Short answer: Dell’s board-approved dividend rises to $0.63 per share each fiscal quarter beginning in fiscal 2027, a 20% increase from the $0.525 paid each quarter in fiscal 2026. That gives Dell a $2.52 annualized run rate, but it is not four quarters already paid. Texas Instruments offers a much larger proposed $1.52 quarterly dividend and reports 23 consecutive years of increases, while Cisco’s recent quarterly rate is $0.42. Those figures are not comparable yields: yield requires each stock’s share price on the same date, and no synchronized prices are established here.
What the comparison actually shows
Dell, Texas Instruments (TI) and Cisco all return cash through dividends, but they represent different businesses and different stages of dividend history. Dell’s latest increase is substantial in percentage terms, TI has the longest documented annual-increase streak in this comparison, and Cisco has a lower per-share quarterly amount that has been paid as part of its fiscal 2026 shareholder returns. A per-share amount alone does not tell you which stock has the highest yield or the safest income.
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The figures below keep three categories separate: money already paid, a board-declared payment, and an annualized run rate. That distinction matters because a board can change a policy before a future payment is made.
| Company | Business exposure | Dividend figure | Status and period | What it says about growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dell Technologies | Client devices plus infrastructure such as servers, networking and storage | $0.525 per share per quarter | Paid in every quarter of fiscal 2026 | Board approved a 20% increase to $0.63 per fiscal quarter beginning fiscal 2027 |
| Dell Technologies | Same as above | $2.02 total per share | Calendar 2025 total shown on Dell’s dividend-history page | Historical paid total; not the same period as the fiscal 2027 rate |
| Texas Instruments | Semiconductor design and manufacturing | $1.52 per quarter; $6.08 annualized | September 17, 2026 planned increase from $1.42; contingent on formal board declaration at the October meeting | Company announcement reports 23 consecutive years of annual increases |
| Cisco | Networking and related technology | $0.42 per common share per quarter | October 2026 investor-relations record; Cisco also reported $0.42 paid in fiscal Q4 2026 | Future dividends remain subject to board approval |
Dell’s fiscal 2026 filing and dividend-history records are the basis for its numbers; TI’s September 17, 2026 announcement is the basis for its proposed rate and streak; and Cisco’s October 2026 investor-relations record and fiscal 2026 results support its amount. Dates and fiscal labels are included because a “quarterly dividend” can refer to different reporting calendars.
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Dell’s dividend: paid history versus the new fiscal 2027 rate
What Dell paid in fiscal 2026
Dell Technologies’ fiscal 2026 Form 10-K says the company paid $0.525 per share in each quarter of fiscal 2026. Four payments at that rate equal $2.10 for that fiscal year when calculated arithmetically. The filing’s statement concerns payments made during fiscal 2026; it is not a promise that future quarters will use the same amount.
What the board approved for fiscal 2027
On February 26, 2026, Dell’s board approved a 20% increase to $0.63 per share per fiscal quarter beginning in fiscal 2027. Multiplying the approved quarterly rate by four produces a $2.52 annualized run rate. Calling $2.52 “the dividend Dell paid for a year” would be inaccurate unless four payments at that rate have actually occurred.
The filing describes the board’s authority over dividend policy. The approval is therefore important evidence of the intended fiscal 2027 rate, but the board’s future actions and the applicable declaration and payment dates still govern each distribution.
Why Dell’s calendar 2025 total is different
Dell’s investor dividend-history page lists total dividends of $2.02 per share for calendar 2025. Calendar-year totals can combine payments declared or paid under rates that changed during the year, while fiscal-year totals follow Dell’s fiscal calendar. The $2.02 figure is a historical calendar 2025 total; it should not be substituted for the $2.52 fiscal 2027 annualized rate.
Texas Instruments: the largest stated amount and the longest increase record
The September 2026 announcement
On September 17, 2026, Texas Instruments announced a planned increase from $1.42 to $1.52 per share each quarter. Four quarters at $1.52 equal $6.08 annualized. The announcement explicitly said the increase was contingent on formal board declaration at the October meeting, so $6.08 is a proposed forward annualized amount rather than four payments already documented as made.
What “23 consecutive years” means
TI’s announcement described 23 consecutive years of dividend increases. That is a record of annual increases reported by the company, not a guarantee of a future increase or payment. It also is not directly comparable with Dell’s 20% increase: Dell’s cited filing supports the size and effective fiscal period of one increase, while it does not establish an equivalent 23-year streak.
Why the semiconductor model matters
TI designs and manufactures semiconductors. Semiconductor demand can move with industrial, automotive, communications and consumer-electronics cycles, and manufacturing capacity requires substantial investment. A long dividend record can indicate a management commitment to distributions, but the cash available for dividends still depends on earnings, free cash flow, capital spending and the board’s policy decisions.
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Cisco: a $0.42 quarterly payment with explicit board-approval language
Recent payment and declaration evidence
Cisco’s investor-relations dividend record lists an October 2026 quarterly dividend of $0.42 per common share. Cisco also reported a $0.42 per-share dividend paid in fiscal Q4 2026 as part of shareholder returns. A simple four-quarter multiplication gives a $1.68 annualized run rate, but that calculation is not a statement that Cisco has guaranteed four future payments at that rate.
The policy caveat
Cisco states that future dividends remain subject to board approval. This is a useful reminder when comparing any technology dividend payer: a current or recently paid amount describes a point in time, while the board must authorize future distributions. Do not treat a company’s historical pattern as an unconditional contract.
Networking exposure versus Dell’s mix
Cisco’s business centers on networking and related technology. Dell also sells networking products, but its exposure spans client devices and infrastructure, including servers and storage. Their customers, product cycles and capital-allocation choices therefore differ even when both companies are described broadly as technology stocks.
Dividend amount is not dividend yield
The calculation
Dividend yield is calculated as an annual dividend divided by the share price:
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yield = annualized dividend per share ÷ share price
For a forward comparison, use each company’s declared or formally approved quarterly amount, multiply by four where appropriate, and divide by the closing or specified share price on the same date. For a trailing comparison, use the dividends actually paid over a defined prior period and the stated price date. Mixing a historical paid total with a forward annualized rate produces an internally inconsistent result.
Why this article does not rank yields
The available company records establish dividend amounts and histories but do not provide synchronized Dell, TI and Cisco share prices for one comparison date. Without aligned prices, a current yield ranking would be fabricated or misleading. Dell’s $2.52 annualized rate, TI’s proposed $6.08 annualized rate and Cisco’s arithmetic $1.68 run rate are per-share cash figures, not yield percentages.
Prices also change continuously. A stock with a smaller per-share dividend can have a higher yield if its share price is lower, while a larger dividend can produce a lower yield if the stock trades at a much higher price.
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A reproducible worksheet
- Choose a single date and a price convention, such as each stock’s official closing price.
- Choose one dividend basis: trailing paid dividends or forward declared/approved annualized dividends.
- Record Dell’s selected annual amount, TI’s selected amount only after noting whether the October 2026 declaration occurred, and Cisco’s selected amount.
- Divide each annual amount by its same-date share price.
- Label the result with the date, basis and whether any rate was contingent or merely proposed.
How the three business exposures affect dividend analysis
Dell: devices and infrastructure
Dell sells client devices and infrastructure products, including servers, networking and storage. That mix connects the dividend to corporate information-technology budgets, hardware refresh cycles and infrastructure investment. Demand can be supported by data-center spending but can also vary as customers delay equipment purchases or shift between product categories.
Texas Instruments: semiconductor manufacturing
TI’s semiconductor model brings exposure to chip demand and the economics of owning and expanding manufacturing capacity. Capital spending, inventory cycles and end-market weakness can affect cash generation differently from a hardware systems vendor. Its 23-year increase record is relevant context, but it does not eliminate semiconductor cyclicality.
Cisco: networking systems and related technology
Cisco’s networking focus ties results to enterprise and service-provider infrastructure, software and related technology spending. Product transitions and customer purchasing schedules can influence cash flow. The $0.42 payment must therefore be assessed alongside the company’s operating performance and board policy, not viewed in isolation.
Why exposure belongs beside the dividend table
Two companies can offer the same yield while carrying very different business risks. Semiconductor capacity, server demand, client-device cycles and networking budgets do not move in lockstep. An income investor should ask whether the underlying exposure fits the portfolio before choosing between nominal dividend rates.
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Size of the latest increase
Dell’s approved move from $0.525 to $0.63 is a 20% increase. That is a large step relative to the prior quarterly rate, but one increase does not establish a multi-decade pattern. It also applies beginning in fiscal 2027, so the practical cash received depends on the payment schedule and continued declarations.
Length of the record
TI’s 23 consecutive years of increases provide a longer documented history in the supplied company announcement. A streak can be useful for judging consistency, but investors should still examine the size of each increase, payout affordability and the business conditions during the period. A long streak is evidence of past behavior, not a guarantee.
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Recent payment evidence at Cisco
Cisco’s $0.42 payment was reported for fiscal Q4 2026, and its October 2026 investor-relations record lists the same quarterly amount. Those records confirm recent distributions. They do not, by themselves, establish a particular future growth rate.
What not to infer
- Do not infer that Dell has TI’s 23-year increase streak from a single 20% increase.
- Do not infer that TI’s planned $1.52 rate was paid before the formal declaration required by the announcement.
- Do not infer that Cisco’s $0.42 will continue indefinitely because it was paid in fiscal Q4 2026.
Board declarations, payment dates and policy risk
Declaration versus payment
A board declaration is the corporate action that authorizes a particular dividend, normally specifying the amount and relevant record and payment dates. A company’s policy statement or an announced intention can describe direction without being the final declaration for a future quarter.
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- Dell’s board approval on February 26, 2026 establishes the $0.63 fiscal-quarter rate beginning in fiscal 2027, while each distribution remains governed by the company’s corporate actions.
- TI’s September 17 announcement made the $1.52 increase contingent on the October board meeting.
- Cisco expressly says future dividends require board approval.
Practical checks before relying on income
- Read the latest dividend declaration, not only the investor presentation or a historical table.
- Confirm the ex-dividend, record and payment dates and whether you own the shares by the relevant deadline.
- Check whether the quoted amount is per share, per quarter, annualized or a total for a completed calendar or fiscal year.
- Review the next board decision risk, especially when a rate has been announced as planned or contingent.
Which company may fit which dividend objective?
For investors prioritizing a documented increase streak
TI is the clearest fit among these three because its September 2026 announcement reports 23 consecutive years of annual increases. That evidence addresses the length of the record, not valuation or future safety. You would still need to assess semiconductor-cycle risk and the board’s next declaration.
For investors seeking a recent step-up in Dell’s distribution
Dell stands out for the approved 20% increase from $0.525 to $0.63 per fiscal quarter beginning fiscal 2027. The increase may appeal to investors who value recent dividend growth, but the fiscal-period qualification matters: the new rate is an annualized forward run rate, not a completed year of payments.
For investors already focused on networking exposure
Cisco provides a $0.42 quarterly payment in the cited 2026 records and exposure centered on networking and related technology. Its explicit board-approval caveat means an income plan should allow for changes rather than assume the rate is permanent.
For investors comparing cash amounts alone
Per-share cash is the least informative standalone screen. TI’s $1.52 is numerically largest, but share count, share price, payout capacity and business exposure determine what that amount means for your portfolio. Dell’s $0.63 and Cisco’s $0.42 cannot be ranked as “better” without those additional inputs.
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A disciplined comparison checklist
- Define the period: calendar year, fiscal year, trailing 12 months or forward annualized rate.
- Classify the figure: paid, declared, approved, planned or contingent.
- Use the correct date: attach February 26, 2026 to Dell’s approval, September 17, 2026 to TI’s announcement, and October 2026 to Cisco’s cited record.
- Calculate yield only with synchronized prices: never compare percentages taken from different dates.
- Separate growth history from current rate: TI’s 23-year streak is not interchangeable with Dell’s latest 20% increase.
- Map business exposure: devices and infrastructure for Dell, semiconductors for TI, and networking technology for Cisco.
- Check board authority: past payments and announced policies do not guarantee future distributions.
- Consider concentration: a dividend portfolio built only from technology companies remains exposed to technology-sector cycles.
Common mistakes when comparing Dell, TI and Cisco
Calling an annualized rate a paid total
Four times Dell’s $0.63 rate equals $2.52 annualized, but the cited filing does not say Dell paid $2.52 during a completed year. The paid fiscal 2026 rate was $0.525 per quarter.
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Using calendar and fiscal totals interchangeably
Dell’s $2.02 calendar 2025 total and its fiscal 2026 quarterly payments describe different periods. A calendar-year total cannot be compared directly with a fiscal-year rate without aligning the dates.
Treating TI’s announcement as a completed declaration
The September 17, 2026 TI announcement made the $1.52 increase contingent on formal board action at the October meeting. Until that action is confirmed, describe the amount as planned or contingent.
Ranking by the biggest dollar dividend
TI’s $1.52 quarterly figure is larger per share than Dell’s $0.63 and Cisco’s $0.42, but that is not a yield ranking. Share prices and dividend bases must match.
Assuming a streak guarantees safety
TI’s 23-year increase history and the recent payments at Dell and Cisco are historical evidence. They do not remove the possibility of a slower increase, a changed policy or a skipped future payment.
Bottom line for a prospective shareholder
Dell’s dividend case is a recent, board-approved 20% increase to $0.63 per fiscal quarter beginning fiscal 2027, against $0.525 paid each quarter in fiscal 2026 and $2.02 paid across calendar 2025. TI offers the highest stated per-share amount in this set at a planned $1.52 quarterly, or $6.08 annualized, alongside a company-reported 23-year increase streak; the September announcement made that increase contingent on October board declaration. Cisco’s cited rate is $0.42 per quarter, including a payment reported for fiscal Q4 2026, with future distributions subject to board approval.
The most defensible choice depends on the combination of dividend evidence, business exposure, price and portfolio role. Until synchronized share prices are selected and the dividend basis is made consistent, none of these figures supports a reliable yield ranking.
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