Five years ago I purchased 15 of the largest cap constituents from the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Fund (VIG). That fund tracks the Dividend Achievers Select Index.
The dividend growth fund requires at least a 10-year history of increasing dividends, year over year. The fund also applies proprietary financial health screens. I trusted the index and the methodology. It's a smart beta fund. For some background to the rationale, here's the original article: "Buying Dividend Growth Stocks Without Looking."
I did no further evaluation, but certainly the index did look solid.