15 Best Dividend Stocks of 2023

Published on April 28, 2023 at 5:01 pm by Vardah Gill in Dividend Stocks, Hedge Funds, News

In this article, we discuss 15 best dividend stocks of 2023. You can skip our detailed analysis of dividend stocks and their performance over the years, and go directly to read 5 Best Dividend Stocks of 2023.

Just when the stock market began recovering after suffering huge losses in 2022, the recent bank crisis drew the market into the vortex of uncertainty all over again. According to Federal Reserve’s March policy meeting, the Silicon Valley Bank fallout is likely to push the US economy into a mild recession later this year, as reported by CNBC. This is the first time in the high-interest rate cycle that staff economists have forecast such a recession. While this recent development sent global markets into a minor panic, investors are loading up on income-generating stocks to stay afloat during this period.

High-interest rate periods generally fare well for dividend stocks as these securities tend to be more resilient due to their strong cash flows and solid balance sheets. Historically, dividend stocks have significantly represented the market’s overall return, especially during high inflationary periods. Since 1930, dividends accounted for 54% of the stock market’s total return whenever inflation has averaged 5% or more.

Companies with consistent dividend hikes become top choices for investors because of their long-term growth potential and lower volatility. In fact, dividend growers have produced better returns than the broader market in the past. In 12 Dividend Kings To Buy For Safe Dividend Growth, we reported that dividend growers delivered an annual return of 9.62% on average from 1972 to 2018, compared with a 7.30% return of the S&P 500. During this period, non-dividend payers underperformed dividend growers and delivered an annual average return of 2.40%.

Dividend stocks are also less volatile than other asset classes because of their solid financials and proven track record of success. Investors who look for stable sources of income may be more likely to hold onto their dividend-paying stocks during market volatility, which can help stabilize the stock price and reduce volatility. Historical analysis has shown that dividend stocks have generated high returns with lower volatility over the years. From 1990 to 2022, dividend growers delivered a 9.3% return to shareholders with a 14.5% volatility. In comparison, non-dividend payers represented a 19.7% volatility during this period, while returning 4%, as reported by Capital Group.

As dividend stocks are still gaining traction among investors, we have shortlisted some of the best dividend stocks of 2023 in this article. Overall, McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV), and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) are some of the prominent dividend stocks with strong dividend policies.

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Our Methodology:

For this list, we selected dividend stocks with the highest stock price returns in 2023, as of April 28. We also considered hedge fund sentiment around each stock, according to Insider Monkey’s database for Q4 2022. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of their year-to-date returns.

Best Dividend Stocks of 2023

15. Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO)

Year-to-date Returns as of April 28: 11.7%

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is an American semiconductor manufacturing company that also specializes in infrastructure software products. Since the start of 2023, the stock delivered an 11.7% return to shareholders, while its 12-month return came in at 6.7%, as of April 28.

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) currently pays a quarterly dividend of $4.60 per share for a dividend yield of 2.98%, as of April 28. The company is one of the best dividend stocks on our list as it maintains a 12-year streak of consistent dividend growth. Other best dividend stocks grabbing investors’ attention include McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV), and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM).

In fiscal Q1 2023, Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) generated nearly $4 billion in free cash flow and paid roughly $2 billion in dividends to shareholders.

Benchmark initiated its coverage on Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) with a Buy rating in April with a $770 price target. The firm noted that the company is the second largest in the chip industry following its acquisitions.

As of the close of Q4 2022, 72 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey reported having stakes in Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO), compared with 74 in the previous quarter. The collective value of these stakes is roughly $4 billion.

Aristotle Atlantic Partners, LLC mentioned Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) in its Q4 2022 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:

“Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) contributed to performance in the quarter following the company’s solid fourth quarter 2022 results. This was driven by better-than-expected results in both its semiconductor solutions, networking and storage segments. The company also provided first quarter guidance that was ahead of consensus as well as 2023 commentary that expects earnings momentum to continue due to a strong product cycle.”

14. Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO)

Year-to-date Returns as of April 28: 12.89%

Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) is an American leading insurance brokerage that also provides risk management solutions to its consumers. Citigroup upgraded the stock to Buy in April and also raised its price target on the stock to $69. The firm gave a positive outlook on property and casualty brokers due to their strong balance sheets.

In the past six months, Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) delivered a 9.07% return to shareholders and its year-to-date returns came in at 12.89%, as of April 28.

On April 25, Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) declared a quarterly dividend of $0.115 per share, which was consistent with its previous dividend. In 2022, the company stretched its dividend growth streak to 29 years, making it one of the best dividend stocks on our list. As of April 28, the stock has a dividend yield of 0.72%.

As of the close of Q4 2022, 29 hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database reported having stakes in Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO), up from 27 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a total value of over $1.43 billion.

TimesSquare Capital Management mentioned Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO) in its Q4 2022 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:

“With the improving backdrop for insurance companies, we began a position in Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO). An independent insurance broker specializing in property, casualty, employee benefits, personal lines, and ancillary services, we believe that Brown will benefit as insurance pricing broadly increases and the company has consistently higher margins than peers. The recent weakness in its shares provided a particularly attractive opportunity for building our position.”

13. Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL)

Year-to-date Returns as of April 28: 13.8%

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) is a Minnesota-based food safety company that specializes in the hygiene and cleaning of water in a wide variety of applications. The company is one of the best dividend stocks on our list as it has been rewarding shareholders with increased dividends for 31 years. It currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.27%, as of April 28.

Stifel gave a positive outlook on Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) due to the company’s business model. In view of this, the firm raised its price target on the stock to $172 in March and maintained a Hold rating on the shares.

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) delivered a 13.8% return to shareholders in 2023 so far and its 6-month return came in at 6.24%, as of April 28.

As per Insider Monkey’s Q4 2022 database, 47 hedge funds owned stakes in Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL), up from 42 in the previous quarter. The collective value of these stakes is over $2 billion.

ClearBridge Investments mentioned Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) in its Q3 2022 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:

“We have focused our valuation discipline to reduce exposure to higher-multiple stocks most at risk of multiple compression in the current environment. Along these lines, while we remain constructive on the high returns on invested capital Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) earns in its core business, over the years its diversification has diluted this segment’s importance, and we feel less comfortable defending the position at current valuations.”

12. Linde plc (NYSE:LIN)

Year-to-date Returns as of April 28: 15.6%

A global multinational chemicals company, Linde plc (NYSE:LIN) is next on our list of the best dividend stocks. Since the start of 2023, the stock delivered a 15.6% return to shareholders with a 12-month return of 12.8%, as of April 28.

In the first quarter of 2023, Linde plc (NYSE:LIN) reported a strong cash position with its free cash flow amounting to over $1 billion. During the quarter, the company returned over $1.4 billion to shareholders in dividends and share repurchases.

Linde plc (NYSE:LIN) currently offers a quarterly dividend of $1.275 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.39%, as of April 28. The stock has been raising its dividends consistently for the past 28 years.

At the end of Q4 2022, 56 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey had stakes in Linde plc (NYSE:LIN), the same as in the previous quarter. These stakes have a collective value of over $2.8 billion. With roughly 3 million shares, Impax Asset Management was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q4.

Madison Funds mentioned Linde plc (NYSE:LIN) in its Q4 2022 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:

“Linde plc (NYSE:LIN) stock was strong during the fourth quarter following a solid third quarter. Linde remains well positioned with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and energy transition with carbon dioxide sequestration opportunities, gasification services, and various hydrogen projects. Linde and Schlumberger announced that they entered into a collaboration of carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) projects to accelerate decarbonization solutions across industrial and energy sectors. The collaboration will combine decades of experience in carbon dioxide capture and sequestration. The collaboration will focus on hydrogen and ammonia production where carbon dioxide is a by-product. The International Energy Agency estimates that 6 Gigatons of carbon dioxide will need to be abated with CCUS in order to reach net zero by 2050. During the quarter, Linde also announced that it became a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. As a signatory, Linde has committed to aligning its strategy and activities with the UNGC’s Ten Principles across human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.”

11. Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS)

Year-to-date Returns as of April 28: 15.8%

Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS) is a California-based semiconductor manufacturing company that pays a quarterly dividend of $0.62 per share. The company has been raising its dividends consistently for the past eight years, which makes it one of the best dividend stocks on our list. The stock has a dividend yield of 2.37%, as of April 28.

In April, Stifel initiated its coverage on Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS) with a Buy rating and a $150 price target, as the firm sees the company diversify into broad-based markets.

Since the beginning of 2023, Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS) returned 15.8% to shareholders and its 6-month returns stood at 19.05%, as of April 28.

At the end of December 2022, 43 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owned stakes in Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS), up from 39 in the previous quarter. The total value of these stakes is over $871 million.

Heartland Advisors mentioned Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS) in its Q3 2022 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:

“Before the risk-on rebound early in the quarter, we were searching for opportunities to shift from our defensive stance, looking for beaten-down, high-quality “early cycle” leaders. Existing holding, Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS), represents one such opportunity that was added to one weakness.

Skyworks is one of two leading providers of radio frequency system components to smartphone makers and electronics manufacturers. With every step-up in product complexity, over the past two decades, the competitive landscape has shrunk while gross margins have increased significantly. 5G represents another such step-up, which is likely to increase how much Skyworks can make per smartphone. (Click here to view the full text)

10. Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)

Year-to-date Returns as of April 28: 16.01%

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) supplies services and software for the manufacturing of semiconductor chips. The company is based in California, US. On March 13, the company hiked its quarterly dividend by 23.1% to $0.32 per share. This marked the company’s sixth consecutive year of dividend growth. The stock’s dividend yield on April 28 came in at 1.14%.

KGI Securities upgraded Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) to Outperform in March with a $145 price target, appreciating the company’s performance this year.

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is up 16.01% year-to-date, as of April 28.

At the end of the most recent quarter, 70 hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database owned stakes in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT), compared with 67 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a collective value of over $3.78 billion.

Davis Advisers mentioned Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) in its annual 2022 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:

“If Berkshire represents “growing value” then Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) might be said to represent “undervalued growth.” Founded more than a half century ago, Applied Materials has grown to be the largest supplier of manufacturing tools, services and software to the semiconductor industry. Holding more than 15,000 patents, Applied has become the irreplaceable supplier to the critical global growth industry, semiconductors. Because this company’s earnings can be uneven, short-sighted investors often label this company as “cyclical” and assign it a relatively low valuation.

We disagree and, having perused more than 50 years of data, conclude that Applied is unquestionably a growth company trading at a value price. Figure 8 shows the two sustainable drivers of this growth. The green bars indicate that semiconductor manufacturers have grown industry revenue at 7.5% over the last decade, more than three times the growth of the U.S. economy over this same decade. The orange line indicates that the percentage of this revenue that the industry commits to capital spending has gradually risen from roughly 20% to 30%. Putting these two trends together, it should come as no surprise that Applied has grown revenue at a rate of 11%, and operating income at more than 19% over this same time period.

In the near term, the impact of the chip industry’s post-pandemic inventory correction, which could reduce equipment demand, may more than offset the benefit of recent supply chain issues that limited Applied Materials’ ability to meet customer demand. Longer term, geopolitical tensions between China and the U.S. are driving investment in potentially redundant chip production globally, while at the same time the U.S. and her allies are restricting export of leading edge production tools into China. Even though the near term is frustratingly veiled in uncertainty, the recent shortages and trade restrictions have firmly established that access to chip-production technology is essential to every major industrial economy. Given this, we see more opportunity than risk and estimate that Applied Materials could sell at about 10 times what the company could be earning three-to-five years from now.”

9. A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS)

Year-to-date Returns as of April 28: 16.8%

A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS) is an American company that manufactures commercial and residential water heaters and boilers. In the first quarter of 2023, the company’s cash generation remained strong. Its operating cash flow for the quarter came in at roughly $120 million and its free cash flow stood at $110 million.

A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS), one of the best dividend stocks on our list, has been making uninterrupted dividend payments for the past 83 years. Moreover, it maintains a 29-year streak of consistent dividend growth. The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.74%, as of April 28.

At the end of December 2022, 26 hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database owned stakes in A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS), compared with 29 a quarter earlier. These stakes have a consolidated value of over $483 million.

TimesSquare Capital Management mentioned A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS) in its Q4 2022 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:

“We trimmed our position on that strength. Added to the strategy this quarter was A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS), the leading global manufacturer of residential and commercial-grade water heaters and boilers. The company saw a rebound in orders after a period of steady inventory destocking, which added to our assessment that A.O. Smith was poised to benefit from increased sales and improving margins. In addition, its sales in China have stabilized.”

8. The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX)

Year-to-date Returns as of April 28: 17.1%

The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) is an American manufacturing company that specializes in consumer products like cleaning and bleaching supplies. Since the start of 2023, the stock delivered a 17.1% return to shareholders and its 12-month return came in at 12.3%, as of April 28.

The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) currently offers a quarterly dividend of $1.18 per share for a dividend yield of 2.83%, as of April 28. The company is one of the best dividend stocks on our list as it maintains a 20-year streak of consistent dividend growth.

The number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey having stakes in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX) stood at 34 in Q4 2022, growing from 27 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a collective value of over $764.3 million. Among these hedge funds, Viking Global was the company’s leading stakeholder in Q4.

7. Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (NYSE:CHD)

Year-to-date Returns as of April 28: 19.3%

Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (NYSE:CHD) is a New Jersey-based multinational company that specializes in personal care, household, and other specialty products. In the first quarter of 2023, the company reported revenue of $1.43 billion, which showed a 10% growth from the same period last year. The company’s organic and net sales showed year-over-year growth of 5.7% and 10.2%, respectively. The stock is up 19.3% year-to-date, as of April 28.

One of the best dividend stocks, Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (NYSE:CHD) currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.2725 per share. The company has a 27-year run of growing its dividends and has paid dividends to shareholders for consecutive 122 years. The stock’s dividend yield on April 28 came in at 1.11%.

At the end of December 2022, 36 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owned stakes in Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (NYSE:CHD), with a total value of over $1.4 billion.

6. W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW)

Year-to-date Returns as of April 28: 24.6%

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) specializes in the distribution of industrial supplies and other equipment. The company is a Dividend King with 53 consecutive years of dividend growth, which makes it one of the best dividend stocks on our list. It currently pays a quarterly dividend of $1.86 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.07%, as of April 28.

In addition to W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW), McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV), and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) are some other best dividend stocks to consider.

W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) was a part of 34 hedge fund portfolios in Q4 2022, the same as in the previous quarter, as per Insider Monkey’s data. The stakes owned by these hedge funds have a collective value of over $336.2 million.

ClearBridge Investments mentioned W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) in its Q4 2022 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:

“W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) also has a visible growth runway, with less than 10% market share in a highly fragmented maintenance, repair and operations business. The company cut catalog prices early in the pandemic to maintain revenues and is now benefiting from its Zoro online platform growing revenues at a high-double-digit rate.”

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