3 Strong Dividend Growers for Income Without Rate Risk

For many income-oriented investors, buying dividend stocks means looking for utilities names and real estate investment trusts (REITs). These companies typically offer consistent payouts for regular income, and some of the highest yields 

These sectors carry certain risks, however, including sensitivity to interest rates, limited earnings growth, and significant regulatory exposure. Since it seems that those could be headwinds instead of tailwinds in 2026, the only thing that investors can count on is uncertainty. 

For investors who want dependable income without those constraints, a different strategy is to focus on dividend growers rather than high-yield stocks. These are companies that prioritize consistent payout increases that are backed by durable cash flow, pricing power, and long-term business volatility. 

While their yields may start lower, the compounding effect of rising dividends can deliver superior income over time. This approach is especially appealing in an environment where interest rates remain unpredictable and economic growth is uneven across sectors.

Roper Technologies: An Asset-Light Dividend Compounder

Roper Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ROP) is best known as a diversified technology and industrial company. That's reflected in the company’s price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 30x, which is a premium to the market average, but a discount to the stock’s historical average.

Aside from its valuation, the company’s real appeal for income investors lies in its asset-light business model. Roper owns a portfolio of niche software, engineered products, and data analytics businesses that generate recurring revenue and operate with high margins. 

That structure translates into consistent free cash flow, which management has historically used to fund disciplined acquisitions and steadily increase dividends. The business model also creates an attractive setup for income-focused investors. That is, the company offers growth usually reserved for technology stocks with the reliability of industrial stocks. 

That said, ROP stock has a modest 0.83% dividend yield, but its payout has grown at a double-digit pace over long periods, reflecting both earnings growth, which is expected to be in the mid-single digits in 2026, and strong capital discipline. Plus, the company is a dividend aristocrat that has increased its payout for 33 consecutive years. 

Ecolab: Pricing Power in Essential Services

Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is a global provider of water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. It’s a category that’s easy to overlook, but difficult to replace.

Water sanitation is essential to industries such as foodservice, hospitality, healthcare, and manufacturing. This gives Ecolab significant pricing power and growing recurring revenue.

This pricing power has become increasingly valuable in recent years as companies face higher input costs and regulatory requirements. Ecolab can pass through cost increases while maintaining margins, supporting steady earnings growth even in uncertain economic environments.

That consistency has enabled this dividend aristocrat to increase its dividend payout for 34 consecutive years.

Like Roper, ECL stock has a modest dividend yield of 1.09%. However, it pays out $2.92 per share annually and has been growing its dividend by about 5% annually in the last three years.

Air Products and Chemicals: Contracted Cash Flow With Growth Optionality

Air Products and Chemicals Inc. (NYSE: APD) is a global leader in industrial gases, supplying oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and specialty gases to industries such as energy, chemicals, electronics, and healthcare.

What makes the company especially attractive for income investors is its contract structure. Many of the company's projects operate under long-term, take-or-pay agreements, which provide highly visible and stable cash flow.

The company has also positioned itself as a key player in hydrogen and clean energy infrastructure, offering potential long-term upside alongside its core business.

This predictability resembles that of regulated utilities, but without the same regulatory oversight or dependence on interest rates.

As a result, APD can support both a competitive dividend and ongoing investment in new growth areas.

And speaking of that dividend, Air Products & Chemicals also carries the status of dividend aristocrat, having raised its dividend for 43 consecutive years. APD stock has a respectable 2.73% dividend yield, but it’s the payout that should get the attention of income investors. As of January 2026, it sits at an impressive $7.16 per share annually and has been growing approximately 6.9% annually over the last three years.

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The article "3 Strong Dividend Growers for Income Without Rate Risk" first appeared on MarketBeat.