3 Dividend Aristocrat Stocks Up 200% That Nobody Is Talking About

When the market pulls back, it becomes easier to see which stocks are built to last.

The names that tend to hold up best aren't always the flashy ones, but established companies with resilient businesses and long records of rewarding shareholders.

And when I’m looking for income stocks, I tend to gravitate toward companies with a proven track record of long-term share price growth and consistent dividends. That led me to the Dividend Aristocrats, the elite group of S&P 500 companies that have raised their dividends for at least 25 straight years.

That’s why I filtered them to find the best-performing ones and checked which still have gas left in the tank.  

How I came up with the following stocks

Using Barchart’s Stock Screener, I selected the following filters to get my list: 

• 5-Year Percent Change: I set it to at least 0.1% to show companies that are up over the last 5 years. Then, I will sort the results from highest to lowest.
• Current Analyst Rating: 3.5-5. Stocks rated “Moderate” to “Strong Buy”, expecting a bullish potential by Wall Street.
• Number of Analysts: 12 or more. Higher analyst coverage suggests a stronger rating consensus.
• Dividend Investing Ideas: Dividend Aristocrats

I ran the screen and got 30 results. I will cover the three with the highest 5-year percent change.

Let’s kick off this list with the first Dividend Aristocrat.

Cardinal Health (CAH)

Cardinal Health is a healthcare company with an outsized behind-the-scenes role in the current medical system. It distributes pharmaceuticals and medical products to hospitals, pharmacies, and laboratories, ensuring that supplies reach a wide range of healthcare providers. 

The company is also expanding its biopharma supply chain capabilities to support the storage and delivery of sensitive therapies. As more specialty treatments reach the market, that role is becoming even more important.

Cardinal Health has increased its dividends for more than 25 consecutive years. Today, it pays a forward annual dividend of $2.04, yielding around 0.98%. While it may look modest, the stock gained 240% over the last five years.

Meanwhile, 16 analysts rate the stock a “Strong Buy”, with as much as 33% upside if the stock hits its target high of $275. 

Caterpillar Inc (CAT)

The next Dividend Aristocrat is Caterpillar Inc, a global manufacturer of heavy equipment used in construction, mining, energy, and transportation. Its machines, engines, and industrial systems help power large-scale projects around the world, from roadbuilding to resource extraction.

Beyond heavy equipment, Caterpillar is also expanding its AI and autonomy offerings to help customers improve productivity and manage more complex jobsites.

Caterpillar has raised its dividends for 32 consecutive years, currently paying a forward annual dividend of $6.04, which translates to a yield of around 0.89%. 

Meanwhile, Caterpillar stock has increased 208% in the last five years while a consensus among 24 analysts rates the stock a “Moderate Buy.” The $878 high target price suggests 22% potential upside in the stock over the next year. 

Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM)

Last but definitely not least is ExxonMobil Corp, a company I recently compared with Chevron. Exxon is one of the world’s largest integrated energy companies, with operations spanning oil and gas production, refining, chemicals, and fuel marketing.

Exxon is also building its synthetic graphite business, which supports the U.S. battery materials supply chain, adding a newer energy-focused layer to the company beyond its traditional oil and gas operations.

Exxon has the longest dividend increase streak on this list at 43 consecutive years. It also pays a forward annual dividend of $4.12, translating to a yield of around 2.58%, the highest among all three. The stock has also grown 188% in the last five years. 

Lastly, a consensus among 28 analysts rates the stock a “Moderate Buy,” with a $186 high target price, it suggests as much as 12% potential upside. 

Final Thoughts

These three Dividend Aristocrats are not your typical headliners. They are not flashy, and their dividends are quite modest. 

However, when you zoom out over longer time periods, they become pretty attractive. These stocks are the top Dividend Aristocrats in terms over returns over the last five years - and they did it quietly.