Dividend Champions: Focus on Utilities

The Dividend Champions spreadsheet and PDF have been updated through 2/28/11 and are available here. Note that all references to Champions mean companies that have paid higher dividends for at least 25 straight years; Contenders have streaks of 10-24 years; Challengers have streaks of 5-9 years. Together, all of these companies may be referred to using the abbreviation “CCC.” This is the third in a series of articles focusing on specific industries and isolating the CCC companies within those industries. The first covered Master Limited Partnerships (or MLPs) and the second covered Real Estate Investment Trusts (or REITs). What Are Utilities? Although that question may seem a bit facetious, it's worth asking in view of recent changes, such as the deregulation trend of the 1990s, as well as the diversification into other fields of operation that many traditional utility companies are following. In addition, we have to understand that some... Read more