Kroger

Kroger is one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States, operating thousands of supermarkets under its own name and banners such as Ralphs, Fred Meyer and Harris Teeter. Alongside food retail it runs pharmacies, fuel centers and a growing private-label and data business, competing on scale against Walmart and a wave of discount and online rivals. The company has paid and steadily raised its dividend for around two decades, keeping the payout well covered by dependable cash flows. The yield is modest, reflecting a low-margin business that also directs cash toward buybacks. A solid score marks Kroger as a reliable, if unspectacular, dividend grower anchored in defensive consumer demand.