Dividend Kings
Dividend Kings are blue chip companies listed in the S&P 500 index with large market capitalizations that have increased their dividends annually for a minimum of at least 50 consecutive years. That means that the stocks on the Dividend Kings list have been paying and increasing their dividends since at least 1964. They've been steadily increasing their dividend while the country experienced at least 9 different Presidential administrations, wars in Viet Nam, Bosnia, Kosovo, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and numerous economic expansions, recessions and depressions.
Fifty years is a very long time for a company to consistently and continuously increase its dividend and only 17 companies have been able to successfully accomplish it. These are the country's premier companies and deserve at least your consideration when researching investments. Just remember that even great companies can become overbought or oversold, so please do your research before committing funds to any investment.
American States Water Company (AWR), together with its subsidiaries, provides water, electric, and contracted services in the United States. It operates in three segments: Water, Electric, and Contracted Services. The company engages in the purchase, production, and distribution of water in 75 communities in 10 counties in the State of California; and provides electric service to the City of Big Bear Lake and surrounding areas in San Bernardino County, California. It also provides water and wastewater services, including the operation, maintenance, renewal, and replacement of the water and wastewater systems at various military installations. American States Water Company was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in San Dimas, California. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
Cincinnati Financial Corporation (CINF) engages in the property casualty insurance business in the United States. It operates in five segments: Commercial Lines Property Casualty Insurance; Personal Lines Property Casualty Insurance; Excess and Surplus Lines Property Casualty Insurance; Life Insurance; and Investments. The Commercial Lines Property Casualty Insurance segment provides coverage for commercial casualty, commercial property, commercial auto, and workers’ compensation. This segment also offers coverage for property, liability, and business interruption for specific industry classes; and contract and commercial surety bonds, fidelity bonds, and director and officer liability insurance, as well as machinery and equipment coverage. The Personal Lines Property Casualty Insurance segment provides coverage for personal auto and homeowners, as well as other insurance products, including dwelling fire, inland marine, personal umbrella liability, and watercraft coverages to individuals. The Excess and Surplus Lines Property Casualty Insurance segment offers commercial casualty insurance that covers businesses for third-party liability from accidents occurring on their premises or arising out of their operations, such as products and completed operations; and commercial property insurance, which insures loss or damage to buildings, inventory, equipment, and business income from causes of loss consisting of fire, wind, hail, water, theft, and vandalism. The company’s Life Insurance segment provides term life insurance; universal life insurance; whole life insurance; and worksite products, including term, whole life, universal life, and disability insurance offered to employees through their employer. This segment also markets disability income insurance, deferred annuities, and immediate annuities. The company also offers commercial leasing and financing services. Cincinnati Financial Corporation was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Fairfield, Ohio. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL), together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. The company operates in two segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. It offers oral care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouth rinses, as well as dental floss and pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals; personal care products comprising liquid hand soaps, shower gels, bar soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, and conditioners; and home care products, such as laundry and dishwashing detergents, dishwashing liquids, household cleaners, oil soaps, bleaches, and fabric conditioners. The company provides its oral, personal, and home care products primarily under the Colgate Total, Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate Optic White, Colgate Luminous White, Colgate 360°, Colgate Plax, Palmolive, Protex, Softsoap, Sanex, Irish Spring, Speed Stick, Lady Speed Stick, Caprice, Ajax, Axion, Fabuloso, Murphy’s, Suavitel, Soupline, Sorriso, Kolynos, elmex, Tom’s of Maine, and Mennen brand names to wholesale and retail distributors. It also offers pet nutrition products for dogs and cats. The company markets its pet foods through pet supply retailers and veterinarians for everyday nutritional needs under the Hill’s Science Diet brand name; and a range of therapeutic products through veterinarians and pet supply retailers to manage disease conditions in dogs and cats under the Hill’s Prescription Diet brand name. Colgate-Palmolive Company was founded in 1806 and is headquartered in New York, New York. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
Dover Corporation (DOV) manufactures and sells a range of specialized products and components, and provides related consumables and services. The company operates in four segments: Communication Technologies, Energy, Engineered Systems, and Printing and Identification. The Communication Technologies segment engages in the design and manufacture of products and components in the consumer electronics, medical technology, aerospace/defense, and telecom/other markets. This segment offers micro-acoustic audio input and output components principally used in personal mobile handsets; advanced miniaturized receivers and electromechanical components for use in hearing aids; connectors for use in medical devices and bio processing applications; specialized components for use in implantable devices and medical equipment; precision engineered components and aftermarket parts; and frequency control components for wired and wireless network base station communications. The Energy segment provides engineered solutions for the extraction and handling of oil and gas in the drilling, production, and downstream markets. The Engineered Systems segment designs and manufactures pumps, compressors, and chemical proportioning and dispensing products. This segment also manufactures products and systems serving the refrigeration and food equipment, and other industrial markets. The Printing and Identification segment provides precision marking and coding, printing, dispensing, soldering and coating equipment, and related consumables and services to fast moving consumer goods and industrial markets. It offers marking and coding products used for printing variable information on food, beverage, consumer goods, and pharmaceutical products, as well as bar code and portable printers, and fluid dispensing related products. The company sells its products directly and through a network of distributors worldwide. Dover Corporation was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
Emerson Electric Co. (EMR), a diversified technology company, designs and supplies products and technology, and delivers engineering services and solutions to the industrial, commercial, and consumer markets worldwide. Its Process Management segment offers customers products and technology, and engineering and project management services for precision measurement, control, monitoring, and asset optimization of oil and gas reservoirs and power generating plants, as well as for plants that process or treat food and beverages, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, municipal water supplies, and oil, natural gas, and petrochemicals. The company’s Industrial Automation segment provides integrated manufacturing solutions for products, including motors, drives, power generating alternators, power transmission solutions, fluid controls, and materials joining equipment. Its Network Power segment designs, manufactures, installs, and maintains products that offer electric power conditioning, power reliability, environmental control for telecommunications networks, data centers, and other critical applications, as well as comprehensive data center infrastructure management solutions. The company’s Climate Technologies segment provides products and services for various areas of the climate control industry, such as residential heating and cooling, commercial air conditioning, commercial and industrial refrigeration, and marine controls. Its Commercial and Residential Solutions segment offers a range of professional and do-it-yourself tools, fixed and mobile storage products, and appliances and components. The company was formerly known as The Emerson Electric Manufacturing Company and changed its name to Emerson Electric Co. in 2000. Emerson Electric Co. was founded in 1890 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (FMCB) operates as the bank holding company for Farmers & Merchants Bank of Central California that provides banking products and services primarily in the mid Central Valley of California. It accepts various deposit products, including checking, savings, money market, time certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. The company also offers loan products comprising commercial products, such as term loans, lines of credit, working capital financing, and letters of credit; automobile financing, residential real estate loans, home improvement loans, and home equity lines of credit to individuals; and real estate construction, agribusiness, consumer, credit card, and real estate loans, as well as equipment leases. It also offers various services consisting of credit card programs for merchants, lockbox and other collection services, account reconciliation, investment sweep, on-line account access, and electronic funds transfers by way of domestic and international wire and automated clearinghouse. In addition, the company provides investment products to customers, including mutual funds and annuities; and online banking services for business and personal accounts. As of June 4, 2015, it operated 25 branches. The company was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Lodi, California.
Genuine Parts Company (GPC) distributes automotive replacement parts, industrial replacement parts, office products, and electrical/electronic materials in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Canada. The company distributes automotive replacement parts for imported vehicles, trucks, SUVs, buses, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, farm vehicles, small engines, farm equipment, and heavy duty equipment; and accessory items used in the automotive aftermarket, such as repair shops, service stations, fleet operators, automobile and truck dealers, leasing companies, bus and truck lines, mass merchandisers, farms, industrial concerns, and individuals through 64 NAPA automotive parts distribution centers and 1,100 NAPA AUTO PARTS stores. It also distributes industrial replacement parts and related supplies, such as bearings, mechanical and electrical power transmission, industrial automation, hose, hydraulic and pneumatic components, industrial supplies, and material handling products primarily for food and beverage, forest products, primary metal, pulp and paper, mining, automotive, oil and gas, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries through 509 branches, 14 distribution centers, and 50 service centers. In addition, the company distributes computer supplies, imaging products, office furniture, office machines, general office products, school supplies, cleaning and break room supplies, and healthcare products to approximately 4,000 business product resellers through 41 distribution centers. Further, it distributes wire and cable, insulating and conductive materials, assembly tools, test equipment, and custom fabricated parts to original equipment manufacturers, motor repair shops, specialty wire and cable users, and various industrial assembly markets. Genuine Parts Company was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) produces and markets various meat and food products worldwide. The company operates in five segments: Grocery Products, Refrigerated Foods, Jennie-O Turkey Store, Specialty Foods, and International & Other. It provides various perishable meat products, including fresh meats, frozen items, refrigerated meal solutions, sausages, hams, wieners, and bacon; and shelf-stable products comprising canned luncheon meats, shelf-stable microwaveable meals, stews, chilies, hash, meat spreads, flour and corn tortillas, salsas, tortilla chips, peanut butter, and other products. The company also offers poultry products, such as turkey products; and nutritional food products and supplements, sugar and sugar substitutes, dessert and drink mixes, and industrial gelatin products. It sells its products through sales personnel, as well as through independent brokers and distributors. The company was formerly known as Geo. A. Hormel & Company and changed its name to Hormel Foods Corporation in January 1995. Hormel Foods Corporation was founded in 1891 and is based in Austin, Minnesota. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of various products in the health care field worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Consumer, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Devices and Diagnostics. The Consumer segment offers products used in the baby care, skin care, oral care, wound care, and women’s health fields, as well as nutritional and over-the-counter pharmaceutical products, and wellness and prevention platforms under the JOHNSON’S, AVEENO, CLEAN & CLEAR, NEUTROGENA, RoC, LUBRIDERM, DABAO, VENDÔME, LISTERINE, REMBRANDT, REACH, BAND-AID, NEOSPORIN, CAREFREE, STAYFREE, SPLENDA, TYLENOL, SUDAFED, ZYRTEC, MOTRIN IB, and PEPCID AC brand names. This segment markets its products to the general public, as well as to retail outlets and distributors. The Pharmaceutical segment provides various products in the areas of anti-infective, antipsychotic, contraceptive, gastrointestinal, hematology, immunology, infectious diseases, neurology, oncology, pain management, thrombosis, and vaccines. This segment distributes its products directly to retailers, wholesalers, and health care professionals for prescription use. The Medical Devices and Diagnostics segment offers products to treat cardiovascular disease; orthopaedic and neurological products; blood glucose monitoring and insulin delivery products; general surgery, biosurgical, and energy products; professional diagnostic products; infection prevention products; and disposable contact lenses. This segment distributes its products directly, as well as through surgical supply and other distributors to wholesalers, hospitals, and retailers. Johnson & Johnson was founded in 1886 and is based in New Brunswick, New Jersey. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
The Coca-Cola Company (KO), a beverage company, engages in the manufacture, marketing, and sale of nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company primarily offers sparkling beverages and still beverages. Its sparkling beverages include nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages with carbonation, such as carbonated energy drinks, and carbonated waters and flavored waters. The company’s still beverages comprise nonalcoholic beverages without carbonation, including noncarbonated waters, flavored and enhanced waters, noncarbonated energy drinks, juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and sports drinks. It also provides flavoring ingredients, sweeteners, powders for purified water products, beverage ingredients, and fountain syrups. The Coca-Cola Company sells its products primarily under the Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Light, Coca-Cola Zero, Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Powerade, Aquarius, Dasani, Glacéau Vitaminwater, Georgia, Simply, Del Valle, Ayataka, and I Lohas brand names. The company offers its beverage products through a network of company-owned or controlled bottling and distribution operators, as well as through independently owned bottling partners, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers. The Coca-Cola Company was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
Lancaster Colony Corporation (LANC) manufactures and markets consumer products focusing primarily on specialty foods for the retail and foodservice markets in the United States. The company operates in two segments: Specialty Foods; and Glassware and Candles. The Specialty Foods segment manufactures and sells food products, including salad dressings and sauces under the Marzetti, T. Marzetti, Cardini’s, Pfeiffer, Simply Dressed, Katherine’s Kitchen, and Girard’s brands; fruit glazes, vegetable dips, and fruit dips under T. Marzetti brand; Greek yogurt vegetable dips under the Otria brand; frozen breads under New York BRAND and Mamma Bella brands; frozen Parkerhouse style yeast dinner rolls and sweet rolls, as well as biscuits under the Sister Schubert’s, Marshall’s, and Mary B’s brands; premium dry egg noodles under the Inn Maid and Amish Kitchen brands; frozen specialty noodles and pastas under the Reames and Aunt Vi’s brands; croutons and related products under the New York BRAND, Texas Toast, Chatham Village, Cardini’s, and T. Marzetti brands; and caviar under the Romanoff brand. This segment markets its products through sales personnel, food brokers, and distributors to retail, club store, foodservice, and industrial markets. The Glassware and Candles segment produces and markets candles, candle accessories, and other home fragrance products in various sizes, forms, and fragrances in retail markets to mass merchants, supermarkets, drug stores, and specialty shops under the Candle-lite brand name. This segment also sells candles, glassware, and various other products to customers in commercial markets. The company was founded in 1961 and is based in Columbus, Ohio. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (LOW) operates as a home improvement retailer. It offers products for maintenance, repair, remodeling, and home decorating. The company provides home improvement products under the categories of plumbing; appliances; tools and outdoor power equipment; lawn and garden; fashion electrical; lumber; seasonal living; paints; home fashions, storage, and cleaning; flooring; millwork; building materials; hardware; and cabinets and countertops. It also offers installation services through independent contractors in various product categories; repair services; and MyLowes, an online tool that manages, maintains, and enhances homes. The company serves homeowners and renters consisting of do-it-yourself (DIY) and do-it-for-me (DIFM); and commercial business customers comprising construction trade, and maintenance and repair organizations. As of November 20, 2013, it operated 1,825 stores in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company also offers its products through online sites, such as Lowes.com, Lowes.ca, and ATGstores.com. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. was founded in 1946 and is based in Mooresville, North Carolina. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
3M Company (MMM) operates as a diversified technology company worldwide. The company’s Industrial and Transportation segment offers tapes; coated and non-woven abrasives; adhesives; specialty materials; filtration, energy control, and acoustic systems products; closure systems for personal hygiene products; and components and products used in automotive, marine, aircraft, and specialty vehicles. Its Health Care segment provides medical and surgical supplies; skin health and infection prevention, dental and orthodontic, and food safety products; inhalation and transdermal drug delivery systems; and health information systems. The company’s Consumer and Office segment offers office supply, stationery, construction and home improvement, home care, protective material, consumer retail personal safety, and consumer health care products. Its Safety, Security, and Protection Services segment provides personal protection and safety and security products, cleaning and protection products for commercial establishments, roofing granules for asphalt shingles, infrastructure protection products used in the oil and gas pipeline markets, and track and trace solutions. The company’s Display and Graphics segment provides optical film solutions for LCD electronic displays; reflective sheeting for transportation safety; commercial graphics sheeting and systems; architectural surface and lighting solutions; mobile interactive solutions; and electronic toll collection and parking management hardware and software. Its Electro and Communications segment offers electronic and interconnect solutions, micro interconnect systems, high-performance fluids, high-temperature and display tapes, telecommunications and electrical products, and touch screens and monitors. 3M Company sells its products through wholesalers, retailers, jobbers, distributors, and dealers. The company, formerly known as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, was founded in 1902 and is based in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
Nordson Corporation (NDSN) engineers, manufactures, and markets products and systems for dispensing and processing adhesives, coatings, polymers, sealants, biomaterials, fluid management, testing and inspection, surface treatment, and curing. Its Adhesive Dispensing Systems segment provides equipment to apply adhesives, lotions, liquids, and fibers to disposable products; automated adhesive dispensing systems for packaged goods industries; adhesive and sealant dispensing systems to bond and seal plastics, metal, and wood products in the paper and paperboard converting industries; laminating and coating systems to manufacture continuous-roll goods in nonwovens, textile, and paper industries; and components and systems used in plastic extrusion and injection molding processes. The company’s Advanced Technology Systems segment offers automated dispensing systems for attachment, protection, and coating of fluids and related gas plasma treatment systems for cleaning and conditioning surfaces prior to dispense; precision manual and semi-automated dispensers, plastic molded syringes, cartridges tips, and fluid connection components for applying and controlling the flow of adhesives, sealants, lubricants, and biomaterials; and bond testing and automated optical and X-ray inspection systems. This segment serves electronics, medical, and related industries. Its Industrial Coating Systems segment provides automated and manual dispensing systems to apply component adhesives and sealant materials; liquid paints and coatings to consumer and industrial products; ultraviolet equipment to cure and dry operations for specialty coatings, semiconductor materials, and paints; and powder paints and coatings to various metal, plastic, and wood products. The company markets its products in the United States and internationally through direct sales force, distributors, and sales representatives. Nordson Corporation was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Westlake, Ohio.(Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
Northwest Natural Gas Company (NWN) stores and distributes natural gas primarily in Oregon, Washington, and California. The company operates in two segments, Local Gas Distribution and Gas Storage. The Local Gas Distribution segment distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Oregon and southwest Washington. It engages in building and maintaining pipeline distribution system; purchasing gas from producers and marketers; contracting for the transportation of gas over pipelines from the supply basins to service territory; and reselling the gas commodity. This segment also transports gas owned by customers from the interstate pipeline connection, or city gate, to the customers’ facilities. As of December 31, 2012, it had approximately 686,000 utility customers, consisting of approximately 621,000 residential, 64,000 commercial, and 1,000 industrial customers. The Gas Storage segment offers underground natural gas storage services to interstate and intrastate customers. It holds interests in approximately 12,000 net acres of underground natural gas storage in Oregon; and 5,000 net acres of underground natural gas storage in California. This segment serves primarily natural gas production or distribution, electric generation, and energy marketing companies. Northwest Natural Gas Company was founded in 1859 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
The Procter & Gamble Company (PG), together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells branded consumer packaged goods. The company operates through five segments: Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric Care and Home Care, and Baby Care and Family Care. The Beauty segment offers antiperspirants and deodorants, cosmetics, personal cleansing, skin care, hair care, hair colors, prestige products, and professional salon products under the Head & Shoulders, Olay, Pantene, SK-II, and Wella brand names. The Grooming segment provides blades and razors, pre- and post-shave products, and electronic hair removal devices under the Braun, Fusion, Gillette, Mach3, and Prestobarba brand names. The Health Care segment offers feminine care and incontinence products; toothbrush, toothpaste, and other oral care products; and gastrointestinal, rapid diagnostics, respiratory, vitamins/minerals/supplements, and other personal health care products. This segment markets its products under the Always, Crest, Oral-B, and Vicks brand names. The Fabric Care and Home Care segment provides bleach and laundry additives, fabric enhancers, and laundry detergents; air care, dish care, and surface care products; batteries; pet care products; and professional products. This segment sells its products under the Ace, Ariel, Dawn, Downy, Duracell, Febreze, Gain, Iams, and Tide brand names. The Baby Care and Family Care segment offers baby wipes, diapers, pants, paper towels, tissues, and toilet papers under the Bounty, Charmin, and Pampers brand names. The company markets its products through mass merchandisers, grocery stores, membership club stores, drug stores, department stores, salons, high-frequency stores, and e-commerce in approximately 180 countries worldwide. The Procter & Gamble Company was founded in 1837 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
Parker-Hannifin Corporation (PH) manufactures motion and control technologies and systems for various mobile, industrial, and aerospace markets worldwide. Its Industrial segment provides pneumatic and electromechanical components and systems; filters, systems, and instruments to monitor and remove contaminants from fuel, air, oil, water, and other liquids and gases; connectors, which control, transmit, and contain fluid; hydraulic components and systems for builders and users of industrial and mobile machinery and equipment; critical flow components for process instrumentation, healthcare, and ultra-high-purity applications; and static and dynamic sealing devices. This segment sells its products to original equipment manufacturers and their replacement markets in manufacturing, transportation, and processing industries. The company’s Aerospace segment offers flight control, hydraulic, fuel, fluid conveyance, and engine systems and components for commercial and military airframe and engine programs. It also provides electronics thermal management heat rejection systems, and single-phase and two-phase heat collection systems for radar, ISAR, and power electronics. This segment markets its products directly to original equipment manufacturers and end users in the commercial and military aerospace markets. Its Climate & Industrial Controls segment offers systems and components primarily for use in the mobile and stationary refrigeration, and air conditioning industry; and in fluid control applications in various industries, such as processing, fuel dispensing, beverage dispensing, and mobile emissions. This segment serves original equipment manufacturers and their replacement markets. The company markets its products through direct-sales employees, independent distributors, and sales representatives. Parker-Hannifin Corporation was founded in 1918 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
Vectren Corporation (VVC), through its subsidiaries, provides energy delivery services to residential, commercial, and industrial and other contract customers in Indiana and west central Ohio. It offers natural gas distribution and transportation services, and electric distribution services; and owns and operates coal-fired and gas-fired electric generating facilities with an installed generating capacity of 1,298 megawatts. The company’s electric transmission system consists of 1,014 circuit miles of 345, 138, and 69 kilovolt lines, and 37substations; and distribution system comprises 4,301 pole miles of lower voltage overhead lines and 381 trench miles of conduit containing 2,098 miles of underground distribution cable, 96 distribution substations, and 54,000 distribution transformers. In addition, it provides gas marketing, gas portfolio optimization, and other portfolio and energy management services to municipalities, utilities, industrial operations, schools, and healthcare institutions; mines and sells coal; offers underground construction and repair, performance contracting, and renewable energy services; and invests in energy-related opportunities and services, real estate, and leveraged leases. Further, the company engages in transmission pipeline construction and maintenance; pump station, compressor station, terminal, and refinery construction; and hydrostatic testing services. It serves the automotive assembly, parts,and accessories; feed, flour, and grain processing; metal castings; aluminum products; polycarbonate resin and plastic products; gypsum products; electrical equipment; metal specialties; glass; steel finishing; pharmaceutical and nutritional products; gasoline and oil products; ethanol; and coal mining industries. As of December 31, 2012 it supplied natural gas services to approximately 997,400 customers; and electric services to approximately 142,100 customers. Vectren Corporation was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. (Daily Chart) (Weekly Chart)
