Warren Buffett spent decades assembling Berkshire Hathaway’s equity book around a simple principle: Own high-quality businesses that produce predictable cash flow and share it with owners. Three of the longest-tenured holdings in that portfolio, Coca-Cola, American Express, and Chevron, all pushed their dividends higher over the past six months, and each offers a distinct income and growth profile heading into the back half of 2026. Here’s why July is a reasonable window for investors to examine each one.
Coca-Cola (KO)
Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO | KO Price Prediction) has been the archetypal Buffett income holding for decades, and the fundamentals still look sturdy. The company delivered $816 million in dividend income to Berkshire in 2025 alone, on a cost-basis yield that Berkshire’s disclosures pegged at 65%. That is what compounding at scale looks like.
Q1 2026 results reinforced the thesis. Coca-Cola posted EPS of 86 cents against the 81 cents expected, with revenue of $12.47 billion up 12.1% year over year and organic revenue growth of 10%. Operating margin expanded to 35.0% from 32.9%, and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar volume grew 13%. Management guided FY2026 organic revenue growth to 4-5% and comparable EPS growth to 8-9%.
The current quarterly dividend sits at 53 cents per share, up from 51 cents in 2025, extending a streak of annual increases that now stretches back more than six decades. Shares traded around $83.93 on July 8, up more than 21% year to date. The forward P/E of 26 is not cheap and a dividend yield of 2.53% reflects that.
The risk: FX headwinds, a $960 million BODYARMOR impairment, and roughly 4% headwind from divestitures including the pending Coca-Cola Beverages Africa sale can weigh on reported growth even as the underlying business hums.
American Express (AXP)
American Express (NYSE:AXP) is the growth engine of the Buffett dividend trio. The company recently raised its quarterly dividend from $0.82 to $0.95 per share, roughly a 16% bump, and Berkshire collected $479 million in AXP dividend income during 2025 on a 44% cost-basis yield. The stock has gained nearly 125% since the start of 2023, elevating its weight in Berkshire’s equity portfolio.
Q1 2026 numbers were strong across the board. AXP reported EPS of $4.28 versus $3.99 expected, revenue of $18.91 billion, and net income of $2.97 billion, up 15%. Billed business hit $428.0 billion, and card member spending climbed 10%, the highest quarterly growth in three years. Net card fee revenues grew double digits for a 30th consecutive quarter. The write-off rate improved to 2.0% from 2.1%. Management reaffirmed FY2026 guidance of 9% to 10% revenue growth and EPS of $17.30 to $17.90.
CEO Stephen J. Squeri said, “We had a very strong start to the year, reflecting continued momentum across our premium customer base.” Shares traded around $337.34 on July 8 after an 8.02% rally over the past month, with a forward P/E of 20 and analyst target of $366.58.
The risk: Macro and geopolitical uncertainty, potential credit card interest rate caps, and rising variable engagement costs could compress margins if premium spending slows.
Chevron (CVX)
Chevron (NYSE:CVX) is the highest-yielding name in this group and the one most tied to the commodity cycle. The quarterly dividend was recently raised to $1.78 per share, up from $1.71, extending a 39-year streak of annual increases. Trailing yield sits near 4.08%.
Q1 2026 marked Chevron’s sixth consecutive EPS beat. Adjusted EPS came in at $1.41 versus 97 cents expected, a 45.56% beat. Worldwide net oil-equivalent production jumped 15% to 3,858 MBOED, powered by the Hess acquisition and record U.S. output above 2 million bpd for a third straight quarter. Chevron repurchased $2.5 billion in Q1, its 16th consecutive quarter returning more than $5 billion to shareholders. In 2025 alone, the company returned $27.1 billion to shareholders.
Wolfe Research upgraded CVX to Outperform with a $210 price target on July 6, citing Guyana as a near-term free cash flow catalyst. CEO Mike Wirth said, “Chevron delivered solid first quarter performance, underscoring the resilience of our portfolio and the value of disciplined execution.” Shares traded around $175.66 on July 8, still up nearly 13% year to date despite a roughly 17% pullback from their 2026 high.
The risk: Citigroup sees Brent falling to $60–$65/barrel by year-end, and Goldman Sachs forecasts a 3 million bpd global oil surplus by 2027. Political friction in California and Venezuela operational uncertainty add to the volatility.
What to Watch Next
Each of these Berkshire mainstays offers a different flavor of the same underlying thesis: durable brands, disciplined capital returns, and dividends that keep climbing. Coca-Cola gives defensive stability, American Express supplies dividend growth with premium-consumer torque, and Chevron delivers the highest current yield with commodity optionality. Upcoming Q2 earnings reports across all three will be the next major test.
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