3 Top Dividend Stocks I Plan to Buy Hand Over Fist in 2026

Core Insights - Companies like Brookfield Renewable, Realty Income, and Medtronic are expected to continue increasing their dividends in 2026, supported by strong financial performance and growth strategies [1][16]. Brookfield Renewable - Brookfield Renewable currently has a dividend yield of 4% and has increased its dividend by at least 5% annually for the past 14 years, with expectations of 5% to 9% growth in the coming years [4][7]. - The company benefits from a stable cash flow generated by long-term fixed-rate contracts with inflation-linked rate escalations, which supports its dividend growth [5]. - Brookfield has a robust pipeline of development projects and acquisitions, aiming for over 10% annual growth in funds from operations (FFO) [7]. Realty Income - Realty Income offers a monthly dividend with a current yield of 5.7% and has a strong history of increasing its payout, having raised it 133 times since 1994, including 113 consecutive quarters [8][10]. - The REIT maintains a conservative dividend payout ratio of around 75% of adjusted FFO, generating approximately $850 million in free cash flow annually for reinvestment [10]. - Realty Income has diversified its investment platform, with significant investments in Europe due to higher initial cash yields, and continues to find attractive opportunities to support future dividend increases [11]. Medtronic - Medtronic has a dividend yield of 2.9% and has increased its dividend for 48 consecutive years, demonstrating a strong commitment to returning value to shareholders [12][14]. - The company generated $7 billion in cash from operations and $5.2 billion in free cash flow in the last fiscal year, returning $6.3 billion to shareholders through dividends and stock repurchases [14]. - Despite facing some headwinds that may slow earnings-per-share growth to around 1% this fiscal year, Medtronic anticipates high-single-digit growth in fiscal 2027 as these challenges subside [15].