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S&P 500 dividend stocks ranked by yield and payout

42 of the 390 dividend payers we score pass four checks: a dividend score of at least 55, a yield between 2% and 8%, a dividend covered by free cash flow, and financial health of at least 45. The list is ranked, not recommended: high-ranking stocks can still fall, and dividends can be cut. Scores as of 22 Oct 2026.

Top 10 S&P 500 dividend stocks, ranked by dividend score

42 companies are ranked; Snap-on Inc leads. Of the ten shown, our fair-value models label 3 undervalued, 7 fair and 0 overvalued.

This Top 10 is the first ten rows of the full S&P 500 dividend screen below, which applies four tests: a dividend score of at least 55, a yield between 2% and 8%, a dividend covered by free cash flow, and financial health of at least 45. The 8% ceiling is deliberate: at higher yields the cause is usually a share price that has already fallen on doubts about the payout. For a non-US comparison, see the UK dividend list, which uses a different, price-based rule because we hold no company accounts there.

#1 Top of this list by our rules, not a recommendation

SNA Snap-on Inc

Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components · S&P 500 · confidence Medium
  • Fair-value check: Fair (+9% vs fair value range)
Open the full SNA report →
82Dividend score
out of 100
Yield
2.74%
FCF payout
–
Health
71
Valuation
83

Ranks 2 to 10

  1. 2 VICIVici Properties Inc. 81
    Yield
    7.54%
    FCF payout
    –
    Health
    65
    Valuation
    82
    Fair ›
  2. 3 ORealty Income Corp 78
    Yield
    5.69%
    FCF payout
    –
    Health
    80
    Valuation
    31
    Fair Top 3 financial health ›
  3. 4 RFRegions Financial Corp 78
    Yield
    3.86%
    FCF payout
    –
    Health
    79
    Valuation
    84
    Undervalued ›
  4. 5 ADPAutomatic Data Processing Inc 76
    Yield
    2.21%
    FCF payout
    –
    Health
    56
    Valuation
    62
    Fair ›
  5. 6 APAAPA Corp 71
    Yield
    2.53%
    FCF payout
    –
    Health
    48
    Valuation
    64
    Fair Top profitability ›
  6. 7 EIXEdison International 70
    Yield
    6.07%
    FCF payout
    –
    Health
    68
    Valuation
    90
    Undervalued Top 3 valuation ›
  7. 8 GSGoldman Sachs Group Inc 70
    Yield
    2.02%
    FCF payout
    –
    Health
    73
    Valuation
    48
    Fair Top 3 growth ›
  8. 9 ZTSZoetis Inc. 69
    Yield
    2.55%
    FCF payout
    38%
    Health
    60
    Valuation
    89
    Undervalued Top 3 profitability ›
  9. 10 HSTHost Hotels & Resorts, Inc. 68
    Yield
    6.71%
    FCF payout
    –
    Health
    67
    Valuation
    47
    Fair ›
How this list is ranked
  • Universe. S&P 500 dividend payers with a dividend score of at least 55, a yield between 2% and 8%, a dividend covered by free cash flow (payout up to 100%) and financial health of at least 45.
  • Score. The dividend score (0 to 100) looks at yield, payout cover, 3-year dividend growth and the length of the payment record. A very high yield is capped out because it often signals a coming cut.
  • Order. Sorted by the dividend score; ties go to the higher yield.
  • Data. Scores come from company filings with the SEC and our own fair-value models. Every figure is our own calculation, dated 22 Oct 2026.
  • Limits. Scores describe the past and the present, not the future. A company with less history gets a lower confidence label. Different rules give a different order, which is why the rules are printed here.

Why a ranking by stated rules and not a "best" label: the order changes with the rules, so the rules are published next to the list. See also how the X-Ray Score works.

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Dividend scoreDividend yield3-year dividend growthLowest payoutFinancial health
All sectorsCommunication ServicesConsumer DiscretionaryConsumer StaplesEnergyFinancialsHealth CareIndustrialsInformation TechnologyMaterialsReal EstateUtilities

Dividend stocks ranked by dividend score

#StockSectorYieldPayout of FCF3y dividend growthDividend scoreHealthGap to fair value
1 SNA Snap-on IncIndustrials 2.74%– +13.9% 8271 +9%
2 VICI Vici Properties Inc.Real Estate 7.54%– +15.0% 8065 +14%
3 O Realty Income CorpReal Estate 5.69%– +17.2% 7880 +2%
4 RF Regions Financial CorpFinancials 3.86%– +11.2% 7879 +22%
5 ADP Automatic Data Processing IncIndustrials 2.21%– +11.3% 7656 +2%
6 APA APA CorpEnergy 2.53%– +20.3% 7148 +12%
7 EIX Edison InternationalUtilities 6.07%– +6.7% 7068 +44%
8 GS Goldman Sachs Group IncFinancials 2.02%– +12.7% 7073 +4%
9 ZTS Zoetis Inc.Health Care 2.55%38% +13.3% 6960 +35%
10 HST Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.Real Estate 6.71%– +60.7% 6867 −1%
11 MOS Mosaic CoMaterials 5.10%– +12.4% 6848 +17%
12 CVX Chevron CorpEnergy 3.11%52% +5.1% 6761 +9%
13 CINF Cincinnati Financial CorpFinancials 2.07%17% +7.5% 6666 −0%
14 ACN Accenture plcInformation Technology 2.55%34% +12.1% 6654 +17%
15 NEE Nextera Energy IncUtilities 2.97%– +11.8% 6646 +5%
16 USB Us Bancorp DeFinancials 3.50%– +4.5% 6580 +21%
17 INVH Invitation Homes Inc.Real Estate 4.36%– +9.8% 6491 +13%
18 PFH Prudential Financial IncFinancials 6.93%– +2.0% 6467 –
19 BR Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.Industrials 2.16%37% +10.2% 6459 +13%
20 DTB Dte Energy CoUtilities 7.44%– +8.3% 6447 +33%
21 MTB M&T Bank CorpFinancials 2.69%– +4.7% 6379 +6%
22 NI Nisource Inc.Utilities 2.70%– +11.6% 6252 −1%
23 PGR Progressive CorpFinancials 6.05%51% +130.6% 6162 +7%
24 MCD Mcdonalds CorpConsumer Discretionary 2.95%68% +7.1% 6148 +4%
25 PAYX Paychex IncIndustrials 3.82%80% +10.6% 6158 +15%
26 EXR Extra Space Storage Inc.Real Estate 4.53%93% +19.5% 6165 −0%
27 ATO Atmos Energy CorpUtilities 2.30%– +13.8% 6177 −12%
28 PNC Pnc Financial Services Group, Inc.Financials 3.28%– +3.3% 6154 +22%
29 BEN Franklin Templeton IncFinancials 4.19%– +5.4% 6161 −3%
30 FITB Fifth Third BancorpFinancials 3.04%49% +7.9% 6055 +1%
31 AOS Smith A O CorpIndustrials 2.31%31% +3.4% 6079 +2%
32 AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.Utilities 2.41%– +10.7% 5958 −6%
33 TMUS T-Mobile US, Inc.Communication Services 2.57%24% – 5956 +48%
34 PPG Ppg Industries IncMaterials 2.54%52% +3.3% 5862 +19%
35 AEP American Electric Power Co IncUtilities 2.91%80% +6.9% 5851 −8%
36 KEY KeycorpFinancials 3.87%74% +7.3% 5877 –
37 LVS Las Vegas Sands CorpConsumer Discretionary 3.15%28% – 5750 +38%
38 XOM ExxonMobil Holdings CorpEnergy 2.31%56% +4.9% 5660 −5%
39 ETR Entergy CorpUtilities 2.37%– +8.5% 5668 −16%
40 HRL Hormel Foods CorpConsumer Staples 5.48%83% +4.3% 5645 +3%
41 BMY Bristol Myers Squibb CoHealth Care 4.00%45% +2.9% 5557 +21%
42 CCZ Comcast CorpCommunication Services 2.84%32% +1.1% 5551 +8%

Yield is the trailing 12 months of dividends over the latest price. Payout of FCF is dividends as a share of free cash flow (under 100% means covered). 3-year dividend growth is the compound annual change in cash dividends paid. Gap to fair value is the distance between the price and our fair value estimate (positive = price below fair value). All from SEC filings and exchange data; see the methodology. One-off special dividends can inflate a trailing yield or growth figure for a few names.

How to read a dividend stock

A dividend is cash a company pays to its shareholders, usually every quarter. The yield is that cash as a percentage of the share price, so it rises when the price falls, which is why a very high yield can be a warning rather than a bargain. The payout shows how much of the company's free cash flow the dividend uses: a stock paying out most of what it earns has little cushion if business slows.

Look at growth as well as yield. A 2.5% yield that grows 8% a year can overtake a 5% yield that never moves. And check the balance sheet: debt that must be refinanced competes with the dividend for cash, which is what our financial health score looks at. Learn more in dividend yield explained, dividend payout ratio and sustainability, dividend growth investing and ex-dividend and record dates. Upcoming payments are on the dividend calendar.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best dividend stocks in the S&P 500?

There is no single best list, because the right stock depends on whether you want income today or growth in income. This page ranks S&P 500 dividend payers on our dividend score, which weighs the yield, how much of free cash flow the dividend uses, the 3-year growth of dividends paid and the length of the payment record. It then keeps only stocks with a yield between 2% and 8%, a dividend covered by free cash flow and financial health of at least 45. It is a ranking, not a recommendation.

Is a higher dividend yield better?

Not necessarily. A very high yield is often a sign that the share price has fallen because investors doubt the dividend will be kept. That is why this list stops at 8% and drops stocks whose dividend is larger than their free cash flow.

What is a dividend payout ratio?

It is the share of earnings, or here of free cash flow, that a company pays out as dividends. A payout well below 100% leaves room to keep paying if profits dip; a payout above 100% means the dividend is being paid from cash reserves or debt.

How often is this list updated?

Every night after prices, filings and dividend history are refreshed. The scores were last computed on 22 Oct 2026.

Educational information, not financial advice. Rankings use past data and stated rules; they are not buy or sell recommendations.