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Best Dividend Stocks of December 2017
The Best Dividend Stocks to Watch
The following "Best Dividend Stocks" list features Income Investors' favorite dividend ideas, thoroughly vetted and highly rated by our research team.
The stocks below have been hand-picked by our editors. Our five-point investment criteria identifies companies with safe payouts, growing earnings, and a long-term track record. The list is geared toward conservative buy-and-hold investors looking to put new money to work right now.
To be clear, every stock on this list is not appropriate for all investors. Our best dividend stocks list does not represent a complete portfolio. We recommend readers do their own research and consult a professional financial adviser before making any investment decision.
What We Look For
Timeless Business: We look for businesses that have stood the test of time. In some cases, the products that they make have remained almost unchanged for decades. Many of these stocks have been paying out dividends to shareholders for over 100 years.
Competitive Advantage: We look for companies with sustainable advantages. They have patents, powerful brands, irreplaceable assets, a low-cost advantage, or de facto monopolies. By sheltering their profits from competition, these firms can generate oversized margins decade after decade.
Management: We look for great executives who think beyond the next quarter. We want to own companies run by honest managers with above-average skill for allocating capital. We want people with unquestionable integrity, a frank communication style, and a long-term outlook.
Distribution Growth: We look for firms with a commitment to rewarding shareholders. Our best dividend stocks have raised their regular distributions for at least 25 consecutive years. Steady dividend increases signal that the company has a bright future and forces management to be careful when allocating capital.
Dividend Yield: We look for stocks with above-average dividend yields. A high payout suggests that a company might be temporarily out of favor with investors. Studies show that companies with the highest dividend yields tend to outperform the broader market over time.
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Best Dividend Stock List
Company Name | Ticker | Industry | Yield | Years of Dividend Increases |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dover Corp. | DOV | Machinery | 2.8% | 62 |
Parker-Hannifin Corp. | PH | Industrial Equipment | 1.4% | 61 |
Genuine Parts Co. | GPC | Auto Parts | 2.9% | 61 |
Procter & Gamble Co. | PG | Consumer Products | 3.1% | 61 |
Emerson Electric | EMR | Industrial Equipment | 3.0% | 60 |
3M Company | MMM | Conglomerate | 2.0% | 59 |
Lowe's Companies | LOW | Retail-Home Improv. | 2.0% | 55 |
Colgate-Palmolive Co. | CL | Personal Products | 2.2% | 54 |
Nordson Corp. | NDSN | Machinery | 0.9% | 54 |
Tootsie Roll Industries | TR | Confectioner | 1.0% | 51 |
Target Corp. | TGT | Retail-Discount | 4.0% | 50 |
Stanley Black & Decker | SWK | Tools/Security Products | 1.5% | 50 |
Commerce Bancshares | CBSH | Banking | 1.6% | 49 |
Coca-Cola Company | KO | Beverages-Non-alcoholic | 3.3% | 55 |
Federal Realty Inv. Trust | FRT | REIT-Shopping Centers | 3.0% | 49 |
H.B. Fuller Company | FUL | Chemical-Specialty | 1.1% | 48 |
Sysco Corp. | SYY | Food-Wholesale | 2.5% | 47 |
Universal Corp. | UVV | Tobacco | 4.1% | 46 |
W.W. Grainger Inc. | GWW | Electronics-Wholesale | 2.3% | 46 |
Leggett & Platt Inc. | LEG | Furniture/Bldg. Prod. | 3.0% | 46 |
PPG Industries Inc. | PPG | Conglomerate | 1.5% | 46 |
C.R. Bard Inc. | BCR | Medical Instruments | 0.3% | 45 |
Becton Dickinson & Co. | BDX | Medical Instruments | 1.3% | 45 |
Kimberly-Clark Corp. | KMB | Personal Products | 3.3% | 45 |
PepsiCo Inc. | PEP | Beverages/Snack Food | 2.8% | 45 |
Helmerich & Payne Inc. | HP | Oil&Gas | 2.6% | 44 |
S&P Global Inc. | SPGI | Publishing | 1.0% | 44 |
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. | WMT | Retail-Discount | 2.1% | 44 |
Telephone & Data Sys. | TDS | Telecommunications | 2.2% | 43 |
Illinois Tool Works | ITW | Machinery | 1.9% | 43 |
Automatic Data Proc. | ADP | Business Services | 2.2% | 42 |
Archer Daniels Midland | ADM | Agriculture | 3.2% | 42 |
McDonald's Corp. | MCD | Restaurants | 2.4% | 42 |
Carlisle Companies | CSL | Rubber and Plastics | 1.3% | 41 |
Sherwin-Williams Co. | SHW | Paints | 0.9% | 39 |
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