3 Energy Stocks That Are Lean, Mean, Dividend Machines

What does it take for a company to offer shareholders a dividend? Strong profit margins, a healthy balance sheet, and long-term growth opportunities that give management and shareholders peace of mind that income won't be lumpy, unpredictable, or at risk of being axed on a whim. But let's be honest: there are companies that pay dividends, and then there are lean, mean, dividend machines. Companies that can be labeled as the latter are accompanied by a long history of dividend payments and increases and usually have a solid stream of earnings coming their way year after year.

If you're looking for new ways to generate income, then you may want to consider these three energy stocks that double as dividend monsters: At the end of 2014 Wall Street analysts worried that falling oil prices would have devastating consequences for The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), which would have threatened the company's 2.8% dividend at the time. NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE) is not your average dividend stock. Utilities are known for their ability to dole out dividends, turning regulated earnings into cold hard cash for investors. One company that has become an absolute dividend machine is Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI). It expects to grow by 10% per year through the end of the decade. That's because the payout is anchored by rock-solid revenue and a visible backlog of growth projects.

Source: Motley Fool

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