With market volatility at the top of many investors' minds, now might be an opportune time to shift toward a more defensive investment posture. Dividend stocks can be a safer bet during difficult environments, and dividend growth names stand out above all—companies that have a multi-year history of dividend increases tend to represent stable industries and names that could withstand external pressures in many cases.
Looking beyond some of the biggest contenders in the list of Dividend Aristocrats, investors might find a number of other names that can offer not only quiet and steady increases to dividend distributions, but also a track record of—or the potential for future—share price appreciation. Even if the market sours and shares sink, the dividend trajectory of the companies below provides a compelling reason to consider them in a more defensive portfolio.
