What are some of the most important dividend paying stocks – which stocks are in the S&P aristocrats index?

The S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index is made up of companies in the S&P 500 that have increased their dividends for at least 25 consecutive years.

As of March 2023, some of the most important dividend-paying stocks and members of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index include:

1. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
2. Procter & Gamble (PG)
3. PepsiCo (PEP)
4. Coca-Cola (KO)
5. ExxonMobil (XOM)
6. Chevron (CVX)
7. IBM (IBM)
8. 3M (MMM)
9. McDonald’s (MCD)
10. Target (TGT)

These companies are considered “blue-chip” stocks, which are typically well-established, financially sound companies with a long history of dividend payments. In addition to the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index, there are other indexes that focus on dividend-paying stocks, such as the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index and the NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index.

It’s important to note that while these stocks have a history of dividend payments and may be considered relatively stable, no investment is without risk and individual investors should do their own research and consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

What are the top fifty stocks in the S&P aristocrats and their current associated dividend (Q3 2021(end) vs.Q1 2023-current at time of posting)

The top 40 stocks in the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index as of September 2021 and their dividend yields at that time. 

1. AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) – 4.37%
2. Aflac Inc. (AFL) – 3.16%
3. AT&T Inc. (T) – 7.26%
4. Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) – 2.13%
5. Brown-Forman Corp. (BF.B) – 0.93%
6. Cardinal Health Inc. (CAH) – 3.11%
7. Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) – 2.19%
8. Chevron Corp. (CVX) – 5.19%
9. Chubb Limited (CB) – 1.93%
10. Cincinnati Financial Corp. (CINF) – 2.23%
11. Cintas Corp. (CTAS) – 0.77%
12. Clorox Co. (CLX) – 2.59%
13. Coca-Cola Co. (KO) – 3.10%
14. Colgate-Palmolive Co. (CL) – 2.23%
15. Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) – 4.19%
16. Dover Corp. (DOV) – 1.68%
17. Emerson Electric Co. (EMR) – 2.24%
18. Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) – 6.21%
19. Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT) – 3.06%
20. Genuine Parts Co. (GPC) – 2.85%
21. Hormel Foods Corp. (HRL) – 2.07%
22. Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) – 2.03%
23. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) – 2.50%
24. Kimberly-Clark Corp. (KMB) – 3.11%
25. Leggett & Platt Inc. (LEG) – 3.54%
26. Lowe’s Companies Inc. (LOW) – 1.37%
27. McCormick & Co. Inc. (MKC) – 1.40%
28. McDonald’s Corp. (MCD) – 2.21%
29. Medtronic PLC (MDT) – 1.89%
30. Nucor Corp. (NUE) – 2.61%
31. Parker-Hannifin Corp. (PH) – 1.16%
32. Pentair PLC (PNR) – 2.03%
33. PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) – 2.86%
34. PPG Industries Inc. (PPG) – 1.47%
35. Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) – 2.57%
36. Realty Income Corp. (O) – 4.40%
37. Roper Technologies Inc. (ROP) – 0.51%
38. S&P Global Inc. (SPGI) – 0.78%
39. Sherwin-Williams Co. (SHW) – 0.71%
40. Stanley Black & Decker Inc. (SWK) – 1.42%

As of the date of this article The S&P Arisotcrats Stocks with yields: