How about MKC... ran across this article talking about broken and unbroken streaks in rising divies and/or earnings:
McCormick Keeps Dividend Streak Going
By PAUL WHITFIELD, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILYPosted 02/22/2010 06:18 PM ET
Herbs and spices producer McCormick & Co. (MKC) has increased earnings and sales seven years in a row.
That alone puts the company in an elite group. Many companies with longer streaks stumbled in the recent recession.
Just in the Dow, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), 3M (MMM), United Technologies (UTX) and Procter & Gamble (PG) each saw a streak of annually rising revenue and/or earnings end in 2009.
Despite the recession, McCormick ramped up earnings growth. Earnings grew 12%, 11% and 10% in 2007-09. The double-digit growth followed three years of single-digit growth.
Sales were up only 0.5% in fiscal 2009 ended in November.
A stronger U.S. dollar reduced sales by 5% for the year, CEO Alan Wilson said on the earnings call Jan. 28.
In the previous three years, sales stepped up 3%, 5%, 7% and 9%.
Margins have remained strong. Pretax margin was 13.5% in fiscal '09, up for a third straight year. After-tax margin has risen on a year-ago basis for five straight quarters.
Staying on a consistent growth track has been good for the dividend.
In November, McCormick increased the payout for the 24th year in a row. It raised the quarterly dividend from 24 cents a share to 26 cents a share. The current dividend yield is 2.8%.
In 2009, McCormick doubled the number of cities in China where consumers can buy its products.
PepsiCo (PEP) and Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) each accounted for 11% of sales last year.
The stock has shaped a flat base and is only 1% off its 52-week high. |
