Ecolab (ECL) is one of the most reliable businesses that money can buy. Although its dividend yield is low (1.4%), the company’s long-term growth outlook is outstanding and supported by ECL’s moat (90% recurring revenue in the form of essential consumables; entrenched customer relationships; twice as large as its next biggest competitor; 25,000 customer-facing employees). [...]
Parker-Hannifin (PH) is a high quality industrial business with entrenched market positions and excellent cash flow generation. The company has increased its dividend for 59 consecutive years, making it a Dividend King, and offers a 2.8% dividend yield today. Its dividend has also compounded at a double-digit annual rate over the last decade and should [...]
Paychex (PAYX) has paid uninterrupted dividends since going public in 1988. While the company held its dividend flat during the financial crisis, it has otherwise increased its dividend every year since the mid-1990s and currently yields 3.5%. PAYX has a very durable business model that throws off predictable free cash flow. We believe its [...]
Published on 1/9/2016 Warren Buffett only owns two stocks in the energy sector, and they both pay a dividend – Suncor (SU) and Phillips 66 (PSX). SU’s dividend yield is 3.7%, and it has increased its dividend for 13 consecutive years. Buffett first bought into SU in 2013, investing around $500 million at the [...]
Published on 1/8/2016 Compass Minerals (CMP) has increased its dividend every year since going public in 2003 and boasts an operating history dating back to 1844. Its businesses are simple to understand, largely uncorrelated with the economy, and meaningfully advantaged by a unique set of assets that is, in many cases, practically impossible to replicate. [...]
Published on 1/7/2016 Thomson Reuters (TRI) has raised its dividend for 22 straight years and is one of the most consistent free cash flow generators around. The company’s business benefits from significant amounts of recurring revenue (87% of sales), While TRI’s rate of dividend growth is modest, we believe the company’s 3.6% dividend yield [...]
Sysco (SYY) is a holding in our Conservative Retirees dividend portfolio. The company is a dividend aristocrat that has paid dividends since 1970 and appears to offer a very safe 3% yield today. While SYY’s growth rate is very moderate, the company’s durability has been noteworthy. The pace of change in the foodservice distribution [...]
Diageo (DEO) is a leading player in the alcoholic beverages market. Up until the last few years, the company enjoyed great success. However, consumer trends have started to shift in DEO’s most profitable region – North America. The company has struggled to grow volumes and is now in a bit of a transitional period [...]
Waste Management (WM) is not widely known by dividend investors, but its moat and consistency are remarkable. As the largest integrated waste management company in the country, WM possesses several key advantages that have enabled it to increase its dividend for 13 consecutive years. While WM’s operating history isn’t as long as some [...]
Lowe’s (LOW) has paid a dividend each quarter since going public in 1961. Even more impressive, the company has raised its dividend for 53 consecutive years – a feat achieved by fewer than 15 companies. Not surprisingly, LOW has a handful of competitive advantages that have enabled it to enjoy meaningful growth. While the [...]
Aflac (AFL) is a well-known insurance company that has proven to be a very reliable dividend payer over the years. The company has increased its dividend for 33 consecutive years and has plenty of room for continued dividend growth. The insurance business has many attractive characteristics, but AFL’s high exposure to Japan has served [...]
Utility companies are far from exciting businesses, but their dependable cash flow, defensive characteristics, and typically reliable dividend payments can make them compelling stocks for investors living off dividends in retirement. Consolidated Edison (ED) possesses many characteristics that make it appealing to conservative dividend investors. The company has served the New York marketplace for [...]
United Technologies (UTX) is a diversified industrial business with a strong presence in the aerospace and building systems markets. While this blue chip dividend stock has numerous well-known brands and entrenched market positions dating back more than 80 years, it seems to have lost its way a bit in recent years. Like many other [...]
Illinois Tool Works (ITW) is one of the strongest, most diversified industrial conglomerates a dividend growth investor can find. While the stock only yields 2.4% today, the company raised its dividend by 13% last quarter and continued double-digit dividend growth isn’t out of the question. ITW possesses many of the characteristics we look for [...]
Abbott (ABT) is a dividend aristocrat with excellent long-term growth potential. The company maintains a diversified mix of healthcare products that are sold around the world. Many of these products are recession-resistant and will enjoy more demand as consumer wealth increases in emerging markets, where ABT generates about half of its total sales. The [...]