The number of S&P 500 companies paying a dividend just hit a new all-time high. As of July 1, 84% (424) of the S&P 500 companies paid a dividend — up from 74% 10 years ago. That’s an extra 54 dividend payers to choose from in just the S&P. It means that, on average, you’ve had five new choices each year. On one hand it’s great. These companies are building reputations as solid dividend payers. And investors have more options than ever. #-ad_banner-#But on the other hand, not all dividends are created equally. On the surface two… Read More
The number of S&P 500 companies paying a dividend just hit a new all-time high. As of July 1, 84% (424) of the S&P 500 companies paid a dividend — up from 74% 10 years ago. That’s an extra 54 dividend payers to choose from in just the S&P. It means that, on average, you’ve had five new choices each year. On one hand it’s great. These companies are building reputations as solid dividend payers. And investors have more options than ever. #-ad_banner-#But on the other hand, not all dividends are created equally. On the surface two stocks with a current yield of 2.6% may look similar, but underneath the hood they can be very different. The newest dividend payers don’t have the history to demonstrate they can sustain a dividend through a recession, a depression, or a stock market crash, and certainly not through a couple of world wars. If you want a dividend payer with that kind of resume, you need to zero in on the most reliable dividend payers on earth, companies that are in one of the most exclusive clubs in the entire global stock market. Companies That Have Been… Read More