11d • General discussion
Dividend updates 8/31 - 9/4
Dividend market briefing, September 1, 2026
Dividend increases/cuts. Intuit raised its quarterly dividend 15%, from $1.20 to $1.38 per share, announced August 25, marking 13 consecutive years of increases with a conservative 20.9% payout ratio. Emerson Electric lifted its quarterly payout to $0.555 from $0.5275 a year ago alongside raised FY26 guidance. Stewart Information Services bumped its annual dividend from $2.10 to $2.20, with the higher $0.55 quarterly payment due September 30. Bank of America's 14% increase to $0.32 per share (announced in July) goes record-date September 4 and pays September 25, worth flagging since it hits shareholder accounts this month. No major new dividend cuts or suspensions surfaced in the past day; the most recent cuts on record (FS KKR Capital, Camping World) date back to February and aren't new news.
Notable moves. The most remarkable shift for income investors right now is on the rates side, not the equity side: the 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 4.79% on September 1, its highest level since January 2025, up for a fifth straight session on rising oil prices and reduced odds of Fed easing. That matters directly for yield-sensitive names, since rising long rates typically pressure REITs and utilities by raising the discount rate on their cash flows and making bonds more competitive with dividend yields. On the ETF side, the Dividend Aristocrats fund NOBL is down about 1.33% for the week, continuing to trail SCHD, which is up 27.88% year to date versus NOBL's 12.90%, largely on SCHD's heavier energy weighting. Energy dividend payers such as Chevron, EOG Resources, and Devon Energy have been the standout gainers as oil jumped roughly 3.5% (Brent near $91, WTI near $86) following fresh US strikes on an Iranian target in the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian retaliation, a genuine wildcard for energy-heavy dividend portfolios if the conflict escalates further.
Market context. Broader sentiment opened September cautiously, with Dow futures down about 335 points (0.6%) on the Iran news and elevated bond yields. Fed rate expectations are mixed across sources: CME futures markets show odds shifting toward a possible hike this month given the inflation risk from oil, while Goldman Sachs still expects the Fed to hold at 3.50 to 3.75% through year end with any cuts pushed to 2027. Either way, a higher-for-longer rate backdrop is the headwind to watch for yield-heavy sectors like utilities, REITs, and financials over the next few weeks.
Three names screened as undervalued by recent coverage: AT&T (4.68% yield, about 8x trailing earnings), Realty Income (5.20% yield, up roughly 13% year to date), and Campbell's (6.91% yield, about 11x earnings). REITs broadly screen as the most undervalued sector right now, with Healthpeak cited around a 40% discount to fair value and a 7%-plus yield.
This is factual market information only, not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell.
1
2 comments
Dividend updates 8/31 - 9/4
skool.com/empire-wealth-builder
Elle Gagnon (GenX Elle): Author & creator of Empire Wealth Builder, helping pre-retirees build dividend income security via coaching and community.
Powered by