Dividend Achievers

Adding Dividend Achievers to your stock portfolio can enhance your investment list with reliable passive income. However, Dividend Achievers come with risks and opportunity costs, like all investments. Read on to learn about Dividend Achievers, how to screen for consistent dividends, and the pros and cons of investing in these stocks. 

Dividend Achievers History

You can trace the history of the Dividend Achievers list back to the early 1980s when Moody's Investor Service began compiling data on dividend-paying stocks. In 1990, Mergent launched the Dividend Achievers index, which tracked the performance of companies that had increased their dividends for at least 10 consecutive years.

Over time, the Dividend Achievers index grew popular among investors looking for stable, reliable companies that paid regular dividends. In 2005, Mergent launched an ETF (exchange-traded fund) that tracked the performance of the NASDAQ Dividend Achievers ETF, which Invesco later required and renamed the Invesco Dividend Achievers ETF (NASDAQ: PFM). 

Dividend Achievers are not the only classification of stocks increasing dividend payments. Some additional types of stocks you may want to consider investing in can include: 

• Dividend Challengers: Dividend Challengers are companies that have increased their dividends for at least the past five consecutive years. View a Dividend Challengers list to learn more. 
• Dividend Contenders: Dividend Contenders are companies that have increased their dividends for the last ten to 25 consecutive years. Click here to view the MarketBeat Dividend Contenders list and explore these strong dividend stocks.
• Dividend Aristocrats: Dividend Aristocrats are companies that have increased dividends for the last 25 years. Explore MarketBeat'sMarketBeat's Dividend Aristocrats list. 
• Dividend Kings: Dividend Kings are some of the strongest dividend stocks on the market, having raised their dividends for at least the past 50 consecutive years. Explore the Dividend Kings list on MarketBeat. 

Examples of Dividend Achievers

Some current examples of Dividend Achievers include the following:

• Best Buy: Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is a multinational consumer electronics retailer that produces home appliances, entertainment products and related services. Best Buy offers many products, such as computers, televisions, home theater systems, smartphones, cameras, video games, appliances and more. Best Buy has consistently increased its dividend by 20% over the past three years. 
• BlackRock: BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK) is a global investment management corporation providing financial services to institutional clients and individuals. BlackRock offers a range of investment solutions, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds and alternative investments. It also provides risk management, advisory, and technology services. Over the past three years, BlackRock has increased its dividend distribution by 13.93%. 
• Caterpillar: Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) is one of the largest manufacturers of construction equipment in the world, with a product line that includes excavators, bulldozers, backhoes, motor graders, wheel loaders and more. The company also produces engines for various applications, including mining, marine and industrial use. Caterpillar has increased its dividend distribution by over 6% over the past three years.