The following video is part of our "Motley Fool Conversations" series, in which consumer-goods editor and analyst Austin Smith discusses topics around the investing world.

n today's edition, Austin talks about British Petroleum (NYSE: BP). The company came across his radar as a potential energy addition for his portfolio, but he's decided to put the pause button on buying. Unsurprisingly to many investors, it's the same old broken record: the dark cloud of potential liabilities regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The disaster has cost BP a pretty penny, and it may not be done paying. Despite looking pretty cheap on paper, the uncertainty still remains too high for Austin to pull the buy trigger. That's not to say the company doesn't have merits, though: It pays a nearly 5% dividend, handily outpacing the broad market and many of the other supermajors.

As good as BP's dividend is, it's still a long way from making out list of nine rock-solid dividends. You can read about those stocks that made the cut -- just  click here to learn more.