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Special Report
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: The Biggest IPO Ever: Claim Your Stake Today
While the broader market — and tech stocks in particular — have stumbled recently, three under-the-radar names are outpacing the major indices. Each shows solid underlying business improvements, and investors are taking notice. At the same time, these companies are offering income investors more to like by materially boosting their dividends. That combination of share appreciation and rising yields makes all three attractive candidates for portfolios looking to hedge 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 major 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 — shares are up roughly 40% from their IPO price of $20. Including its substantial dividend yield, the stock’s total return since the IPO is near 50%, far outpacing the S&P 500’s roughly 11% return over the same period. The stock enjoyed a particularly strong run in late March into early April, rising about 20% over roughly two trading weeks after the company reported its Q4 2025 earnings. Smithfield beat analyst expectations on sales and comfortably exceeded estimates for adjusted earnings per share (EPS). Management’s guidance points to another solid year ahead. While Smithfield expects sales growth to moderate, it forecasts continued margin expansion driven by a shift toward higher-margin, value-added products and ongoing operational improvements. The company also announced a substantial 25% dividend increase. Its quarterly payment will rise to $0.3125, for an annual 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, that gives the stock an indicated dividend yield of approximately 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 performed 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 shares are up roughly 5% year to date. Sales rose 7% year over year (YOY) in 2025, accelerating from the 4% growth seen in 2024. Underscoring management’s confidence, TJX plans to open 146 new stores in fiscal 2027 (calendar 2026). The company is also returning meaningful capital to shareholders. TJX announced a 13% dividend increase, raising its quarterly payment to $0.48 per share. That pushes the stock’s indicated dividend yield to around 1.2%, slightly above the S&P 500’s roughly 1.1% yield. The company plans to pay the next quarterly dividend on June 4 to shareholders of record on May 14. Additionally, TJX plans to spend between $2.5 billion and $2.75 billion on stock buybacks in 2026. At the midpoint, this represents just under 1.5% of the company’s roughly $180 billion market cap. While not enormous, the repurchase program should meaningfully support 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 standout over the past 52 weeks, gaining about 40%, and jumped nearly 14% after the company’s Q4 report for fiscal 2026. Revenue of $2.35 billion met expectations, and adjusted EPS came in at $6.25, representing a solid beat. Signet’s free cash flow grew roughly 20% year over year — its highest FCF growth since 2021 and well above the 4% increase seen in 2024. The company also supported the stock by repurchasing shares aggressively in 2025, buying back about 7% of outstanding stock through $205 million in repurchases — nearly a 50% increase year over year. Signet still has $518 million of buyback capacity remaining, giving management flexibility to continue repurchases. On the recent earnings call, leadership reiterated that it believes “shares remain attractive,” a view reinforced by the dividend boost. Signet announced a more than 9% dividend increase, raising the quarterly payout to $0.35 per share and lifting the indicated yield to just under 1.7%. Despite variability in performance, Signet has consistently increased its dividend over the past several 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. Other updated price targets average around $107. It’s worth noting, however, that Signet has fewer analyst covers than many large-cap peers, which makes the consensus less robust than for more widely followed stocks. |
