The new additions to the Dividend Achievers Index were announced a few weeks ago
by Mergent. The
dividend achievers index includes companies with the following characteristics:
1) Traded on NYSE, Nasdaq or AMEX
2) US companies with at least ten consecutive years of increasing regular dividends
3) Having a minimum average daily cash volume of US$500,000 per day
I typically
screen the list of dividend achievers at least once a month, in order to search for attractively valued dividend stocks to accumulate. With over 200 individual dividend growth stocks comprising the index, I have plenty of companies to sift through in order to find the 20 or 30 that could ultimately find their way in
my dividend portfolio. In addition, looking at the list of new dividend achievers additions, might enable me to identify the next big dividend growth story, that will pay rising dividends for the next several decades.
The companies added to the index in 2012 include:
Southern Company (
SO), through its subsidiaries, operates as a utility company that provides electric service in the southeastern United States. Yield: 4.30%
Monsanto Company(
MON) , together with its subsidiaries, provides agricultural products for farmers in the United States and internationally. Yield: 1.50%
NIKE, Inc. (
NKE), together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, marketing, and sale of footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products for men, women, and children worldwide. Yield: 1.30%
Norfolk Southern Corporation (
NSC), through its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods primarily in the United States. Yield: 2.70% (
analysis)
Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P.