Winmark Raises Quarterly Dividend to $1.02 a Share

Winmark Corporation (WINA) raised its quarterly dividend to $1.02 a share from $0.96, a 6.25% increase, with the stock trading ex-dividend on May 13, 2026.

The new payout implies an annual dividend of $4.08 a share and a forward annual yield of 1.05% based on the locked share price of $387.62. The increase extends Winmark's dividend-growth streak to 15 consecutive years, though the record also includes a prior cut in 2020. SmarterDividends assigns the payout a dividend safety score of 65 out of 100, or a C grade.

Winmark, based in the consumer cyclical sector, operates a franchise-focused resale retail model. The company is associated with brands including Plato's Closet, Once Upon A Child, Play It Again Sports, Music Go Round and Style Encore, according to company and public company-profile materials. Its model is tied to used-goods retailing, where franchise royalties and related fees are central to the operating structure rather than broad direct ownership of stores.

The dividend action comes against a backdrop of investor interest in asset-light franchisors and resale retail concepts. For dividend investors, the key point is that Winmark is continuing to lift its regular quarterly payout while maintaining a relatively modest current yield. The 1.05% forward yield is not high compared with many income-focused equities, but the 15-year growth streak gives the dividend a longer track record than many smaller-cap consumer discretionary names.

What it means for income investors

The increase raises the cash income attached to each share, but the yield remains low in absolute terms. That means the dividend case is more about payout growth and business durability than immediate income. The C safety grade and the 2020 cut are important counterweights: they suggest investors tracking Winmark for income may want to monitor free cash flow, franchise performance and capital allocation closely rather than relying on the growth streak alone.

Winmark's market capitalization is $1,386,776,832, placing it outside the largest consumer companies and making dividend continuity more dependent on company-specific execution. The latest increase is a positive income event, but it does not remove the need to watch the payout's resilience through consumer cycles.