• BBL - if they can maintain the dividend through not only the upcoming divestiture but also the double whammy to them of the crash in the metals market we're experiencing along with the swoon in oil prices, then I think management is really focussed on growing the business for the benefit of the shareholders.
  
• PX or APD - Praxair seems to be the less encumbered company right now. APD is dealing with activist investors and has had problems growing their end markets for a while. I see light at the end of the tunnel for them and they have been growing the dividend for quite a few years.
  
• BMS - steady performer for over 30 years now. Not mentioned very often but if you can get it when it's cheap it may be a good longer-term play.
  

• TU or BCE - I like TU better for their growth and potential in related fields. The Canadian cell market has a much lower penetration than the U.S. so there's still room to sell the 3rd or 4th device to each household and add another revenue stream. You have to deal with currency issues but over the next 10-30 years it will average out.
  

• GPC - hard to compete with the NAPA brand. Just need to get it at a value.
  
• MGA - alternative to GPC. Again, the currency non-issue (to me) for long-term holders.
  
• ROST/TJX - either one's going to grow very well for the long term in my opinion.
  
• VFC - they seem to keep hitting it. Maybe it's their diversification.
  
• MCD - I think they'll come out of this slump just fine. We may be eating McSprout sammiches with McHummus but they'll still be making money.
  

• GIS - they're almost everywhere in the grocery store. If eating healthy is not a fad, they'll adapt. They have for over 100 years.
  
• CHD - they just seem to keep growing despite the market being supposedly saturated. Also have room to grow internationally.
  
• CL - they just keep doing it.
  

• SLB/HAL - my impression is they are the go-to's for the majors on logistics, planning and services.
  
• NOV - if they come through this slump without being too slimmed down or encumbered with debt, I think they'll grow faster than SLB/HAL.
  

• AFL - at some point AFL will surprise everyone. In 20 years, the older Japanese population will be dead so if they aren't making money there, they'll shift their focus someplace else.
  
• RY/TD/BMO/BNS - alternative to U.S. banks. I've already mentioned the currency issue above. Slightly better Tier 1 capital ratios although I haven't researched WFC.
  

• AMGN - an alternative to GILD and still has a lot of promise after how many years?
  
• BDX - they've just been steady for years. Every year you get a 10% Christmas present and their payout ratio is still low.
  

• UTX - low payout, steady grower and constantly evolving albeit at a slower pace than smaller companies.
  
• PH - cyclical but make a lot of things that constantly need to be repaired/replaced. Good dividend growth culture with the company.
  
• ITW - don't advertise themselves much but are constantly buying or developing new product lines. Somewhat like 3M.
  
• DE/CAT - cyclical but both seem shareholder focussed. Some would say best in class in their industry.
  
• GWW - pretty steady double-digit grower for a company as big and old as they are.
  
• VMI - hardly anyone has heard of them but the go-to for efficient agriculture irrigation and have a pretty good infrastructure segment.
  

• HCP - being the only REIT Aristocrat for now counts for something. I like the diversification across 5 healthcare segments despite the Manor Care issue recently.
  
• WPC - like their international exposure.
  
• VTR - same as WPC but in health field.
  

• QCOM - they could have a slump like they did in the 00s but so had INTC. They've been around a while so they know how to manage the bad times.
  

• D - I'm still leery but chowder makes a lot of sense. Shedding the ng transmission lines but keeping partial ownership could bring them a lot of revenue without all the work.
  
• AVA - smaller market cap than most utes. Don't bet on a buyout/merger although long-term consolidation in the industry could do that. In the meantime, they are slowly growing and have a stable customer base. I bet they're looking at smaller deals themselves like they did with the Alaskan deal.
  
• XEL - I like their geographic diversity although their dividend growth has been a little weak over the last decade.
  
• ES - despite all the bad talk about their regulators, or maybe because of it, they've done quite well over the last decade. Somebody had to have noticed since the P/E got up to the mid-20s this winter.
  

(04-04-2015, 11:07 AM)crimsonghost747 Wrote: Might have missed it since I don't know all the tickers by heart, but have you thought about adding some defence sector companies such as Raytheon or Lockheed Martin? Any of the big names should be fairly stable in the long run and they have quite a good reputation of constantly increasing dividends. They are quite pricy at the moment though.