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Further Reading from MarketBeat.com
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 hit a skid recently, three under-the-radar names are outperforming the major indices. Each is showing meaningful underlying improvement, and investors are taking notice. At the same time, these companies are giving income investors more to like by boosting dividends. That combination of share appreciation alongside healthy, rising yields makes all three attractive candidates for portfolios seeking partial hedges against further downside in the S&P 500 and NASDAQ. Smithfield Foods Announces Massive Dividend Boost, Yield Well Above 4%
Liberation Day wiped over $2 trillion from markets in a single day. Then a 90-day tariff pause added $4 trillion back to the S&P 500. Trump's AI initiatives sent Palantir up over 140%. Trader Larry Benedict says all of that was just the warm-up.
Benedict is calling what comes next 'Project 2026' - a move he believes could send billions, potentially trillions, into overlooked corners of the market. He's identified one ticker sitting at the center of it all, and he's revealing the name today at no cost. Larry is calling it "Project 2026."
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 up about 40% from their IPO price of $20. Including its dividend, the stock’s total return since the IPO is near 50%, well ahead of the S&P 500’s roughly 11% return over the same period. The shares ran particularly hard in late March and early April, rising roughly 20% over two trading weeks after the company released its Q4 2025 earnings. Smithfield beat expectations on sales and comfortably surpassed estimates for adjusted earnings per share (EPS). Management’s guidance points to another solid year. While Smithfield expects sales 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. Its quarterly payment will rise to 31.25 cents, for a full-year payout of $1.25 per share. Smithfield expects to pay the next quarterly dividend on April 21 to shareholders of record on April 7. Overall, the stock now carries an indicated dividend yield of roughly 4.4%. TJX Companies Issues 13% Dividend Increase as Store Expansion ContinuesTJX Companies (NYSE: TJX) is a leading off-price retailer known for chains such as TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods. This partially defensive stock has done well over the past 52 weeks, delivering a total return near 30%. While the S&P 500 is down several percentage points in 2026, TJX is up about 5%. Sales rose 7% year over year (YOY) in 2025, a clear acceleration from 4% growth in 2024. Underlining management’s confidence, the company plans to open 146 new stores in 2026 (fiscal 2027). TJX also continues to return capital to shareholders. The company announced a 13% dividend increase, raising its quarterly payment to 48 cents per share and pushing the indicated yield to roughly 1.2% (slightly above the S&P 500’s ~1.1%). The next quarterly dividend is scheduled for June 4 to shareholders of record on May 14. Additionally, TJX plans $2.5 billion to $2.75 billion in stock buybacks 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 provide a meaningful boost to metrics like adjusted EPS. Signet: Shares, Buybacks, and Dividends Are on the RiseThe world’s largest diamond jewelry retailer, Signet Jewelers (NYSE: SIG), operates well-known brands including Kay Jewelers, Zales, and Jared. The stock has been a strong performer over the past year, up about 40%. Shares jumped nearly 14% after the company’s Q4 report for fiscal 2026. Revenue of $2.35 billion was in line with expectations, and the company beat on adjusted EPS, which came in at $6.25. Signet’s free cash flow rose by a substantial 20% during the year — the firm’s strongest free cash flow growth since 2021 and well above the 4% growth seen in 2024. Signet also materially supported the stock with buybacks in 2025, repurchasing $205 million of shares (about 7% of the float), nearly a 50% increase year over year. The company still has $518 million of buyback capacity remaining, giving it scope to continue meaningful repurchases. On the latest earnings call, management said it believes “shares remain attractive,” and the company followed through with a yield-enhancing action. Signet announced a more than 9% dividend increase, raising the quarterly payout to 35 cents per share and moving the indicated yield to just under 1.7%. Despite variability in performance, Signet has consistently raised its dividend in recent years; since fiscal 2022 (roughly calendar 2021), its dividend has grown at an approximate compound annual rate of 21%. Analysts Eye Further Upside in SIGAmong these names, Wall Street appears most bullish on Signet. The MarketBeat consensus price target of $112 implies more than 25% upside from current levels. Individual price targets updated after the latest earnings report average slightly lower, near $107. It’s worth noting that Signet has relatively limited analyst coverage compared with many other stocks, which makes this gauge somewhat less robust. |
