Dividends can provide a steady stream of income to shareholders, but only if the dividend-paying company maintains or increases its payouts over the years. Unfortunately, not every dividend payer is capable of doing so. Plenty suspend or decrease their dividends when economic or company-specific troubles arise.

Thankfully, there are dividend stocks on the market that are poised to return steady and growing capital to shareholders over long periods. Let's consider two examples: Johnson Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and (NYSE: MRK).

Johnson Johnson has plenty of qualities that will appeal to long-term investors. As one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, it has been developing innovative medicines for decades. Since Johnson Johnson was first created, the regulatory landscape has changed significantly, and there have been market crashes, recessions, and more than one pandemic. Johnson Johnson's ability to continue delivering excellent results through all that speaks volumes about the drugmaker. And it is still going strong.

Continue reading

Source Fool.com