In this article, we are going to discuss the 15 large-cap stocks with highest dividends.
Large-cap stocks are usually issued by established companies with long track records. These are often well-known names that have been operating for years. Many of them are referred to as “blue chips,” known for producing reliable goods and services while maintaining steady growth and consistent dividend payments.
These companies often hold strong positions in their industries. Their brands are widely recognized, often by consumers across the country. At the same time, they are not immune to losses. Large-cap stocks can still decline and impact investors. Even so, they are generally seen as more conservative than small-cap or mid-cap stocks. They tend to show lower volatility, though that often comes with more moderate growth.
Large-cap companies are also known for paying stable dividends. Nuveen reported that dividend growth stocks have provided an attractive combination of earnings and cash flow growth potential, healthy balance sheets, and sustainable dividend policies. These stocks have historically offered compelling performance during up markets and provided a buffer during market drawdowns and in volatile environments.
Over the long term, dividend growers and initiators have generated higher returns with less risk, measured by standard deviation, than companies that maintained their dividends, paid no dividend, and reduced or eliminated their dividends.
The report also noted that dividends are not guaranteed and can fluctuate over time. Still, they have played a meaningful role in total returns. From 1930 to 2025, 39% of the annualized total return of the S&P 500 was derived from the payment and reinvestment of dividends, with capital appreciation contributing the rest.
Given this, we will take a look at some of the best stocks with highest dividends.
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Our Methodology
To collect data for this article, we used our stock screeners to identify energy stocks with a market cap of over $10 billion. We then shortlisted stocks with an annual dividend yield of over 4%, as of March 28. We then limited our final selection to companies that have recently reported noteworthy developments likely to impact investor sentiment. The following are the Large-Cap Stocks with the Highest Dividends in 2026.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 498.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 303 percentage points (see more details here).
15. BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP)
Dividend Yield as of March 28: 4.24%
BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) is a British multinational company recognized worldwide for quality gasoline, transport fuels, chemicals, and alternative sources of energy such as wind and biofuels.
BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) received a boost on March 24 when Morgan Stanley analyst Martijn Rats upgraded the stock from ‘Equal Weight’ to ‘Overweight’, while also raising its price target from $36.20 to $49.40. The bumped target indicates an upside potential of 7% from the current share price.
BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) reported an upstream production of 2,312 mboe/d in FY 2025. The company expects its FY 2026 upstream production to be slightly lower than this. However, the firm is targeting to make continued progress in growing its cash flows, supported by its structural cost reduction program. BP expects to cut its structural costs by $5.5-6.5 billion by end of 2027.
BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) has surged by almost 29% since the beginning of 2026. The British energy giant was also recently included in our list of the 12 Best Large Cap Energy Stocks to Buy Now.
14. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY)
Dividend Yield as of March 28: 4.30%
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) announced on March 20 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved the company’s combination treatment for adults and adolescents aged 12 and older with previously untreated stage III or IV classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The antitumor therapy, called Opdivo, had previously received the green light to treat various advanced or metastatic cancers, including melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and kidney cancer.
The regulatory authority’s decision is based on a late-stage study of 994 patients, which demonstrated that the treatment significantly improved progression-free survival compared with brentuximab vedotin.
Hodgkin’s lymphoma, also known as Hodgkin’s disease, is the most common form of cancer in patients aged 15 to 19. It starts in white blood cells, which are part of the body’s immune system, a cancer that starts in white blood cells.
Monica Shaw, MD, Senior Vice President of Oncology Commercialization at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY), stated:
“These approvals represent a defining moment for people living with classical Hodgkin Lymphoma. In the U.S., we are particularly proud that Opdivo in combination with AVD now stands as an immunotherapy combination available for adults and pediatric patients, ages 12 and older, with previously untreated advanced disease. Concurrently, in the EU, Opdivo in combination with brentuximab vedotin has also achieved a milestone as the first immunotherapy combination for certain relapsed or refractory patients. These milestones reflect our continued commitment to advancing science that meaningfully improves the lives of patients and families worldwide.”
