News broke this weekend that Valspar (VAL) agreed to be acquired by Sherwin-Williams (SHW) for $113 per share, representing a premium of 35% to Valspar's closing price on Friday. We own Valspar in our Long-term Dividend Growth portfolio and were pleased with this development. We had previously analyzed the coatings industry and published research on Sherwin-Williams and [...]
Digital Realty Trust (DLR) is a fast-growing real estate investment trust (REIT) that has raised its dividend every year since going public in 2004. While the company is far from having a long enough dividend growth history to quality as a member of the dividend aristocrats list, it has numerous attractive qualities. Digital [...]
Wells Fargo (WFC) is Warren Buffett’s largest holding, and he first bought into the company in 1989. Buffett owns businesses with lengthy operating histories, durable competitive advantages, and excellent management teams, and Wells Fargo is no exception. Warren Buffett even added to his stake in the company during the fourth quarter of 2015, making [...]
Duke Energy (DUK) is a favorite high-yield dividend stock for income investors, and it’s no wonder why. The company has paid uninterrupted quarterly dividends for 90 years and is set to increase its dividend for the ninth consecutive year in 2016. Regulated utility companies such as Duke can provide safe retirement income with less [...]
Yield-starved investors should familiarize themselves with Southern Company (SO), a highly dependable business that has paid dividends every quarter for more than 65 consecutive years. With a high yield of 4.4%, low stock price volatility, and a track record for outperforming the S&P 500 Index over the last 30 years, Southern Company is the [...]
Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) has steadily grown its dividend for 40 straight years and has an operating history that dates back more than 100 years. Few businesses have demonstrated such durability, and the ones that have are always worth a look for our Top 20 Dividend Stocks portfolio. After all, it takes meaningful competitive [...]
C.R. Bard (BCR) is a member of the dividend aristocrats list that has nearly doubled the market’s performance over the last decade. The company’s dependable business model has resulted in steady earnings growth and dividend increases. We love buying these types of companies for our Top 20 Dividend Stocks portfolio, but let’s take [...]
HCP Inc. (HCP) is the only real estate investment trust (REIT) in the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index. With a dividend yield in excess of 7%, it’s no surprise that this stock has been a popular holding for investors living off dividends in retirement. Generally speaking, dividend aristocrats are some of the most reliable [...]
Have you ever wondered which sectors you should look in to find the best dividend stocks? With thousands of dividend-paying stocks to choose from, knowing where to begin the hunt for safe dividend income can feel overwhelming. Not all stock sectors are equally attractive when it comes to dividend income. Some are characterized by short product [...]
McGraw Hill Financial (MHFI) owns one of the most important brands in the financial services market and has grown into a powerhouse provider of mission-critical information. The company’s many strengths have enabled helped it grow its dividend for more than 25 consecutive years, making it a member of the dividend aristocrats list and a [...]
AbbVie (ABBV) is one of the more controversial dividend aristocrats for several reasons. As a relatively new spin-off (2013), the company has a much shorter dividend growth track record than traditional aristocrats. The bigger challenge, however, is AbbVie’s profit drivers. Most dividend aristocrats possess the characters we desire when searching for safe dividend stocks. [...]
General Dynamics (GD) is a unique dividend growth stock because it has significant exposure to defense markets but is also a major manufacturer of business jets, resulting in a rather diversified stream of cash flow. The company has increased its dividend or 24 straight years and appears likely to join the dividend aristocrats list this spring. [...]
Cardinal Health (CAH) scores extremely well for Dividend Safety (95) and Dividend Growth (91). The company has increased its dividend by 15% per year over the last five years and is a dividend aristocrat that shows no signs of slowing down. With a reasonable earnings multiple of 15.4x, now could be a good time [...]
There's no such thing as a free lunch, and that certainly applies to dividend investors who chase high yield stocks. More often than not, you get what you pay for. BHP Billiton (BHP) is the latest high yield stock to cut its dividend (ConocoPhillips slashed its dividend earlier this month, too). This was BHP's first [...]
Franklin Resources (BEN) increased its dividend by a hefty 20% last week, continuing its dividend growth streak dating back to 1981. This dividend aristocrat has recently fallen on hard times, causing its stock price to drop by 37% over the last year. BEN’s stock now has a dividend yield twice as high as its [...]