Ten stocks stood firmer on Wednesday, mimicking the rally on Wall Street, as investors took heart from a broader market optimism backed by renewed hopes for easing Middle East tensions.
The key for investors right now is to be selective, focusing on companies with actual earnings growth rather than chasing a sector-wide trade that may already have run its course.
For this list, we selected companies from the S&P 500 that have raised their dividends for 13 consecutive years or more and are on the steady path to becoming dividend aristocrats.
With financing costs still elevated, markets have become more selective, placing greater emphasis on earnings quality and the ability of companies to generate returns from the capital they deploy.