A Boring But Bright Dividend Stock

What do you really know about Southern Company (NYSE: SO ) ? Maybe you think of it as a safe and boring utility stock to own -- no growth, but good dividends. Perhaps you even see a stock like Southern as a potential play on low natural gas prices, as it uses increasingly more of the plentiful fuel. Are its dividends a sure thing?

The right answer, of course, is "no." There isn't a company that can honestly guarantee that its dividend will always be paid no matter what. If you answered "yes," though, you definitely have some ammunition to bolster your case. Southern has paid a dividend for 64 years. It has gone 257 consecutive quarters paying a dividend equal to or higher than the prior quarter. Dividend increases over the last five years averaged 3.83% annually. The dividend yield currently stands at 4.1%. It's fair to say that Southern puts a high priority on dividend payments.

Source: Motley Fool

Related Articles:
- 9 High-Yield Dividend Achievers With 25 Years of Increases
- 7 Dividend Stocks For A Confident And Secure Future
- Cash Just May Be Your Riskiest Investment
- 7 High Yielders With A Low Free Cash Flow Payout
- Wealth is a Journey, Dividend Stocks Can Take You There