When searching for dividend stocks, there are a few things you want to consider. Of course you want a company that has an attractive dividend yield, and anything above 2% to 3% is generally considered to be pretty good. High yield isn't everything, though -- you also want to make sure the company has a history of steady earnings growth. Increasing profits provide a company with stability, which allows it to not only make consistent dividend payments, but also to raise those payments on a consistent basis.
These traits are ideal in dividend stocks, and they're why Arbor Realty Trust (NYSE: ABR) , Cincinnati Financial (NASDAQ: CINF) , and United Bankshares (NASDAQ: UBSI) are all great dividend stocks you can trust to pay you year after year.
Arbor Realty is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the multifamily housing sector, with 81% of its total loan portfolio made up of these loans. The multifamily housing space has high barriers to entry, which gives Arbor Realty a competitive advantage and provides stability to its earnings.
For further details see:
3 Dividend Stocks You Can Trust to Pay You