Income investors seeking equities to buy right now should consider one of more than two-dozen large-cap stocks going ex-dividend next week.
Several characteristics make large-cap stocks desirable as core portfolio building blocks. Generally stocks of older and established companies, these equities typically offer a high degree of operational and financial transparency. This transparency allows investors easy access to information for stock analysis and evaluation.
As established companies with businesses that generate relatively reliable results, these companies can establish set dividend policies that have specific payout and growth commitments over the long term. Furthermore, as large and established companies, many of the large-cap companies generally have a portfolio of diversified businesses. This strategy allows these companies to take advantage of market growth across several sectors and weather downturns in one of the several markets in which the companies operate.
Sorted in ascending order by dividend yield and for investor’s immediate consideration, below are 11 stocks with market capitalizations of more than $10 billion that go ex-dividend next week. Most of these equities have also boosted their annual dividend payout at least the last five consecutive years. Therefore, interested investors who are looking to take advantage of the upcoming dividend distributions should not delay their own analysis and due diligence.
The market capitalizations range between nearly $11 billion for Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. (NYSE:MAA) to the high of nearly $145 billion for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT). The average capitalization of the entire group is nearly $70 billion. The dividend yields range from a marginal 0.63% (Zoetis, Inc., NYSE:ZTS) to 6.3% (AbbVie, Inc., NYSE:ABBV), with a 2.7% simple average yield.
Just one of the companies on the list below – Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) – has not boosted its dividends in the past 12 months after 18 consecutive hikes through 2018. Additionally, Allergan PLC (NYSE:AGN) and EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG) have current streaks of two consecutive annual dividend boosts. The other equities on the list have enhanced their annual dividend payouts at least the past five consecutive years. As of now, the other equities on the list below have boosted their annual dividend payouts between five and 57 consecutive years for an average current streak of more than 10 years of consecutive annual dividend hikes.
Despite the current market decline, more than half of the companies on the list below still managed to reward their shareholders with positive total returns over the trailing 12-month period. However, even three of the five equities that have negative one-year returns have delivered double-digit total returns over the last three and five years. Below are the 11 large-cap stocks that are going ex-dividend next week sorted in ascending order by their current dividend yield.
Large-Cap Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Next Week: #11
Zoetis, Inc. (NYSE:ZTS)
Total Return (1Y, 3Y, 5Y): 24.4%, 143%, 177%
Dividend Yield: 0.63%
Market Cap: $59.89 Billion
Sector: Health Care
First Dividend: 2013
Consecutive Annual Hikes: 6 years
April 1, 2020 Closing Price: $126.11
Large-Cap Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Next Week: #10
Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI)
Total Return (1Y, 3Y, 5Y): 27.5%, 23%, 170%
Dividend Yield: 0.68%
Market Cap: $46.05 Billion
Sector: IT & Communications
First Dividend: 2010
Consecutive Annual Hikes: 9 years
April 1, 2020 Closing Price: $59.87
Large-Cap Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Next Week: #9
Allergan PLC (NYSE:AGN)
Total Return (1Y, 3Y, 5Y): 21.1%, -22%, -37%
Dividend Yield: 1.66%
Market Cap: $58.52 Billion
Sector: Health Care
First Dividend: 1989
Consecutive Annual Hikes: 2 years
April 1, 2020 Closing Price: $178.26
Large-Cap Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Next Week: #8
Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT)
Total Return (1Y, 3Y, 5Y): 5.4%, 95%, 90%
Dividend Yield: 1.76%
Market Cap: $144.48 Billion
Sector: Health Care
First Dividend: 1926
Consecutive Annual Hikes: 6 years
April 1, 2020 Closing Price: $81.93
Large-Cap Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Next Week: #7
American Tower Corporation (NYSE:AMT)
Total Return (1Y, 3Y, 5Y): 18.4%, 95%, 150%
Dividend Yield: 1.90%
Market Cap: $100.88 Billion
Sector: Financials
First Dividend: 2011
Consecutive Annual Hikes: 5 years
April 1, 2020 Closing Price: $227.77
Large-Cap Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Next Week: #6
Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN)
Total Return (1Y, 3Y, 5Y): -6.5%, 47%, 83%
Dividend Yield: 1.95%
Market Cap: $108.62 Billion
Sector: Industrials
First Dividend: 2005
Consecutive Annual Hikes: 0 years
April 1, 2020 Closing Price: $164.12
Large-Cap Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Next Week: #5
Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL)
Total Return (1Y, 3Y, 5Y): 4.8%, 1%, 11%
Dividend Yield: 2.55%
Market Cap: $59.03 Billion
Sector: Consumer Products
First Dividend: 1895
Consecutive Annual Hikes: 57 years
April 1, 2020 Closing Price: $69.04
Large-Cap Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Next Week: #4
EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG)
Total Return (1Y, 3Y, 5Y): -56.8%, -55%, -52%
Dividend Yield: 3.63%
Market Cap: $24.06 Billion
Sector: Energy
First Dividend: 1990
Consecutive Annual Hikes: 2 years
April 1, 2020 Closing Price: $41.33
Large-Cap Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Next Week: #3
Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. (NYSE:MAA)
Total Return (1Y, 3Y, 5Y): -2.0%, 13%, 57%
Dividend Yield: 3.85%
Market Cap: $11.86 Billion
Sector: Financials
First Dividend: 1994
Consecutive Annual Hikes: 9 years
April 1, 2020 Closing Price: $103.79
Large-Cap Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Next Week: #2
PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE:PNC)
Total Return (1Y, 3Y, 5Y): -22.2%, -11%, 19%
Dividend Yield: 4.85%
Market Cap: $40.69 Billion
Sector: Financials
First Dividend: 1865
Consecutive Annual Hikes: 9 years
April 1, 2020 Closing Price: $94.92
Large-Cap Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Next Week: #1
AbbVie, Inc. (NYSE:ABBV)
Total Return (1Y, 3Y, 5Y): -4.3%, 33%, 57%
Dividend Yield: 6.26%
Market Cap: $111.51 Billion
Sector: Health Care
First Dividend: 2013
Consecutive Annual Hikes: 6 years
April 1, 2020 Closing Price: $75.39
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Ned Piplovic is the assistant editor of website content at Eagle Financial Publications. He graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Philosophy. Prior to joining Eagle, Ned spent 15 years in corporate operations and financial management. Ned writes for www.DividendInvestor.com and www.StockInvestor.com.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
