S&P's Dividend Aristocrats: The Upper Crust

By Beth Piskora

As the investing pros tell us, history is no guarantee of future results—but it's still a nice thing to have on your side. Case in point: the list of Standard & Poor's Dividend Aristocrats, those stocks that have increased their dividend payments annually for 25 years or more. This slide show features the companies on the list that also feature S&P's top equity rankings of 4 STARS (buy) or 5 STARS (strong buy). Here they are, in alphabetical order: