Best Stocks That Pay Quarterly Dividends
If you are interested in stocks that pay dividends in January, April, July, and October, you have come to the right place.
Here are 10 of my favorites, including essential information about each company. I call them the best dividend stocks because they are all Dividend Aristocrats.
10 Stocks that Pay Dividends In January, April, July, And October
| Company | Symbol | S&P 500 Sector |
| 1. Altria | MO | Consumer staples |
| 2. Kimberly Clark | KMB | Consumer staples |
| 3. McCormick | MKC | Consumer staples |
| 4. Automatic Data Processing | ADP | Industrials |
| 5. Illinois Tool Works | ITW | Industrials |
| 6. Federal Realty | FRT | Real Estate |
| 7. Realty Income | O | Real Estate |
| 8. Chubb | CB | Financials |
| 9. Franklin Resources | BEN | Financials |
| 10. Medtronic | MDT | Health Care |
Next, I will highlight some points about each stock.
Disclosure: At no cost to you, I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
January, April, July, And October Dividend Stocks From The Consumer Staples Sector
1. Altria (MO)
Altria is no longer purely a tobacco company; it has its hands in other areas, such as beer and cannabis. Thus proudly earning the right to be called a “sin stock.”
However, since cigarette usage is in a long-term decline, the company is transitioning to what they call “reduced-risk products.”
More importantly, Altria is a Dividend Aristocrat and a Dividend King. Dividend Kings have increased their dividend rate yearly for at least 50 years!
Altria also has one of the highest dividend yields of all the stocks on today’s list.
Disclosure: I am a current stockholder. My first purchase dates back to 2004.
More reading: How to make $3,000 a month in dividends
2. Kimberly Clark (KMB)
Kimberly Clark produces and sells household products. Diapers, tissues, and toilet paper are significant parts of their product lineup.
Kimberly Clark has increased its dividend every year since 1973.
Disclosure: I currently own KMB and made my first purchase in 2009.
More reading: 5 excellent dividend ETFs
3. McCormick & Company (MKC)
McCormick makes spices. You see their products in most grocery stores.
However, management defines the company more broadly. They refer to themselves as a global leader in flavor since they have sauces and herbs as part of their stable of products.
McCormick owns some influential and well-known brands, including:
- Cattlemen’s BBQ Sauce
- Cholula Hot Sauce
- Frank’s RedHot
- Kitchen Basics
- Lawry’s
- Old Bay
The company uses its cash wisely. Management invests in its brands for growth, returns money to shareholders through dividends, and reduces debt.
McCormick is an outstanding dividend stock to buy and hold in the packaged food sector. Hormel Foods is another one of my favorites. However, I’m not listing and covering Hormel today.
Disclosure: I own McCormick after making my initial purchase in 2022.
Stocks Paying January, April, July, And October Dividends From The Industrial Sector
4. Automatic Data Processing (ADP)
ADP provides payroll processing and human capital management activities for its clients. Services include time & attendance record keeping, talent management, and employee benefits administration.
By performing these back-office functions, the company’s clients can focus on running their business rather than administrative tasks ADP can do more efficiently.
ADP has cranked up the dividend growth in recent years, making dividend growth stock investors like you and me happy.
Disclosure: Long-time owner of ADP dating back to 2010.
More reading: Great tips for dividend investors
5. Illinois Tool Works (ITW)
ITW is a high-quality industrial company. The stock offers excellent diversification for dividend investors away from typical dividend-paying sectors like utilities, real estate, consumer goods, and health care.
On the other hand, industrial companies like ITW are more exposed to the ups and downs of the economic cycles. To combat this issue, the company operates in a variety of segments, including:
- Automotive components
- Construction products
- Food Equipment
- Polymers and fluids
- Specialty Products
- Test and measurement and electronics
- Welding
Disclosure: I own ITW after making my first purchase in 2022.
More reading: How Much to Invest in Dividend Stocks
January, April, July, And October Dividend Stocks From The Real Estate Sector
6. Federal Realty Investment Corp. (FRT)
Federal Realty Investment Corp. is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).
REITs acquire properties and rent them out to tenants. The business model creates a steady income stream and growth from rent increases.
Federal Realty mainly manages, owns, and redevelops open-air shopping centers and mixed-use properties. Geographically, properties are primarily located in major metropolitan markets, including:
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Miami
- Boston
- Philadelphia.
The company returns a significant portion of its rental income to shareholders through dividends. Management also increases the dividend rate per share every year.
Disclosure: FRT is currently on my watch list.
More reading: Making $1,000 monthly off dividends
7. Realty Income (O)
Realty Income is another REIT on today’s stock list that pays dividends in January, April, July, and October.
Known as the Monthly Dividend Company, Realty Income is one of the relatively few high-quality monthly dividend stocks, paying dividends every month of the year.
The company specializes in free-standing commercial properties. Their buildings are located in visible areas that have lots of traffic. Some of their well-known tenants include:
- Walgreens
- 7-Eleven
- Dollar General
- Fed-X
- LA Fitness
Realty Income has been paying investors monthly dividends every year since 1994.
Disclosure: I am a stockholder and first purchased in 2008.
More reading: Are monthly dividends better than quarterly?
Dividend Stocks That Pay In January, April, July, And October From The Financial Sector
8. Chubb Limited (CB)
Chubb is a global provider of insurance products and services for businesses, individuals, and families. The company is one of the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty businesses.
Chubb offers a broad range of insurance coverages, including:
- Property and casualty
- Accident and health
- Reinsurance
- Life insurance
Thus, the company protects lives and valuables worldwide from catastrophic loss using part of the profits to pay investors quarterly dividends.
Disclosure: I do not own Chubb at this time. I sold all my shares in 2015 as part of a portfolio consolidation and cleanup effort.
More reading: How to make $5,000 a month in dividends
9. Franklin Resources (BEN)
Investors like you and me can appreciate Franklin Resources because the firm specializes in investment management, including:
- Wealth management
- Asset management
- Financial technology
The company has operated for more than 70 years and offers clients valuable experience and perspective.
Franklin Resources started paying dividends to investors in 1981. More recently, management has generously increased the dividend every year.
Disclosure: Franklin Resources is on my watch list.
January, April, July, And October Dividends From The Health Care Sector
10. Medtronic (MDT)
Medtronic is a global healthcare solutions company operating in these primary areas:
- Cardiac and vascular
- Minimally invasive therapies
- Restorative therapies
- Diabetes services and solutions
The company has made some significant acquisitions in recent years to jump-start growth.
Medtronic usually won’t be the highest-yielding stock in anyone’s portfolio. However, annual dividend growth has been strong. It’s also good to know Medtronic has increased its dividend yearly since 1978.
Disclosure: I have owned Medtronic since 2010.
Okay. That concludes a brief review of today’s 10 Dividend Aristocrat stocks paying dividends in January, April, July, and October.
But hang with me for a few more minutes while I cover some important points and share additional resources.
Tips And Resources For Maximizing Your Dividends In January, April, July, And October
Dividend Aristocrats Paying in January, April, July, And October
All of today’s stocks are Dividend Aristocrats.
Aristocrats are part of the S&P 500 stock market index. They have increased their dividend payout rates annually for at least 25 years.
There are only about 65 Dividend Aristocrats. Thus, they are part of an elite group of stocks.
Dividend Yield, Dividend Growth, And Payout Ratio
As a whole, this group of stocks has a wide range of dividend metrics.
However, when buying a new stock, I look for the following characteristics:
- Reasonable dividend payout ratio
- 3-5% dividend yield
- 5-7% dividend growth potential
- Opportunity for share price appreciation
These elements make great companies that pay dividends.
Constructing Your Dividend Portfolio From Stocks That Pay Dividends In January, April, July, And October
Here are several points to consider while building and maintaining your dividend portfolio.
Learn, learn, and learn.
The more you learn and understand about investing, the better dividend investor you will become.
I recommend the Financial Freedom Dividend Investing Course from Simply Investing to level up your investing game.
Stay diversified.
Do not allow one stock or sector to become too large a part of your portfolio.
Choose your stocks wisely. Monitor your portfolio frequently.
I recommend the Simply Investing Report and Analysis platform for stock recommendations and up-to-date metrics on hundreds of dividend stocks.
More Reading About Stocks That Pay Dividends
Finally, please take advantage of the many resources I have put together for you at Dividends Diversify. Here’s a sample.
That’s all for today. Thanks for reading, and good luck with your investments.
Author Bio: Tom Scott founded the consulting and coaching firm Dividends Diversify, LLC. He leverages his expertise and decades of experience in goal setting, relocation assistance, and investing for long-term wealth to help clients reach their full potential.
