3 Dividend Aristocrats to Buy and Hold Forever

There's no shortage of reasons why investors love Dividend Aristocrats. These companies, which have paid out -- and boosted -- an annual dividend for at least 25 consecutive years, represent some of the best qualities in a long-term stock holding. Their ability to steadily increase their payout is a testament to best-in-class qualities that investors treasure, including a premium industry position, an efficient management team, and pricing power.

With that in mind, let's look at two companies from this exclusive club -- and one on the path to membership -- that appear to be solid long-term holds right now.

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Source Fool.com