, working for your life.

Already running your own portfolio?

The Ideas Assistant becomes your quiet co-pilot — checking your ideas, filling gaps, and keeping you inside the MaxDividends Income System while your income keeps compounding.

MaxDividends Mission: Helping people build growing passive income, retire early, and live off dividends.

Try the MaxDividends Research Platform →

The #1 Platform for Dividend Investors

Top Dividend Stocks & ETFs • Buy/Hold/Sell Ratings • Income Strategies • Member Insights • Dividend Tracker

💬 Questions? Ask the Community →

Intro

This is the play-by-play of financial freedom. Each week, we invest, track, and show how real bills get replaced by dividend income. Step by step, the dream of early retirement turns into a plan anyone can follow.

🧭 What The Roadmap To Living On Dividends Really Is

The Roadmap is where MaxDividends stops being theory and becomes real life.

This is not a collection of ideas or a “what you could do” story. It is a live demo portfolio, built with one simple rule: $500 invested every single week, no matter what the market is doing.

Every deposit is logged. Every stock purchase is shown. Every dividend raise is tracked. Every bill that gets covered is recorded. All of it runs inside the MaxDividends Platform, so you can see exactly how a portfolio turns into income when it is operated through the MaxDividends Income System.

It shows, in real time, how the MaxDividends Income System actually works. How weekly contributions become monthly income. How monthly income starts covering real bills. How pressure slowly shifts from work to your portfolio.

You are not watching someone else’s highlight reel. You are watching the dividend machine run step by step.

And by now, you can already see how this works. You don’t need me to convince you — you can feel the power of the MaxDividends Income System just by watching the Roadmap unfold. Week after week, deposits turn into shares, shares turn into dividends, and dividends start paying real bills.

What this gives you is not just ideas, but structure and hope. A clear path. A way to see how ordinary money turns into lasting income when it’s guided by a real system.

And if you decide to step inside the MaxDividends Income System & Platform, you’ll be able to run this same process for yourself — with the same framework, the same tools, and the same quiet confidence that comes from seeing your own Roadmap move forward, one dividend paycheck at a time.

That is why Roadmap matters. It proves that living on dividends is not a dream. It is a process — and now that process is in your hands.

This Week’s Wins 💪

• ✅ iCloud storage ($18/mo) – covered forever by dividends (7 weeks in).

• ✅ Gym membership ($25/mo) – covered forever (13 weeks).

• ✅ Daily coffee ($30/mo) – covered forever (53 weeks).

• ✅ Mobile bill ($32/mo) – covered forever (85 weeks).

Annual dividends grew: $1,280 → $1,296 📈

That’s another +$16 in yearly income — without lifting a finger.

Portfolio Snapshot 📊

• Total invested: ~$45,256

• This Week’s Investment: $552.84

• Dividend Yield on Cost: ~2.86%

• Current Annual Dividends: $1,296

This week we added:

The Home Depot, Inc ($304.45) – the largest home improvement retailer in the U.S., serving both DIY customers and professional contractors. Backed by strong cash flow, pricing power, and decades of dividend growth, HD stands out as a reliable consumer-facing compounder built for long-term income.

Illinois Tool Works Inc ($248.39) – a diversified industrial leader with a unique business model focused on high-margin niche products. Known for disciplined capital allocation and over 50 years of consecutive dividend growth, ITW represents a proven dividend aristocrat combining stability, efficiency, and consistent income growth.

Dividend Hikes 🚀 (Q2 / 26)

• Cisco Systems, Inc - plans to pay a dividend of 0.42 USD per share, which is up 2.44% from the last payout.

• Bank OZK - plans to pay a dividend of 0.47 USD per share, which is up 2.17% from the last payout.

• Shoe Carnival Inc - plans to pay a dividend of 0.17 USD per share, which is up 13.33% from the last payout.

• Best Buy Co., Inc - plans to pay a dividend of 0.96 USD per share, which is up 1.05% from the last payout.

• Genuine Parts Company - plans to pay a dividend of 1.06 USD per share, which is up 3.16% from the last payout.

• Allegion plc - plans to pay a dividend of 0.55 USD per share, which is up 7.84% from the last payout.

• T. Rowe Price Group, Inc - plans to pay a dividend of 1.30 USD per share, which is up 2.36% from the last payout.

• Kforce Inc. - plans to pay a dividend of 0.40 USD per share, which is up 2.56% from the last payout.

• L3Harris Technologies, Inc - plans to pay a dividend of 1.25 USD per share, which is up 4.17% from the last payout.

That’s raises on income we didn’t even have to work for.

📊 This Week’s Roadmap Snapshots

Below is a demo dividend portfolio, built and tracked inside the MaxDividends App.
A simple, disciplined model: $500 invested every week to grow long-term dividend income.

All charts, income forecasts, and progress metrics you see below are generated directly by the MaxDividends App.

1️⃣ Long-Term Dividend Growth

(2015–2035: $9.65 → $355.65)

👉 Dividends keep climbing year after year. The earlier you start, the harder time works for you.

2️⃣ Closing In on the Next Goal

(2024–2026: $31.23 → $121.73)

👉 Each deposit brings us closer. Only a small step left to hit $100/month.

3️⃣ Portfolio Dashboard in the MaxDividends Platform

(69 holdings, $50,501.10 market value)

👉 One screen, full control. Balance, safety scores, and every company you own.

4️⃣ Annual Dividends & Top Payers

($1,296.69 annually, top 3 dividend payers)

👉 $1,296 a year already working for us. Big names pay more, but the whole portfolio delivers.

🎯 Weekly Dividend Challenge

Let’s make dividend investing fun!

Every week we add a small mission — quick, easy, and a little playful. Step by step, you’ll see dividends start picking up your bills, one after another.

This Week — Pay the Phone Bill 📱

This week’s adventure: turn your phone into a dividend device.

• 👉 Add your $40 phone plan as a Bill Target in the App.

• 🎯 Track how much is already covered.

• 💬 Post: “Dividends are now powering my calls!”

🚀 Weekly Punchline (your reward this week):

“Income grows quietly — but it changes everything. Stay consistent long enough, and one day you realize your money started working harder than you do.”

What To Do Next (Wherever You Are)

By following the Roadmap, you’ve already seen the MaxDividends Income System in action. Now explore the tools behind it.

The MaxDividends Research Platform gives you access to the same stock research, dividend analysis, portfolio tracking, income projections, and ranking systems used to build and manage the Roadmap portfolio.

MaxDividends Mission: Helping people build growing passive income, retire early, and live off dividends.

It is easy to ask why anyone would bother with individual stocks when an ETF can deliver instant diversification. That is exactly why dividend ETFs are popular, but their strengths come with costs that are often hidden behind the simplicity.

1. Time Saver—But Watch the Fees!

Dividend ETFs are made for investors who want a set-it-and-forget-it approach. A fund like SCHD or VIG can instantly spread money across dozens or hundreds of companies without requiring research into each holding.

The problem is that low fees are not the same as no fees. SCHD charges 0.06% and VIG charges 0.04%, which sounds tiny, but those charges compound over time and sit on top of other structural costs like spreads, turnover, and index rebalancing.

For example, $10,000 invested in a fund with a 0.06% expense ratio costs $6 per year in explicit fees, and that seems trivial at first. But over long holding periods, the real cost is not the annual fee alone; it is the drag on compounding when those small percentages are applied year after year to a growing base.

2. Ready-Made Diversification—But Be Aware of Filler Stocks!

Dividend ETFs give exposure to many names at once, which is the main reason people buy them. SCHD currently holds 104 stocks, while VIG holds 347, so both are diversified in the basic sense even though they pursue different screening philosophies.

But diversification does not mean equal weight or equal importance. SCHD’s top holdings include QCOM at 6.22%, TXN at 5.73%, and UNH at 5.15%, so a meaningful portion of the fund still depends on a relatively small group of companies.

That is why “100+ stocks” can be misleading. A large number of holdings does not guarantee that every position matters equally, and in practice a concentrated top 10 can drive a large share of the return profile.

3. You Don’t Have to Micromanage—But You Sacrifice Control

One of the biggest advantages of an ETF is that the investor does not need to rebalance constantly or decide when to sell individual names. The fund follows its rules, and that can be a relief in a market where macro conditions and leadership keep changing quickly.

The trade-off is control. Once the ETF is bought, the investor accepts the index methodology, the reconstitution schedule, and the screening rules, even when those rules remove companies that still look attractive on a company-by-company basis.

That is not necessarily bad, but it is different from owning stocks directly. With individual dividend stocks, the investor chooses the holdings and the timing; with an ETF, the process is delegated to the rules of the fund.

4. Risk Protection—But Beware the Fine Print

A diversified ETF is less likely to suffer from a single-company blowup than an individual stock. That is a real advantage, especially when markets are volatile and rates, inflation, and geopolitical risks keep shifting the investment landscape.

Still, ETF prices can fall sharply in broad market selloffs. Diversification reduces single-name risk, but it does not eliminate equity risk, and dividend ETFs can still decline when sectors like financials, energy, or healthcare come under pressure.

The fine print matters because dividend ETFs are still equity investments. They can be more stable than a single stock, but they are not immune to drawdowns, style rotation, or the performance swings that come from sector concentration and macro sensitivity.

Conclusion: Why Dividend ETFs Deserve Their Spot—But Watch the Trade-Offs

Dividend ETFs are still a strong choice for many investors because they are convenient, diversified, and inexpensive relative to many active funds. SCHD, for example, combines a 0.06% expense ratio with a 3.28% 30-day SEC yield and a quality-oriented screen, which is why it remains a core holding for many income investors.

At the same time, they are not identical to owning a basket of hand-picked dividend stocks. They bring rules, fees, sector tilts, and top-holdings concentration, and those details matter more in a market where global rotation, sticky inflation, and uncertain rate expectations are still shaping returns.

The strongest approach is not to treat stocks and ETFs as enemies. A disciplined investor can use individual dividend stocks for selectivity and ETFs for diversification, but the key is understanding what each tool is actually doing inside the portfolio.

Learn the MaxDividends Way

Start Here

• 📖 What is the MaxDividends Idea & Concept | E-Book

• 🎯 What is the MaxDividends Strategy

• 🔑 Explore the Premium Hub (exclusive — upgrade to unlock)

Guides & Step-by-Step

• Getting Started: Your Step-by-Step Dividend Plan

• How Do We Select MaxDividends Stocks

Deep Insights

• 📖 I ❤️ Dividends: Why I Believe Dividend Investing Is the Best Strategy | E-Book

• How Effective is the MaxDividends Strategy for Building Growing Passive Income

• One More Secret Ingredient for the MaxDividends Strategy

Help & Support

• Got a question about dividends? Ask Max, your AI Dividend Assistant!

• Didn’t get the answer you need? Reach out: max@maxdividends.app or team@maxdividends.app — we’ll help you out.

Share

*Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s personal opinions and is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice in any form. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor. The author may hold positions in some of the stocks mentioned, in line with the views expressed. This is a disclosure, not a recommendation to buy or sell any securities.

As a reader of MaxDividends, you agree to our disclaimer. You can read the full disclaimer here.

Try the MaxDividends Research Platform →

The #1 Platform for Dividend Investors

Top Dividend Stocks & ETFs • Buy/Hold/Sell Ratings • Income Strategies • Member Insights • Dividend Tracker

💬 Questions? Ask the Community →

Intro

Dividend Radar by MaxDividends is a weekly update of reliable, dividend-growing companies — built on the timeless CCC method first introduced by David Fish.

Interesting Picks from Today’s Dividend Radar List

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC)

• Last Div Date: 19.05.2026

• Dividend: $2.31 → $2.47 (+6.93%)

• Dividend Growth Streak: 22 consecutive years

• Consistent Years: 43

• Financial Score (Local): 96.98

The defense and aerospace company delivered another solid increase as elevated global defense spending continues supporting long-term business visibility.

📜 Dividend Radar: The Origin Story

In the early 2000s, the late David Fish — an independent analyst and dividend-growth pioneer — created what became known as the Dividend Champions, Contenders & Challengers List (CCC List).

It was simple but powerful: group companies by how many years in a row they’ve raised their dividends. Over time, this evolved into Dividend Radar, a weekly update trusted by thousands of income investors.

For more than two decades, dividend investors across the world followed one proven framework — Dividend Radar, built on the timeless CCC method:
Champions. Contenders. Challengers.

It wasn’t just a list. It was a reputation. To be included meant a company had achieved what only the strongest businesses ever do — raising its dividend every single year, without fail.

Here’s the essence of David Fish’s the system:

Dividend Champions (Aristocrats)

Companies that raised their dividends for 25 years or more. These are the icons of reliability — the long-term legends.

Dividend Eagles

15-24 years of dividend growth, identified using a modernized, data-driven framework that goes beyond streak length alone. Eagles combine long-term consistency with strong financial quality — spotlighting companies that not only raise dividends, but do so with superior fundamentals, healthy balance sheets, and durable business models.

Dividend Contenders

10 to 24 years of consecutive increases. Proven performers with strong growth and discipline.

Dividend Challengers

5 to 9 years of raises. Rising stars on their way to the upper tiers.

For nearly twenty years, the CCC system served as the investor’s compass.

The Dave Fish Dividend Strategy

Powered by MaxDividends

Dave Fish, creator of the famous CCC (Champions, Contenders, Challengers) list, never claimed to have a complex investing system. His approach was remarkably simple:

Buy high-quality companies with long histories of dividend growth. Hold them while the dividend keeps growing and the business remains strong. Sell only when the original investment thesis breaks. Today, every part of that philosophy can be tracked using MaxDividends metrics.

BUY

Look for companies that meet these conditions:

✅ Long History of Dividend Growth

• 10+ consecutive years of annual dividend increases

✅ Safe Dividend

• Dividend Policy Score: 9+

• Payout Ratio: Below 70%

✅ Strong and Durable Business

• Financial Score: 90+

✅ Reasonable Valuation

• Rated Fairly Valued or Undervalued

✅ Attractive Income Potential

• MaxRatio: 8+

This combination identifies companies that not only pay dividends today, but have a high probability of continuing to grow those dividends for years to come.

HOLD

Continue holding as long as:

✅ The dividend continues to grow

✅ The business remains financially strong

For Dave Fish, most successful investments were measured in years and decades, not quarters.

SELL

Consider selling when:

❌ Dividend Cut

❌ Dividend Freeze

❌ Significant Deterioration in Business Quality

• Financial Score falls below 80

A dividend growth portfolio does not require frequent trading. The key is monitoring whether the original reasons for owning the company are still intact.

Every metric used in this framework is available inside the weekly Dividend Radar by MaxDividends publication and is continuously updated inside the MaxDividends Research Platform.

Dividend Radar — Weekly Edition · 06/03/2026

The latest edition is now available on the MaxDividends Research Platform.

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Avery Dennison (AVY)

Financial Score: 96 / 99

Quick Tip

To keep your portfolio strong, stay on top of the financials for each company you hold. Solid companies mean better returns, so be sure to check in on their quarterly and annual numbers.

Interesting stocks usually score 80+ on the Financial Scale, with top players hitting 90+. If that score dips below 80, it might be a good time to consider cutting ties before things take a turn.

Avery Dennison (AVY) is a global materials science and digital identification company headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, with operations spanning North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and emerging markets. It is best known for pressure-sensitive materials, labeling and packaging products, and intelligent-label solutions that help brands track goods, automate inventory, and improve product visibility through the supply chain. Over time it has evolved from a traditional adhesive and labeling business into a more technology-enabled platform, which is why investors now talk about it less like a commodity producer and more like a high-value supply-chain infrastructure play.

Dividend engine: steady cash with room to breathe

Avery Dennison pays $4.00 per share annually, delivering a 2.58% yield and a 45.10% payout ratio, so the dividend is being funded without taking a reckless bite out of earnings. The company has raised the payout for 15 consecutive years, and the 5-year dividend growth rate of +57.00% shows management has been willing to share more of the upside as the business improved. That combination matters because label and packaging demand tends to travel with broad economic activity, but the company’s mix is increasingly supported by higher-value products and recurring customer relationships. In other words, this is not a payout that needs a heroic quarter to survive.

Q1 2026: growth came through cleanly

For the first quarter of 2026, reported April 28, Avery Dennison generated net sales of $2.30 billion, up 7% year over year, with reported EPS of $2.18 and adjusted EPS of $2.47, up 7.4% from the prior year. Adjusted operating margin came in at 12.6%, adjusted EBITDA margin at 16.4%, and adjusted free cash flow improved to $104.4 million from negative $53.1 million a year earlier, which is exactly the sort of swing that tells you the business is still getting better at converting sales into cash. Management also said productivity, cost control, and favorable pricing more than offset inflationary pressure, which is basically the corporate version of saying the machine is working.

Growth levers: intelligent labels and productivity gains

Avery Dennison’s growth story has a few nice layers. Materials Group sales rose 11.4% in Q1, which gave the company a solid base even as the Solutions Group remained softer, and management is still pushing intelligent-label adoption through partnerships like its investment in Wiliot. That matters because smart labels are a very different animal from plain old packaging tape: they tie into inventory tracking, automation, and data visibility, all of which create stickier customer relationships and better economics over time. The company also returned $133 million to shareholders in the quarter through dividends and buybacks, which is a useful signal that management sees enough internal strength to keep rewarding owners while still funding the next layer of growth.

How a label company became more interesting than it sounds

The underrated part of Avery Dennison is that the “boring” part of the business is exactly what makes it valuable. Labels, adhesives, and identification systems sit deep inside supply chains, which means once a customer standardizes on a solution, switching costs and process friction start doing the company’s work for it. That gives the franchise a quiet kind of moat: not glamorous, not loud, but very hard to dislodge once it is embedded in procurement, logistics, or inventory control. It is a good reminder that some of the best businesses are the ones that help other businesses run without ever asking for the spotlight.

Final Take – A quietly premium dividend compounder

Avery Dennison offers a 2.58% yield, $4.00 annual dividend, 45.10% payout ratio, 15 years of dividend hikes, and +57.00% five-year dividend growth, all supported by a business that is becoming more valuable as it moves toward higher-margin identification and smart-label solutions. Q1 2026 delivered $2.30 billion in sales, $2.47 adjusted EPS, improved free cash flow, and still-healthy margins, which suggests the next leg of growth does not need to come from heroic assumptions. Financial Score: 96. That is firmly in the elite range, with a moat built on embedded supply-chain workflows, pricing power, and a dividend that still has plenty of breathing room.

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*Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s personal opinions and is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice in any form. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor. The author may hold positions in some of the stocks mentioned, in line with the views expressed. This is a disclosure, not a recommendation to buy or sell any securities.

As a reader of MaxDividends, you agree to our disclaimer. You can read the full disclaimer here.

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Europe’s strongest dividend companies — 15, 20, even 25+ years of steady payouts, regular raises, and no cuts. Solid yields, steady growth, and diversification across 23 industries — the kind of names you’ll want in your portfolio for decades.

Every week, we dive deep into America’s most consistent dividend machines — but Europe deserves just as much attention. This region is packed with companies that treat dividends as a long-term promise, not a marketing slogan.

📌 Today’s Table of Contents

Get Europe’s Best Dividend Stocks & Insights

🏆 Top 3 Gainers of Last Month’s Edition

The three stocks that delivered the strongest returns since our previous European Dividend Stocks report.

🦅 Top 10 European Dividend Stocks to Watch Now

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📈 How We Select European Dividend Eagles

The quality, valuation, and dividend growth framework behind every pick.

🇪🇺 Top European Dividend Stocks 🦅 | June 2026 Edition

These are businesses that have increased their payouts for 15+ years straight, surviving recessions, inflation spikes, political shifts, and everything in between.

Top 3 Gainers of Last Month’s Edition

These are the names that delivered the strongest price gains on the market—proof that reliable dividend payers don’t just hand out income, they can also fly high on capital growth.

🥉 +8.17% CHRT — Cohort plc

Cohort is a UK-based defense and security technology group that owns a collection of specialized businesses serving military, intelligence, and critical infrastructure customers. Its subsidiaries provide solutions across communications, surveillance, electronic warfare, training systems, and naval technologies, supporting defense organizations in the UK and international markets.

Recent momentum continues reflecting growing investor interest in defense-related companies as governments across Europe and NATO members increase long-term security spending commitments.

🥈 +9.95% UCB — UCB SA

UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for neurological and immunological diseases. The company’s portfolio includes therapies for epilepsy, autoimmune conditions, and rare diseases, while its research efforts continue targeting areas of significant unmet medical need.

Recent strength appears supported by continued confidence in the company’s long-term product pipeline and expanding growth prospects across key therapeutic areas.

🥇 +13.70% PRV — Porvair plc

Porvair specializes in filtration, separation, and environmental technologies used across aerospace, industrial, laboratory, and clean-energy applications. Its products help customers improve manufacturing efficiency, maintain product purity, and meet increasingly demanding environmental and technical standards.

Recent momentum has been fueled by growing demand for advanced filtration solutions across several industrial sectors, including aerospace, life sciences, and environmental technologies.

🔥 The June 2026 Edition Is Now Live

The latest edition of Top European Dividend Stocks is now available on the MaxDividends Research Platform.

Discover Europe’s most reliable dividend payers — companies with 15, 20, and even 25+ years of uninterrupted dividends, consistent raises, and the financial strength to keep rewarding shareholders for decades.

MaxDividends Mission: Helping people build growing passive income, retire early, and live off dividends.

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Each week, we select the best growth-focused dividend stocks that are undervalued or fairly valued based on the MaxDividends strategy. Perfect for DGI investors, long-term dividend growth investors, and those seeking capital appreciation.

📌 Today’s Table of Contents

Here’s what made this week’s Capital Growth radar.

🏆 Top 3 Gainers of the Week

These are the names that delivered the strongest price gains on the market - proof that reliable dividend payers don’t just hand out income, they can also fly high on capital growth.

🌎 Top 3 Global Capital Growth Picks of the Week

International dividend stocks with compelling long-term growth prospects and the potential to generate attractive capital gains alongside growing shareholder payouts.

🚀 Top 10 Capital Growth Dividend Stocks (USA)

This week’s most attractive U.S. dividend stocks for investors seeking capital appreciation. Companies positioned to benefit from powerful business trends, earnings growth, and long-term value creation.

📖 How We Select Capital Growth Dividend Eagles

An inside look at the MaxDividends process for identifying dividend stocks with the greatest potential for long-term capital appreciation.

🎯 The Role of This Series Inside the MaxDividends Strategy

How Capital Growth Dividend Eagles fit into the broader MaxDividends framework and why they are designed for dividend investors who put capital appreciation first and income second.

Top 3 Gainers of the Week

These are the names that delivered the strongest price gains on the market—proof that reliable dividend payers don’t just hand out income, they can also fly high on capital growth.

🥉 +17.64% AMAT — Applied Materials Inc

Applied Materials is one of the world’s leading suppliers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, materials engineering solutions, and advanced process technologies. Its systems are used by chipmakers around the globe to produce increasingly complex semiconductors that power everything from smartphones and data centers to artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Recent strength continues reflecting growing optimism around long-term semiconductor capital spending and expanding AI-related investment. As chip manufacturers race to increase production capacity and develop next-generation technologies, investors continue recognizing Applied Materials’ critical role in enabling the future of advanced computing.

🥈 +32.73% BBY — Best Buy Co

Best Buy is the largest consumer electronics retailer in North America, offering a broad range of technology products, appliances, services, and support solutions through both physical stores and digital channels. The company has built a strong position by combining product expertise, customer service, and an extensive omnichannel platform.

Recent momentum appears to be supported by improving consumer spending expectations and renewed interest in technology upgrades across several product categories. Investors also continue focusing on the company’s strong cash generation, disciplined capital returns, and ability to adapt to evolving consumer purchasing trends.

🥇 +60.91% QCOM — Qualcomm Inc

Qualcomm develops semiconductor and wireless communication technologies used across smartphones, AI-enabled devices, automotive systems, connected infrastructure, and next-generation computing platforms. The company remains one of the most important technology providers behind global mobile connectivity and intelligent edge computing.

Recent momentum has been fueled by accelerating enthusiasm around AI-enabled devices, improving semiconductor market sentiment, and expanding growth opportunities beyond traditional smartphone markets. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded across consumer and industrial technologies, investors continue placing greater value on Qualcomm’s long-term position within the global technology ecosystem.

🔥 This Week’s Top Capital Growth Ideas Are Live

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Aerospace, Marine, Combat, and IT All Matter Here

This is not a one-trick defense stock. General Dynamics builds across aerospace, marine systems, combat systems, and information technology, so the business has multiple ways to grow when budgets, procurement cycles, and demand patterns move around. That mix is the whole point: when one segment is slower, another can carry more weight, and the company can still keep the operating engine moving.

That is why this quarter matters. A 10.3% revenue jump is not some cosmetic beat. It says the company is getting solid demand across its core platforms, with the kind of execution that usually shows up in backlog conversion and margin discipline before it ever shows up in the stock price. When a defense company beats both revenue and EBITDA expectations, it usually means the work is actually getting done, not just booked.

Management Is Talking Execution, Not Hype

Chairman and CEO Phebe Novakovic said the businesses had “a very good start to the year,” with strong operating results and excellent cash conversion. That is the right tone for a company like this. Defense investors do not need a flashy story; they want proof that the contracts, production lines, and delivery schedules are all translating into real cash.

Cash conversion is a big deal in this sector because it tells you the company is not just winning work, it is turning that work into cash without letting working capital get sloppy. In a business tied to long-cycle programs, submarines, aircraft, combat vehicles, and IT services, that matters just as much as the revenue line. Strong cash conversion usually means tighter execution, better collections, and less friction in the build-out process.

The Stock Is Already Pricing In More Confidence

The market noticed. Since the report, the stock is up 10.8%, and it is currently trading at $347.44. That kind of move tells you investors were not just happy with the quarter itself; they were also reacting to the quality of the print and the confidence in the operating setup.

For a defense contractor, that matters because the market usually rewards names that can combine steady government-related demand with clean cash generation. General Dynamics is doing that here. The quarter was not just a beat on the surface. It showed a business that can keep scaling revenue while still converting operating momentum into actual dollars.

What Comes Next

The bigger story is that General Dynamics has multiple long-duration growth levers in place. Aerospace can benefit from a persistent need for business jets and related services. Marine systems can stay supported by naval investment and fleet modernization. Combat systems remains tied to vehicles and land-defense demand. Information technology adds a more recurring, services-heavy layer on top of the hardware base.

That mix gives the company a way to keep compounding even when the cycle shifts. The current quarter suggests the business is not just surviving the environment, it is entering it with stronger operating leverage and better cash discipline. That is usually the setup investors want from a defense prime: visible demand, broad exposure, and enough margin discipline to keep the cash flowing when the orders turn into deliveries.

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• How Effective is the MaxDividends Strategy for Building Growing Passive Income

• One More Secret Ingredient for the MaxDividends Strategy

Help & Support

• Got a question about dividends? Ask Max, your AI Dividend Assistant!

• Didn’t get the answer you need? Reach out: max@maxdividends.app or team@maxdividends.app — we’ll help you out.

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*Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s personal opinions and is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice in any form. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor. The author may hold positions in some of the stocks mentioned, in line with the views expressed. This is a disclosure, not a recommendation to buy or sell any securities.

As a reader of MaxDividends, you agree to our disclaimer. You can read the full disclaimer here.

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At MaxDividends we track more than 19,000 companies worldwide — but only the elite make it into this list: businesses that have been paying dividends for 10+ years without a cut.

MaxDividends is the #1 global source for dividend insights — trusted by thousands of investors who live off dividends, not hype.

💿 Weekly Dividend Hikes — May-June 25–01, 2026

A balanced week for dividend investors, with dependable utilities, industrial leaders, and several standout growers delivering healthy increases.

While many companies stayed with modest annual raises, a few names stood out with stronger dividend hikes, showing that disciplined dividend growth remains alive across multiple sectors and markets.

Watts Water Technologies Inc (WTS)

Last Div Date: 01.06.2026
Dividend: $0.52 → $0.63 (+21.15%)
Dividend Growth Streak: 24 consecutive years
Consistent Years: 13
Financial Score (Local): 97.43

The water technology and flow control company delivered the largest dividend increase of the week. Strong exposure to water infrastructure, commercial construction, and industrial end markets continues supporting earnings growth and shareholder returns.

Houlihan Lokey Inc (HLI)

Last Div Date: 01.06.2026
Dividend: $0.60 → $0.70 (+16.67%)
Dividend Growth Streak: 10 consecutive years
Consistent Years: 10
Financial Score (Local): 96.99

The global investment bank and financial advisory firm continued its strong dividend growth trajectory. Consistent deal activity, advisory leadership, and an asset-light business model have supported robust cash generation.

F.N.B. Corporation (FNB)

Last Div Date: 01.06.2026
Dividend: $0.12 → $0.13 (+8.33%)
Dividend Growth Streak: 16 consecutive years
Consistent Years: 0
Financial Score (Local): 74.93

The regional banking company extended its dividend growth record through stable lending operations and disciplined balance sheet management. Its consistent payout history reflects a long-term commitment to shareholder returns.

ACNB Corporation (ACNB)

Last Div Date: 01.06.2026
Dividend: $0.38 → $0.42 (+10.53%)
Dividend Growth Streak: 18 consecutive years
Consistent Years: 8
Financial Score (Local): 91.92

The community banking institution delivered another solid dividend increase supported by steady profitability and conservative capital allocation. Its long history of dividend growth highlights resilient operating performance.

Lowe’s Companies Inc (LOW)

Last Div Date: 29.05.2026
Dividend: $1.20 → $1.25 (+4.17%)
Dividend Growth Streak: 64 consecutive years
Consistent Years: 64
Financial Score (Local): 95.63

One of the world’s largest home improvement retailers extended its exceptional dividend growth record. Strong free cash flow generation and disciplined capital returns continue supporting one of the longest dividend streaks in the market.

HNI Corporation (HNI)

Last Div Date: 29.05.2026
Dividend: $0.34 → $0.35 (+2.94%)
Dividend Growth Streak: 40 consecutive years
Consistent Years: 15
Financial Score (Local): 94.95

The workplace furnishings and residential building products company maintained its long-standing dividend growth tradition. Stable cash flows and operational discipline continue supporting shareholder distributions.

🇨🇦 Canada

Sun Life Financial Inc (SLF)

Last Div Date: 27.05.2026
Dividend: CAD 0.92 → CAD 0.96 (+4.35%)
Dividend Growth Streak: 10 consecutive years
Consistent Years: 10
Financial Score (Local): 88.98

The global insurance and asset management company continued rewarding shareholders through steady dividend growth. Its diversified earnings base and strong capital position provide support for long-term payout expansion.

⭐ Weekly Standouts

• Watts Water Technologies — delivered the largest dividend increase of the week at +21.15%.

• Lowe’s Companies — extended an outstanding 64 consecutive years of dividend growth, placing it among the market’s elite long-term dividend growers.

Why This Matters

Some hikes are modest, some are big — but all of them mean higher passive income. Week after week, this is how the compounding snowball keeps rolling.

👉 Congratulations to all shareholders who spotted their company among this week’s winners!

***

Weekly Dividend Hikes by MaxDividends — the world’s first and most complete weekly roundup of dividend increases across the globe.

From U.S. Dividend Aristocrats and Canadian income leaders to European and Japanese dividend champions — every week, we track, verify, and publish all meaningful dividend raises from the best dividend-paying companies worldwide.

Our mission is simple: deliver accurate, up-to-date, and actionable dividend intelligence — before anyone else.

Each edition highlights the latest hikes, long-term streaks, and key payout changes that matter for dividend investors building real passive income.

MaxDividends is the #1 global source for dividend insights — trusted by thousands of investors who live off dividends, not hype.

At the core of our success is the MaxDividends Research Platform — the primary tool we rely on for every stage of dividend investing.

From discovering high-quality dividend stocks and analyzing payout sustainability to monitoring portfolio performance and identifying new opportunities, the platform provides the research, data, and insights our community uses every day to make informed decisions with confidence.

MaxDividends Mission: Helping people build growing passive income, retire early, and live off dividends.

Good news for shareholders — Alerus Financial just boosted its quarterly payout from $0.21 to $0.22 per share, a 4.8% raise.

That marks 14 straight years of dividend growth.

Steady, reliable, and still climbing — congrats to everyone holding this one.