Shauvik Haldar

The Best Dividend Stocks Portfolio has increased its position in a global packaged foods company known for biscuits, chocolate and confectionery products sold across more than 150 countries. The stock carries a low beta of 0.40, which means its monthly price swings have shown almost no correlation with the broader market over the past five years. That kind of steadiness helps smooth out overall portfolio volatility. Its dividend has also grown at an 8% compound annual rate over the past three years, well ahead of the 3% average posted by peers in the same consumer products group. Pairing that kind of price stability with above-average dividend growth is a big part of why this position just got larger.

A monthly dividend payer tied to the hospitality sector is offering a forward yield near 6%, and it just earned a larger spot in the portfolio. The company owns a large, diversified group of upscale, rooms-focused hotels that lean on well-known national brands to handle the day-to-day operations. Business travel is finally showing real signs of life again, and that recovery is starting to show up in the numbers. Investors chasing monthly income often have to choose between a fat yield and a durable one, and this stock’s 5.74% forward yield sits in the top 40% of dividend-paying stocks, which is worth a closer look.

A global maker of household and personal care products, spanning categories like laundry, oral care, diapers, and grooming, just saw its position increased in the Dividend Protection Stocks Portfolio. With a beta of just 0.38, this stock moves far less than the broader market. That trait matters most to investors who cannot afford sharp swings in their retirement income.

Each week, we calculate the equal-weighted average YTD total return for hundreds of income-focused active ETFs across six categories. We include funds with at least $10 million in AUM and exclude leveraged and inverse funds. That shows which income categories are beating or trailing the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which generated a YTD total return of 12.39% through September 4, 2026.

A regulated utility serving homes and businesses across the Inland Northwest is paying out one of the more generous yields in its sector right now, and the portfolio just added to its position. The stock’s forward dividend yield sits at 5.24%, well above the 3.4% average for its Integrated Utilities peer group, and that gap alone puts it in the top 40% of all dividend paying stocks we track. A yield this far above the pack usually invites questions about safety, but this company backs it with a 24 year streak of consecutive increases that ranks among the longest in the entire dividend universe.

A well-established community bank serving New England has just seen its allocation increased within our Best Dividend Stocks Portfolio, and the underlying numbers explain the decision. The stock carries a beta of 0.79, meaning its monthly price swings run below what you’d expect from the broader equity market, a trait that matters to income investors who want steady exposure to financials without excess volatility. Its three-year dividend growth rate sits at 5%, a moderate but consistent pace that shows the payout has kept climbing even as rate cycles shifted underneath it.

This income name builds much of its own inventory instead of buying up existing homes, and that habit is now paying off in a 14% three-year dividend growth rate, one of the strongest in its peer group. That kind of pace matters to investors who care less about today’s yield and more about where the payout is headed over the next few years.

A diversified consumer staples company built around snacks and beverages sits at the center of daily life for consumers around the world, and its low beta of 0.36 signals how little its stock price moves in step with the broader market.

A midstream energy stock with a 0.46 beta, a 7.20% forward dividend yield and an 11% three-year dividend CAGR has just been reaffirmed in the Best Energy Dividend Stocks Portfolio. The low beta signals price movements that barely track the broader market, while the yield and growth rate together show a payout that’s both generous and still expanding well ahead of most peers. Those numbers describe a business built for income investors who want steady returns without wild swings.

A net-lease retail landlord with nearly 2,825 properties across the country now pays out a forward dividend yield of 4.40%, delivered every single month rather than once a quarter. That yield sits in the top 40% of all dividend-paying stocks we track, backed by a portfolio built almost entirely around grocery, home improvement, convenience, and other necessity-based tenants that keep showing up to pay rent no matter what the economy is doing. For income-focused investors who want cash flow they can count on every 30 days, that combination of steady monthly income and a defensive tenant base is hard to ignore.