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3 Giants With Solid Yields Lifting Their Dividends Higher
Author: Leo Miller. First Published: 2/20/2026.
Large, established companies with solid-to-high dividend yields are boosting their payouts further. This includes some of the biggest names in utilities, real estate, and restaurants. Let's dive into the dividend news around these stocks, each of which has a yield above 2.5%.
NEE: United States Top Utility Company Boosts Dividend After Strong 2025
NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE) is one of the largest electric power and energy infrastructure companies in North America. With a market capitalization near $190 billion, NextEra is the most valuable stock in the U.S. utility sector. The company generates the majority of its revenue and profit through Florida Power & Light (FPL), which serves roughly 12 million people.
Its NextEra Energy Resources (NEER) segment develops and operates energy infrastructure, with generation capacity in 44 states and parts of Canada. NEER focuses on renewable generation, nuclear, natural gas and battery storage facilities.
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Key Points
- Three stocks with dividend yields approaching as high as 4% just announced their latest round of increases.
- NEE announced a significant dividend increase, with shares of one of the U.S.'s top energy providers off to a strong start to 2026.
- PLD, a key Amazon logistics partner, lifted its dividend and expects accelerating bottom line growth in 2026.
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The stock performed well in 2025, delivering a total return of over 15%, and shares are up another roughly 15% so far in 2026. NEE's 8% adjusted earnings per share (EPS) growth in 2025 beat the high end of guidance, with both FPL and NEER showing strong momentum. With Florida's population rising and NEER carrying an almost 30-gigawatt backlog, the company expects to sustain 8% or higher annual adjusted EPS growth through 2032.
On Feb. 13, NEE raised its quarterly dividend by 10% to about $0.62 per share. The company will pay the next dividend on March 16 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 27. That gives the stock an indicated dividend yield near 2.7%. NextEra expects to continue increasing the dividend, targeting roughly 6% annual growth from the end of 2026 through 2028.
PLD: Massive REIT Lifts Dividend, Putting Yield at 3%
Next up is Prologis (NYSE: PLD), a leading industrial real estate investment trust (REIT). With a market capitalization near $130 billion, Prologis is the second-most valuable stock in the U.S. real estate sector. The company generates around 85% of its net operating income from U.S. facilities, with the remainder coming from international operations. It leases warehouses and logistics sites to companies involved in B2B distribution and e-commerce or retail fulfillment.
Prologis's largest customer is Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), but its tenant base is highly diversified: the top 25 customers account for only 22% of total net effective rent.
Shares returned an impressive 25% last year and are up about 10% in 2026. Core Funds From Operations (FFO) rose 4.5% to $5.81, a rebound after a decline in 2024. The company's 2026 guidance implies another solid year, with Core FFO growth expected to accelerate to about 5% (midpoint).
On Feb. 12, Prologis increased its annualized dividend by 6% to $4.28 per share. The company will pay a $1.07 quarterly dividend on March 31 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 17. That yields roughly 3% on an indicated basis.
QSR: High-Yield Restaurant Stock Increases Dividend Again
Restaurant Brands International (NYSE: QSR) is one of the world's largest quick-service restaurant companies, owning Tim Hortons, Burger King and Popeyes. With a market capitalization near $32 billion, QSR ranks among the ten most valuable U.S. restaurant stocks.
QSR produced a modest 9% total return in 2025 and is up about 1% year-to-date. Much of the lag came from missing its long-term comparable sales growth target in 2025: comparable sales rose 2.4% for the full year, below the company's 3% goal. Management calls 2025 a "low point" and expects acceleration in 2026.
On Feb. 12, QSR announced a 5% dividend increase, raising the quarterly payout to $0.65 per share. The dividend will be paid on April 2 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 19. The stock now carries an indicated dividend yield of about 3.8%, making QSR the highest-yielding large-cap name in the U.S. hotels, restaurants and leisure industry. QSR has raised its dividend for 14 consecutive years.
Highlight Stock: NextEra Energy
NEE, PLD and QSR are all following through on commitments to return capital to shareholders. Among them, NextEra stands out. It produces steady, predictable earnings from FPL while pursuing growth through NEER, which is more volatile but offers upside exposure to the energy transition. With analysts forecasting U.S. electricity demand to rise by roughly 25% by 2030, NEE appears to have a strong runway for long-term growth.
Can Analog Devices Really Hit $400 This Year?
Author: Thomas Hughes. First Published: 2/18/2026.
Key Points
- Analog Devices has a strengthening tailwind from end-market normalization and data center demand.
- Guidance is of "wow" quality and is likely to be cautious.
- Analysts are lifting price targets, pointing to fresh highs this year.
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Analog Devices’ (NASDAQ: ADI) share price could top $400 this year, driven by an outlook strengthened by its fiscal Q1 2026 earnings report.
End-market normalization is becoming a growing tailwind as AI boosts datacenter and broader semiconductor demand. For ADI investors, that translates into sustained, accelerating growth, wider margins, and stronger cash flow to support the company's healthy capital return program.
Analog Devices Reports 4th Quarter of Accelerating Growth: Guidance Wows
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Analog Devices reported a strong quarter, with growth across all end markets. The company posted $3.16 billion in net revenue, a 30.6% year-over-year increase that outpaced consensus by 130 basis points. Segmentally, Industrial and Communications (which includes the data center business) led, rising 38% and 63%, respectively.
Automotive was the weakest segment at an 8% gain but is expected to strengthen over time. Consumer revenue rose an impressive 27%.
Margin performance was particularly notable. The company widened its GAAP margin by a quadruple-digit number of basis points and its adjusted margin by a triple-digit number. Adjusted gross margin improved by 240 basis points, and adjusted operating margin expanded by 500 basis points, supporting a 52% increase in adjusted earnings and robust free cash flow.
Operating cash flow improved 43% on a trailing 12-month basis, while free cash flow rose 39% to more than $4.5 billion.
That free cash flow strength is critical because it enables reinvestment, capital returns, and balance sheet maintenance.
Guidance drove the market reaction. The company’s Q2 revenue and earnings forecast was materially above consensus even at the low end of the range, implying at least a 500-basis-point outperformance in the coming quarter and more than 1,000 basis points at the high end. Based on the results and clear momentum, ADI will likely perform at the high end of its guidance range, if not exceed it.
Analog Devices Capital Return Is Dialing in on Dividend Aristocrat Status
Analog Devices' capital return program is notable for its dividend history. The company announced its 22nd consecutive annual increase alongside its fiscal Q1 release, sustaining a low-double-digit distribution CAGR and placing it on track to become a Dividend Aristocrat by decade’s end. (Note that the company's fiscal reporting period does not align with the calendar year.)
Inclusion in the Dividend Aristocrats index matters because it would broaden buy-and-hold ownership and reduce volatility. Until then, the payout appears secure, with a payout ratio below 50% of expected earnings and a market-average yield of about 1.15% at the pre-release close.
Share repurchases are also meaningful. Q1 buybacks reduced the share count by roughly 1.4% year-over-year during the quarter and are expected to continue at a similar pace through the year. The balance sheet shows no red flags: cash and current assets increased, long-term debt declined, and equity remained steady. Leverage metrics look healthy as well—cash is up 16% year-to-date, long-term debt is roughly 2.5x the cash balance and about 0.2x equity.
Analysts Trends Drive Analog Devices’ Market Sentiment
The initial analysts’ response to ADI's fiscal Q1 report has been broadly bullish, continuing the recent trend. Price target increases from Stifel Nicolaus and Cantor Fitzgerald pushed the stock toward the high end of its range; Cantor's $400 target aligns with the current high and implies roughly 18% upside from the pre-release level, which could be reached before the second half.
MarketBeat data shows strong coverage: 29 analysts are tracked (up from a year ago), the Moderate Buy rating has firmed, and price targets are trending higher.
Institutional activity also supports the outlook. Although net institutional selling increased over the past 12 months, quarterly flows were net bullish throughout the year and remained so into early 2026.
In the first six weeks of the year, there was more than $1.50 in purchases for every $1 of sales, a tailwind for price action given the roughly 87% institutional ownership rate.
Short interest does not appear to be a headwind. Short interest is low—below 2%—and declining as of early February.
Analog Devices Rockets Higher on Strong Results
ADI shares surged more than 5% in premarket trading after the release, reflecting investor surprise and momentum that could persist. The main risk is profit-taking, which could cap near-term gains and lead the stock to consolidate at its new highs or correct before resuming an upward trend.
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