RTX Raises Quarterly Dividend to 73 Cents a Share

RTX Corporation raised its quarterly dividend to $0.73 per share from $0.68, a 7.35% increase. The dividend carried an ex-dividend date of May 22, 2026, and gives the Industrials company an annual dividend rate of $2.77 per share, based on the locked dividend data.

The increase extends RTX's consecutive dividend growth streak to 55 years. The company, which had a prior dividend cut in 1992, now carries a dividend safety score of 95 out of 100 and an A safety grade in the SmarterDividends dataset.

Business Context

RTX is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies, operating through Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon. The company says those businesses serve commercial aerospace and defense customers, spanning aircraft systems, jet engines, and defense technologies such as integrated air and missile-defense systems (RTX businesses).

The dividend increase came shortly after RTX reported first-quarter 2026 results. The company said sales rose 9% from a year earlier to $22.1 billion, with organic sales up 10%. RTX also reported a company backlog of $271 billion, split between commercial and defense work, and raised its full-year outlook for adjusted sales and adjusted EPS while confirming its free-cash-flow outlook (RTX Q1 2026 results).

Management attributed the quarter's performance to execution across all three segments and demand in the defense business. The company also cited investments to increase output and accelerate new capabilities, a relevant backdrop for dividend investors watching whether operating momentum can support ongoing cash returns.

What It Means For Income Investors

At a share price of $178.66, the new payout implies a forward annual yield of 1.55%. The yield is modest compared with higher-yielding income stocks, but the significance of the action is the continuation of a long dividend-growth record and the step-up in quarterly income.

For dividend-focused shareholders, the main takeaway is consistency rather than a large current yield. RTX's market capitalization of $240.60 billion, diversified aerospace and defense exposure, and long dividend-growth history provide context for the increase, while future dividends remain subject to board approval and business conditions.