The key to successfully selecting dividend growth stocks is the ability to identify companies that will not only maintain their dividend, but grow it. Often it can be boiled down to a simple question: "How committed is the company to paying its dividend?"
This week, I screened my dividend growth stocks database for companies with a long-standing pro-dividend culture, exhibited by:
- Paying an uninterrupted dividend more than 115 years
- Increased their dividend for at least the last 20 years
They are presented here in decending rank of how long they have paid a dividend, included also is the first year the dividend was paid:
WGL Holdings Inc. (WGL) provides natural gas service in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and surrounding regions, including Maryland and Virginia. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1852 and has increased its dividend payments for 39 consecutive years. Yield: 3.0%
Stanley Black & Decker Inc. (SWK) is a diversified global provider of hand tools, power tools and related accessories and systems resulted from the March 2010 merger of Stanley Works and Black & Decker. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1877 and has increased its dividend payments for 48 consecutive years. Yield: 2.0%
Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), formed through the merger of Exxon and Mobil in late 1999, is the world's largest publicly owned integrated oil company. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1882 and has increased its dividend payments for 33 consecutive years. Yiled: 3.6%
Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ED) is an electric and gas utility holding company serves parts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1885 and has increased its dividend payments for 42 consecutive years. Yield: 4.2%
UGI Corp. (UGI) operates propane distribution, gas and electric utility, energy marketing and related businesses through subsidiaries. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1885 and has increased its dividend payments for 28 consecutive years. Yield: 2.6%
Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI) supplies building controls and energy management systems, automotive seating, and batteries. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1887 and has increased its dividend payments for 23 consecutive years. Yield: 2.5%
The Procter & Gamble Company (PG) is a leading consumer products company that markets household and personal care products in more than 180 countries. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1891 and has increased its dividend payments for 58 consecutive years. Yield: 3.5%
The Coca-Cola Company (KO) is the world's largest soft drink company, and also has a sizable fruit juice business. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1893 and has increased its dividend payments for 53 consecutive years. Yield: 3.1%
Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) is a major consumer products company that markets oral, personal and household care and pet nutrition products in more than 200 countries and territories. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1895 and has increased its dividend payments for 51 consecutive years. Yield: 2.3%
PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG) is a global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, specialty materials, glass and fiber glass. It disposed of its commodity chemicals business in 2013. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1899 and has increased its dividend payments for 42 consecutive years. Yield: 1.4%
As with past screens, the data presented above is in its raw form. Some of the the companies would be disqualified for poor dividend fundamentals. However some of the others may be worth additional due diligence.
My database, D4L-Data, is a spreadsheet containing more than 20 columns of information on the 250+ companies that I track. The data is sortable and has built-in buttons and macros to make it easy to use. Companies included in the list are those that have had a history of dividend growth. The D4L-Data spreadsheet is a part of D4L-Premium Services and is updated each Saturday for subscribers.
Full Disclosure: Long XOM, ED, PG, KO, CL in my Dividend Growth Portfolio. See a list of all my dividend growth holdings here.
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Tags: WGL, SWK, XOM, ED, UGI, JCI, PG, KO, CL, PPG,