In dividend investing, consistency is everything. While a company's past behavior is no guarantee of the future, if a stock has consistently raised its dividend for many years, the odds that this pattern will continue are high.
Why is it so important?
When a company consistently raises its dividend, it allows your stream of income to grow over time. For example, if a stock pays just a 3% dividend yield but raises it by 10% every year like clockwork, in 30 years your annual dividend income will be more than half of your initial investment. This effect becomes more amplified the longer you hold the shares, as well. My grandmother owns several stocks whose dividend payments are higher than the amount she paid for the shares themselves back in the 1950s.
Companies with growing dividends should be a cornerstone of any long-term investment strategy, as these types of com. It is this type of consistent growth that allowed companies like 3M (MMM 0.46%) and Procter and Gamble (PG -0.78%) to grow into the powerhouses they are today, and it has allowed Diebold (DBD) to still be a leader in its industry after more than 150 years. With that in mind, here are 10 stocks with fantastic track records of raising their dividends.
