Piazza Affari continues to rank among the most generous stock exchanges when it comes to distributing dividends, and 2026 is shaping up to be another record-breaking year. Estimates prepared for Il Sole 24 Ore by Intermonte speak clearly: after a record-setting 2025, with an aggregate value exceeding €41 billion for the main companies listed on the Italian Stock Exchange (around 120 firms, accounting for 90% of the total market capitalization), the bar is expected to rise another 4% over the next twelve months, reaching €42.6 billion. The result is even more significant given the challenging period marked by global uncertainty, partly triggered by tariff disputes, and by specific cases that reduced Italy’s overall dividend pool. Banks, led by Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit, together with traditional dividend payers in the utilities and energy sectors, will offset the unexpected downturn of Stellantis. Beyond the strength of individual companies or sectors, the entire Italian market boasts one of the highest dividend yields among developed countries, projected at 4.32% in 2026. The Milan Stock Exchange surpasses Madrid (3.63%), Paris (2.93%), Germany’s DAX (2.43%), and the pan-European Stoxx 600 index (2.94%).