15 Highest Yielding Food Stocks Now | Dividend Yields Up To 7.2%

Updated on June 11th, 2026 by Bob Ciura

Food stocks are appealing to income investors for a number of reasons.

As the saying goes, everyone has to eat. This means the major food producers and distributors see steady demand, even during economic downturns.

In turn, food stocks have the unique ability to continue paying–and even raising–their dividends each year, even through recessions.

In addition, many food stocks have high dividend yields well above the S&P 500 average.

Food stocks are part of the broader consumer staples sector. The consumer staples sector is home to some of the most well-known dividend growth stocks in the world.

In fact, consumer staples stocks are the largest individual sector within the Dividend Aristocrats, a select group of 69 stocks in the S&P 500 Index with 25+ consecutive years of dividend increases.

You can download a copy of the Dividend Aristocrats list by clicking on the link below:

15 Highest Yielding Food Stocks Now | Dividend Yields Up To 7.2%

Disclaimer: Sure Dividend is not affiliated with S&P Global in any way. S&P Global owns and maintains The Dividend Aristocrats Index. The information in this article and downloadable spreadsheet is based on Sure Dividend’s own review, summary, and analysis of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL) and other sources, and is meant to help individual investors better understand this ETF and the index upon which it is based. None of the information in this article or spreadsheet is official data from S&P Global. Consult S&P Global for official information.

Within the consumer staples sector, food stocks are known for particularly high dividend yields, stable payouts even through recessions, and consistent dividend growth.

This article lists the 15 highest-yielding food stocks now, in the Sure Analysis Research Database. The 15 stocks are listed by dividend yield, from lowest to highest.

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #15: John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (JBSS)

John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (JBSS) was incorporated in 1922 and is one of the major processors, distributors, and marketers of processed nut and dried fruit products.

Sanfilippo has market share in the nut industry, which is underpinned by its wide product base and efficiency in the supply chain.

The following business segments represent the company’s major revenue streams: Consumer, Commercial Ingredients, and Contract Manufacturing.

On January 29th, 2026, the company announced financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026. JBSS reported Q2 non-GAAP EPS of $1.53, which beat market estimates by $0.17, and revenue that grew 4.6% to $314.8 million.

John B. Sanfilippo & Son posted a strong fiscal 2026 second quarter, highlighted by record net sales and a sharp jump in profitability. Growth was driven largely by a 15.8% increase in the weighted average selling price per pound.

Higher commodity costs across most major nut categories pushed prices upward, but those actions paid off. Gross profit rose 13.2% to $59.2 million, and gross margin expanded to 18.8% from 17.4% a year ago.

Even more notably, reflecting improved pricing alignment and disciplined cost control. Operating expenses were essentially flat, allowing more of each incremental sales dollar to drop to the bottom line.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on JBSS (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #14: Armanino Foods of Distinction (AMNF)

Armanino Foods of Distinction operates primarily in the food service market with a secondary market of retail in the United States. It also sells products in select international markets.

Armanino sells its products through food service distributors, such as Sysco, Performance Foods Group, US Foods, Affinity Group, and DOT; and grocery stores, like Safeway, Food4Less, food maxx, Save Mart, Lucky’s, and Raley’s.

It is the largest seller of basil pesto sauces in the United States. It also sells other sauces, pastas, meatballs, and cheeses. Total revenue was $76.1M in 2025.

Armanino Foods reported Q1 FY 2026 results on May 7th, 2026. Company-wide revenue increased 8.3% to $18.4M from $17.0M, while net income rose 20.4% to $4.7M or $0.1518 diluted GAAP earnings per share from $3.9 million or $0.1242 EPS on a year-over-year basis.

Sales climbed because of organic growth in the food service and international markets, increased customer penetration, and expansion of product distribution.

Operating margins expanded 380 bps to 33.3% on a better mix, pricing realization, and operational efficiency.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on AMNF (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #13: Sysco Corp. (SYY)

Sysco Corporation (SYY) is the largest wholesale food distributor in the United States and is expanding internationally.

The company was founded in Houston, Texas, in 1969 and now serves 600,000 locations with food delivery, including restaurants, hospitals, schools, hotels, and other facilities.

According to estimates, the company has a 16% market share of total food delivery within the United States.

On January 27th, 2025, Sysco reported second-quarter results for Fiscal Year 2026. The company reported fiscal Q2 2026 revenue of $20.8 billion, up 3.0% year-over-year, while adjusted EPS rose 6.5% to $0.99.

Gross profit increased 3.9% to $3.8 billion, with gross margin improving to 18.3% due to effective management of product cost inflation and sourcing efficiencies.

However, operating income declined 2.8% to $692 million and net earnings fell 4.2% to $389 million, primarily due to higher operating expenses tied to investments in sales capacity and infrastructure.

Segment performance was mixed across regions. U.S. Foodservice sales grew 2.4% to $14.4 billion, supported by 0.8% total case growth and 1.2% local case growth, reflecting improving demand despite slower restaurant foot traffic.

International operations delivered stronger performance, with sales rising 7.3% to $4.0 billion and operating income increasing 23.2% to $117 million, driven by strong volume growth and disciplined margin management.

During the first half of fiscal 2026, sales reached $41.9 billion, up 3.1% year-over-year, while adjusted EPS increased 5.9% to $2.14.

The company generated $611 million in operating cash flow and $413 million in free cash flow, returning $518 million to shareholders through dividends. Management expects full-year adjusted EPS of $4.50–$4.60.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SYY (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #12: Mondelez International (MDLZ)

Mondelez was formed in 1989 as a result of the merger between Philip Morris and General Foods Corp. It focuses on its core categories of chocolate, biscuits, and baked snacks.

The global food processor manufactures and distributes snacks in more than 150 countries, generating annual revenues of ~$36 billion.

Mondelez reported its Q1 2026 results on 04/28/2026. For the quarter, its organic net revenue growth was 3.0%, with pricing up 3.5%, offset by volume/mix of -0.5%.

Net revenue rose 8.2% year-over-year to $10.1 billion. Organic net revenue growth of 11.3% in Asia, Middle East, & Africa was the strongest, followed by 5.1% in Latin America, and 0.5% in North America. It was negative at -0.6% in Europe.

The adjusted gross profit fell 0.6% to $3.1 billion, along with an adjusted gross profit margin contraction of 2.7% to 30.7%. Adjusted earnings fell 11% to $859 million, while the adjusted earnings per share fell 9.5% to $0.67.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on MDLZ (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #11: Hershey Company (HSY)

The Hershey Company is a chocolate and sugar confectionary products manufacturer that sells brands such as Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kisses, Cadbury, Ice Breakers, Kit Kat, Almond Joy, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Heath, and Milk Duds.

Hershey primarily operates in North America but has international operations as well. The company is headquartered in Hershey, PA.

On April 30th, 2026, Hershey reported results for the first quarter of 2026. The North America Confectionary segment (80% of sales) grew its sales 8% over the prior year’s quarter thanks to price hikes.

Earnings-per-share grew 12%, from $2.10 to $2.35, and exceeded the analysts’ consensus by $0.30, primarily thanks to a 10% average increase in prices, which more than offset a 2% decrease in volumes.

In 2025, Hershey faced an extremely strong headwind from sky-high cocoa prices, which squeezed the profit margins of the chocolate maker. However, cocoa prices have declined sharply in recent months.

As a result, Hershey reiterated its positive guidance for 2026. It expects 4%-5% growth of sales and adjusted earnings-per-share of $8.20-$8.52.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on HSY (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #10: Lamb Weston Holdings (LW)

Lamb Weston is one of the dominant players in the frozen potato market, with an estimated 40% market share in North America.

It primarily sells french fries, tater tots, hash browns and other potato-based items to restaurants and fast food chains. The company relies on a few key customers to drive sales.

Lamb Weston announced its fiscal Q2 2026 earnings report on Dec. 19th, 2025. Lamb Weston’s adjusted earnings of $0.69 beat expectations but slid from the $0.73 reported in the same quarter of the prior year.

Revenue of $1.62 billion grew 1% year-over-year. While these results seemed okay, the company cut its full-year guidance and warned of unfavorable product mix going forward.

We believe Lamb Weston’s recent growth was supercharged by its deal making and the robust inflationary pricing environment.

Going forward, we estimate 7% annualized earnings growth. Despite the rough operational stretch, the company has kept its dividend streak intact.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on LW (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #9: Tyson Foods (TSN)

Tyson Foods, founded in 1935, is one the world’s largest processors and marketers of chicken, beef, and pork products.

Tyson Foods sells products to leading grocery chains, food franchises, and military commissaries in over 100 countries. Well-known brands include Tyson, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Park and State Fair.

The company generated $54.4 billion in revenue last year.

On May 4th, 2026, Tyson Foods posted its fiscal Q2 results for the period ending March 28th, 2026. For the quarter, sales totaled $13.65 billion, up 4.4% versus Q2 2025.

Chicken volumes rose 1.7%, while beef and international volumes declined 13.1% and 1.0%; pork and prepared foods volumes were higher (+4.4% and +0.4%). Average prices increased across all segments: beef (+11.5%), pork (+1.3%), chicken (+1.8%), Prepared Foods (+4.4%), and International (+2.9%).

Adjusted operating income was $497 million, down 3% year over year, and adjusted EPS was $0.87, a 5% decline. This performance reflected continued momentum in chicken and prepared foods, including chicken margin expansion and prepared foods market share gains, offset by ongoing beef headwinds as tight cattle supplies weighed on profitability.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on TSN (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #8: The Marzetti Company (MZTI)

The Marzetti Company has been making food products since 1969. Marzetti makes various meal accessories like croutons and bread products in frozen and non-frozen categories.

Marzetti also has one of the best dividend increase streaks in the entire market, with more than six decades of consecutive increases.

Marzetti posted second quarter earnings on February 3rd, 2026, and results were worse than expected on both the top and bottom lines. The company saw earnings-per-share come to $2.15, which missed estimates by eight cents.

Revenue was up 1.7% year-over-year to $518 million, missing expectations by $2.37 million. The company also noted $8.2 million of revenue was attributed to a temporary supply agreement that is expected to conclude on March 31st.

Gross profit was $137.3 million, while gross margin was up 80 basis points on an adjusted basis. SG&A costs were up by $3.3 million, primarily driven by higher marketing spending and the expanded launch of Texas Roadhouse rolls.

Capex for the quarter was $17.7 million, while the company paid a $28 million dividend and repurchased $20 million in stock. Marzetti still has no debt and $201 million in cash on hand.

Management is buying Bachan’s, the maker of Japanese-American barbeque sauces – for $400 million. They noted the acquisition is expected to be accretive immediately.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on MZTI (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #7: J.M. Smucker Co. (SJM)

The J.M. Smucker company has grown into an international powerhouse of packaged food and beverage products including iconic names like Smucker’s, Jif and Folgers, along with various pet food brands.

The company generated $9.1 billion in sales in fiscal 2026.

In early June, Smucker’s reported (6/9/26) financial results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, which ended on April 30th, 2026. Currency-neutral, organic sales grew 6% over the prior year’s quarter, primarily thanks to strong price hikes in coffee and sweet baked goods.

Adjusted earnings-per-share grew 20%, from $2.31 to $2.77, and exceeded the analysts’ estimates by $0.13. Smucker’s has missed the analysts’ consensus only once in the last 27 quarters.

Management provided decent guidance for fiscal 2027. It expects a 3.0%-4.0% decrease in sales but adjusted earnings-per-share of $9.75-$10.25.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on SJM (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #6: McCormick & Co. (MKC)

McCormick & Company produces, markets, and distributes seasoning mixes, spices, condiments and other products to customers in the food industry. It controls ~20% of the global seasoning and spice market.

On March 31st, 2026, it was announced that McCormick had agreed to purchase Unilever’s (UL) food business, with includes brands such as Hellmann’s mayonnaise and Knorr.

Unilever (9.9%) and its shareholders (55.1%) will hold a majority stake in the combined company while McCormick shareholders (35%) will retain a large minority stake.

That same day, McCormick reported first quarter results for the period ending February 28th, 2026. For the quarter, revenue grew 16.7% to $1.87 billion, which topped expectations by $95 million.

Adjusted earnings-per-share of $0.66 compared unfavorable to $0.86 in the prior year, but this was $0.06 ahead of estimates.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on MKC (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #5: J&J Snack Foods (JJSF)

J&J Snack Foods (JJSF) manufactures, markets, and distributes snack foods to retail supermarkets and food service locations throughout North America.

The business’s three segments are Retail Supermarkets, which includes sales to supermarkets, Food Service, which includes sales to non-supermarket locations, and Frozen Beverages, which includes sales of their frozen treats like Icee, Slush Puppie, and Parrot Ice.

Food Service has historically accounted for the bulk of sales; in 2025, Food Service accounted for 63.3% of sales, Retail Supermarkets accounted for 13.5% of sales, and Frozen Beverages accounted for 23.2% of sales.

On May 6th, 2026, the company reported fiscal second-quarter 2026 results for the period ending March 28th, 2026. Earnings per diluted share declined to $0.09, down 64% from $0.25 in the prior year.

Adjusted EPS was $0.40, up 14.3% from $0.35 in the prior year. Net sales decreased 3.2% to $344.8 million, largely due to anticipated reductions in the Food Service bakery business, partially offset by strength in pretzel sales and growth in the Frozen Beverage segment.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on JJSF (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #4: PepsiCo Inc. (PEP)

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage company that generates almost $94 billion in annual sales. The company’s products include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Frito-Lay chips, Gatorade, Tropicana orange juice and Quaker foods.

The company has more than 20 $1 billion brands in its portfolio. PepsiCo was founded in 1898 and currently employs306,000 people around the world.

On February 3rd, 2026, PepsiCo increased its annualized dividend by 4.0% to $5.92 starting with the payment that was made in June 2026, extending the company’s dividend growth streak to 54 consecutive years.

On April 16th, 2026, PepsiCo reported first quarter results for the period ending March 31st, 2026. For the quarter, revenue increased 8.5% to $19.4 billion, which topped estimates by $500 million.

Adjusted earnings-per-share of $1.61 compared favorably to $1.48 the prior year and was $0.06 better than expected.

Organic sales were higher by 2.6% for the quarter. For the quarter, food volume grew 4% while beverages were unchanged.

PepsiCo Beverages North America’s organic revenue improved 2% for the period even as volume declined by 2.5%. Revenue for PepsiCo Foods North America was up 1%, driven by a 2% increase in volume.

The International Beverages segment grew 5%, mostly due to higher prices. Revenue in Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia Pacific Foods were both up 7% while Latin America Foods grew 3%.

PepsiCo reaffirmed guidance for 2026 as well, with the company still expecting organic sales in a range of 2% to 4%. The company expects earnings-per-share growth in a range of 4% to 6%.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on PEP (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #3: Hormel Foods (HRL)

Hormel Foods was founded in 1891 in Minnesota. Since that time, the company has grown into a juggernaut in the food products industry with about $12.3 billion in annual revenue.

Hormel has kept its core competency as a processor of meat products for well over a hundred years but has also grown into other business lines through acquisitions.

The company sells its products in 80 countries worldwide, and its brands include Skippy, SPAM, Applegate, Justin’s, and more than 30 others.

Hormel posted first quarter earnings on February 26th, 2026, and results were mixed. The company posted slightly higher revenue at +1.3% year-over-year, totaling $3.03 billion. That missed expectations by $30 million.

Adjusted earnings-per-share came to 34 cents, which was two cents better than estimates.

Management noted gross profit was weak enough to offset top line growth as higher input costs and logistics expenses were worse than expected.

Adjusted SG&A was comparable to the year-ago period as a percentage of revenue, as higher employee and legal expenses were offset by reductions in marketing and advertising.

Adjusted operating income was $247 million, while adjusted operating margin was 8.2% of revenue for the quarter.

Cash flow from operations was $349 million, rising about $26 million year-over-year.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on HRL (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #2: Flowers Foods (FLO)

Flowers Foods opened its first bakery in 1919 and has since become one of the largest producers of packaged bakery foods in the United States, operating 46 bakeries in 18 states.

Well-known brands include Wonder Bread, Home Pride, Nature’s Own, Dave’s Killer Bread, Tastykake and Canyon Bakehouse.

The company operates in two segments: Direct Store-Delivery (DSD) and Warehouse Delivery, with ~85% of the company’s product being delivered directly to stores.

Fresh breads, buns, rolls, and tortillas make up about a three-fourths of the business, with sales channels split between Supermarkets, Mass Merchandisers, Foodservice, and Convenience Store.

On May 21st, 2026, Flowers Foods reported first quarter results for the period ending April 25th, 2026. For the quarter, revenue grew 1.3% to $1.57 billion, but this as $10 million less than expected.

Adjusted earnings-per-share of $0.29 compared to $0.35 in the prior year, but this was $0.02 ahead of estimates. For the quarter, Branded Retail sales increased 3.4% to $1.045 billion as pricing as the addition of Simple Mills was offset by a 4.2% drop in volume.

Other sales grew 3.1% to $526.2 million as pricing/mix was lower by 1.2% and volume fell 1.9%. Materials, supplies, labor, and other production costs accounted for 50.6% of sales during the quarter, which was a 50 basis point increase from the prior year.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on FLO (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Highest-Yielding Food Stock #1: General Mills (GIS)

General Mills is a packaged food giant, with more than 100 brands and operations in more than 100 countries. General Mills has not cut its dividend for 125 consecutive years.

In mid-March, General Mills reported (3/18/26) financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2026. Net sales and organic sales fell -8% and -3%, respectively, over the prior year’s quarter, due to lower volume and prices and the divestment of the North American yogurt business.

It was one of the worst declines in the last five years, in line with the preceding two quarters. Gross margin shrank from 33.9% to 30.8%, primarily due to higher input costs.

Adjusted earnings-per-share decreased -36%, from $1.00 to $0.64, and missed the analysts’ consensus by $0.09.

Click here to download our most recent Sure Analysis report on GIS (preview of page 1 of 3 shown below):

Final Thoughts

High-yield dividend stocks have great appeal to income investors. The S&P 500 Index yields just ~1.2% right now on average, making high yield stocks even more attractive by comparison.

The 15 food stocks in this list have yields at least double the S&P 500 Index average. And, each of these stocks has a demonstrated track record of raising their dividends over the years.

As a result, income investors may find these 15 food stocks attractive.