Utz Is the Lone D Grade Among December's 16 Dividend Regulars

SmarterDividends data as of November 6, 2026 identifies 16 companies that usually announce dividend raises in December 2026. Pfizer (PFE) has a 5 of 5 December record and a 5.8% forward yield, while Broadcom (AVGO) has a typical raise of 12.2%. None has raised yet in 2026, so the screen isolates recurring year-end behavior before a new board decision.

The cleanest monthly record does not necessarily bring the largest raise. Nucor (NUE) announced a December increase in 5 of 5 years, but its typical raise was 2.0%. Mosaic (MOS) announced in December in 4 of 5 years, yet its typical raise was 33.3%. The comparison separates timing consistency from dividend growth size.

Safety separates the group again. Stryker (SYK) carries an A grade, a typical raise of 6.7% and a last raise of 4.8%. Utz Brands (UTZ) carries a D grade, a typical raise of 4.5% and a last raise of 3.3%. Utz is the only company in the screen that falls into our grade D or F subset.

Five-of-five timing still produces very different raises

The companies below announced a raise in December in 5 of 5 years and raised their dividends in all 5 years. Their safety grades cluster at A, but their typical and most recent increases vary widely.

Ecolab’s last raise of 12.3% exceeded its typical 7.5%. Hanover Insurance Group stayed close to form, with a 5.6% last raise against a typical 5.9%. Albany International also remained near its 4.0% norm with a 3.7% increase.

Other regulars slowed more sharply. AES last raised 1.7% against a typical 4.6%, Toro delivered 2.6% against 5.9%, and Eastman Chemical raised 1.2% against 2.5%. All three still carry A safety grades, so smaller recent increases and weak dividend safety are not the same signal in our data.

Annual consistency can outlast monthly consistency

Broadcom announced in December in 4 of 5 years but raised in all 5. Its typical increase was 12.2%, and its last raise was 10.2% on December 9, 2025. The company combines a strong annual record with slightly less dependable December timing.

DTE Energy (DTE) has the widest timing latitude among the companies that raised in all 5 years. It announced in December in 3 of 5 years, with a typical raise of 7.0% and a last raise of 6.9%. Mosaic announced in December in 4 of 5 years and raised in all 5, but its last increase of 4.8% was far below its typical 33.3%.

Franklin Templeton (BEN) raised in December in 4 of 5 years and raised at all in 4 of 5. Its typical increase was 3.4%, close to its last raise of 3.1%, while its safety grade is A and its forward yield is 4.1%.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide (VAC) and Utz each announced in December in 3 of 5 years and raised in 4 of 5. Marriott Vacations has a typical raise of 4.8%, a last raise of 1.3% and a B safety grade. Utz has a typical raise of 4.5%, a last raise of 3.3% and a D grade. Actual announcements can be followed on the dividend raise calendar.

Sector breadth hides large differences

Basic Materials supplies 4 of the 16 companies, followed by Healthcare with 3. Utilities, Financial Services and Consumer Cyclical each contribute 2. Technology, Industrials and Consumer Defensive each contribute 1.

Company size varies from Broadcom at $1.4 trillion in market value to Utz at $1.3 billion. Yield also separates otherwise reliable names. Pfizer yields 5.8% with a B grade, while Ecolab and Nucor each yield 0.9% with A grades. Eastman Chemical combines a 5.1% yield with an A grade, showing that a higher yield is not automatically the strained case in this group.

Where the pattern looks strained

Utz is the clearest exception to the group’s generally stronger safety profile. Its D grade accompanies a 1.8% forward yield, a 3 of 5 December record and raises in 4 of 5 years. Its typical 4.5% increase is not unusually small beside the group, but the safety grade makes its recurring calendar pattern less reassuring.

Mosaic is graded C, above the D or F subset but below the A and B grades elsewhere in the screen. The gap between its typical 33.3% raise and its last 4.8% increase adds another sign that its historical average does not describe its most recent action.

AES, Toro and Eastman Chemical also delivered last raises below their typical increases, yet each holds an A safety grade and a 5 of 5 December record. Their data points to slower recent dividend growth without the same safety warning attached to Utz. A pattern remains history rather than a promise because boards decide each increase and can skip or delay it.

How we did this

We examined when each company announced dividend raises during the last five complete calendar years, 2021 to 2025. A company qualifies for December after announcing a raise in that month in at least 3 of those 5 years, raising in at least 4 of them and not raising yet in 2026. The window remains 5 years even when a company’s December pattern extends further back.