Some stocks move with the market. Others pull far ahead of it. So far in 2026, a handful of companies have posted strong gains while others have fallen. And when you look closely at where those gains are coming from, one sector shows up more than most: energy.
Indeed, rising geopolitical tensions and supply concerns have sent oil prices higher, which benefits companies tied to production and distribution. That raises an interesting question: are these just short-term moves, or are there still opportunities left?
Today, let’s look at the top dividend companies for the first quarter of 2026.
Using Barchart’s Stock Screener, I selected the following filters to get my list:
YTD Percent Change: Left blank so I can sort it from highest to lowest.
Number of Analysts: 12 or more. The higher the number, the stronger the rating consensus.
Current Analyst Rating: 3.5-5. Stocks that Wall Street calls a “Moderate” to “Strong Buy”.
Dividend Investing Ideas: Best Dividend Stocks.
I set the screen, hit results, and got 37 companies. I will cover three with the highest YTD percent change.
Let’s start with the first dividend stock:
Canadian Natural Resources is one of Canada’s largest oil and gas producers. It develops and operates a wide range of energy assets, including conventional crude oil and natural gas, as well as large-scale oil sands projects. The company mainly supplies energy to global markets.
In its recent quarterly financials, the company reported that sales were up 2.2% YOY to $6.9 billion, and net income rose over 370% to $3.8 billion. Further, it pays $1.83 in yearly dividends, translating to a yield of around 3.7%. YTD, CNR stock increased 47.98%, the highest in this list.
With that, a consensus among 17 analysts rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” given that there could be as much as 7% upside if the stock reaches its high target of $52.86
The second dividend stock on my list is ONEOK Inc., an energy company that operates a large network of pipelines and facilities. It…
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