The U.S. economy continues to hold up well, despite various domestic and geopolitical challenges. Consumer demand remains a bright spot, with August retail sales jumping 1.2%, while sales excluding autos and gasoline rose 1.2%, pointing to healthy household demand. Manufacturing also stayed firmly in expansion territory, and the Philly Fed index reached 37.8 in September, its third straight month above 37.
The labor market remained resilient, nonfarm payrolls for August rose 162,000 — well above expectations of 53,000 — while unemployment held at 4.1%. Weekly jobless claims also remained low at 196,000, their lowest level since mid-June, indicating a “low-hire, low-fire” environment.
Still, investors have plenty to worry about. Inflation remains elevated, with August CPI at 3.4% year over year and core CPI at 2.4%, while PPI rose 5.4% and core PPI rose 4.7%. Treasury yields have also climbed, with the 10-year near 5%, raising borrowing costs and pressuring stock valuations. Housing remains weak, with August building permits falling to 1.39 million units. Higher oil prices, driven by tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, and higher tariffs add another layer of uncertainty.
At its September meeting, the Federal Reserve, led by Chair Kevin Warsh, raised the federal funds rate by a quarter basis point to 3.75-4%, marking its first hike since 2023. The move reflects persistent inflation and aims to restore price stability. For investors, higher rates could pressure equities and bonds while supporting the dollar and financial-sector margins. The economy is still moving, but market participants are watching whether persistent cost pressures eventually slow growth.
In such market conditions, cautious investors who wish to diversify their portfolios and pick dividend-paying stocks can keep a tab on some prominent names, such as JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPM, Microsoft MSFT, Equity Bancshares EQBK, CurtissWright CW and Argan AGX. Companies that pay out dividends consistently indicate a healthy business model. Stocks that have raised dividends recently exhibit a sound financial structure and can counter market upheavals. Moreover, stocks that tend to reward investors with a high dividend payout outperform non-dividend-paying entities in a highly volatile market.
JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase is one of the largest financial services firms globally with operations in more than 60 countries. This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company is headquartered in New York. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
On Sept. 15, JPM declared that its shareholders would receive a dividend of $1.65 a share on Oct. 31, 2026. JPM has a dividend yield of 1.7%.
Over the past five years, JPM has increased its dividend seven times, and its payout ratio presently sits at 27% of earnings. Check JPMorgan Chase's dividend history here.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. Dividend Yield (TTM)
JPMorgan Chase & Co. dividend-yield-ttm | JPMorgan Chase & Co. Quote
Microsoft
Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, WA. This Zacks Rank #3 company is one of the largest broad-based technology providers in the world.
On Sept. 14, MSFT declared that its shareholders would receive a dividend of 98 cents a share on Dec. 10, 2026. MSFT has a dividend yield of 0.7%.
In the past five years, MSFT has increased its dividend six times. Its payout ratio is currently 21% of earnings. Check Microsoft’s dividend history here.
Microsoft Corporation Dividend Yield (TTM)
Microsoft Corporation dividend-yield-ttm | Microsoft Corporation Quote
Equity Bancshares
Equity Bancshares provides financial services primarily to businesses, business owners and individuals. This Wichita, KS-based company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
On Sept. 10, EQBK declared that its shareholders would receive a dividend of 22 cents a share on Oct. 15, 2026. EQBK has a dividend yield of 1.5%.
Over the past five years, EQBK has increased its dividend five times, and its payout ratio presently sits at 14% of earnings. Check Equity Bancshares’ dividend history here.
Equity Bancshares, Inc. Dividend Yield (TTM)
Equity Bancshares, Inc. dividend-yield-ttm | Equity Bancshares, Inc. Quote
CurtissWright
CurtissWright is headquartered in Davidson, NC. This Zacks Rank #2 company provides highly engineered products and services for high-performance platforms and critical applications in key areas such as commercial aerospace and defense electronics, reactor coolant pumps for next-generation nuclear reactors as well as advanced surface treatment technologies.
On Sept. 10, CW declared that its shareholders would receive a dividend of 26 cents a share on Oct. 9, 2026. CW has a dividend yield of 0.2%.
In the past five years, CW has increased its dividend five times. Its payout ratio is currently 7% of earnings. Check CurtissWright’s dividend history here.
Curtiss-Wright Corporation Dividend Yield (TTM)
Curtiss-Wright Corporation dividend-yield-ttm | Curtiss-Wright Corporation Quote
Argan
Argan is an engineering and construction firm operating through wholly owned subsidiaries across power generation, industrial construction and teledata infrastructure. This Arlington, VA-based company currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
On Sept. 9, AGX announced that its shareholders would receive a dividend of 70 cents a share on Oct. 30, 2026. AGX has a dividend yield of 0.5%.
Over the past five years, AGX has increased its dividend four times. Its payout ratio now sits at 16% of earnings. Check Argan's dividend history here.
Argan, Inc. Dividend Yield (TTM)
Argan, Inc. dividend-yield-ttm | Argan, Inc. Quote
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JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM): Free Stock Analysis Report
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Equity Bancshares, Inc. (EQBK): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).