Verizon is the largest wireless service provider in the United States. The company’s 4G LTE network is available to more than 98% of the country’s population. Wireless operations, which include voice and data services and equipment sales, generate approximately 73% of Verizon’s revenue and account for over 86% of the company’s EBITDA (earnings before [...]
Duke Energy’s history dates back to the early 1900s, and the company is largest electric utility in the country today, serving approximately 7.5 million electric customers and 1.6 million gas customers across the Southeast and Midwest regions of the U.S. A blend of residential (33%), commercial (30%), industrial (20%), and wholesale (17%) customers make [...]
Founded in 1849, Pfizer is one of the world's largest drug makers, with over 95,000 global employees, more than 60 manufacturing facilities, and medications sold in over 125 countries. The company's annual sales exceed $50 billion and are grouped into two business segments: Innovative Health (60% of sales and 62% profits): produces patented [...]
In business since 1837, Procter & Gamble has grown into one of the world’s largest consumer goods manufacturers, advertisers, and distributors. It currently sells 65 products in more than 180 countries. Some of its leading brands are Luvs, Pampers, Tampax, Charmin, Downy, Tide, Cascade, Dawn, Febreze, Head & Shoulders, Old Spice, Pantene, Gillette, Braun, [...]
General Mills went into business in 1866, owning just a single flour mill at the time. Since then, the company expanded into a number of different industries, including restaurants, toys, and even apparel. However, the business refocused completely on consumer foods in 1995. Today, General Mills sells a diversified mix of packaged meals, cereal, [...]
Founded in 1885, Johnson & Johnson is the world’s largest medical conglomerate. With more than 250 subsidiaries operating in over 60 countries, Johnson & Johnson’s three major business units provide it with a very diversified mix of revenue, earnings, and cash flow. Here are the company’s operating segments: Pharmaceuticals (47% of 2016 sales; [...]
In business since 1837, Procter & Gamble has grown into one of the world’s largest consumer goods manufacturers, advertisers, and distributors. It currently sells 65 products in more than 180 countries. Some of its leading brands are Luvs, Pampers, Tampax, Charmin, Downy, Tide, Cascade, Dawn, Febreze, Head & Shoulders, Old Spice, Pantene, Gillette, Braun, [...]
Target was founded in 1902 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but the first discount Target store didn't open until 1962. Today, Target is one of America's largest retailers with annual sales of approximately $70 billion and more than 1,800 stores across the country. Target’s stores focus on convenient one-stop shopping and competitive discount prices, offering a [...]
Founded in 1890, Emerson Electric is a global industrial conglomerate that serves the oil and gas, refining, chemicals, power generation, pharma, food and beverages, pulp and paper, metal and mining, and municipal water supply sectors. Emerson Electric brings together technology and engineering to provide solutions for customers in the process, industrial, commercial, and residential [...]
Despite operating in one of the most controversial and heavily regulated industries in America, tobacco stocks have historically been excellent long-term, high-yield dividend growth investments. In fact, Altria (MO) has been the best performing stock of the last 50 years, generating 20.6% annual returns and increasing shareholder wealth a remarkable 6,638 fold. Along [...]
Restaurants can be a potentially great but also very challenging industry for dividend growth investors to do well in. After all, a steady expansion of store counts can lead to highly predictable growth. But on the other hand, a ruthlessly competitive environment, shifting consumer tastes, and numerous cost uncertainties can make it challenging [...]
Brick-and-mortar retail has been struggling in recent years as consumers increasingly turn to online shopping. In fact, e-commerce sales have grown seven times faster than brick and mortar retail since 2005 (14% annually vs 2%). That being said, brick-and-mortar shopping is far from dead, with most physical stores still seeing slow but steady growth [...]
There's a school of thought popularized by Peter Lynch that investors should "invest in what you know." In other words, buy companies that make products that you use and understand well. This is one reason why food and beverage companies are popular, especially those that produce household brands that consumers buy on a frequent basis. [...]
When it comes to high-quality dividend growth stocks, investors naturally gravitate to blue chips like dividend aristocrats and dividend kings. After all, no company can increase its dividend for at least 25 or 50 years in a row without a certain combination of highly admirable characteristics. These traits tend to include stable and predictable [...]
While fast-growing momentum stocks might get the headlines, some of the best long-term investments are often far less exciting dividend growth stalwarts such as 3M (MMM). This industrial powerhouse has made countless investors amazingly wealthy over the years (12.9% total returns vs 9.1% for the S&P 500 over the last 22 years) thanks to its disciplined [...]