C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHRW) is included among the 14 Best Dividend Growth Stocks to Buy and Hold in 2026. BofA Turns More Bullish on C.H. Robinson (CHRW) with Target Increase Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay On December 24, BofA raised its price target on C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHRW) to $182 from $167 and kept a Buy rating on the shares. The firm pointed to an improving outlook, even with an end-of-quarter spike in spot rates, as ongoing cost controls continue to show ...

In this article, we will take a look at some of the best dividend aristocrat stocks to invest in.Dividends play a real role in equity returns. Over long stretches of time, they add up. Since 1926, dividends have made up about 31% of the S&P 500’s total return, while capital appreciation accounts for the remaining 69%. That split matters when thinking about long-term results.For most investors, total return is not just about price gains. Steady dividend income and the ability for a stock to grow over time bo ...

C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHRW) is included among the 20 Best Performing Dividend Stocks in 2025. C.H. Robinson (CHRW) Gets Target Lift as Stifel Backs High-Quality Transport Names Image by Alexsander-777 from Pixabay On December 16, Stifel analyst J. Bruce Chan raised the firm’s price target on C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHRW) to $184 from $155 and kept a Buy rating on the shares. Looking ahead to 2026, the firm expects transport stocks to be shaped by supply rationalization and ...

Market Overview - The S&P 500 has increased nearly 18% in 2025, marking the potential for a third consecutive year of double-digit gains for the broader US market [1] - Wall Street anticipates continued profit growth, with S&P 500 earnings expected to rise by approximately 15.5% in 2026, up from 13.2% in 2025 and 12.1% in 2024 [2] - Goldman Sachs forecasts a 2.6% growth in US GDP for 2026, slightly above consensus, indicating a supportive environment for stock prices [3] Dividend Stocks Performance - The Dividend Aristocrat index, tracking companies with at least 25 consecutive years of dividend growth, has risen over 6% this year, maintaining investor interest in dividend stocks for income and consistency [4] - A review of companies with the strongest returns in 2025 led to the selection of 20 dividend-paying stocks based on year-to-date performance, not on dividend size [6] Company Highlights C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHRW) - YTD return as of December 30 is 58.08% with a dividend yield of 1.56% [9] - The company reported a profit beat in Q3 2025, attributed to its use of AI for operational efficiency, which has helped streamline logistics processes [10][12] - Revenue for the North American Surface Transportation segment increased by 1.1%, despite a challenging backdrop in US freight volumes [11] RTX Corporation (NYSE:RTX) - YTD return as of December 30 is 58.84% with a dividend yield of 1.48% [13] - The company secured a $1.6 billion sustainment contract for F135 engines and raised its full-year adjusted earnings outlook to $6.10 to $6.20, up from $5.80 to $5.95 [15][16] - RTX's ability to manage tariff impacts positively reflects on its business outlook, with a forecasted revenue increase to $86.5 billion to $87 billion [17] HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) - YTD return as of December 30 is 58.85% with a dividend yield of 0.61% [18] - The company reported a 2.1% year-over-year increase in same-facility admissions and a 6.6% increase in revenue per equivalent admission [20] - HCA aims to increase its market share from 27% in 2022 to 29% by 2030, supported by an aging population and ongoing investments in technology [21][22]

Core Insights - Return on equity (ROE) is a key profitability metric favored by investors, measuring earnings generated from equity, and can be compared to historical or industry benchmarks to identify potential winning stocks [1] - Advanced analysis of ROE through DuPont analysis provides deeper insights by breaking down ROE into profit margin, asset turnover ratio, and equity multiplier, allowing for a more comprehensive evaluation of a company's financial health [2][3] DuPont Analysis - DuPont analysis examines three major elements: operating management, asset management, and capital structure, providing a clearer picture of ROE changes [2] - The formula for ROE through DuPont analysis is: ROE = Profit Margin * Asset Turnover Ratio * Equity Multiplier, which helps in identifying the underlying factors affecting ROE [2] Importance of DuPont Analysis - DuPont analysis helps investors differentiate between companies with high margins and those with high turnover, offering insights into the operational efficiency of different business models [3] - It also reveals a company's leverage status, indicating that a high ROE could be misleading if it results from excessive debt [4] Screening Parameters - Key screening parameters for identifying strong stocks include: - Profit Margin greater than or equal to 3, indicating profitable business operations [6] - Asset Turnover Ratio greater than or equal to 2, reflecting management efficiency in asset utilization [6] - Equity Multiplier between 1 and 3, showing the extent of debt used to finance assets [6] - Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2, suggesting better performance compared to peers [7] - Current Price more than $5, filtering out low-priced stocks [7] Highlighted Stocks - EverQuote (EVER): A Zacks Rank 1 company operating an online insurance marketplace, with an average earnings surprise of 37.16% over the past four quarters [8] - Expeditors International of Washington (EXPD): A leading third-party logistics provider, with an average earnings surprise of 13.94% over the past four quarters [9] - AllianceBernstein (AB): Provides diversified investment management services, with an average earnings surprise of 6.49% over the past four quarters [10] - Everus Construction Group (ECG): Offers a full spectrum of construction services, with an average earnings surprise of 51.78% over the past four quarters [11]

Core Insights - Triumph has expanded its relationship with NFI to include Payment and Audit solutions, aiming to modernize freight transactions and enhance operational efficiency [1][5] - NFI's integration of Triumph's services is intended to accelerate payments, automate invoice auditing, and strengthen carrier relationships through advanced technology [2][3] Company Overview - Triumph (NYSE: TFIN) is a financial and technology company focused on modernizing freight transactions, with a portfolio that includes Triumph, TBK Bank, and LoadPay [6] - NFI is a leading North American supply chain solutions provider, generating over $3.6 billion in annual revenue and employing over 18,000 associates [7] Service Benefits - Triumph's Audit and Payments solutions streamline workflows, reduce errors, and enable secure, real-time transactions, benefiting carriers with faster payments and greater transparency [4][5] - NFI has also adopted Triumph's Intelligence solution to enhance data-driven decision-making and operational insights across its network [3]

Schenker Integration - DSV maintains strong momentum on Schenker integration with high customer satisfaction scores and positive customer feedback[8, 9] - Total transaction and integration costs are still anticipated at around DKK 11 billion, with the majority expected in 2026 and 2027[11] - The company expects annual synergies of DKK 9 billion at the end of 2028, with 30% completed by the end of 2025 and 70% by the end of 2026[14] - The impact of DKK 800 million is expected from synergies in 2025, with DKK 300 million impact in Q3 2025[14] Q3 2025 Financial Highlights - The company achieved stable financial performance in Q3 2025 despite challenging market conditions[9, 18] - Organically, gross profit was up 5.4% and EBIT before special items was down 7.3% in Q3 2025 compared to the same period last year[17, 18] - Schenker contributed DKK 8,184 million to gross profit and DKK 1,463 million to EBIT for the quarter[18] - Adjusted free cash flow was strong at DKK 4,276 million in Q3 2025, with a cash conversion of 96%[44, 45] Outlook - The company narrowed its 2025 outlook for EBIT before special items to DKK 195 - 205 billion[9] - The company expects full-year financial impact from synergies related to the integration of Schenker to be around DKK 800 million[46] - The company expects the effective tax rate to be around 29%[46]

Group 1 - 1 Main Capital reported a net return of 6.3% in Q3 2025, underperforming the S&P 500 and Russell 2000 which returned 8.1% and 12.4% respectively [1] - The fund's performance was influenced by easing trade war fears and increased investor confidence due to expectations of rate cuts supporting economic growth [1] Group 2 - Radiant Logistics, Inc. (AMEX:RLGT) is highlighted as a stock of interest, with a one-month return of -1.31% and a 52-week loss of 9.87% [2] - As of October 21, 2025, Radiant Logistics, Inc. had a stock price of $6.03 and a market capitalization of $284.817 million [2] - The company is described as an underfollowed non-asset based third-party logistics provider, trading at 7x trailing and 5x normalized EBITDA, which is considered a low multiple compared to larger peers [3] Group 3 - Radiant Logistics, Inc. was held by 16 hedge fund portfolios at the end of Q2 2025, an increase from 13 in the previous quarter [4] - Despite the potential of Radiant Logistics, the analysis suggests that certain AI stocks may offer greater upside potential and lower downside risk [4]

Core Insights - Manhattan Associates Inc. has announced that CEVA Logistics will implement its cloud-native solutions, Manhattan Active® Warehouse Management and Manhattan Active® Order Management, as part of a global strategy to enhance its technological capabilities [1] Company Summary - CEVA Logistics, recognized as a global leader in Third-Party logistics, is adopting advanced supply chain solutions to better adapt to changing market demands [1] - The deployment of Manhattan's tools is aimed at establishing a future-ready technology stack for CEVA Logistics [1]

Core Insights - ITS Logistics is leveraging a flexible transportation trucking model to meet diverse shipper needs, allowing for rapid scaling and cost-efficient nationwide coverage [4][5] - The company is addressing market opportunities arising from tariff volatility and changing consumer behaviors by positioning inventory closer to end customers, which reduces fulfillment times [6][8] - ITS Logistics has launched Retail Logistics Hubs to enhance its third-party logistics (3PL) services, aiming to help retailers manage tariff impacts and meet consumer expectations for fast delivery [8] Group 1 - ITS Logistics combines its own assets, partner carriers, and distribution hubs to provide a comprehensive service to shippers [3] - The company's operational model allows it to adapt to demand patterns while maintaining control through a vetted carrier network [5] - The Retail Logistics Hubs are designed to facilitate inbound and outbound delivery using a mix of transportation options, enhancing e-commerce capabilities [8] Group 2 - The logistics industry is seeing a trend where carriers are offering 3PL services alongside their asset-based fleets to remain competitive [7] - Shippers are increasingly adjusting their operations in response to tariffs and consumer behavior, leading to a demand for leaner inventories [6]