There are many reasons to invest in excellent dividend stocks. Such investments are often worth the trouble regardless of whether you're investing for the dividend, or for making capital gains from the robust business (always a laudable goal). But here's the common thread that runs through outstanding dividend stocks: Companies that grow their dividend payouts over extended periods time all have solid fundamentals.

The obvious corollary is, not every dividend payer on the market is worth investing in. But let's consider two that are: (NYSE: NVS) and Visa (NYSE: V).

What makes a drugmaker like Novartis a great dividend stock is its portfolio of lifesaving medicines that physicians will continue prescribing regardless of economic conditions. That translates into steady revenue and profits, irrespective of economic expansions and recessions, for the pharmaceutical giant. Moreover, the need for innovative therapies isn't going to subside anytime soon. In fact, it will only increase over the long run as the world's population ages.

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Source Fool.com