Dividend stocks are a great way to supplement income, but, given the massive number of dividend-paying companies out there today, picking stocks isn't easy. Consider that of the S&P 500 companies, which include the 500 largest stocks in the U.S. by market capitalization, as many as 423 paid a dividend last year. Combined, these companies paid a whopping $485.4 billion in dividends in 2019, setting a new record. And these stats are for just the 500 largest stocks. Thousands of others, including mid- and- small cap companies, pay a dividend as well.
Understandably, many dividend stocks fly under the radar. But some of these have such a compelling investing thesis that income investors could be missing something big by not owning them. Here are three such relatively unknown but amazing dividend stocks.
Parker Hannifin (NYSE: PH) increased its dividend by 16% last year, marking its 63rd consecutive year of annual dividend increases. That dividend streak makes Parker one of the best dividend growth companies to own.