# Five dividend raises that beat inflation

> Five US companies just hiked payouts fast enough to outrun a 0.4% monthly CPI move, and one raise stands above the rest.
- Title: Five dividend raises that beat inflation · Yahoo Finance
- Summary: Five US companies just hiked payouts fast enough to outrun a 0.4% monthly CPI move, and one raise stands above the rest. For retirement income, the rate a…
- Keywords: dividends, inflation, retirement, income investing, stocks, business, finance, Five, dividend, raises, beat, Yahoo Finance
- Source: Yahoo Finance — https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/five-dividend-stocks-crushing-inflation-152635618.html
- Published: 2026-09-13T15:26:35+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: dividends, inflation, retirement, income investing, stocks, business, finance
## The real income question
CPI reads 334.1 and rose 0.4% last month. A fixed payout quietly shrinks against that. A rising one holds its ground.

> A static yield loses ground against a backdrop like that. A rising payout defends it.
## Growth beats yield
These five were ranked by the size, consistency, and cash flow behind their latest hike, not by headline yield. Each raise clears a low single digit inflation pace.
## Lowe's raises into a slump
The quarterly dividend went from $1.20 to $1.25, yielding near 2.47%. Revenue hit $25.96B, up 8.34%, with adjusted EPS of $4.40 against a $4.22 consensus.
## But the stock is bleeding
Operating cash flow of $3.659B easily covered the $672M payout. Still, shares are down 17.13% this year and 26.27% over twelve months as DIY demand stays soft.
## Texas Instruments keeps stepping
The payout rose from $1.36 to $1.42, yield near 2.17%. Revenue jumped 22.82% to $5.46B and EPS of $2.14 beat estimates by 10.56%.

> extending a pattern of raising, holding, and raising again
## Capex squeezes the cash
Trailing free cash flow was $6.53B, 33.6% of revenue, but the 300mm buildout is eating $4.55B against $7.153B of operating cash flow.
## UnitedHealth lifts and buys back
The quarterly dividend moved from $2.21 to $2.32, an annualized $9.28 a share. Guidance rose to $19.50-$20.00 EPS and buybacks doubled to at least $5.0B.
## Legal and membership overhang
Medicare Advantage membership dropped by 965,000, Optum Health revenue fell 5%, and a DOJ Medicare investigation is still open.
## Broadcom pays little, grows fast
The dividend went from $0.59 to $0.65 on a 0.72% yield, held down by the share price. AI chip revenue hit $16.7B, up 221%, with free cash flow at 46% of revenue.
## ADP takes the top spot
The board jumped the quarterly payout from $1.54 to $1.70, the biggest raise here. Operating cash flow of $5.441B covered a $2.626B dividend with room left over.

> the cleanest defense a retirement portfolio can hold against slow price erosion
## Key takeaway

For retirement income, the rate a dividend grows matters more than the yield it starts at, and cash flow is what proves the raise can repeat.