3 Dividend Aristocrats to Buy and Hold Forever
No stock is perfect, but some companies are just built to last in a way that sets them apart from the pack. Here are three stocks that stand out for their mix of relatively generous yields, strong businesses, and historical commitment to investors, a factor that has earned them the title of Dividend Aristocrats.
But there's a lot more to like here than just a 25-plus year history of dividend increases. If you are looking to buy and hold a stock forever, you need to take a look at Nucor (NYSE: NUE), Chevron (NYSE: CVX), and Consolidated Edison (NYSE: ED).
Nucor is one of the largest integrated steel mills in the United States. It has increased its dividend for 47 consecutive years, and currently yields around 3.75%, which is toward the high end of the company's historical range. Steel is a cyclical business, so the company's sales and earnings are under pressure right now given that the economy fell into a recession in February. That's actually an opportunity here, though, because Nucor has one of the strongest balance sheets in the steel space. The company's financial debt to equity ratio is roughly 0.45 times, which is pretty reasonable given the current market environment. The ratios of its closest peers are higher, some much higher.
Source Fool.com
