Most of the stocks are U.S. based companies. However, there are a few companies with headquarters in or incorporated outside of the U.S. For many investors, the S&P 500 represents the U.S. stock market and this index is used as a benchmark for many portfolios.
Not all stock in the index pay dividends, but many of the best known dividend growth stocks are part of the index. The dividend Aristocrats is a subset of the S&P 500 and is limited to stocks that have increased their dividend for 25 or more years.
This week week, I screened my dividend growth stocks database for stocks that are members of the S&P 500 and have a yield of 4.25% or more. The results are presented below:
Duke Energy Corp. (DUK) merged with Progress Energy in mid-2012, and is the largest electric power holding company in the U.S., serving more than 7 million customers in six states. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1926 and has increased its dividend payments for 14 consecutive years. Yield: 4.6%
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) is the largest U.S. wireless carrier, Verizon also offers wireline and broadband services primarily in the northeastern U.S. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1984 and has increased its dividend payments for 14 consecutive years. Yield: 4.5%
Realty Income Corporation (O) is an equity real estate investment trust that owns, develops and manages retail real estate, primarily single tenant buildings throughout most of the U.S. The trust is also among a handful of REITS that pay monthly dividends. Yield: 4.6%
Southern Company (SO) is an Atlanta-based energy holding company and is one of the largest producers of electricity in the U.S. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1948 and has increased its dividend payments for 17 consecutive years. Yield: 4.9%
AT&T Inc. (T) provides telephone and broadband service and holds full ownership of AT&T Mobility. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1984 and has increased its dividend payments for 35 consecutive years. Yield: 6.2%
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 an Open Office spreadsheet containing more than 20 columns of information on the 200+ 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 DUK, VZ, O, SO, T un various dividend income portfolios. See a list of all my Dividend Growth Portfolio holdings here.
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