Investors seeking income often look to the vaunted list of Dividend Aristocrats, those S&P 500 companies that have raised their dividends every year for 25 consecutive years. There is, however, a higher echelon, or that of Dividend Kings -- companies that have raised their dividends through thick and thin for at least 50 successive years.
That type of track record isn't easy to achieve with the ups and downs that occur in an ongoing business. Factor in globalization, changes in consumer tastes, and technological advancements as disruptors, and it's easy to see why paying a dividend for 50 years can be such a daunting challenge.
With that in mind, let's look at companies that have successfully navigated the changing marketplace for more than half a century and continue to pay ever-growing dividends to investors.
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