The Smartest Dividend Aristocrats to Buy With $500 Right Now
Companies that routinely increase their dividends have historically outperformed their stingier peers, so investors should consider adding some dividend-growth stocks to their portfolios. The cream of that crop is the Dividend Aristocrats, companies that have delivered annual dividend growth for at least 25 straight years.
Two of my favorite Dividend Aristocrats are Realty Income (NYSE: O) and NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE). I recently put another $500 into these two stocks; here's why I think they stand out as wise investments.
Realty Income has an amazing track record of dividend growth. The real estate investment trust (REIT) has increased its monthly dividend payment 115 times since its public listing in 1994, with the last 98 raises coming in consecutive quarters. The REIT has boosted its dividend for 27 straight years, growing it at a 4.4% compound annual rate. That's helped it produce a 15.3% compound average annual total return since its public listing.
Source Fool.com
