3 Dividend Stocks That Are Crushing the Market in 2026

The S&P 500 is up over 8% this year (as of Monday's close), which isn't bad given how hot it's been in recent years. But there is clearly a bit more apprehension in the market these days, with investors appearing to be more concerned about high valuations and a possible bubble related to artificial intelligence (AI).

Many investors have also been pivoting into safer stocks that pay dividends. Three dividend stocks that have vastly outperformed the market this year are ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), and Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN). Here's how well they've been doing, and why they can still be great buys right now.

Image source: Getty Images.

ExxonMobil

Shares of oil and gas giant ExxonMobil are up around 29% this year and close to 40% over the past 12 months. As commodity prices have been rising, investors have been loading up on the industry leader, expecting it to benefit significantly from higher oil prices, just as it has in the past.

That excitement is evident in its valuation: the stock trades at only 14 times future earnings (based on analyst expectations). That's a low multiple, given that the average S&P 500 stock trades at about 21 times its projected future profits. This modest valuation could lead to more upside for the stock, especially if oil prices remain high.

Exxon can be volatile due to the changes in oil prices, but overall, it's been an exceptional dividend stock to own, as it has raised its payout for decades. That gives investors plenty of incentive to just buy and hold. Currently, the stock yields 2.7%, and that would be higher if not for its recent run-up in value.

UnitedHealth Group

Health insurance giant UnitedHealth is another top dividend growth stock to own. In previous years, it has struggled with rising costs as higher utilization rates weighed on its financials. But now, with more normalcy in the healthcare sector and UnitedHealth leveraging AI to its advantage, it's been able to get a better handle on costs, and its financials have been improving.

The company has gone from routinely missing expectations to now beating them again. Investors, in turn, have been buying up the stock given its stronger results, and UnitedHealth is up 28% thus far in 2026. It's still not near the highs of more than $600 that it reached a few years ago, but it's been making some solid gains of late.

Currently, it yields 2.2%, which is about double the S&P 500 average of 1.1%. And over the past five years, it has increased its payout by an impressive 60%, giving investors plenty of incentive to buy and hold the healthcare stock for the long haul.

Texas Instruments

The hottest stock on this list has been Texas Instruments, which is up around 62% this year. The semiconductor company has been experiencing significant growth of late, giving both dividend and growth investors a reason to invest in its business. Revenue of $5.5 billion in its most recent quarter (which ended on June 30) was up 23% year over year, while net income of just under $2 billion rose by 53%.

Texas Instruments makes embedded chips that serve many different needs, including automotive and industrial sectors. Demand from data centers has been particularly strong with tech companies investing heavily in AI, and that's been a big reason the stock has been such a hot buy this year and why its financials have looked impressive.

In addition to some solid growth opportunities, the stock also makes for an attractive dividend investment, yielding just over 2%. Its current quarterly dividend rate of $1.42 has grown by 39% in five years, from the $1.02 per share it was paying in 2021.

David Jagielski, CPA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Texas Instruments. The Motley Fool recommends UnitedHealth Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.