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The Benefit Of Dividend Growth And Which 17 Stocks Climped To The Top Of The Dividend Champions List

When the market is in a slump, healthy and growing companies will usually keep paying their dividends, offering some relief in challenging times. 

And here's something underappreciated: Dividend payers actually tend to perform really well, too. 

Dividend-paying stocks averaged an annual gain of 9.3% from 1972 through 2014, while non-dividend payers averaged just 2.6%. Want more? According to Fidelity data, from 1993 through 2014, dividends accounted for about 40% of the 10.3% average annual return of the S&P 500.

Attached I've compiled those dividend growers with the longest dividend growth history. Only a couple of stocks managed to grow their dividends over decades without running them flat a year or even reduce them.

17 stocks joined the exclusive club of Dividend Kings. Those stocks managed to raise dividends over a half century without an interruption.

That's a great success if you keep in mind how many recessions come and go over that period of time.

Here is the latest overview of the Dividend Kings List...

17 Dividend Kings (click to enlarge)