What are dividend aristocrats vs. kings vs. champions vs. achievers?

With just ten years dividend streak, you can be a part of Dividend Achievers. Aristocrats and Champions require consecutive dividend growth of at least 25 years; and must be a member of the S&P500. Dividend kings require a full 50 years of consecutive dividend growth. Some investors may also add other criteria but these are the basics.

The primary difference between these types of dividend performers is time.

Dividend Aristocrat

A publicly traded company that has consistently paid annual dividends for 25 consecutive years. Today, there are 65 companies on this list, and if a business hits the 25-year market, that firm will be put on the list.

Examples: AT&T (T), Chevron (CVX), and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ).

It should be noted that dividend champions and aristocrats are essentially the same thing, except that the former does not need to include members of the S&P 500 index.

Dividend King

A company that has a record of paying and increasing a dividend for 50 straight years. Today, there are 31 names on the list, including Procter & Gamble (PG), Coca-Cola (KO), and Sysco Corp. (SYY).

Dividend Achiever

A dividend achiever is a company that has regularly increased its dividend yield for at least ten years and meets liquidity requirements. The list includes many names Costco Wholesale (COST), Hasbro (HAS), and Nike (NKE).