Dividend Vision Lists
Consumer Discretionary Stocks
A curated list of the consumer discretionary sector — the retailers, restaurants, apparel, auto, and travel companies that depend on shoppers' willingness to spend, including several steady dividend growers.
Updated July 2026 · 18 companies
DV Scorecard
Our proprietary snapshot of this list — averages and standouts, computed from the companies below. Not investment advice.
Consumer discretionary covers the things people buy when they feel good about their finances — a meal out, a new pair of shoes, a car, a vacation. Because that spending rises and falls with confidence and the economy, the sector is more cyclical than staples, but it also holds several durable, dividend-paying franchises.
The list spans big-box and off-price retailers, restaurants, apparel and footwear, automakers, travel and leisure, and specialty retail. Some names are steady dividend growers with strong brands and pricing power, while others are more cyclical or reinvest for growth and pay less.
Dividend Vision's angle is durability: how safe each payout looks through our Distribution Safety Score, how the yields and growth compare, and what the consumer cycle means for the dividend. Figures refresh live from our data pipeline on every build, and nothing here is investment advice.
Consumer Discretionary Stocks
Live data joins from our pipeline on every build — click any header to sort, or open a ticker for the full analysis. We never hard-code yields, prices, or returns.
| Ticker | Company | Role | Yield | Div growth (1y) | Safety | Fwd P/E | Market cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD | The Home Depot, Inc. | Home Improvement Retail | 2.71% | +9.0% | 99 | 23.4 | $347.0B |
| MCD | McDonald's Corporation | Quick-Service Restaurant | 2.81% | +3.7% | 100 | 21.1 | $190.2B |
| TJX | The TJX Companies Inc. | Consumer Discretionary | 1.13% | +16.0% | 100 | 29.8 | $170.6B |
| SBUX | Starbucks Corporation | Coffee & Beverages | 2.36% | +2.0% | 90 | 35.7 | $120.2B |
| LOW | Lowe's Companies, Inc. | Home Improvement Retail | 2.29% | 0.0% | 100 | 17.2 | $117.0B |
| MAR | Marriott International Inc. | Consumer Discretionary | 0.73% | +17.0% | 100 | 32.2 | $97.9B |
| ROST | Ross Stores Inc. | Consumer Discretionary | 0.75% | +19.3% | 100 | 30.3 | $74.9B |
| HLT | Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. | Consumer Discretionary | 0.18% | -6.4% | 94 | 36.0 | $73.1B |
| GM | General Motors Co. | Consumer Discretionary | 0.85% | +32.8% | 72 | 6.2 | $68.6B |
| NKE | NIKE, Inc. | Athletic Apparel & Footwear | 3.83% | +1.2% | 90 | 25.4 | $64.9B |
| TGT | Target Corp. | Consumer Staples | 3.30% | 0.0% | 100 | 17.2 | $63.4B |
| F | Ford Motor Co. | Consumer Discretionary | 4.23% | -4.3% | 84 | 8.5 | $56.7B |
| YUM | Yum! Brands Inc. | Consumer Discretionary | 1.91% | +7.3% | 100 | 23.0 | $40.8B |
| LVS | Las Vegas Sands Corp. | Consumer Discretionary | 2.46% | +40.7% | 72 | 14.2 | $30.1B |
| DRI | Darden Restaurants Inc. | Consumer Discretionary | 3.06% | +9.8% | 100 | 17.9 | $22.7B |
| GPC | Genuine Parts Company | Industrials | 3.46% | +5.2% | 99 | 16.2 | $17.4B |
| TSCO | Tractor Supply Company | Farm & Ranch Retail | 3.12% | +5.1% | 100 | 14.4 | $16.0B |
| APTV | Aptiv Plc | Consumer Discretionary | — | — | — | 9.8 | $12.2B |
Why this list matters
Consumer discretionary is cyclical by nature, but it holds some of the market's best-known consumer franchises and steady dividend growers.
Who it's for
- Investors seeking exposure to consumer spending and the economic cycle
- Dividend-growth investors drawn to the sector's durable retail and restaurant franchises
- Those wanting a mix of steady compounders and cyclical names
- Holders comparing a discretionary name they own against its peers on yield and safety
Benefits
- Home to strong consumer brands with pricing power and loyal customers
- Several steady dividend growers among retail and restaurants
- Direct exposure to consumer-spending and economic-recovery trends
Risks
- Cyclicality — spending on discretionary goods falls in downturns
- Retail and apparel face intense competition and shifting tastes
- Autos are capital-intensive and highly cyclical, with variable payouts
- Many names carry lease and debt obligations that matter in a slowdown
- Some fast-growing names pay little or no dividend
What to watch
- How well the dividend is covered by earnings and cash flow — start with the Distribution Safety Score and payout ratio
- Where a name sits: a defensive off-price retailer differs from a cyclical automaker
- The consumer-spending and confidence backdrop
- Brand strength and pricing power, which drive durability
How we rank these investments
This page is a curated universe, not a ranked buy list — the table sorts on any column. These are the dimensions we surface and what each tells you.
- Distribution yield. The current dividend as a share of price. Mature retailers and restaurants tend to yield more; high-growth names less.
- Dividend growth. How fast the payout is rising. Several retail and restaurant names have long, steady growth streaks.
- Distribution Safety Score. Dividend Vision's proprietary read on how durable a payout looks, from the same one scorer used across the site.
- Valuation. Forward P/E and related measures put the growth and cycle expectations in context.
- Total return. Price change plus dividends. Steady compounders lean more on the dividend; cyclicals swing with spending.
- Business role. Big-box or off-price retail, restaurants, apparel, autos, or travel — each has a different cyclicality.
- Liquidity & size. Market capitalization and trading volume. Larger, more liquid names are easier to trade and tend to be less volatile.
- Payout ratio. The share of earnings paid as dividends — the cushion behind the next raise for the companies that pay one.
- Distribution frequency. How often a dividend is paid. Consumer discretionary companies that pay generally do so quarterly.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a consumer discretionary stock?
This page uses a curated view of the sector: retailers, restaurants, apparel and footwear, automakers, and travel and leisure companies — the businesses that depend on discretionary consumer spending. It tracks 18 of them with live data.
Why is consumer discretionary cyclical?
Spending on non-essentials — dining out, new clothes, cars, vacations — rises when people feel confident and falls in downturns. That sensitivity to the economic cycle is what separates discretionary from defensive consumer staples.
Are consumer discretionary stocks good for dividends?
Several retail and restaurant franchises are steady dividend growers, though the sector also includes cyclical automakers and high-growth names that pay less. Whether any fits a given investor is a personal decision; sort the table by yield or Safety Score to compare.
What's the difference between discretionary and staples?
Consumer staples are everyday essentials people buy in any economy, while consumer discretionary covers non-essential goods and services whose demand rises and falls with the cycle. Staples are defensive; discretionary is cyclical.
Are retail dividends safe?
It depends on the retailer's brand strength, balance sheet, and position in the cycle. Off-price and home-improvement names have often proven durable, while others face competition and shifting tastes. The Distribution Safety Score helps gauge each payout. Nothing here is investment advice.
Do automakers pay reliable dividends?
Automakers are capital-intensive and highly cyclical, and their dividends have historically been more variable than defensive sectors — some have suspended payouts in past downturns. Weigh the yield against that cyclicality and the Safety Score.
What is the Distribution Safety Score?
It's Dividend Vision's proprietary measure of how durable a company's dividend looks, scored from 0 to 100 using the same single model applied across the site.
How is this different from a sector ETF?
An ETF bundles many of these names into one fund. This page lets you see and compare the individual companies, each linking to a full analysis, with a live DV Scorecard summarizing the group.
How often is this list updated?
The membership is curated, while yields, prices, market caps, and Safety Scores refresh from our data pipeline on every build. The figures reflect the most recent data run.
Related lists
Related tools
Take any name on this list further with Dividend Vision's free tools.
Keep learning
New to income investing? These Dividend Vision Academy guides cover the essentials.
