Top ASX dividend stocks to have in your portfolio

The following ASX dividend stocks are high-quality businesses backed by durable business models and long histories of consistent dividend payments which makes them attractive additions to investor portfolios.

APA Group (ASX: APA) 

is one of the top ASX dividend stocks and has a market capitalisation of about $13.9 billion.  It has more than $20 billion in assets across gas pipelines, storage, renewable energy and electricity transmission throughout Australia.

The company in 1H26 reported strong financial results as Underlying EBITDA increased 7.6% year-over-year to $1.09 billion while EBITDA margins rose to 77.3% because of inflation-linked tariff increases along with contributions from new assets.

APA also reported Free Cash Flow of $556 million and increased its distribution per security by 1.9% to 27.5 cents which reflects the resilience of its contracted and inflation linked cash flows.
The stock currently offers an annual dividend yield of 5.48% which is very attractive for passive income focused investors. 

APA Group 23 April 2026 announced that it successfully raised $1.5 billion in debt to support its growth strategy which included $1 billion in hybrid subordinated capital securities and $500 million in senior 10-year notes.

Management maintained FY26 Underlying EBITDA guidance of $2.12 billion to $2.20 billion and also reaffirmed FY26 distribution guidance of 58 cents per security.

Earnings are expected to be above the midpoint of the given range due to strong operational performance and higher contributions from new infrastructure projects.

McMillan Shakespeare Limited (ASX: MMS) 

has a market capitalisation of $1.26 billion and is one of the top ASX dividend stocks with a current fully franked annual yield of 7.67%.

The company in 1HFY26 posted revenue of $297.4 million which was 11.2% higher than the prior corresponding period. EBITDA increased 4.8% to $84.7 million while UNPATA rose 1.4% to $50.3 million.

Customer metrics remained strong as salary packages reached 387.5k and novated leases climbed 7% which reflected higher productivity across the business along with better digital engagement.
Operating margin expanded to 40.3% because disciplined cost management helped offset inflation pressures and highlighted the resilience of the business model.

The recent $10 million on-market buyback is a very good capital allocation move at the current valuation which could support long-term earnings per share growth.

Telstra Group Limited (ASX: TLS) 

is one of the top ASX dividend stocks with a market capitalisation of about $60 billion. The company has now further expanded its leadership position in Australia’s telecommunications sector.
The company in 1H26 reported a strong financial result as EBIT rose 9.2% to $2.0 billion while NPAT increased 8.1% to $1.2 billion compared with the prior corresponding period which was supported by disciplined cost management.

Telstra’s mobile segment was a key contributor to growth as mobile service revenue increased 5.6% while ARPU rose 5.1% and mobile handheld users expanded by 135,000 during the half.
Management maintained a positive outlook after reaffirming FY26 guidance with Underlying EBITDAaL expected between $8.2 billion and $8.4 billion while Cash EBIT is expected to be between $4.55 billion and $4.75 billion.

The company also raised its interim dividend by 10.5% to 10.5 cents per share and expanded its on-market buyback program to $1.25 billion while the stock currently provides an annual dividend yield of 3.73%.

(Source: Company Reports)