Dividend stocks have historically produced above-average returns. Since 1973, the average dividend payer in the S&P 500 produced a 9.2% average annual return, according to data from Ned Davis Research and Hartford Funds. That outpaced the 7.7% average annual total return of an equal-weighted S&P 500 Index. However, it's worth noting that dividend growers and initiators drove those returns, producing a 10.2% average annual total return compared to 6.6% for companies with no change in their dividend policy. 

Given that data, companies able to grow their dividends should produce premium returns in the future. Three companies with excellent dividend growth track records (and visible growth ahead) are Brookfield Infrastructure (NYSE: BIP)(NYSE: BIPC), Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD), and Prologis (NYSE: PLD). I'd buy this trio of premium dividend payers without hesitation this month.

Brookfield Infrastructure gave its investors a 6% raise earlier this year. That marked the 14th straight year of increasing the payout. 

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Source Fool.com