Give me a dollar today, and I want two tomorrow.
Since I am a greedy person, I look for companies that have continuously increased dividends and have managed to buy back shares. By decreasing the number of shares, a company is increasing the ownership stake each share accounts for -- or in other words, your shares now give you a bigger piece of the pie.
Greed satisfiers
United Parcel Service
Although Johnson & Johnson
ExxonMobil
Foolish take
All three of these companies understand the importance of giving back to the shareholders and continuing to build long-term value. Discover 10 more great dividend stocks (along with one I've already highlighted here) in our special report: "Secure Your Future With 11 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks!"
Editor's note: A previous version of this article mistakenly said that UPS had raised its dividend every year since 2002. The Fool regrets the error.