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Today's Bonus Content
3 Quiet Outperformers Boosting Dividends as Markets RetreatAuthor: Leo Miller. Posted: 4/6/2026. 
Key Points
- Elevated volatility has seen the S&P 500 lose around 5% from its highs, while the ongoing tech selloff has seen the sector fall around 10%.
- However, across food and retail, three inconspicuous names are providing significant gains to investors as risk-on assets continue to lag.
- These stocks are also substantially increasing their dividends, and two are engaging in considerable buyback spending, which comes as a vote of confidence for investors.
- Special Report: Have $500? Invest in Elon’s AI Masterplan
While the broader market — and tech stocks in particular — have skidded recently, three under-the-radar names are outperforming the major indices. Each shows solid improvements in its business fundamentals, and investors are taking notice. At the same time, these companies are giving income-minded investors more to like by boosting their dividends. That combination of share appreciation alongside healthy and rising yields makes all three attractive candidates for portfolios looking to hedge against potential further downside in the S&P 500 and NASDAQ. Smithfield Foods Announces Massive Dividend Boost, Yield Well Above 4%
The mainstream explanation for the Iran airstrikes may not be the full story. Addison Wiggin, Founder of Grey Swan Investment Fraternity, says there's a deeper motive behind the bombing campaign that most coverage is ignoring.
If you're making investment decisions based on what you're hearing in the news, Wiggin argues you could be working with an incomplete picture. Read Addison Wiggin's full breakdown of the real Iran story
Smithfield Foods (NASDAQ: SFD) is a large producer of meat products and livestock, with a strong emphasis on pork and hogs. The company went public in early 2025 and has performed impressively since, with shares about 40% higher than their IPO price of $20. Including its dividend, the stock’s total return since the IPO is near 50%, far exceeding the S&P 500’s roughly 11% return over the same period. The stock rallied especially strongly in late March into early April, rising roughly 20% over about two trading weeks after the company reported Q4 2025 earnings. Smithfield beat analyst expectations on sales and significantly exceeded estimates for adjusted earnings per share (EPS). Guidance points to another solid year ahead. While Smithfield expects top-line growth to moderate, it forecasts continued margin expansion driven by a shift toward higher-margin, value-added products and operational improvements. The company also announced a substantial 25% dividend increase, raising the quarterly payment to $0.3125 and the full-year payout to $1.25 per share. Smithfield expects to pay its next quarterly dividend on April 21 to shareholders of record on April 7. That gives the stock an indicated dividend yield of about 4.4%. TJX Companies Issues 13% Dividend Increase as Store Expansion ContinuesTJX Companies (NYSE: TJX) is a leading off-price retailer, operating chains such as TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods. This partially defensive stock has performed well over the past 52 weeks, delivering a total return near 30%. And while the S&P 500 is down by several percentage points in 2026, TJX shares are up roughly 5%. Sales rose 7% year over year (YOY) in 2025, a notable acceleration from the 4% growth seen in 2024. Underscoring management’s confidence, TJX plans to open 146 new stores in 2026 (fiscal 2027). The company is also returning capital to shareholders. TJX announced a 13% dividend increase, raising the quarterly payment to $0.48 per share and pushing the indicated yield to about 1.2% — slightly above the S&P 500’s ~1.1% yield. The next quarterly dividend is scheduled for June 4, with a record date of May 14. Additionally, TJX plans $2.5 billion to $2.75 billion in share repurchases for 2026. At the midpoint, that would represent just under 1.5% of the company’s roughly $180 billion market cap. While not enormous, the buyback program should meaningfully support metrics such as adjusted EPS. Signet: Shares, Buybacks, and Dividends Are on the RiseThe world’s largest diamond jewelry retailer, Signet Jewelers (NYSE: SIG), operates names like Kay Jewelers, Zales, and Jared. The stock has been a standout over the past 52 weeks, gaining about 40%, and rallied nearly 14% after the company released its Q4 FY2026 earnings report. Revenue of $2.35 billion matched expectations, while adjusted EPS came in strong at $6.25. Signet’s free cash flow rose about 20% year over year — the company’s best free cash flow growth since 2021 and well above the 4% growth seen in 2024. Signet also supported the stock with buybacks in 2025, repurchasing 7% of its shares via $205 million in repurchases — nearly a 50% increase year over year. It still has about $518 million of remaining buyback capacity, giving management flexibility to continue repurchases. Management said on the earnings call it believes “shares remain attractive,” a view reinforced by a dividend boost. The company announced a more than 9% dividend increase, raising the quarterly payout to $0.35 per share and taking the indicated yield to just under 1.7%. Despite some variation in its performance, Signet has consistently raised its dividend in recent years — since fiscal 2022 (roughly calendar 2021), the dividend has compounded at an annual rate of about 21%. Analysts Eye Further Upside in SIGAmong these three stocks, Wall Street appears most bullish on Signet. The MarketBeat consensus price target of $112 implies more than 25% upside from current levels. Individual analyst price targets, updated after the latest earnings report, sit slightly lower at around $107. It’s worth noting that Signet has fewer analysts covering it than many larger names, so these measures should be considered in that context. |
