Dividend Growth in the first week of 2026

 Happy New Year, dividend investors! As we step into 2026, the dividend growth train is already rolling. Last week, just three companies announced dividend increases, but what a quality trio they are: Alamo Group Inc. ($ALG), Bank OZK ($OZK), and EMCOR Group Inc. ($EME).These announcements highlight companies with strong fundamentals, conservative payout ratios, and impressive long-term dividend growth track records. Let's break them down.

1. Alamo Group Inc. ($ALG) – 13.3% IncreaseAlamo Group, a leader in vegetation management and infrastructure maintenance equipment, boosted its quarterly dividend by 13.3% to $0.34 per share (from $0.30).

Growth Streak: Continues a consistent history of annual increases.

Key Stats (approximate as of early January 2026):Current Price: ~$170–$186

Annual Dividend (new): ~$1.36

Yield: ~0.8–0.9%

Payout Ratio: Very safe at ~14%

FCF Payout: Comfortably low

5-Year Dividend CAGR: ~18%

This raise reflects confidence in the company's resilient business model and disciplined capital allocation.

2. Bank OZK ($OZK) – 2.2% IncreaseBank OZK, known for its rock-solid dividend reliability, raised its quarterly payout by 2.2% to $0.46 per share.

Impressive Streak: This marks the 62nd consecutive quarterly increase – truly elite territory.

Key Stats:Current Price: ~$46

Annual Dividend (new): ~$1.84

Yield: ~4.0%

Payout Ratio: ~29%

FCF Payout: Excellent coverage

5-Year Dividend CAGR: ~10%

Bank OZK's unwavering commitment to growing dividends quarter after quarter makes it a cornerstone for income-focused portfolios.

3. EMCOR Group Inc. ($EME) – Massive 60% IncreaseEMCOR Group, a powerhouse in electrical and mechanical construction services, delivered a blockbuster 60% hike, lifting its quarterly dividend to $0.40 per share (from $0.25).

Key Stats:Current Price: ~$638

Annual Dividend (new): $1.60

Yield: ~0.25%

Payout Ratio: Extremely low at ~6–9%

FCF Payout: ~4%

5-Year Dividend CAGR: ~26%

While the yield remains modest due to strong share price appreciation, this aggressive increase signals tremendous free cash flow generation and plenty of room for future growth.

Summary of the Dividend Kings and their dividend raise in 2025

 Hey everyone! If you’re looking for the ultimate "set it and forget it" addition to your portfolio, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we are looking at the Dividend Kings—the elite group of companies that have managed to increase their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years.

Think about that for a second: 50 years covers the high inflation of the 70s, the dot-com bubble, the 2008 financial crisis, and a global pandemic. These companies didn't just survive; they gave their shareholders a raise every single year.

I’ve summarized 2025 Dividend Kings list, and there are some fascinating trends regarding yield, safety, and growth that you need to see.

If your primary goal is maximum cash flow right now, two names stand out from the crowd:

• Altria Group Inc (MO): Currently leading the pack with a massive 7.05% dividend yield.

• Universal Corp (UVV): A close second with a 6.14% yield and a solid 55-year growth streak.

While these yields are tempting, always look at the Dividend Payout Ratio. Altria’s sits at 79.39%, which is high but common for their industry.

Yield isn't everything. If you have a longer time horizon, you want Dividend Growth. This is where the 5-Year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) comes in. Some of these "old" companies are growing their payouts like tech stocks:

• Nordson Corp (NDSN): Boasting a staggering 16.02% 5-year CAGR.

• Parker-Hannifin Corp (PH): Not far behind with 15.36% growth.

• Lowe's Companies Inc (LOW): Proving that retail still has teeth with 14.84% growth.

Investing in a company like Nordson means that even if the starting yield is lower (1.31%), your "yield on cost" could explode over the next decade.

A dividend is only as good as the cash backing it up. We use the FCF Payout Ratio to see if a company is paying dividends out of real cash or just accounting earnings.

• The "Safety" Stars: Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) has a very comfortable 20.82% FCF payout ratio, meaning their dividend is incredibly safe. Cincinnati Financial (CINF) is even lower at 19.45%.

• The "Caution" Zone: Hormel Foods (HRL) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) currently have payout ratios over 100%. This often indicates the company is paying out more than it's bringing in, which is something we need to monitor closely for sustainability.

Finally, let's pay some respect to the companies with the longest-running streaks on the board. These are the "Kings of Kings":

• American States Water Co (AWR): 71 years of increases.

• Northwest Natural Holding Co (NWN): 70 years.

• Dover Corp (DOV): 70 years.

Weekly Income Report: Selling cash secured put and covered call

 

Hello everyone! As we approach the end of the year, I’m sticking to my core strategy: generating consistent weekly income through Covered Calls and Cash Secured Puts. By leveraging the volatility in the market, I was able to collect a total of $484.00 in premiums this past week alone.

With a total portfolio value of approximately $82,700, this week’s activity resulted in a 0.59% weekly return, which scales to an impressive 30.43% annualized yield.

The Week’s Top Performer: NIKE ($NKE)

The standout trade this week was $NKE. I sold a single Cash Secured Put with a $61.00 strike price and walked away with $60.00 in premium. Not only was this my highest single-contract earner, but it also netted a strong 0.98% weekly return on that specific position.

My strategy remains diversified across tech, retail, and crypto-adjacent ETFs. Here is a snapshot of how the week played out:

• Heavy TQQQ Activity: I utilized several TQQQ Puts to take advantage of price fluctuations, with returns ranging from 0.50% to 1.17% per position.

• High Yielders: Some of my most aggressive returns came from EOSE (1.42% weekly) and HIMS (1.00% weekly).

• The Mix: I balanced my risk by selling 11 Puts (bullish/neutral bias) and 8 Calls (neutral/bearish bias), ensuring I was collecting premium regardless of which way the individual tickers moved.

                                                    

Metric	Weekly Result
Total Premium Collected	$484.00
Total Capital Utilized	$82,700.00
Weekly Portfolio Return	0.59%
Projected Yearly Return	30.43%

Out of the Money (OTM)

        18 out of 19 of my positions ended - Out of the Money.

    For my Calls (like $SOFI, $ETHA, $ETHU): The stock price ended or is currently below my strike. This is great because I keep 100% of the premium and get to keep my shares to sell calls against them again next week.

    For my Puts (like $TQQQ, $UBER, $NFLX): The stock price is safely above my strike. These are already or on track to expire worthless, letting me pocket the premium without having to use my cash to buy the shares.         

In the Money (ITM):

     I have one position that is In the Money and I got assigned it on Friday:

$NKE (NIKE) Put – Strike $61.00: With the current price at $58.71, this put was ITM by $2.29.

My Game Plan for $NKE: I’m perfectly happy being assigned here! By taking the $60 premium I collected, my "effective" cost basis for the stock drops to **$60.40**. I’ll immediately pivot to the "Wheel Strategy" and start selling Covered Calls against them to continue generating income. 

   Having 95% of my positions OTM is a fantastic result for a weekly cycle. It shows that my strike price selection is providing a solid "margin of safety" while still allowing me to capture significant yield.           

    

My 2025 Options Income Growth:

I started this journey of selling Cash Secured Puts (CSP) and Covered Calls (CC) back in June 2025, and seeing the progress visualized in this chart is a powerful reminder of what consistency can do.

When I first began in June, my income was just a small "proof of concept" starting at less than $100.00. Since then, I’ve navigated different market cycles to scale this into a significant monthly revenue stream.

The chart highlights a clear growth trajectory as I refined my strategy and likely increased my capital allocation:

After a quiet start, July saw a jump to roughly $700.00, followed by another solid increase in August to approximately $1,600.00.

Things really heated up in the fall. September income climbed to about $2,300.00, and October marked my best month ever, breaking the $3,000.00 barrier because of 5 friday's in a month. Also in September and October I sold options on risky stocks like $ETHU, $MSTR, $BMNR, etc.

Income moderated toward the end of the year, with November bringing in roughly $2,000.00 and December (so far) sitting at approximately $1,200.00. After getting assigned multiple $BMNR and $ETHU, I learned my lessons. Now I am not chasing the yields. I am selling options on good quality stocks which are not so overpriced.

  

Weekly option trading update: I earned $891 by selling options

 This week I earned $891 by selling cash secured puts and covered calls on 7 different stocks. I earned this money from $66,050 which is 71% yearly return. I got assigned one call and one put options. My covered call on $SBUX was assigned at $82. I earned $1,185 in total by selling options on $SBUX plus my average cost of $SBUX was $81.5 per share. So I received another $150 gain by selling 3 contracts of the stock. So in one month I received $1,335 while keeping my invested money of $81.5x300 =$24,500. 

After the earnings $DUOL Duolingo fell more than 20%. I sold a cash secured put at $220 strike price for $300. I got assigned but I am hopeful the stock will bounce back. I will keep doing the whiling strategy on $DUOL. 

My other options were called away. So I took the premiums. I earned $125 from $75 $ETHU (ethereum 2x), $NVO $53 covered call for $100.

The following is the full list:

My weekly options activity for this week

 Today I sold weekly covered call and cash secured put, which will expire this Friday. The full list is the following:

Today I collected $530 premium by selling the weekly options. Last week, I was assigned to $NVO and $BMNR. I will look to sell $BMNR tomorrow as it was down today. I am hoping for a comeback.

Today, I collected $300 by selling 3 covered calls with a strike price of $82. If it is assigned, I will sell them. I also sold covered call of $NVO for $100 per contract with a strike price of $53. Last week I was assigned at $51.

I also collected $125 premium by selling cash secured put on $ETHU 2x $ETH. The strike price was $75. 

So I got $530 from $39,400 which is 1.35% weekly return and yearly it is 69.95%.

I earned $3,059 by selling options in October 2025

 Option Income Summary in October 2025

In October, I earned $3,059 by selling options cash secured put and covered call. This is the highest income so far for me. Most of my income came from $SBUX, $BMNR, $NVO, $NKE, and $ETHU. I earned $3,059 from $173,200, which gave me 91.84% yearly return. 

The most income came from $SBUX. I earned $885 followed by $BMNR and $ETHU. I am also selling stocks on $NVO which is undervalued.

I started to sell options in June 2025. I wish I had known this before.  

So far, I have earned $7,735 since June 2025.

Stock market update on 10/28/2025

Today's notable top performing stocks:

$REGN Regeneron Pharm 11.82%

$UPS United Parcel Service  8.01%

$NOV Nov Inc 7.17%

$SOFI SoFi Technologies Inc 5.53%

$SHW Sherwin-Williams Co 5.47%

$NUE Nucor Corp 5.43%

$INTC Intel Corp 5.03%

$NVDA NVIDIA Corp 4.98%

$WSM Williams-Sonoma Inc 3.51%

$CRWD Crowdstrike  3.25%

Today's notable worst performing stocks:

$ARE Alexandria Real Estate -19.18%

$IONQ IONQ Inc -8.98%

$QBTS D-Wave Quantum Inc -8.68%

$RGTI Rigetti Computing Inc -7.88%

$RIOT Riot Platforms Inc -6.28%

$CE Celanese Corp -6%

$KULR KULR Technology Group Inc -6.11%

$DOC Healthpeak Properties Inc -5.4%

$BITF Bitfarms Ltd -5.29%

$CLSK CleanSpark Inc -5.2%

The following stocks reached a new 52 week high:

$NVDA NVIDIA Corp

$MSFT Microsoft Corp

$AAPL Apple Inc

$GOOG Alphabet Inc Class C

$AMD Advanced Micro Devices Inc

$ASML ASML Holding NV

$BAC Bank of America Corp

$TM Toyota Motor Corp

$GE General Electric Co

$IBM IBM Common Stock

$CSCO Cisco Systems Inc

$MS Morgan Stanley

$SFTBY SoftBank Group Corp - ADR

$RTX Rtx Corp

$SHOP Shopify Inc

$RY Royal Bank of Canada

$INTC Intel Corp

$NEE NextEra Energy Inc

$PANW Palo Alto Networks Inc

$TD Toronto-Dominion Bank

$CRWD Crowdstrike Holdings Inc

$WELL Welltower Inc

$DELL Dell Technologies Inc

$CVS CVS Health Corp

$SNOW Snowflake Inc

$RIO Rio Tinto plc ADR Common Stock

$BNS Bank of Nova Scotia

$CM Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

$GM General Motors Co

$NOK Nokia Oyj

$SOFI SoFi Technologies Inc

$LUMN Lumen Technologies Inc

The following stocks reached a new 52 week low today:

$PGR Progressive Corp

$CMCSA Comcast Corp

$MMC Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc

$BMY Bristol-Myers Squibb Co

$WM Waste Management Inc

$ROP Roper Technologies Inc

$BRO Brown & Brown Inc

$CHD Church & Dwight Co Inc

$CLX Clorox Co

$ARE Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc

$CZR Caesars Entertainment Inc

$FIZZ National Beverage Corp

$UA Under Armour Inc Class C