3 Dividend Aristocrats That Deserve the Title

Investors looking for the surest path to dividend growth typically look to the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats. These are the supposedly “elite” dividend stocks within the S&P 500 that have not just paid but hiked their regular distributions at least once a year for a minimum of 25 consecutive years. I like a few Dividend Aristocrats because, after all, dividend growth is one of the most important elements of any retirement portfolio. But a few Aristocrats give the index a bad name, and should be explicitly avoided. Today, we’ll discuss three Dividend Aristocrats that are the real deal, and two that are just pretenders to the throne.

How many times have you heard someone say that Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is dead money? Because it happens all the time. And yet the 131-year-old company’s stock sits near all-time highs. We’ve recently discussed how retail is taking it on the chin, and VF Corp (NYSE:VFC) isn’t immune. You probably don’t know the VF Corp name, but you surely know its various brands that include Timberland, The North Face, Lee and Wrangler jeans, Nautica, Jansport and Vans. Slow and steady wins the race – as long-term Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED) investors are happy to attest. When it comes to utility investing, you know what to expect – stable revenues, slow but consistent profit growth and dividends that steadily melt higher.

Source: InvestorPlace

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